Lake County Sentinel
North Rangers dominate Madison 37-7, move to 8-0
BY JOEY SCHNEIDER
STAFF
(MADISON, OH) - The Eastlake North Rangers had a mission this season. They believed it. They all truly believed it. They knew the hard work would pay off. The long hours in the weight room. The film study. Even if only they believed, the Rangers knew they could have chance to be at the top of the mountain, and with their 37-7 win over the Madison Blue Streaks on Thursday night in Madison, they will head home still unbeaten, now at 8-0, still unbroken, and more than ever on a mission, as they stare down what could be a clash of the undefeated. If Willoughby South gets the win on Friday over Painesville Harvey. Eastlake North and Willoughby South will battle for the right to go 9-0 next week, in what will be the biggest "Battle of the Border" rivalry game in either schools’ history, with big playoff seeding implications.
The Rangers knew their task at hand on Thursday. This team has taken each week as it comes and hasn't looked past their opponent. Madison is tough and always has a never quit attitude every game. When you play the Blue Streaks, you are going to get their best and they never make excuses. Head coach Mike Gilligan has built a culture at Madison of being a tough, hardnosed team, and is able to adapt with his incoming classes. This season, they were hit with the injury bug before the season ever started. The Blue Streaks endured more injuries and player personnel changes this season than the previous three seasons combined.
In the end, the Rangers’ run game was too strong. With a plethora of great running backs such as Josh Fenick, Javion Whaley, King Mattice, Brycen Palmer, and Sae'ion Law, as well as a stout offensive line featuring Evan Meyer and Jeremy Jersi. The Ranger's picked up the victory and moved to 8-0 on the year.
North scored first and never looked back. North senior Kadyn Young scored on three-yard run for the only score of the first quarter. North's King Mattice broke ankles on an incredible 30-yard dash for a touchdown early in the second. Not to be out done, North's Sae'ion Law took a reverse and shook off Madison defenders on the next drive by the Rangers for a 34-yard score. The Blue Streaks could not get their offense going in the first half.
North would keep the pace going in the second half as junior Josh Fenick scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 6:34 left in the third quarter.
Fenick would then convert the two-point conversion and put Eastlake on top 30-0, starting the running clock. The Ranger's would add one more score as sophomore Brycen Palmer would take an interception 66-yards for the Ranger's final score of the game.
The Madison Blue Streaks never gave up fighting all night. They knew the task would be a daunting one but gave it everything they had all game and would score on a 9-yard run by sophomore JJ Henton late in the fourth quarter.
After the game, North coach Shawn Dodd has this to say about having so many players able to score, "When you're a team that doesn't really throw, I don't think we threw a pass tonight, but we can hit you with different weapons, we can rotate guys and their super unselfish, they root for each other, they pull for each other, so it makes us dangerous because you know we are running, but you don't know where it's coming from or who is getting it."
The Madison Blue Streaks will be on the road next week taking on the Lutheran West Longhorns. The Eastlake North Rangers will play host to the Willoughby South Rebels in the biggest game in the history of the "Battle for the Border" rivalry. Both games will be on Friday, October 16th at 7 pm.
POSTED 10/08/2026 23:37
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Eastlake North coach Shawn Dodd talks to his team after their 37-7 win over the Madison Blue Streaks on Thursday night. Photos by Joey Schneider
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