Statistics wise, it was an even game, but mistakes hurt Amherst on Friday night as Brennan Laird and Olmsted Falls defeated the Comets 28-21. Laird threw for 309 yards - including a 62-yard touchdown pass to Eric Meehan - and later led the Bulldogs on an eight-play, 48-yard go-ahead drive to improve to 6-2 overall and 5-0 in the Southwestern Conference. Laird's counterpart Eric Lamb was just as impressive, however, completing 66 percent of his passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns.

MEDINA — With its perfect season on the line, Firelands pulled off an improbable comeback, defeating Buckeye, 40-36, on the road Friday night.
Down 36-27 in the fourth quarter, the Falcons scored two unanswered touchdowns to improve to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Patriot Athletic Conference.
Firelands will host Black River next Friday.
Bellevue 28, Norwalk 14: The Redmen handed the Truckers their second-straight loss in Northern Ohio League play.
Norwalk (6-2, 1-2) jumped out to a 14-0 lead on a pair of Dustin Crabtree touchdowns, but then allowed four unanswered touchdowns to the visiting Redmen (6-2, 3-0). Crabtree finished with 136 yards on 23 carries. Dalton Jarvis also rushed for 113 yards on 18 carries.
Elyria 31, Stow-Munroe Falls 26: The Pioneers came back from a 20-3 deficit to improve to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in the Northeast Ohio Conference.
Elyria will host Hudson next Friday.
Perkins 20, Port Clinton 6: The Pirates finally snagged their first win of the season, defeating the Redskins in Sandusky Bay Conference play.
Perkins (1-7, 1-4) will host Margaretta next Friday.
Wellington 55, Keystone 6: The Dukes scored plenty and often to keep the Wildcats winless in PAC Stars Division play in LaGrange.
Wellington (5-3, 4-1) will host Brookside next Friday, while Keystone (0-8, 0-5) will host Buckeye.
Westlake 21, Midpark 14: It took overtime, but the Demons got it done, defeating the Meteors in Southwestern Conference action.
Westlake (4-4, 2-3) travels to play Berea in SWC play next Friday.
Black River 62, Brookside 13: The Pirates routed the Cardinals in PAC Stars Division action in Sullivan.
Brookside (4-4, 2-3) travels to Wellington next Friday.
Clearview 40, Lutheran West 14: The Clippers won their second-straight game, routing the Longhorns in Rocky River in PAC Stripes Division play.
Clearview (3-5, 2-3) will host Brooklyn next Friday.
Columbia 43, Brooklyn 13: The Raiders overcame some early first-quarter problems to rout the Hurricanes in PAC Stripes Division play.
Columbia (6-2, 4-1) travels to play Fairview next Friday.
Fairview 39, Oberlin 7: The Warriors routed the Phoenix in PAC Stripes Division action.
Oberlin (2-6, 0-5) will host Lutheran West next Friday.
Huron 48, Margaretta 20: The Tigers clawed their way for their seventh win of the season, defeating the Polar Bears in SBC action.
Huron (7-1, 4-1) will host Port Clinton next Friday.
Monroeville 22, South Central 19: The Eagles won their first game since Week 1 and kept the Trojans winless in Firelands Conference play.
Monroeville (2-6, 1-4) will host New London next Friday.
Western Reserve 49, New London 35: The Roughriders bounced back from a disappointing Week 7 loss, and staved off an upset by the Wildcats in FC action.
Western Reserve (5-3, 4-1) travels to play Plymouth next Friday, while New London (1-7, 0-5) travels to Monroeville.
Sandusky 26, Shelby 6: The Blue Streaks won their seventh-straight game, defeating the Whippets in NOL action.
Sandusky (7-1, 3-0) will host Tiffin Columbian next Friday.

ROCKY RIVER — North Ridgeville went on the road in West Shore Conference play on Friday night and recorded its third-straight shutout in a 42-0 rout over Rocky River.
North Ridgeville (6-1, 3-1) defeated Elyria Catholic, 7-0 last week, and Willard 40-0, two weeks ago and haven’t allowed a score in 12 quarters of play.
The Rangers will try to keep that streak going when they host Bay next Friday.
Brecksville 43, Amherst 14: Amherst dropped its sixth game of the season and fifth in a row, losing to the Bees in Southwestern Conference play.
Amherst quarterback Eric Lamb threw a pair of touchdown passes, one a 4-yarder to Tom Gula, and the other, a 17-yarder to Trey Waite.
Amherst (1-6, 0-4) will host Olmsted Falls next Friday.
Buckeye 28, Brookside 14: The Cardinals dropped a home game to the Bucks, losing by a pair of touchdowns in Patriot Athletic Conference action.
Brookside (4-3, 2-2) travels to play Black River next Friday.
Crestview 22, Western Reserve 21: The Cougars edged the Roughriders, winning the game on a two-point conversion in Firelands Conference play.
Western Reserve (4-3, 3-1) will host New London next Friday.
Bishop Hartley 56, Elyria Catholic 31: The Panthers were waxed in Columbus in non-conference action.
Elyria Catholic (2-5, 0-3) returns to West Shore Conference play next week when they host Rocky River.
Columbia 49, Lutheran West 22: The Raiders routed the Longhorns in PAC Stripes Division play.
Columbia (5-2, 3-1) travels to play Brooklyn next Friday.
The Raiders scored all seven touchdowns on the ground led by Brandon Heidinger, who scored four of them. Zach Bican also scored a pair of TDs, while John Banyasz added the other.
Mapleton 28, Monroeville 27: The Eagles dropped their sixth-straight game, losing a heartbreaker at home in FC play.
Monroeville (1-6, 0-4), who hasn’t won a game since Week 1, travels to play South Central next Friday.
Edison 19, Margaretta 13: The Chargers came back to defeat the Polar Bears in Sandusky Bay Conference action.
Edison (3-4, 2-2) travels to play St. Mary next Saturday.
Huron 42, Oak Harbor 20: The Tigers routed the Rockets at home in SBC action.
Huron (6-1, 3-1) travels to play Margaretta next Friday.
Clyde 56, Perkins 0: The Fliers sent the Pirates home still winless in SBC play.
Perkins (0-6, 0-4) will host Port Clinton next Friday.
Port Clinton 35, St. Mary 0: The Panthers were blanked on the road in SBC action.
St. Mary (3-4, 1-3) will host Edison next Friday.
St. Paul 34, New London 33: The Flyers edged the Wildcats in a near upset in New London.
St. Paul (4-3, 3-1) will host undefeated Plymouth next Saturday, while New London (1-6, 0-4) travels to Western Reserve.

SHEFFIELD — Keystone had one last heave in the waning seconds, but the desperation pass was batted down by a Brookside defender and the Cardinals held on for a 13-8 Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division win on Friday night.
Brookside (4-2, 2-1) will host Buckeye next Friday, while Keystone (0-6, 0-3) travels to undefeated Firelands.
Fairview 13, Clearview 6: The Clippers’ woes continue with a loss to the Warriors in PAC Stripes play.
Clearview (1-5, 1-2) will host Oberlin next Friday.
Columbia 38, Oberlin 0: The Raiders blanked the Phoenix in PAC Stripes action.
Columbia (4-2, 2-1) will host Lutheran West next Friday, while Oberlin goes to Clearview.
Avon 42, Rocky River 7: The Eagles remained undefeated with a West Shore Conference rout in Rocky River.
Avon (6-0, 3-0) travels to play Bay next Friday.
Norwalk 20, Shelby 6: The Truckers remained undefeated with a win over the Whippets in Northern Ohio League action.
Dustin Crabtree rushed for just 50 yards, but that also included a 5-yard TD run. Michael Finch nailed two field goals, while Jake Fetherolf also threw a 13-yard TD pass to Damius Peacock.
Norwalk (6-0, 1-0) travels to play Sandusky next Friday in the team’s first NOL matchup against each other.
Sandusky 49, Willard 21: The Blue Streaks routed the Crimson Flashes in the Blue Streaks’ first NOL game.
Sandusky (5-1, 1-0) will host undefeated Norwalk next Friday.
Midpark 24, Amherst 21: The Comets made a comeback in Berea Friday night, but came up three short in Southwestern Conference play.
Amherst (1-5, 0-3) travels to Brecksville next Friday.
Olmsted Falls 24, Westlake 14: The Bulldogs staved off a Demons’ comeback in SWC action.
Westlake (3-3, 1-2) will host Avon Lake next Friday.
Huron 6, Perkins 2: The Tigers overcame a 2-0 lead with a score late in the fourth quarter to survive the Pirates in Sandusky Bay Conference action.
Huron (5-1, 2-1) will host Oak Harbor next Friday, while Perkins (0-6, 0-3) travels to Clyde.
Oak Harbor 35, Edison 7: The Chargers dropped to 2-4 overall (1-1 SBC) with their loss to the Rockets in Ottawa County.
Edison will host Margaretta next Friday.
Plymouth 27, Monroeville 7: The Big Red easily handled the Eagles, who haven’t won since Week 1, in Firelands Conference action.
Monroeville (1-5, 0-3) will host Mapleton next Friday.
Mapleton 26, New London 21: The Mounties survived a Wildcats scare in Ashland in FC play.
New London (1-5, 0-3) will host St. Paul next Friday.
Marion Harding 54, Vermilion 29: The Sailors held a 15-14 halftime lead, but gave up 40 second-half points to the Presidents in non-conference action.
Vermilion (1-5, 0-3) will host Midview next Friday.

COLUMBIA STATION — Wellington’s Clay Wright scored five touchdowns to lead the Dukes to their second-straight win, a 56-28 rout over Columbia in a Patriot Athletic Conference crossover opener.
Wellington (2-2, 1-0) will host Clearview (1-3, 1-0) next Friday in PAC play.

Rocky River 14, Vermilion 6: Seth Konrad threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Shaw for the Sailors’ only score in a West Shore Conference loss to the Pirates.
Vermilion (1-3, 0-1) travels to play Bay as the team’s both go for its second win of the season.

Westlake 35, Amherst 27: The Demons outlasted the Comets in a Southwestern Conference opener for both teams.
Amherst (1-3, 0-1) will host Berea next Friday, while Westlake (3-1, 1-0) will host North Olmsted.

Crestview 30, Monroeville 7: The Eagles dropped their third-straight game since an opening night win over Keystone.
Monroeville (1-3, 0-1) travels to play Western Reserve in Firelands Conference play next Friday.

Sandusky 45, Toledo Start 14: The Blue Streaks won their third straight since an opening night loss to Fremont Ross.
Sandusky (3-1) will host Toledo Bowsher in non-conference action next Friday.

St. Paul 29, Mapleton 23: The Flyers snapped a two-game losing streak in a 6-point FC win over the Mounties.
St. Paul (2-2, 1-0) will host South Central in FC action next Saturday.

Norwalk 28, St. Peter Chanel 0: The Truckers remain undefeated with a shutout win over the Firebirds in non-conference action.
Norwalk (4-0) will host Delta next Friday in non-conference play.

Western Reserve 50, South Central 24: The Roughriders evened up their mark and put up a 50 spot on the Trojans in a FC opener.
Western Reserve (2-2, 1-0) will host Monroeville next Friday in FC action.

NDCL 29, Bay 0: The Rockets were blanked in Chardon in non-conference play.
Bay (1-3) will host Vermilion next Friday in its WSC opener.

Plymouth 20, New London 6: The Big Red spoiled Homecoming Night in New London with a 14-point win over the Wildcats in FC play.
New London (1-3, 0-1) travels to play Crestview next Friday in FC action.

By now you've probably heard that both Lorain's Todd Auvil and Elyria's Steve Hamilton will not be returning to their respective football teams next season.
Both jobs should be intriguing for anyone looking to move up in the coaching world. It will be interesting to see who takes over either program.
Elyria seems like somewhat of a sleeping giant. A lot of local coaches have agreed with this notion. The JV program has gotten stronger over the past few seasons and it's not hard to tell the kind of talent that has come through, including Ohio State commit Chase Farris, Bowling Green's Isaiah Byler and Findlay's Trynell Davis among others.
When we look back at both of these coaches, we won't see much past their losing records. However, it can't be overlooked how much influence both of them had in the lives of the kids who played for them.
Not every kid from Elyria and Lorain realizes the opportunities out there for them. I feel like both Auvil and Hamilton did a great job of getting their players to go to college. That certainly counts for something, a lot actually.
Auvil said almost every player who graduated from Southview when he was there is in college now, and Hamilton has served as a great motivator, helping players cut weight and catch the eye of college recruiters. It's hard to believe Farris once was an out of shape kid who didn't want to play football and had paperwork in to transfer to Southview. Hamilton convinced him he was destined for big things and next year he'll be answering to Jim Tressel.
I'm not saying either guy should have kept his job because of these things, but both guys should be recognized for stressing the importance of furthering one's education. Our schools need people like that, not just in the guidance office.
From an on-the-field standpoint, I'm interested to see who takes over both these programs. As Division I schools in diverse cities, it seems like both should dominate the local football scene.
In Elyria's case, a brand new high school and a recent levy passage might intrigue candidates more.
Lorain just failed another levy and cuts in athletics are imminent. That could also mean pay-to-play is close to being instituted, which seems like a potentially devastating reality to a district like Lorain. Although, the school still has three strong middle school programs feeding into it and a large population like Lorain will always produce quality athletes.

The Division I and II All-Ohio teams were announced on Monday and Elyria senior defensive lineman Chase Farris (6-foot-6, 267 pounds) was named first team All-Ohio for D-1.

Amherst had a trio of players make third team All-Ohio, including senior wide receiver Tyler Parrish (6-0, 170), senior linebacker Marty Thomas (5-10, 190) and senior Mat Malloy (6-0, 185).

There were no first-teamers in D-II, but Sandusky coach Mike Franklin was named coach of the year, along with three other coaches.

Franklin led the Blue Streaks to a 6-4 regular season record and an upset win against No. 1 Avon in the D-II playoffs.

Sandusky senior running back Cordney Strickland (6-1, 185) was named to the second team, along with Avon Lake senior defense lineman Brian Mihalik (6-7, 245).

Avon Lake seniors wide receiver Ronnie Willoughby (6-4, 190)and defensive lineman Andrew Bohan (6-4, 265), along with Avon junior wide receiver Matt Eckhardt (6-0, 175) made the third team.

Sandusky's Jaron Green and Norwalk's Matt Williams were named special mention in D-II.