FREMONT, Ohio — Fremont Ross gave its seniors a final home game to remember Friday night, beating Sylvania Southview 42-14 in a Division II, Region 6 first-round playoff game for the fourth home postseason victory in program history, according to the Fremont News-Messenger.
Zacarius Burel supplied the speed. Burel scored late in the second quarter and twice more in the third quarter as Ross stretched its margin to 42-7, the News-Messenger reported. He finished with three touchdowns and 104 yards on just nine carries in the News-Messenger’s postseason performers roundup.
Breylen Garza opened the scoring by plowing through a defender at the goal line, and he added both a touchdown pass to Mason Englund and a rushing touchdown of his own, according to the News-Messenger. Southview, the No. 12 seed, cut the deficit to 14-7 late in the second quarter but did not score again until 2 minutes, 17 seconds remained, and Kevin Jones intercepted a pass for the Little Giants.
The win was Ross’s seventh straight. The No. 5 seed Little Giants finished first in the Northern Lakes League Cardinal Division this season under first-year head coach Ken Winters, and Friday’s victory means the program’s seniors closed their home careers with a playoff win — “a playoff win the last time on the field is special,” as the News-Messenger’s report put it in describing the night.
History now offers Ross a challenge it has never met. The Little Giants have never won two postseason games in the same campaign, according to the News-Messenger. Friday’s win was only the fourth home postseason victory in program history, including the coronavirus season.
Ross was part of a strong opening night for Sandusky County-area teams. Port Clinton, the No. 11 seed, upset Margaretta 17-14 on the road, and Bellevue and Gibsonburg also advanced, according to the News-Messenger’s postseason performers roundup. Port Clinton now travels to No. 3 seed Eastwood, while Bellevue visits No. 3 seed Perkins.
What happens next: Ross visits No. 4 seed Oregon Clay (8-2) on Friday, Nov. 6, in the Region 6 quarterfinals, with a chance to win two playoff games in one season for the first time in school history.
Photo: OHWiki, CC BY-SA 2.5