KENT ROOSEVELT TOPS CUYAHOGA FALLS FOR WIN NO. 1 OF 2014 SEASON AND COACH KING ERA By ERIC CLUTTER | CORRESPONDENT Published: September 13, 2014 4:00AM By ERIC CLUTTER | CORRESPONDENT Isaiah Jones and Luther Fortson put on supreme performances Friday night as Kent Roosevelt defeated Cuyahoga Falls 35-21 in the annual Benny Cowgill Classic at Roosevelt Stadium. The 5-foot-10, 220-pound Jones rushed for 188 yards and scored three times, the last of which came on a 63-yard romp with 1:14 remaining that put the finishing touches on the first win for Roosevelt rookie head coach Tim King. They are all great kids and did a great job, said King. It is not about me, it is about them. They deserved this win; our seniors have worked so hard for it. Jones final TD came one play after teammate Ethan Murphy sacked Falls quarterback Mason Shook as the Black Tigers were threatening to the tie game. Fortson, meanwhile, was everywhere for the Rough Riders, who improved to 1-2 on the season and avoided the schools worst start since they started the 2007 campaign 0-7. Whether it was lining up in his customary slot position, or at running back, or returning kicks, Fortson had an impact all night long. His biggest contribution, however, came on the final play of the first half with the score deadlocked at 14-apiece. Bogged down deep in its own territory, Falls (2-1) was forced to punt from the 15-yard line. Punter Jack Sawyer got off a decent kick, but Roosevelt still had good starting position at the visitors 38, though only six seconds remained in the half. Rough Riders quarterback Riley Larkin promptly connected with Fortson on a crossing route, but it appeared he would be tackled well short of the end zone. Fortson had other ideas. Not giving up on the play and heading to the locker room, Fortson instead kept the play alive until other red jerseys joined the action, allowing him to reverse field, get around the corner toward the Roosevelt sideline and race in for the score as time expired. Luther is a playmaker for us, and we want to get the ball in his hands, said King of Fortson, who rushed for 50 yards for the game. We saw a weakness we wanted to exploit in their defense and let our guys make plays. In another oddity, Fortson gave the Rough Riders some cushion when he latched on to a Larkin 9-yard TD pass with no time showing at the end of the third stanza that doubled the score (28-14) in Roosevelts favor. Throughout the game, Roosevelt battled both the Black Tigers and themselves. Penalties, a couple bobbled snaps and a key fumble by Jones at the goal line on the games opening drive kept the Rough Riders from putting more points on the board. After Falls took over possession after its takeaway, Shook orchestrated a 99-yard drive that ate up seven and half minutes of the clock. His short pass to Aaron Loy on fourth-and-goal put Falls up 7-0. Fortson, however, had an answer of his own in the form of a 70-yard kickoff return that paved the way for Jones 1-yard TD run with 31 ticks showing in the first quarter. Its the same thing we have talked to them about, their mental toughness, the next play, said King. Things are going to happen in this game. We had some costly penalties, some mistakes on our end, (but) we just have to focus on that next play. Shook countered with his second TD throw of the night, a 5-yarder to Nicholas Radcliffe midway through the second quarter that put Falls back in front at 14-7. Jones added his second 1-yard score with just over two minutes left in the half to knot the game up once more. A fantastic leader. He put us on his back and took us to victory tonight, said King.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 13:35:06 +0000
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