Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Records fall as Independence tames the Badgers

INDEPENDENCE—Michael Tommer set new school records for passing yards and touchdown passes in a single game in leading Independence to a 42-12 win over visiting Berkshire on Friday.

Tommer completed 14-of-21 passes for a new school record 354 yards and he threw six touchdown passes, breaking the previous school record of five TD passes thrown in a single game.

The air show began after the Blue Devils forced the Badgers to punt on the game’s first possession.

Tommer connected with Kyle Zygmunt on a 70-yard touchdown pass that gave the Blue Devils a 7-0 lead with 7:58 remaining in the opening quarter.

Independence recovered a Berkshire fumble near midfield and Tommer and Zygmunt connected again, this time on a 23-yard touchdown with 4:19 left in the first quarter.

The aggressive Blue Devils then recovered their own onside kick but that drive resulted in a blocked field goal.

Berkshire found some success on the next drive but the Blue Devils held on fourth down and Tommer threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Cy Jolliffe on the next play to push the Independence lead to 21-0 with 11:34 left in the half.

Once again, Independence’s defense came up with a big fourth-down stop and the Blue Devils took over possession at the Berkshire 23. Tommer and Zygmunt hooked up on a 30-yard touchdown that gave the Blue Devils a commanding 28-0 lead with 8:56 left before the break.

Zygmunt picked off a Berkshire pass and Tommer threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Evan Beacher with 2:48 remaining.

Berkshire’s next drive resulted in what looked like a Zygmunt pick-six but a penalty on the return erased that score.

The Blue Devils had another touchdown erased by a penalty but it wouldn’t matter as Tommer threw a 24-yard strike to Luke Pascarella to close out the Independence scoring with 1:22 remaining in the half.

Berkshire added two second-half scores off of the Independence backups.

Independence improved to 4-1 overall. The Blue Devils travel to Trinity on Saturday. Berkshire dropped to 3-2. The Badgers look to bounce back at Crestwood on Friday.

Steve Hare
Steve Harehttp://www.ohiovarsity.com
Steve Hare is the Chagrin Valley Conference's Sports Information Director. He also created and publishes OhioVarsity.com, an online publication dedicated to providing hyperlocal coverage to area high school athletic programs. Hare began covering high school sports for the Lake County News Herald in 1997. Hare attended Willoughby South High School through the middle of his senior year, then graduated from Berkshire High School in Burton in 1986. He played football, wrestled and was an all-Geauga county baseball player (1986). He lives in Chardon with his wife Paulette and their children.

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