Mustangs romp to win over Cleve Hill Eagles

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Greg Thompson eludes a Cleve Hill tackler as Noah Skinner provides a block during the Mustangs win over the host Eagles this afternoon.

Regaining a share of the C North Division lead, Medina rolled to a 38-6 victory over host Cleveland Hill this afternoon.

The victory pulls Medina even with Akron for the C North lead at 2-0 and improves the Mustangs overall record to 4-0.

Quarterback Xander Payne threw for three touchdown passes, two to Greg Thompson and one to Joe Cecchini, and Noah Skinner ran for another TD to lead the Mustangs attack.

Medina running back Cayden Lilleby eludes a Cleve Hill tackler to pick up yardage.

The Mustangs defensive unit also contributed a touchdown as Josh Wilson recovered a Cleve Hill fumble in the Eagles end zone.

Medina jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead in the first three minutes as Payne hooked up with Cecchini for a 24 yard touchdown pass. Skinner, who added the two-point conversion run, had a big 34 yard run on the game’s first play from scrimmage to ignite the Mustangs drive.

The Medina defensive unit helped to hike the lead to 16-0 late in the quarter as Wilson had the first of his two fumble recoveries on the afternoon in the Eagles end zone and Iverson Poole added the two-point conversion run.

The opening quarter lead could have been even bigger but the Mustangs had one long touchdown run called back by a penalty and then lost the ball on a turnover near the Cleve Hill goal line on the next possession.

The Mustangs did double the lead to 32-0 at the half by scoring on both second quarter possessions as Payne connected twice with Thompson for TD passes the first covering 51 yards and the second 21 yards. The later, his 12th TD pass of the season, came with just 34 seconds to go in the quarter.

It was a scoring opportunity set up by a fourth down sack of the Cleve Hill quarterback by the trio of Cecchini, Skinner and Jarin Rhim.

Cleve Hill scored the only touchdown in the third quarter with a lengthy 8 minute long drive.

Skinner rounded out the Mustangs scoring with a 33 yard touchdown run up the middle early in the final quarter.

That opportunity was also set up by a big fourth down sack of the Cleve Hill quarterback by the brother duo of Josh and Ollie Wilson.

A fumble recovery by Dominic Larabee on Cleve Hill’s next possession then capped off a big afternoon for the Mustangs defensive unit.

Medina will next visit Wilson at 7 p.m. Friday.

Medina’s defensive trio of Josh Wilson (56), Noah Skinner (42) and Joe Cecchini (3) combine to tackle a Cleve Hill’s Antwan Ceasar for a loss.