CUYAHOGA HEIGHTS—Trailing by three with fewer than seven minutes remaining in the game, Independence rallied to defeat rival Cuyahoga Heights on their home turf, 22-18.
Independence put together an 18-play drive that chewed up nearly five and a half minutes off the game clock and punched it in with a Rocco Ressler rushing touchdown.
“The kids kept saying they wanted to run the ball, so we ran it,” said Independence head coach Rick Adams. “We had a couple of passes to try and take a shot, but for the most part, we listened to the kids. They executed when we needed. I’ve been waiting for them (to take charge).”
Cuyahoga Heights struck first when Kyle Porter intercepted a Dominic Narduzzi pass, and Gavin Chamberlin capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge and two-point conversion.
Independence answered when Ressler picked off a pass at the Independence 15 and returned it 85 yards for a score. The extra-point cut the Cuyahoga Heights lead to 8-7.
Zach Unger picked off another Narduzzi pass, setting up another Chamberlin rushing touchdown for Cuyahoga Heights.
The Blue Devils found the end zone again in the fourth quarter when Stephen Mylnarczyk tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Ressler before he converted to a two-pointer to knot the contest at 15-15.
Zach Shafer fired a 42-yard bomb to Nick Armburst to flip the field, setting up Bryce Ruschs’ go-ahead 28-yard field goal with 6:31 left in the game.
Independence answered the bell again with a touchdown run from Ressler, plus the extra point to give the Blue Devils an improbable win on the road.
Bobby Jackson put the icing on the cake with his game-ending interception.
Independence trailed at three different points in the game but found a way to respond and take home a win.
“All the struggles we’ve had this year feels like a big weight off our shoulders tonight,” Adams said of his teams win.
Two things worked really well for Independence: its defense, which came away with four interceptions, including a pick-six, and Maverick Durden’s running game.
“Rocco’s (pick-six) was huge for us,” Adams said. “It was a huge pick-me-up; we needed to see someone cross the end zone. Maverick Durden ran the hardest tonight that he’s run all year. He broke tackles, and our offensive line did a great job opening up so many holes.”
Durden finished with 62 yards on the ground on 17 rushing attempts, while Ressler led the team with nine catches for 63 yards and a score. He also ran five times for 26 yards and a touchdown.
Narduzzi completed 12-of-24 passes for 69 yards and rushed for 31 yards on the ground.
Liam Reinhardt and Jackson also recorded interceptions, while Ressler picked off a pair of passes.
Mylnarczyk completed one pass for 22 yards and a touchdown.
Independence is working through its fair share of injuries, but that did not derail coach Adams’ group of guys from getting the job done when it matters.
“All the kids stepped up tonight,” Adams said of his team. “It’s 11-on-11, and all 11 stepped up for us tonight. We got guys hurting, and they sucked it up, got it done.”
Chamberlin shined for the Red Wolves with his 74 yards on 21 attempts with two rushing touchdowns and a two-point conversion, while Nick Armbrust hauled in four passes for 76 yards.
Porter and Zach Unger collected interceptions.
Cuyahoga Heights visits Wickliffe next Friday, while Independence hosts Brooklyn.
