Game Stats
The Brush Arcs earned their first victory of the 2026 season Friday night, overcoming a pair of big plays and a late North Ridgeville rally to defeat the Rangers, 21-14.
Brush threatened to score on its opening possession but was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the North Ridgeville 13-yard line. The Rangers immediately answered on their first play from scrimmage when quarterback Braden Harrison found Cole Allison, who had raced past the Brush defense. Allison sprinted 87 yards down the North Ridgeville sideline for an early 7-0 lead.
The Arcs remained scoreless for much of the first half, but a crucial special teams play just before halftime changed the momentum. With 34 seconds remaining, the Ranger punter mishandled the snap and attempted to run with the ball. Brush's Mike Dennis forced a fumble, and Carlton Avant scooped it up and raced 17 yards for the touchdown, sending the teams into halftime tied at 7-7.
Brush took its first lead on the opening possession of the second half. Quarterback Isaiah McClain calmly directed a methodical scoring drive before delivering a perfectly placed 25-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Alexander, who made a sliding catch to put the Arcs ahead 14-7.
North Ridgeville answered immediately. Allison bobbled the ensuing kickoff before picking it up and breaking several attempted tackles on his way to a 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, tying the game at 14-14.
The Rangers appeared poised to regain the lead early in the fourth quarter after driving deep into Brush territory, but the Arcs' special teams came through again. North Ridgeville lined up for a 30-yard field goal attempt, but Jayden Nellemsbey broke through the Ranger line and blocked the kick, giving Brush possession with 8:45 remaining.
The Arcs then delivered their biggest drive of the night.
Starting at their own 13-yard line, Brush marched 87 yards down the field, mixing runs from Lawrence Moore with passes from McClain to a host of receivers. Amir Shields hauled in four passes on the drive, while Braylen Williams added another reception. The biggest play came when McClain connected with Louis Cunningham for 28 yards, moving the ball to the Ranger 15-yard line.
Two plays later, Moore powered through the North Ridgeville defense for a 15-yard touchdown run, giving Brush a 21-14 advantage with 2:44 remaining.
The Rangers refused to go quietly, driving deep into Brush territory and eventually reaching a first-and-goal at the 10-yard line with less than 30 seconds remaining. The Brush defense answered the challenge, coming up with three consecutive stops. After a Ranger penalty moved the ball back to the 20-yard line, Harrison's final pass was batted down in the end zone, sealing the 21-14 victory for the Arcs.
McClain completed 23 of 40 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown while connecting with six different receivers. Moore led the Brush rushing attack with 59 yards.
Defensively, Munir Lewis and Josiah Anthory led the Arcs with 12 tackles apiece. Lewis recorded four solo tackles, while Anthory had two solo stops.
After opening the season with a loss to Euclid, Brush has now earned its first win of the year and will hit the road for the first time Friday. The Arcs travel to Willoughby South, which enters the matchup at 2-0.
