Bryston Toronto is hoisted high by teammate Brody Howard after he rumbled 7 yards into the end zone for his first of three TD’s on the night. Toronto would also surpass 1,000 yards for the season after his 24-rush, 189-yard performance. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Brian Bayless)
With a 35-0 victory at Kenton Ridge, the Red Raiders have won at least a share of six consecutive CBC-Kenton Trail championships as both teams prepare for the Division IV playoffs.
Springfield, OH – On the way to wrapping up another Central Buckeye Conference-Kenton Trail Division championship Friday at Kenton Ridge, London dominated in nearly every fashion.
The latest title run — and the method in which it was completed — has become more of an expectation than just a simple goal to check off.
Logan Services, with locations in Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, proudly sponsors your favorite area sports stories on Press Pros Magazine.com.
London has won at least a share of six consecutive league championships and has 23 consecutive CBC-Kenton Trail victories, including going 5-0 in league play this fall.
With a 35-0 win at Kenton Ridge, the Red Raiders improved to 8-2 overall and are set up to host a Division IV, Region 16 playoff game following a first-round bye.
Veteran central Ohio columnist Jarrod Ulrey writes the Central Buckeye Conference and sports at large for Press Pros
“I feel like now it’s kind of the standard here,” junior running back Bryston Toronto said. “It’s different at London. We’ve got more games to come, and the job is not finished, but it’s definitely an accomplishment we’re going to thank God for.
“We’re in a good spot. Guys are healthy. I kind of said at the beginning of the year that before the playoffs, we need guys being healthy. I think we’re ready for week 11. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing.”
In a winner-take-all matchup for the title, the Cougars’ hopes of earning their first league championship since 2014 ended for the second consecutive season with a shutout loss in week 10 to the Red Raiders.
Carson Lewis found a gaping hole in the Cougar special teams coverage and returned the opening kickoff 65 yards to the Kenton Ridge 30, setting up London’s first of five scoring drives on the night.
Kenton Ridge (8-2, 4-1) heads into the Region 16 playoffs looking to win a postseason game for the first time under seventh-year coach Jon Daniels and just the third time in program history—with the last coming in 2015.
“Our kids played freaking hard again,” Daniels said. “We talked all along about being 1-0. The last time we didn’t go 1-0, our seniors approached it in such a mature way and made our practices so electric. I expect we’ll get the same result here. What we’ve become is much more important than the scoreboard. … We’ve got to go into the playoffs and play well.
“London’s a school that’s got a lot of really good players, and big players. It’s a brand of football that’s really hard to simulate, a brand of football that kids have to be prepared for from a physical standpoint.”
Pioneer Roofing proudly supports Jonathan Alder sports coverage on Press Pros Magazine.com. Call us today!
The Red Raiders controlled the game from the outset, beginning when junior Carson Lewis returned the opening kickoff 65 yards to the Kenton Ridge 30. London used heavy doses of Toronto running the ball during the possession, including him scoring on a 9-yard run with 7 minutes, 45 seconds left in the opening quarter for a 7-0 lead.
The Red Raiders defense played lights out against the Cougars, including brutal hits like this kickoff coverage play by Liam Mason on Colton Adams.
The Cougars were held to (minus)-7 yards rushing in the first half and finished with just 15 yards rushing for the game.
“It was just about staying together as a team,” senior two-way lineman Beckett Ditello said. “Our scout team gives us great looks, and our discipline keeps (the other team in the) negative. We can always get better, but we proved a lot of things today.”
See Dr. Joe and his friendly staff for the best in sports vision care and protection.
During what would become London’s second scoring drive, junior quarterback Colt Hughes ran for 3 yards on fourth-and-inches from his team’s own 23. Toronto then ran on five of the next six plays, including rushing for 23 yards on the ninth play of the possession and for a 41-yard touchdown on the next play.
Colt Hughes did not have to pass much behind London’s 336-yard rushing performance, but he hooked up with Parker Clawson for a 30-yard TD on this play to put the Red Raiders up 28-0 in the second half.
The Red Raiders made it 21-0 with 5:11 left in the first half when Isaiah Near ran for a 3-yard touchdown to cap a nine-play, 55-yard drive.
London coach Kyle Cutler was most pleased with his team’s “attitude and effort.”
“We executed, and it was one of those nights where a lot of things went our way,” Cutler said. “But that’s a good football team and a good quality win. We’re special in that nothing we do is special. We just try to focus on the details and the small things, and we were able to execute.
“It means we get to play another week. I’m proud of them and excited for them. It’s about our process.”
Eichholtz & Daring Funeral Homes proudly sponsor CBC sports coverage on Press Pros Magazine.com.
Hughes attempted just four passes and completed only one—but it was a big one.
With 2:05 left in the third quarter, Hughes hooked up with sophomore tight end Parker Clawson down field, and Clawson stumbled but kept his balance enough to reach the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown that made it 28-0.
On 4th and short, London’s offensive unit morphed into a combination rugby scrum/mosh pit which allowed Colt Hughes (15-center) to body-surf across the top of a mass of humanity, sloughing off several defenders for extra yards beyond the marker.
“I don’t really rep on offense much, but when I do, I try to do what’s best for the team,” Clawson said. “I play weakside safety on defense. There’s always stuff to work on, but I think we played pretty solidly.
“We’re happy with this one. We’re going to celebrate this and get back to it on Monday. I feel for these seniors because it’s their fourth in a row. I’m only a sophomore so that’s two in a row. I’m ready to keep it going.”
Citizens Federal Savings and Loan, in Bellefontaine, is a proud sponsor of CBC sports on Press Pros Magazine.
Toronto capped the scoring for the Red Raiders when he sprinted 52 yards for a touchdown with 9:50 remaining. With 24 rushes for 189 yards to lead an offense that finished with 336 total yards, he surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season.
Was it a fumble? Kenton Ridge’s Brody Runkle dislodged the ball from London’s Bryceston Jones, but it appears that his knee may have been down as the ball came loose. London eventually recovered the ball seconds later, rendering the question moot.
Ditello and senior Brody Howard have led the way on the offensive line for the Red Raiders according to Cutler.
“(Our line was) tough up front,” Toronto said. “All week, we were grinding. We knew they were a good team coming into this, so our preparation was there. Our big guys up front paved the way. The coaches tell me to run to the green grass and the big guys will pave the way up front, so that’s what I did.”
Dave Arbogast is the official transportation source for Press Pros Magazine.com.