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Tough Blow Last Week Puts Pressure on Twinsburg Friday

Tough loss to Solon puts Tigers in must win mentality for the final two weeks

The clock was running out on the Solon Comets as their crosstown rivals from Twinsburg were about to pull off one of the great wins in school history. But the Tigers left the Comets with one play too many on the way to .

The what-ifs in the game were many. Twinsburg nearly sacked Solon quarterback Pat Kramer before his desperation pass soared into the end zone. The Tigers nearly intercepted the pass before it found its way into the hands of the Comets' Darian Hicks as time expired on the game clock.

Instead of securing what would have been a huge win, Twinsburg went on to lose an overtime heartbreaker, slipping to 5-3 overall on the season and into a second place tie in the Valley Division of the Northeast Ohio Conference.

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The Tigers finish the regular season at Medina this week and at home against the state's number one ranked team in Division I, Mentor, next week.

"I've told the kids that we are in a two-game playoff right now," said Twinsburg head coach Joe Schiavone. "Our goals are still there, we still have the possibility of being conference champs and making the playoffs."

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Those goals looked very real Friday night when the Tigers built a 14-0 halftime lead against state-ranked Solon. A three-yard scoring run by John Barton and a six-yard TD pass from Jalen Washington to B.K. Grewal gave the home team plenty of momentum heading into the locker room but Schiavone was wary of a second half rally by the Comets.

"The first thing we said at the half was that the game was not over," said Schiavone. "We knew they (Solon) were going to make adjustments. I knew the Solon coaching staff did not underestimate us."

A 25-yard touchdown pass from Washington to Barton gave the Tigers another lead in the final period of play before Solon rallied. Four quarters of outstanding effort came down to one fateful play.

"Our kids showed great character and fought to the end of the game," said Schiavone. "Our coaches put in a great game plan and our kids were really up for the game. When you play a team like Solon you have to cover all your bases."

Schiavone did not show film of the Solon game to the team this week. All efforts are now focused on beating Medina.

"I told our players to keep their heads high," he said. "They worked their tails off. We've told them all year that they can play with anybody."

Barton continues to have a superlative season with 978 yards rushing, 28 receptions for 449 yards and a total of 27 touchdowns. Washington has been oustanding at quarterback, throwing for 1,371 yards and running for another 233 yards for a quarterback rating of 147.51. On defense, Michael Baker continues to be the leading tackler with 71.5 stops.

What began back in August has now become a two-week season. And winning has never been more important for Twinsburg than it is now. 

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