H.S. Football: Columbia does little things that lead to huge LCL win over Keystone

LAGRANGE — The top two teams in the Lorain County League met Friday night and it wasn't one big play or huge mistake that separated Columbia and Keystone.It was a series of little things, almost all of which went in the Raiders' favor, that proved to be the difference.Columbia took a 14-point first-half lead and its defense stopped the Wildcats six times on fourth down as the Raiders held on for a 21-7 win to remain undefeated and take sole possession of first place in the LCL."I can't tell you how much we put the work in. We have been like grinding all the time," Columbia senior running back Jose Rivera said. "I am so proud of this team and so glad I could punch one in and give us a little room for comfort."Rivera scored on an 11-yard touchdown run with 4:29 to play to cap a 10-play, 61-yard drive that took 6:22 off the clock and was aided by three Keystone penalties that either gave Columbia (8-0, 5-0) a first down or another chance at a third-down conversion.The teams exchanged turnovers on their first possessions and the game remained scoreless until the 9:27 mark of the second quarter when Columbia sophomore quarterback Westley Sanders connected with senior wide receiver Jacob Reust for a 62-yard touchdown.Sanders wasn't asked to do a lot in a run-first offense. He was 4-of-8 for 116 yards, a touchdown and an interception. What Sanders was able to do best was make good decisions to keep the offense rolling and avoid unnecessary mistakes."A pass like that makes defenses think we're going to throw the football more, and we do what Columbia football does and run it down their throats," Sanders said.Keystone (5-3, 4-1) was held scoreless until early in the fourth quarter when star running back Wyatt McKee broke free for a 52-yard touchdown run that made it 14-7.McKee was the game's leading rusher with 108 yards on 18 carriers. Outside of his offense, the Wildcats had a hard time moving the ball.One player that shined in a losing effort for the Wildcats was junior Zach Taylor. He intercepted a Sanders pass on the goal line late in the second quarter to stop Columbia from taking a three-score lead into halftime.Taylor was also quarterback Colt Cowling's favorite target with six receptions for 53 yards.Keystone did a good job of containing Columbia's potent running game, holding the Raiders to 180 yards.Sophomore Xavier Hendon led Columbia with 20 carries for 75 yards and a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter."It was a total team effort tonight. Everyone made plays when we needed them," Columbia coach Mike Rice said.The Raiders can clinch a share of the LCL title next week at home against Clearview.While it's unlikely Keystone can work its way back into the LCL title hunt, the Wildcats are still holding onto the 12th and final playoff position in Division V, Region 18, according to Joe Eitel.The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Keystone. Meanwhile, Columbia has won 13 regular-season games in a row since it lost to Keystone in Week 5 last year.Keystone coach Don Griswold was unavailable after the game.Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.