For a year, South has been eager to get revenge for a 10-3 setback in 2023 to crosstown archrival North. Big plays by a pair of dynamic junior offensive standouts combined with a trio of interceptions by the Rebels’ defense allowed South to take a commanding 27-7 halftime lead, and a bend-but-don’t break defensive effort in the second half ensured that would be the final score as South exacted its long-awaited vengeance. Junior wide receiver Marquez Lashley tallied three touchdowns, and junior running back Jayden Hardy added another for the Rebels. Three of those scores were set up by interceptions, two of them deep in North territory. @southathletics junior WR Marquez Lashley, who caught two touchdown passes and ran for one, breaks down the Rebels’ 27-7 win over North pic.twitter.com/DER5Hne9IH — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) October 12, 2024 “It means everything to us,” Lashley said of the win. “They beat us last year, so obviously it was personal. “I couldn’t have (scored those touchdowns) without my line, and my quarterback Luke Jensen. I’m thankful for all them and every member of our team. We just got it done tonight.” South’s Marquez Lashley hauls in a touchdown pass Oct. 11 against North. (Paul DiCicco – for The News-Herald) After a first half in which almost nothing went its way, North came out of the locker room with a renewed sense of purpose defensively, and held the Rebels scoreless after halftime. But the Rangers could not capitalize on opportunities in the second half. Three times they had the ball inside the South 30, and twice inside the 10, but came away with no points each time. Lashley touched the ball just four times in the first half, and three of them went for touchdowns. @southathletics Coach Matt Duffy goes over the Rebels’ 27-7 win over North pic.twitter.com/I0PJTUSXS7 — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) October 12, 2024 “Quez had a big game. He’s a really good football player,” South coach Matt Duffy said. “You have to give a lot of credit to him and the rest of the offense for getting him going in the first half. “In the second half, we struggled. We have to find a way to get into better shape and a little bit stronger in the second half.” An interception near midfield by South senior Landon Brown, one of six seniors on the Rebels’ roster, halted North’s opening drive. Luke Jensen, South’s junior QB, zipped a pass the first play to Lashley, who turned on the jets to outrace the defense to the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown and 7-0 South lead. North (3-5, 0-3 WRC) responded with a 68-yard scoring run by senior Drake Martinez, who found an opening in the line and went untouched the rest of the way, making it 7-7. Hardy then got into the act for the Rebels, finishing off a six-play, 80-yard drive with a 52-yard scoring run, breaking to the outside and running down the sideline to make it 14-7 South. @southathletics junior RB Jayden Hardy, who ran for 95 yards and a touchdown, discusses South’s 27-7 win over rival North pic.twitter.com/4RKazmQK0A — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) October 12, 2024 “It’s not about who you have. It’s about what you do with what you have,” Hardy said. “I think that’s what we did tonight. We executed very well.” The game settled into a defensive stalemate after that initial scoring burst. After an exchange of five punts, disaster struck for North late in the second quarter, and South took advantage. First, South sophomore Scotty Balash intercepted a pass inside the Rangers’ 20 and returned it to the 9. Lashley scored on a reverse three plays later from the 11 to extend the South lead to 21-7. Then, another interception, this time by senior Mason Matriano, was returned to the North 41. The Rebels scored three plays later on a 30-yard fade from Jensen to Lashley down the sideline, but the extra point was no good, leaving the score at 27-7 in favor of the Rebels. South (3-5, 1-2 WRC) never crossed midfield after halftime until late in the game, but North came up empty on lengthy drives that reached the 7, 27, 10, and 45 of the Rebels. @northrangers Coach Shawn Dodd reviews North’s 27-7 loss to South pic.twitter.com/KeGghMCKXp — Jay Kron (@TownCenter2) October 12, 2024 “We had the ball down there inside the 30 like three or four times in the second half and didn’t come away with any points,” North coach Shawn Dodd said. “Just lack of execution. We ran the ball really well in the second half, I’m proud of the way our guys responded. Just one really bad quarter, that second quarter, it got away from us.” Jensen passed for 139 yards for South. Lashley finished with 87 yards on two catches and ran for 22 yards. Hardy rushed for 95 yards. Martinez racked up 179 yards on 31 carries as the workhorse for the Rangers, and had several big runs erased by holding penalties. North will host Chardon on Oct. 18, and South will host WRC leader Kenston that same night. “It’s always about us,” Duffy said in regard to preparing to play the Bombers. “We’re going to work this week and see what we can do to improve ourselves. Obviously (Kenston) is a good football team, very well-coached. We’re going to do what we do and see how it goes.” THE SCORE South 27, North 7