High school football: Derek Adams, Cleveland Heights snap Brunswick win streak

The Brunswick football team was on the verge of running its winning streak to five games Friday night until Cleveland Heights quarterback Derek Adams came off the bench and spoiled the party.Adams led an 18-point fourth-quarter comeback as the Tigers thwarted the Blue Devils 24-21 in Greater Cleveland Conference play.Brunswick (5-4, 4-2) looked to be in firm control after Eli Nichols scored his second touchdown of the game, a 14-yard scamper over the left side of the line to take a 21-6 lead in the third quarter.Cleveland Heights (4-5, 4-2), which has now won three straight, refused to quit and scored three touchdowns in the final quarter to secure the win.The first came after Adams made two critical fourth-down plays, one with his arm and the other with his legs, to set up a 37-yard heave to Sirius Jones that cut the deficit to 21-12.The Tigers went for two-point conversions after each of their four touchdowns, with Brunswick stopping each play.After a punt by the Blue Devils, Adams went back to work and capped a 61-yard drive with a 21-yard scramble for a touchdown.Prior to the touchdown, Cohen Easa's interception was wiped out by a personal foul penalty. Easa also intercepted starting quarterback Darren Stewart on the first two-point conversion attempt after a Kamari Wilson 1-yard score.Adams was 6-for-16 for 74 yards and one interception. He gained 72 yards on nine carries.Cleveland Heights' defense then made the decisive play of the game when the Tigers stripped Nichols and Amir Bagley returned the fumble 14 yards for a touchdown and the 24-21 lead.Brunswick wouldn't have been in near the position it was if not for Nichols. The senior ran for 110 of his team's 191 rushing yards and the second and third touchdowns.Gavin Moore caught three passes for 26 yards from Blue Devils quarterback Sean Barnett (4-for-11, 33 yards; 9 rushes, 29 yards).Following Cleveland Heights taking the lead, Division I recruit Henry Perrymond went a long way to clinching the victory when he picked off an underthrown Barnett deep ball on the next possession. Perrymond also caught five passes for 61 yards.Drew Dempsey got things off to a great start for Brunswick when he intercepted Stewart (3-for-11, 28 yards, 2 INT.) and returned it 21 yards for a 7-0 first-quarter lead.On the next possession, the Blue Devils forced the Tigers to punt from their own 3. Nichols then capped a 44-yard drive with a 6-yard run up the middle. That was the only touchdown Brunswick scored in five possessions in which it got the ball at its own 45 or better.In addition to the two turnovers, the Blue Devils turned the ball over on downs twice and punted four times.Gavin Ballok ran the ball 14 times for 44 yards for Brunswick.Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com.Cleveland Heights 24, Brunswick 21BRUNSWICK 7 7 7 0 — 21CLEVELAND HEIGHTS 0 6 0 18 — 24FirstB — Drew Dempsey 21 interception return (Vincenzo DiTeodoro kick).SecondB — Eli Nichols 6 run (DiTeodoro kick).C — Kamari Wilson 1 run (pass failed).ThirdB — Nichols 14 run (DiTeodoro kick).FourthC — Sirius Jones 37 pass from Derek Adams (pass failed).C — Adams 21 run (pass failed).C — Amir Bagley 14 fumble return (run failed). B CFirst downs 14 18Rushing 42/191 45/265Rushing average 4.5 5.9Passing 4/11 9/27Passing yards 39 102Total offense 53/230 72/367Punting 4/38.2 3/34.7Penalties 3/35 6/42Fumbles 3/1 2/0RUSHING: Brunswick — Nichols 17-110, Gavin Ballok 14-44, Sean Barnett 9-29, Cohen Easa 2-8. Cleveland Heights — Elijah Harris 26-159, Adams 9-72, Wilson 7-30, Jones 1-5, Darren Stewart 1-2, Chauntier Moore 1-(-3).PASSING: Brunswick — Barnett 4-11-39-1. Cleveland Heights — Stewart 3-11-28-2, Adams 6-16-74-0.RECEIVING: Brunswick — Gavin Moore 3-26, Easa 1-13. Cleveland Heights — Henry Perrymond 5-61, Jones 2-26, Tayvon Orr 2-15.