Lake County Sentinel
Wickliffe handles much improved Richmond Hts. 28-8
BY TIM SHIRER
SPORTS EDITOR
(WICKLIFFE, OH) - It was a picturesque Friday night Wickliffe Memorial Stadium as the home Wickliffe Blue Devils and visiting Richmond Hts. Spartans entered the game undefeated after winning their week one games.
In the opening week, the Blue Devils traveled to Bradford, Ohio and defeated the Railroaders 41-7. While the Spartans defeated the Beachwood Bison 44-8.
On Friday night the Blue Devils moved to 2-0 with a 28-8 win sending the Spartans to their first loss of the season.
The much-improved Spartans team both offensively and defensively showed the Blue Devils that this game was not going to be like games with Richmond Hts. in the past. Wickliffe coach Marce Porcello commented about the Spartans, “They’re a pretty well coached team, they were physical up front, and they were running a strange defense.”
In spite of Richmond Hts. improved defense, the Blue Devils were able to take a 7-0 lead with 1:50 left in the first quarter when junior Dom Porcello took the ball in from three yards out. The touchdown was set up by a 32-yard run on the previous play by junior Jayden Johnson. That was the lone score in the opening half as Wickliffe took a 7-0 lead into the locker room.
Coach Porcello mentioned that “We made some adjustments at half time and were able to take care of business in the second half.” By taking care of business Porcello was talking about the three TDs by the Blue Devils in the second half.
The first of those TD’s came when Johnson took the ball into the endzone from one yard out just 1:23 into the third quarter, after sophomore kicker Braylen Torrence converted his second extra point of the contest Wickliffe led 14-0.
The rest of the third quarter was scoreless as neither offense could finish a drive.
Finally, with 7:56 left on the clock in the third quarter Nick Oboczky scored from 9 yards out giving the Blue Devils a 21-0 lead. Oboczky said about the run, “The O-line just opened up a beautiful hole.”
The Blue Devils final score came when Dom Porcello finished Wickliffe’s final scoring drive of the night with 5:00 left in the fourth quarter when he ran the ball in a on a keeper from six yards out giving Wickliffe a 28-0 lead.
Richmond Hts. got on the board with 3:27 left in the game when senior Daniel Taylor scored on a three-yard run. Senior DeYvion McDaniel converted the two-point conversion with a run completing the game’s scoring cutting the Wickliffe lead to 28-8.
The Blue Devils carried the ball 41 times for a total of 288 net yards. D. Porcello led the way with 16 carries and 100 yards, and two TDs. Johnson carried the ball 10 times for 98 yards and 1 TD. Oboczky averaged 7.7 yards a carrying 12 times for 92 yards and a TD.
Statically the game was close as the Spartans totaled 270 yards of offense. 120 through the air courtesy of the arm of junior Jordan Lewis as he was 11 of 25 for 120 yards and one interception. Senior Chase McKee led all rushers in the game with 102 yards on 13 carries.
One thing holding the Spartans back from being an even more improved team than they already are is penalties. They committed 19 penalties in the game resulting in 128 yards. If they clean that up, they could be dangerous.
The Blue Devils will be back on the road next Friday as they travel to Toledo to take on the Woodward Polar Bears (1-0).
tshirer@lakecountysentinel.com follow Tim on Twitter @TBBucsTim or follow us on Twitter @LCSentinelcom
POSTED 08/28/2026 23:50
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. . Photo by Tim Shirer
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