Garfield Holds Off Southeast, 21-19 to Kickoff Season on Thursday
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Sykotyk | August 22, 2025
On Thursday night, football kicked off in the Buckeye State. Around Youngstown, several games scheduled for the first night of games. Including a rematch from 2024 of Ravenna Southeast and Akron Garfield. On Thursday night, Garfield held on after a late push by Southeast, to win, 21-19.
To start the game, Southeast went on a 6:37 long drive, culminating with a 2 yard run by Landon Durstine. A missed PAT gave Southeast a 6-0 lead on their first drive of the season.
After trading possessions and entering the second quarter, Garfield got on the board with the first of two Sheldon Corley touchdown runs on the day. The first from 22 yards out with 9:04 left. The PAT kick giving Garfield a 7-6 lead.
The lead was short-lived, as Maverick Wood returned the ensuing kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. Starting up the middle and darting to the right side and tight-roping the sideline for six. An incomplete conversion pass kept the slim, 12-7 lead for Southeast they’d hold through halftime.
And then Garfield got back on their horse, and road Corley to the endzone once again. A short 2-yard pile-pushing run to go up 15-12 after Amore Bitting’s conversion run added to the lead.
In the fourth quarter, after an interception setup a short field, Khamari Brady went 6 yards for a score. Pushing Garfield’s lead to two scores. With 9:15 left in the game, Southeast was starting to stare down defeat from what started as a promising start.
Maverick Wood would answer, keeping the hope alive, on a 37 yard touchdown run. The PAT brought the homestanding Pirates to within 21-19 with 6:57 remaining. After forcing a punt, blown dead by an inadvertent whistle, was rekicked and downed at the ten yard line. A 3rd and 17 conversion from their 3 on a long QB scramble, setup the Pirates for one last push. A 1st and 10 from their own 49. Culminating with a fourth down attempt, with a short gain back to the original line of scrimmage turned the ball over on downs.
Giving the Garfield Rams their first win of the season. While the Pirates will have to settle for thinking of what might have been.
For more, and larger, photos from this game, click HERE.
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