| Quarter 1 | Quarter 2 | Quarter 3 | Quarter 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUC | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| CLO | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Cloverleaf erased Buckeye’s early lead with 10 points in the second quarter, including a 56-yard touchdown pass with 2:27 left before halftime, and held on for a 10-6 victory Friday at Edwin Steingass Field at Alumni Stadium. The Bucks led 6-0 after the first quarter but could not score again in the tightly contested opener.
Buckeye struck first when Denis Shevchenko scored on a 2-yard run with 4:37 remaining in the opening quarter. The extra-point kick failed, leaving the Bucks with a six-point advantage. Denis Shevchenko finished with 43 yards on six carries, including a 27-yard run, and made a team-high 13 tackles with six solo stops and seven assists.
Cloverleaf cut the margin to 6-3 on Austin Sustersic’s 30-yard field goal with 10:30 remaining in the second quarter. The Colts then moved ahead for good when Isaac Smith connected with Jimmy Tolley for the 56-yard touchdown. Austin Sustersic added the extra point, and neither team scored in the second half.
The Bucks found consistent success on the ground, outrushing Cloverleaf 252-157 and averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Liam Phillips led the attack with 165 yards on 23 attempts, including a 52-yard run, while Brayden Sopko added 58 yards on seven carries and broke a 34-yard run. Chase Geyer completed 4 of 5 passes for 38 yards, and Nick Prouza made three receptions for 27 yards.
Buckeye’s defense kept the game within one possession throughout the scoreless second half. Liam Phillips recorded nine tackles, while Brayden Sopko, Brenden Murphy and Mark Shevchenko each had eight. Brayden Sopko also recovered a fumble, broke up a pass and made a tackle for loss. Tre Beck supplied Buckeye’s lone sack, and the defense finished with five tackles for loss.
The Bucks totaled 289 yards, only five fewer than Cloverleaf, and earned 15 first downs to the Colts’ 14. Turnovers and penalties proved costly, however, as Buckeye lost two of four fumbles and was penalized 13 times for 109 yards. The Bucks will look to rebound on the road against Amherst at 7:00 PM EDT Friday, Aug. 28, 2026.
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