The Ravenna Ravens’ football team has shown flashes of success periodically this season but are still searching for a complete game. The Ravens were defeated 23-7 by Metro Athletic Conference Rival Cloverleaf last Friday evening at Portage Community Bank Stadium in Ravenna.
“There are things we cannot do,” said Coach Brian Coman. “Some of it is discipline. Some of it is a lot of guys going both ways and then they get mentally tired. It is a lot of different things and there are some things we have issues with.”
Since joining the MAC in 2020, the Ravens (1-5, 0-3) have lost five of six contests against their conference rivals.
On Friday, the Ravens squandered a strong defensive start in the first quarter and were undone by several miscues.
Ravenna was poised to make a statement after making a goal line stand against Cloverleaf in the first quarter and appeared to be on the move, advancing the ball to its 45 but the drive stalled out.
Junior offensive/defensive lineman Bradley Davis acknowledged it was a missed opportunity by Ravenna.
“I thought that was the spark, we all did,” the 6-foot junior said. “We all did but things happen and not everything goes your way, and we just did not get it and we needed to and could have.”
The Ravens’ special teams’ unit was plagued with several mistakes. On a punt attempt on their side of the field, junior kicker/punter Jose Carpenter fumbled the snap, could not get a punt off in time, and was brought down by junior wide receiver/linebacker Jimmy Tolley inside Ravenna’s 10.
After junior running back/defensive back Kellen Price scored on a 10-yard touchdown run, pushing the Colts ahead 7-0, Ravenna continued committing unforced errors.
After another three-and-out by Ravenna, Cloverleaf marched down the field on a four-play, 65-yard drive that was aided by two Ravens’ 15 yard penalties and capped it off with 6-yard touchdown run by senior tailback/linebacker Ethan Gray, extending the lead to 13-0 after the Colts missed the extra point.
Cloverleaf successfully executed an onside kick, taking over at Ravenna’s 48 and added three more points to their lead as junior kicker Austin Suserstic converted a 28-yard field goal, increasing the lead to 16-0.
Although the Ravens’ defense had early success against Cloverleaf with some strong play in the secondary to stifle the passing game, the Colts started moving the ball, relying heavily on their rushing attack.
“They are a physical team,” Davis noted. “They were not abundantly huge, but they were physical and hungry, and they grind you down pretty well.”
According to the second-year coach, the self-inflicted errors by Ravenna showed a lack of discipline.
“We have to be more disciplined over all on the football field as far as not just those after the play but things during the play,” Coman added. “Reading the keys and just doing the things that you do for your position and trust that your guy does what he needs to do next you at his position.”
Cloverleaf was on the verge of pulling away in the second half with an opening drive that lasted 11 plays and 56 yards resulting in another touchdown, stretching its advantage to 23-0 but the Ravens finally found some life when senior quarterback C.J. Ross connected with senior wide receiver/defensive back LaDarien Askew on a 72-yard touchdown strike, trimming the lead to 23-7.
Coman praised his team for showing life after falling into a deep hole but conceded that the Ravens’ rally came too little, too late which has been the theme of the season for Ravenna so far.
“I have been preaching all year that we have to start fast and punch them in the mouth before we get punched in the mouth and that has not happened yet,” he said.
Davis said that the Ravens are still searching for better execution from start to finish but believes that the team is getting closer to having everything click at once.
“We know that is a big issue and we are trying to do better at it,” he said. “Last week we did really well in the first half and then there are games like this where we don’t do so well in the first half and do better in the second half. I think there is still time left in the season, if we put it together, some of those good first halves and a couple of those good second halves, we can be a good team.”
The Ravens will hit the road and take on MAC foe Springfield at Springfield Stadium in Akron on Friday at 7 p.m.
