No matter what, the Streetsboro Rockets’ football team can safely say that they have no regrets after a historic 2024 season. The Rockets’ comeback bid fell short when they lost 45-21 against Perry in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division IV Region 13 semifinal last Friday evening at Great Lakes Cheese Stadium in Burton.
“All but one of Perry’s skill kids played in the state championship game last year when they won the state championship,” said Coach Pete Thompson. “We knew what they were and what we were getting into on Friday night. You have to be great when you are playing against great teams and we unfortunately were not.”
Despite one of the most dominant regular seasons in school history, the Rockets (12-1, 8-0) competed in one of the deepest D-IV Region 13 brackets in state history after not only was the 2023 Division V state champion Perry transferred to the bracket but also the Division III state champion Glenville.
Throughout the season, Streetsboro had always commanded the early lead and maintained its advantage in every game. On Friday night, the tables were turned when the Pirates raced out to a 17-0 lead in the middle of the second quarter.
As fast and explosive as the Rockets had been this season, Perry had several skill players who were just as fast if not even faster, which allowed them to generate several explosive plays, including a 38-yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback/linebacker Carter Hopkins in the first period, and a 41-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Walter Moses to sophomore wide receiver/safety Brody Petrucelli in the second period.
Thompson said what stung most about the Rockets falling into an early hole was not the big plays, but the squandered opportunities as Streetsboro’s defense caused a pair of turnovers in the first quarter.
On the first play of the game, the Rockets recovered a fumble by junior wide receiver Jimmy Ashburn and senior tailback/linebacker Trace Herman intercepted the 6-foor-4 Moses on Perry’s third drive of the game.
Both turnovers gave the Rockets a short field but Perry’s defense stiffened and forced punts on both possessions and then seized control.
“We have been accustomed all year that when we get a short field, we get a score and they stoned us,” said the eight-year coach. “We had the ability to go down there and score and they got off the field on fourth down. I thought there were several turning points in the game and how it started was a bad omen for us.”
The Rockets’ offense finally found life in the second quarter when sophomore running back/defensive back Marcus Council found the end zone on a 6-yard touchdown run, trimming Perry’s lead to 17-7.
The Pirates responded with another big play as Moses delivered a 63-yard touchdown strike to the 5-foot-10 Hopkins, pushing the lead back to 24-7.
Thompson acknowledged that seeing his squad fall into a deep hole was concerning because it was a situation Streetsboro was not familiar with this season.
“You don’t play a defending state champion and not deal with some adversity in the game,” he noted. “There was a time in the first half when I thought we were teetering on the end of not dealing well with it but we settled down offensively.”
Streetsboro staged a comeback, going on a 14-0 run senior quarterback/defensive back Cohen Klimak scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and then the Rockets finally seized their opportunity on another Perry turnover, capped off by Klimak running for a 5-yard touchdown in the third period, cutting Perry’s lead to 24-21.
“We had to settle down and realize it was now or never,” said the 5-foot-10 senior. “Once we started to close the gap, it is hard to stay on the gas pedal for the rest of the game and it came back to bite us.”
The Pirates needed only two plays to recapture the momentum as Moses evaded a potential sack and connected with the 5-foo-6 Ashburn on a 48-yard touchdown pass, stretching the Pirates’ lead to 31-21.
After a valiant effort, Streetsboro’s rally was not enough and its season stalled out just one win away from qualifying for the Elite Eight.
“This was a great group and I enjoyed coaching them,” said Thompson. “I wanted it to last just beyond winning games. We are never going to have this exact chemistry ever again when we take those nine seniors out of here.”
