Olmsted Falls All-Ohioan Owen Singleton did not allow a knee injury suffered in the first preseason scrimmage to slow him down.
Singleton recorded his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season against Berea-Midpark on Oct. 10. He rushed for a season-high 213 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Bulldogs won the Battle of Bagley Road, 46-12.
“(Singleton) is living up to the hype,” Olmsted Falls coach Tom DeLuca said. “He has been battling through some things physically and he is starting to get healthy right now. This is the first time where I feel like he really has been healthy (for a game).”
Singleton averaged 10.1 yards per carry as the offense gained 436 yards on the ground.
“I thought he did a good job at the first level making cuts. He made multiple people tackle him. … He gained those extra yards at the first level,” DeLuca said.
Singleton also surpassed 1,000 rushing yards — becoming the third area running back to do so.
“(Singleton) is a workhorse. This is a credit to him because of the way that he approached the offseason and the way that he trained his body all year long,” DeLuca said.
In addition to Singleton’s performance, Kai Gilbert (one touchdown), Cameron Pesch (one), and Owen Radigan (two) scored touchdowns.
Pesch threw two touchdown passes to Logan Connelly, who caught two passes for 44 yards.
While the Bulldogs imposed their will on the ground, Berea-Midpark’s strong suit was through the air.
Olmsted Falls’ defense had the answer against the Titans’ air raid, holding them to 12 points.
“I feel like our defense has been playing all year long, and I feel like they are starting to hit their stride,” DeLuca said.
Olmsted Falls won back-to-back games following a two-game skid and improved to 5-3 (3-2 in SWC).
The Bulldogs’ next opponent will be Midview on Oct. 17.
According to Joe Eitel, Olmsted Falls is rated fifth in Division II, Region 6 and is in control of its own destiny to qualify for the OHSAA playoffs.