Minutemen Secure the "Victory Bell" Over Rival Copley
Minutemen Secure the "Victory Bell" Over Rival Copley
Article By: Austin Souvanarath
On October 13th, 2023, nine weeks of Ohio high school football have come and gone. However, in Richfield, Ohio, a Victory Bell is on the line as the Revere Minutemen hosted the Copley Indians for the 71st annual rivalry game. Following Revere's senior night announcements, kickoff occurred at 7 pm on a cool Friday night.
The first quarter started off slow, with Copley kicking off the game with a field goal. Revere was the first to put up 6 points with a 1-yard pass from Sophomore QB Luke Farris to Sophomore WR/LB James Perry, taking an 8-3 lead. Copley attempted to respond but came up short. The Minutemen's offense began to spark as Senior RB Zach Olechnowicz tore the Indian defense apart, piece by piece, before finding the end zone himself, giving Revere a 15-3 lead in the 2nd quarter.
The Minutemen defense kept the momentum for the remainder of the 1st half, keeping Copley's QB Gabriel Mansel and the Indian offense out of the end zone. They went into halftime with an 18-6 lead.
While the first half was a close matchup, the second half of the game was all about Minutemen football. Revere came out of the locker room with an immediate score by Zach Olechnowicz, extending their lead to 25-6. This didn't deter the Indians, as Gabriel Mansel led his offense to a quick 2-yard touchdown, bringing it back to a two-score game.
With a slight momentum change, the Minutemen reclaimed control with a 3-yard run by Olechnowicz, completing a hat trick for the night and giving Revere a 32-14 lead in the 3rd quarter. The next drive had a lot of suspense built up, with Copley converting on 3rd and 4th downs and Revere receiving crucial penalties. However, the Indian drive came to a screeching halt as Copley fumbled the ball, which was scooped up by Junior Brody Bard and taken back to the house, extending Revere's lead to a commanding 39-14.
With what seemed like a one-sided game, Copley had one quarter left to attempt a comeback. Mansel and his offense started to find connections, leading to an Indian touchdown from Mansel to Sophomore WR Andrew McKnight, bringing Copley back to within two possessions. Unfortunately, Copley's luck ran out as Revere chewed the clock to secure their win and recapture the Victory Bell.
The Minutemen will travel to Kent Roosevelt to take on the Rough Riders, while the Indians will return home for senior night as they host the Blue Devils of Tallmadge to close out the OHSAA regular season.