'We locked in': Firestone scores 53 points in second half to rout Copley in football

COPLEY — The vibe around the Firestone football team appears to be different this season.

The Falcons needed just two games to match last season's win total with a 53-28 win over host Copley on Friday night.

Firestone scored all 53 of its points in the second half after Copley led 14-0 at halftime. The Falcons (2-0) scored eight touchdowns in the second half — five on offense, two on defense and one on special teams.

Dionte Younger, Daniel Peterson, Daylyn Taylor lead Firestone to victory

Firestone junior running back-linebacker Dionte Younger scored touchdowns on runs of 5 and 11 yards and added a 90-yard kickoff return for a TD.

"We piggybacked off each other, bounced off ideas and came back to get the win," Younger said. "We tried our best and gave it our all. We have that dog in us, and we brought it out."

Falcons junior running back Daniel Peterson and junior quarterback Daylyn Taylor were also electric in the comeback victory.

Peterson ran for 168 yards on 19 carries and scored TDs on runs of 65 and 8 yards. Taylor ran for a 20-yard TD and finished with 116 yards on 13 carries.

"We didn't back down," Peterson said. "Last year, I ran for 273 yards against them. I knew I could do better and we as a team could do better.

"... We made adjustments at halftime and talked about what we could do better and what we were seeing. We are all coming together this year as one, as brothers."

Firestone seniors William Calhoun and Matthew White contributed touchdowns defensively as Calhoun returned a fumble 60 yards and White grabbed an interception and ran it back 100 yards.

"We went into halftime and we locked in," Calhoun said. "I went into the locker room and prayed on everything. I wanted to go out and play and win. ... This is my first year playing football. I played basketball and volleyball in the past."

Firestone's second-half scoring barrage included three extra points by junior kicker Rachelle Athey, a two-point conversion run by junior Isaiah Ramer, an interception by junior Mario Jones and a fumble recovery by sophomore Gucci Stephens.

"We made sure that the defense set the tone for the offense to go out and do what needed to be done," White said. "This is a great team win."

Younger and senior Cupid Atkins both had multiple sacks.

"We need to continue to do what we do and work harder at practice," Taylor said.

Eric Mitchell said Friday was the first time in his nine years as Firestone coach the Falcons had scored more than 50 points in a half.

"We went into halftime and we understood that we had not played our best football, so we gave them a little bit of motivation to help them understand that if you play your best football you can get yourself right back into the game," Mitchell said. "I didn't expect 53 points, but I did expect to get back into the game.

"... Our senior class has the right amount of leadership with guys like Kahlil Hayden, Brandon Foster, Matthew White, William Calhoun, Brandon Carter and Tony Shellman. They understand that our junior class is very talented. Our juniors know what the seniors have gone through, and they follow their lead.

"Daniel Peterson, Daylyn Taylor and Dionte Younger ran the ball well, and I am very pleased with our offensive linemen: Alex Tyler at center, Brandon Carter and Blake Harris as the tackles and Brandon Tilley and James Boyer as the guards."

Copley first-year coach John Kromalic says team will improve

Copley (0-2) took its 14-0 halftime lead with two rushing touchdowns in the second quarter. Junior quarterback Julian Bearshak scored from 3 yards out and junior running back Tony Cox ran 34 yards for another TD.

Junior quarterback-defensive back Gabe Mansel made an impact in his first game with Copley by blocking an extra point in the third quarter and scoring two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Mansel returned to his public school after playing at St. Vincent-St. Mary for two seasons.

Bearshak completed 16 of 27 passes for 167 yards and ran 21 times for 64 yards.

Mansel completed 8 of 19 passes for 68 yards and ran 12 times for 100 yards.

Copley senior kicker Michael Luecke made 4 of 4 extra points, junior Scooby Stanford had eight receptions for 90 yards and sophomore Andrew McKnight had six catches for 60 yards.

"The big piece is just getting better every week," Copley first-year coach John Kromalic said. "We definitely struggle in some areas and some of the things that have given us trouble in the past continue to give us problems. The things that we are focused on in our program are small details and holding people accountable. We really think that is going to continue to help us throughout the season. ... We are going to get better."

Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Dionte Younger, Daniel Peterson, Daylyn Taylor lead Firestone to win