Highland blanks Medina 47-0 to win 4th straight

By Kate Beckerspecial to cleveland.comcleveland.com Express DeskMEDINA, Ohio — The Highland Hornets extended their winning streak to four games with a commanding 47-0 victory over the Medina Bees on Friday in the Suburban League National Conference.Highland set the tone early, scoring a safety within the first five minutes when Brady Myser and Chatham Phillips tackled a Medina ball carrier in the end zone. Running back Colton Winston followed with touchdown runs of 3 and 14 yards in the opening quarter, helping the Hornets build a 16-0 lead.The offensive onslaught continued in the second quarter as Highland stretched its advantage to 33-0 by halftime. Evan Foust and Anthony DePompei added rushing touchdowns, while kicker Jonah Kowza connected on a 48-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.Highland, ranked 10th in this week’s cleveland.com Northeast Ohio Top 25, improved to 4-1. The Bees are 1-4.“We finally put it together for four quarters which is kind of what the challenge was for these guys all week long,” said Highland head coach Mike Gibbons. “Every week’s a challenge and we’re excited for every week and the opportunities it brings us.”Highland’s balanced attack featured contributions from multiple players. Quarterback Colton Wadle completed 14 of 15 passes for 189 yards and rushed for 27 yards on seven carries. Winston finished with 36 yards and two touchdowns on four carries, while Foust tallied 67 yards and two scores on nine attempts.“The running backs ran really hard, kind of had a three-headed monster there with Colton Winston, Evan Faust, and Levi Clark,” Gibbons said.Ben Radigan led Highland receivers with 62 yards on three catches, and Jake Weber added 46 yards on four receptions. Kowza converted all five extra point attempts and recorded five touchbacks in addition to his field goal.Medina’s offense struggled throughout, managing just 68 passing yards from quarterback Kaden Patrick, who completed six of 16 attempts. Tyler Wilson led the Bees with 34 yards on two receptions.Gibbons praised his quarterback’s development after the victory.“[Colton Wadle]’s got all the ability in the world,” Gibbons said, “so excited to see him continue to improve week in and week out.”Highland will face Stow-Munroe Falls (2-2) next week, while Medina (1-4) takes on Wadsworth.This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by Cleveland.com staff.