JACKSON TWP. — After spending most of the middle two quarters playing on their heels, the Perry High School football team needed to swing back.
Jonathan Lemon got the Panthers back on the offensive in a flash.
The speedy junior ran through the middle of the Jackson defense for a momentum-swinging 71-yard touchdown and Perry went on to win 21-19 Friday, Sept. 26 at Fife Stadium.
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Lemon ran for 175 yards and the TD on 16 carries as the Panthers (4-2, 1-2) snapped a two-game slide with their first Federal League win.
“This one was needed for our program,” first-year Perry coach Spencer Leno said. “The message all week was, ‘How are we going to respond to adversity?’ This is a good football team. We have a ‘play the next play’ mentality. That’s what they did.”
Perry jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, then watched Jackson peck away at it over the next two quarters.
With the score 14-12 in the fourth quarter, Perry’s Evan Laubacher snagged his second interception of the game.
On the next play, Lemon broke loose, with Jackson not laying a finger on him until he was crossing the goal line. Perry led 21-12 with 7:37 left.
“Gashed them,” said a smiling Lemon, adding, “We couldn’t get anything going on offense. We were slowing down a little bit. A 71-yard touchdown really gave us back the momentum.”
Said Jackson coach Jay Rohr, “We didn’t do a good job reading our keys. We kind of ran outside when they pulled it up in the chute, hit the A-gap.
“Even after that, we spoke to the offense and defense. We said we were going to score, and we did. We had to get a stop, and again they rip off a big run. We couldn’t get off the field.”
To Rohr’s point, Jackson responded with a 10-play, 80-yard drive capped by Corey Jacobs’ 9-yard touchdown run. The senior registered his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 104 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
The Polar Bears trailed 21-19 with 5:19 left. They never touched the ball again.
Perry gained four first downs, including a 20-yard run from Lemon, to chew away the rest of the clock.
The biggest play was a third-and-9 during which Perry turned to its sophomore quarterback. Cameron Treharn delivered with a 15-yard pass play to senior Jayden Wilson.
“We’re not looking at him as a sophomore anymore,” Leno said. “He’s continued to mature each week and we have confidence in him. He’s doing a great job. The kid is a worker. He studies film. He studies the game. Coach (Ben) Shenk is doing a great job with him.”
Treharn finished 6-of-9 passing for 74 yards and no interceptions. Wilson caught four passes for 59 yards and had a first-quarter interception that led to a Perry score.
Seniors Connor Shephard and Caelob Hundley added rushing touchdowns for Perry, which played without lineman Preston Dazey — a University of Toledo recruit — because of a shoulder injury.
Lemon intercepted a Jackson 2-point conversion try late in the third quarter after the Polar Bears closed to within 14-12.
Jackson senior quarterback Lucas Ecrement did not play in the second half after taking a shot to the head late in the first half. He was 6-of-13 passing for 73 yards and an interception. Junior Carter Muhleman replaced Ecrement and completed 12 of 16 passes for 129 yards and two picks.
Jackson’s Micah Regimbal caught two passes for 65 yards, with a 51-yard reception leading to a 33-yard field goal try from Cooper Mizeur that missed on the final play of the first half. Mizeur connected on 27- and 24-yard field goals.
The Polar Bears did not get a first down until the final play of the first quarter, although they ended up outgaining Perry 315 yards to 299.
“We started off slow and didn’t come out with a lot of energy,” Rohr said. “… We’re always finding ourselves trying to battle back. In the end, it makes it difficult.”
Here’s how the game unfolded through our live updates.
FINAL: Perry beats Jackson 21-19
The Panthers gain four first downs on the final drive to eat the rest of the clock and finish off a Federal League win, snapping a two-game slide. Perry improves to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the league. Jackson falls to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the league.
Jackson answers Perry score
An impressive 10-play, 80-yard drive ends with a 9-yard Corey Jacobs touchdown run. Cooper Mizeur adds the PAT. Jackson cuts Perry’s lead to 21-19 with 5:19 left.
Jonathan Lemon cashes in on turnover
One play after Evan Laubacher snagged his second interception of the night, Lemon goes 71 yards straight up the gut for a momentum-swinging TD run. Pryce Destefano adds the PAT. Perry leads Jackson 21-12 with 7:37 left.
Perry leads Jackson 14-12 after three quarters
The Panthers will have third-and-2 from Jackson’s 42 when the fourth quarter starts.
Perry clinging to lead after another Jackson score
Corey Jacobs scored on a 9-yard touchdown run for the Polar Bears, who then went for 2. But Jonathan Lemon picked off Carter Muhleman’s pass. Perry leads Jackson 14-12 with 1:00 left in the third quarter.
Jackson cuts into Perry lead
Cooper Mizeur makes a 24-yard field goal to pull the Polar Bears within 14-6 of Perry with 5:16 left in the third quarter. Alex Hite’s nice punt return set up Jackson with good field position. Evan Laubacher picked off Carter Muhleman on the first possession of the second half. We have not seen Lucas Ecrement out there in the second half.
Second half underway with Jackson and Perry
The Polar Bears start on their 20, trailing 14-3.
Perry vs. Jackson football halftime stats
Jonathan Lemon has rushed for 72 yards on nine carries for Perry. Caelob Hundley and Connor Shephard each have a short TD run for the Panthers. Perry QB Cameron Treharn is 4-of-6 passing for 51 yards. Jayden Wilson has three receptions for 44 yards and a big interception on defense that led to Perry’s second touchdown. Jackson QB Lucas Ecrement is 6-of-13 passing for 73 yards and one pick. He’s taken a few big hits and had to leave the game for a couple of plays on Jackson’s scoring drive. Corey Jacobs has 46 yards on 13 carries for the Polar Bears, who didn’t get their first first down until the final play of the first quarter.
Halftime: Perry leads Jackson 14-3
Jackson’s Cooper Mizeur misses on a 33-yard field attempt on the final play of the half. Lucas Ecrement hit Micah Regimbal on a 51-yard pass play with 38 seconds left to give the Polar Bears a chance to score. Kaleb Lawhun registered a big sack to slow Jackson.
Jackson gets on the scoreboard
Cooper Mizeur connects on a 27-yard field goal to cut Jackson’s deficit to 14-3 with 5:19 left in the second quarter. That was a time-consuming, 16-play scoring drive.
Perry right back in the end zone after a Jackson turnover
Jayden Wilson picked off an overthrow and set up Perry at the Jackson 42. Six plays later, Connor Shephard ran for a 3-yard TD. Pryce Destefano adds the PAT. Perry leads Jackson 14-0 with 16 seconds left in the first quarter. Wilson also had a big 25-yard reception on the drive.
Perry jumps ahead of Jackson
Caelob Hundley runs for a 2-yard TD and Pryce Destefano adds the PAT. Perry leads Jackson 7-0 with 4:04 left in the first quarter. Key play on drive was a 46-yard run by Jonathan Lemon.
Four possessions, four punts between Perry and Jackson
The Panthers start the fifth possession of the game at their 32.
Jackson and Perry trade punts to start the game
The Polar Bears just missed on a flea flicker on their first play of the game.
Perry and Jackson underway at Fife Stadium
The Panthers start on their 26. Also, per my friend and colleague Kenny Roda from WHBC, Preston Dazey is out with a shoulder injury.
Tonight’s captains for Perry and Jackson football
Dazey, Jayden Wilson, Connor Shephard and Caelob Hundley are the captains for the Panthers. Max Cowles, Zack Mendell, Reese Myers, Keegan Stanley and Lucas Ecrement are the captains for the Polar Bears.
Preston Dazey not in uniform for Perry football
The University of Toledo recruit does not appear to be playing tonight for the Panthers. Big loss on both lines for Perry.
Perry will receive the opening kickoff
Jackson won the coin toss and chose to defer.
Leaders of Jackson and Perry football
Perry vs. Jackson high school football series
This is the 69th meeting between Jackson and Perry. The all-time series is tied 32-32-4, although the Polar Bears have won four straight. They won last year’s game at Perry 31-13.
Jackson Polar Bears football scores, schedule
Perry Panthers football scores, schedule
Federal League football standings entering Week 6
Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com
On X: @jweirREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio high school football scores | Perry at Jackson recap, highlights
Reporting by Josh Weir, Canton Repository / The Repository
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