ROOTSTOWN — On Homecoming night, Rootstown rallied with two second-half touchdowns to defeat visiting Crestwood 21-12, earning the Rovers their first-ever Chagrin Valley Conference victory. The win also made head coach Tom Hannan the only Portage County coach to defeat every team in the county.
Through all the storylines — including a second-half deficit and a familiar foe on the opposite sideline — Rootstown found a way to finish.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” Coach Hannan said. “Last week we got punched in the mouth, we got banged up these last two weeks, and tired wasn’t an option tonight. (Crestwood) has just as many guys as we do, and it was next man up tonight. We had to keep grinding away and kept going at them. We rode the momentum when it turned our way.”
The Rovers struck first on a five-play, 65-yard drive that opened with Blake Mullaly’s 30-yard pass to Chase Duvall, setting up Kile Reuting’s four-yard touchdown run for a 7–0 lead.
Crestwood answered late in the first half. A sack by Tye Berquist forced a Rootstown punt, and Michael Kalista turned a near-sack into an 11-yard scramble. On the next series, Chris Mory broke multiple tackles on a 42-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 7–6 at halftime.
The Red Devils carried that momentum into the third quarter. Big gains from Bobby Bradley and James Lancaster led to Bradley’s three-yard touchdown run, giving Crestwood a 12–7 lead.
But Rootstown responded behind Damien Reuting, who began to take over the game. He broke loose for a seven-yard gain, then an 18-yard touchdown to put the Rovers ahead 14–12 heading into the fourth quarter.
Moments later, Max McEwuen intercepted Kalista — one of his three picks on the night — and Rootstown capitalized with Reuting’s second touchdown of the half to seal the 21–12 victory.
“We rode the momentum. We had three big interceptions by McEwuen, and then our line started doing what we thought they could do,” Hannan said. “We pushed (Crestwood) around, and we had a good downhill runner in Damien Reuting, and we just put it in his hands and said, ‘If we’re going to win this, this is how we’re going to do it.’”
For Hannan, the win was personally significant — not only for what it meant to his current team, but also for what it represented in a career that has come full circle.
“Doing all that means four things: I’m old, I’ve been around a long time, and I’ve had great assistant coaches and players,” Hannan said with a chuckle. “That’s how it happened.”
Damien Reuting led the Rovers with 167 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns. Kile Reuting added 13 yards and a score, while Duvall had one catch for 30 yards.
Despite the loss, Crestwood once again showed its trademark toughness.
“I’m proud of how these guys continue to fight week in and week out. It’s been a hard-fought game every single time,” said Crestwood head coach Jack D’Amato. “We knew what Rootstown is about; we had to be ready to get punched, we did, and we responded. We’ve had four losses, all in similar situations where we just couldn’t get over that hump. Last week, we took a big step with Chagrin Falls.”
Crestwood’s four losses have come by an average of just 8.5 points, and D’Amato said his team’s resolve remains strong.
“One thing we talk about all the time is it’s not about us as individual players, but if they are willing to fight for their brothers around them,” D’Amato said. “We got 35 kids that are ready to fight for their brother every night.”
The matchup also reunited old coaching colleagues. Several Crestwood assistants once worked under Hannan, and D’Amato himself has faced him many times over the years.
“We’ve been playing them for a while now, and it’s nice to have Coach Hannan over there. He’s a great guy and coach,” D’Amato said. “His record proves that, and I’m happy for him. I wish it hadn’t come against us, but he’s a Crestwood guy, and a lot of the guys on my staff were a part of his team throughout the ’90s and early 2000s. I’m happy for him, great guy, dad, husband, and football coach.”
Bradley led Crestwood with 46 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Mory added 45 yards and a score on four rushes. Luke Zauszniewski caught three passes for 37 yards.
Next week, Crestwood (3–3) hosts Berkshire, while Rootstown (6–1) travels to Wickliffe.
