LEAD Prep Academy Rolls Past NCAA DII Ashland University JV, 47-14

ASHLAND, Ohio - LEAD Prep Academy beat NCAA Division II Ashland University JV 47-14 on Sunday behind a balanced offense, a pair of special teams plays and a defense that held Ashland under 100 yards rushing and under 100 yards passing.

The scoring started with special teams. In the first quarter, Mason Mansfield, a freshman, blocked a punt to set up a red zone drive. Quarterback Davion Reese, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound post-grad from Sterling Heights Stevenson, finished it with a 2-yard touchdown run. Terrance James, a North Farmington product, then took a punt 35 yards to the house to make it a two-score game.

LEAD Prep Academy added two more touchdowns in the second quarter. With less than two minutes left in the half, freshman AJ Dixon scrambled for a 25-yard rushing touchdown. With the clock at zeros, Reese found James on a 33-yard touchdown pass to send the team into halftime with a 28-7 lead.

LEAD Prep Academy rotated quarterbacks often throughout the game. In the third quarter, Brick Sandridge IV, a post-grad from Warren Cousino, hit 6-foot, 205-pound freshman Emere Atkins for a 7-yard score. The score was Atkins’ sixth of the year.

The defense got in on the scoring in the fourth quarter. Jamier Johnson forced a strip-sack fumble, and Isaac Codde recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

Johnson, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound 2025 Cincinnati High School Defensive Player of the Year, showed great speed off the edge all day, chasing quarterbacks from hash to hash. He finished with six tackles (three solo), two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

After the defensive score, the offense added to the scoreboard, as Reese connected with Ryan Davinney-Volpi, a freshman from L’Anse Creuse, on a 33-yard touchdown pass to close out the scoring.

Head Coach Alex Grignon was pleased with the offense. “We were happy with our offensive execution,” Grignon said. LEAD Prep Academy got some important players back from last week’s injuries and had a good week of practice. Even with significant injuries up front, Grignon said “the brightest spot we had was Xavier Spann stepping into a position he hasn’t played and taking every offensive snap.”

The defense was especially stingy against the run, led by a dominant front. Nose tackle Devonta Love, a 6-foot-2, 315-pounder, had three tackles for loss and a half sack. He stonewalled double teams, beat every one-on-one block in the run game and won consistently as a pass rusher, continuing his role as the anchor of the defense.

Luca Kerridge, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore, showed explosive get-off and power while playing both defensive end and linebacker. He recorded a sack, several tackles and a pass breakup, and hustled to the ball with violent intentions all game. On the season, Kerridge has 30 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and two pass breakups.

Kyle Candito had a big day, blitzing fast for two critical sacks, one of which caused a turnover on downs. He also jarred the ball loose with a hard hit for another takeaway and added two tackles for loss.

Codde, the starting middle linebacker, also had a busy afternoon. The 6-foot, 215-pound freshman from St. Joseph, Michigan, had eight tackles, two tackles for loss and his fumble recovery for a score.

Kamron Payne came up with an interception, his fifth of the six-game season, and has become a difference maker in coverage.

Starting corners Elijah Robinson and Martez Langford shut down every receiver they faced. Ashland threw to Robinson’s side just twice, and he intercepted one of those passes, though it was called back by a penalty. At 6-foot-2, 192 pounds with a 4.49 40-yard dash, the Florida DB has left receivers with little room to work.

Safety Darrion Burt capped off the group with another hard-hitting game. He forced a fumble against an Ashland receiver for a takeaway, made plays in the run game and consistently tackled Ashland’s big tight ends. He also contributed on special teams.

LEAD Prep Academy improved to 4-2 on the season with its best win of the year. They play Ashland University again on Sunday, under 10-minute quarters and no special teams restrictions. That matchup begins at 1pm on October 18th