H.S. Football: Firelands to meet Keystone with first place in Lorain County League on the line

Firelands has never won a Lorain County League title. The Falcons could take a major step toward changing that tonight when they host Keystone with first place on the line. After enduring a pair of 4-6 season in 2024 and '25, the Falcons are 6-2 and 4-0 in the LCL. Keystone is 7-0 after last week's win over previously unbeaten Columbia. "We're finally healthy and we have guys who can step up and play," Firelands senior quarterback Liam Tobicash said. "You work your butt off all offseason looking forward to these opportunities. I've been looking forward to this since my sophomore year." Tobicash is a three-year starter under center for Firelands, and that experience has paid dividends this fall as he is one of the area's leading passers with 1,597 yards and 20 touchdowns in eight games. He's also the Falcons' leading rusher with 544 yards and seven touchdowns. More importantly he's completed 71 percent of his passes while throwing only two interceptions "Anytime you can get quarterback play like we've had it changes the game," coach Ryan O'Rourke said. "I'm a big proponent of giving our quarterbacks options and he's taken to that and playing with a lot of confidence." After starting 0-3 each of the last two seasons, Firelands has been propelled by a 2-1 start that included a win over Cleveland Rhodes, which sits in a playoff spot in Division II. However, it was the Falcons' two losses that put the team in the proper mindset to make a run at the conference championship. "The Vermilion and Canton Central Catholic games showed us how it feels to lose, and it sucks," junior tight end/linebacker Brett Beury said. "It also showed us how we could polish our game up and get better." Beury is the team's leading receiver with 55 receptions for 772 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's also a force on the defensive side of the ball with 37 tackles. "It's amazing to be in this position to go out and compete against tough teams," Beury said. "We're not favored to win, so if we come out and do it, it will be amazing." The Falcons allowed 37 and 31 points in back-to-back games against Brookside and Canton Central Catholic, but in their last three games, all wins, they have only allowed a total of 35 points. "From Week 1 to now, we've improved at rallying to the football and creating turnovers. We're playing fast and playing confident," O'Rourke said. "We love how it's set up for Week 9 and 10 to finish the way they do. You don't prepare for these games in one week, you have a standard that you prepare for since the beginning of June." Firelands defense will be tested by a Keystone team that has scored 34 or more points six times in seven games. "We've been getting better every week. We've watched enough film that we just know what we need to do," junior wide receiver Carson Lima said. "The early games showed us what we needed to improve on to get ready for this part of the season." Lima is tied for second on the team with 17 receptions. On defense he's been responsible for five of the Falcons' 14 turnovers with three interceptions and two forced fumbles. If Firelands can hand the Wildcats their first loss, it will still need to win in Week 10 at Columbia to claim an outright LCL title. "We've been building up to see who we are in Weeks 9 and 10," O'Rourke said. "We know we're an underdog and we've got to play that role, but the kids are excited for the challenge." While the Falcons are focused on the task at hand, they have even more opportunities to make history on the horizon. Firelands appears to be a lock to host a first-round Division IV, Region 14 playoff game with the opportunity to win a postseason game for the first time since 2020. "We have to stay locked in at practice and have the mentality that we're going to win," Lima said. "If we keep pushing and keep working hard, we can win the conference and do well in the playoffs." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.