Despite its offense averaging over 41 points per game, it was Maple Heights' defense that led to a 19-14 victory over host Euclid in a key Lake Erie League game at Sparky DiBiasio Stadium on Friday.

"I'll tell you what, that was a great high school football game," Maple Heights head coach Jeff Rotsky said. "I don't know any other way to say it; that was just a great high school football game."

The Mustangs, who needed a win to secure a spot in the Division II state playoffs, used several big plays by quarterback Anthony Wright to jump out to a 13-7 third quarter lead before turning the game over to its defense. The unit responded by limiting Euclid to just 14 points. The Panthers entered the game averaging 33 points per contest.

"People always say it's our offense but our defense the last two weeks has only let up six points and now 14 points against a good football team," Rotsky said. "I am so proud of our kids, I can't even tell you."

Euclid (7-2, 4-2 in the LEL) took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter when senior running back Jaman Javey scampered into the end zone from 21-yards, carrying a host of Mustangs with him. That lead held up until late in the first half when Wright made the first of several big plays.

Faced with a fourth and four at the Euclid 14-yard line, Wright took a quarterback draw the distance and his extra point tied the score at 7-7 with just 51 seconds remaining in the first half.

"Whenever we went to a four-wide they would loosen up their outside linebackers and only keep about five people in the box," Wright said about the play call. "We knew we'd have five on six and I could get in the end zone."

Wright, who ended the game 10 of 15 passing for 251 yards and two passing scores, took over in the second half. First, he hit Donte Wallace for an 80-yard touchdown and then throwing from his own end zone he threw a strike to Charles Brown who outran the Euclid defense for a 94-yard score and a 19-7 lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the game.

"The corner on that side was aggressive all game so we thought we could get him on a stop and go," Brown said. "We thought we could get him and we got him."

The Wright-to-Brown scoring play was set up by the Mustangs defense that stopped the Panthers short on a fourth and one play from the Maple Heights 5-yard line.

"Our defense really stepped it up when they had to," Wright said. "Offensively we weren't moving the ball but our defense was holding them. They were making big plays throughout the whole game and I'm proud of my defense, they stepped it up."

Euclid didn't quit. Behind the strong arm of junior quarterback Howard Drake, who threw for 242 yards on 26 of 40 passing, the Panthers quickly drove downfield and an 8-yard toss from Drake to Mike Preston narrowed the Mustangs' lead to 19-14 with just over five minutes remaining in the game.

A big kickoff return by Brown gave Maple Heights good field position to begin what they hoped would be a game-ending drive. But the Panthers held and took over at the their own 38-yard line with just 58 seconds remaining in the game.

Drake led the Panthers to the Maple Heights's 16-yard line, but his fourth down throw fell incomplete in the back of the end zone as time expired.

"I told our kids we were not going to play this game not to lose," Rotsky said. "We were taking shots but you know what was great about this game, our last drive. We didn't get points but our last drive we ran the ball and took off I don't know how much time off the clock, but that was just enormous for us. We had a great defensive game plan; they moved the ball but we just couldn't give up the big play."

Maple Heights (8-1, 5-1 in the LEL) didn't leave anything to chance in this game. Both Wright and Brown played both ways, something Rotsky felt was necessary to put the Mustangs in the best position to win the game.

"We needed to win this game to go to the playoffs, period," he said. "This senior class, these guys deserve the chance. I was not going to play it to lose; I was going to play to win. We said 'all guns a blazin', that's why you saw Anthony Wright on defense and that's why you saw Charles Brown on defense; it was all guns a blazin'."

Next week Maple Heights travels to Lakewood while Euclid puts its playoff hopes on the line in a big game at Mentor.

Click here to view video highlights of the game (3:44).

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