CLEVELAND — Red Bank turned turnovers into touchdowns in the season opener Thursday at Cleveland. The Lions scored four times on four Blue Raiders' fumbles and dominated every phase of the game in a 35-12 win.
The Lions (1-0) scored 21 points off three Cleveland fumbles beginning with a score on an 8-yard AD Crutcher run for the first Lions TD after recovering a Raider fumble a the Cleveland 47-yard line.
The Raiders (0-1) pushed to the Red Bank 1-yard line on their next possession, but were denied the end zone on a fourth-and-2.
Cleveland caught the Lions' Duane Morris in the end zone on the next play from scrimmage to make it a 7-2 game.
A 20-yard Bennet Smith field goal with 9:16 left in the half brought cut the Lions' lead to 7-5.
Red Bank had the answer on its next possession scoring in four plays as quarterback Jake Brune connected with Morris on a 43-yard TD pass with 7:15 to go in the half.
The Blue Raiders took mounted a 55-yard drive scoring in 10 plays capped by a 4-yard Isaiah Davis run to make it 14-12 with just over three minutes left in the half.
The Lions recovered another Cleveland fumble with under a minute left in the half and with 16 seconds on the board, Brune found Morris once again, this tie for 23 yards for the score. Red Bank took a 21-12 lead into the half.
The Lions essentially iced the game with just under two minutes left in the third quarter recovering a Cleveland fumble in the end zone to make it a 28-12 game.
Red Bank tacked on a final score with 8:07 left to seal the 35-12 win.
“We didn't play great, but we played with such effort and passion,” said Lions coach Ted Gatewood. “The effort was great. The execution, we've got to clean it up. But, we're cleaning things up each week and every day and that's what it takes.”
Cleveland coach arty Wheeler was less than pleased with the Blue Raiders' output.
“We got beat in every phase of the game,” he said.
Red Bank 7 14 7 7 — 35
Cleveland 0 12 0 0 — 12
First Quarter
RB — AD Crutcher 8 run (Malachi Stephenson kick), 9:26
Second Quarter
C — safety 11:48
C — Bennett Smith 20 field goal, 9:16
RB — Duane Morris 43 pass from Jake Brune (Stephenson kick), 7:15
C — Isaiah Davis 4 run, (Bennett kick), 3:17
RB — Morris 23 pass from Brune (Stephenson kick), 0:07
Third Quarter
RB — fumble recovery in end zone, 1:41
Fourth Quarter
Morris 49 run (Stephenson kick), 6:41
Rushing: Crutcher 10-102 TD, Morris 10-79 TD (RB); Brian Beard jr. 13-46, Davis 13-79 (C).
Passing: Bruner 7-12-111 2TD (RB); Drew Lambert 10-24-140
Receiving: Morris 5-91 2TD (RB); DJ Adams 5-38, Rodney Broadnax 4-64 (C).
Records: Red Bank 1-0; Cleveland 0-1.