PERRY TWP. — Jonathan Lemon can make anything happen when he takes handoffs in the backfield.
Be careful if you choose to kick a football to the Perry senior. There’s another dangerous dynamic to Jonathan Lemon the return specialist.
Lemon rushed for almost all of his 157 yards in the first half of Perry’s 42-7 win over Central Catholic on Friday, Aug. 21. The biggest play of a game that ended with a running clock was made by Lemon on special teams.
With momentum on Central’s side after Brock Bourquin’s touchdown pass to Carter Competty tied the game at 7-7, Lemon received a rare gift. He fielded the ensuing kickoff and raced 90 yards for a touchdown.
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It was a rare opportunity he took advantage of.
“I hit the left side and knew something was going to open up on the cut back,” Lemon said. “That’s when I saw the hole, made one more cut and (ran) to the house.”
Perry has dominated the Battle of 13th Street in recent years. Make no mistake, though. The Panthers never take Central for granted.
They couldn’t after the Crusaders’ scoring drive. Led by Bourquin, Central went 80 yards in 13 plays with a good mix of the run and pass.
One big return by Lemon changed everything.
“It was a really good drive by them.” Perry head coach Spencer Leno said. “That’s why you play all three phases of the game. We talk about having explosive plays on special teams, too. That definitely helps.”
Lemon scored three first half touchdowns to help the Panthers grab a 28-7 lead at the break. One carry that wasn’t a touchdown set the tone for Perry’s offense. He had a 62-yard run to the Central 18 on the first snap of the game.
“It gives us a lot of energy when we make a big run,” Lemon said. “Big plays, we can feed off that the rest of the game. We can feed off that drive after drive.
“From the start we knew we had to come out fast and play hard and physical. That’s what we did.”
Leno knows how special a player Lemon is. In addition to being a threat as a running back and on special teams, he also helps anchor Perry’s secondary as a safety. Last year he led the Panthers in interceptions with four.
“He’s a Perry through and through kid and a pretty dang good football player,” Leno said. “It’s special to have him around.”
Cameron Treharn and Connor Bourdrie both saw action at quarterback for Perry. They were a combined 5 of 6 for 78 yards. Both threw touchdown passes in the second half.
How the Panthers use both quarterbacks moving forward remains to be seen.
“Cameron Treharn plays defense and is a pretty good safety,” Leno said. “We have to be smart with how we rotate guys.. The more guys we get on the field and give them opportunities, the better.”
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Wherever Perry needed a play, Jonathan Lemon delivered
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Reporting by Mike Popovich, Canton Repository / The Repository
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By Mike Popovich, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
