TOLEDO — North Ridgeville’s historical football season came to an abrupt end.

Playing in the first football playoff game in school history, the Rangers had to face perennial playoff power Toledo St. Francis deSales at Toledo Whitmer High School in the first round of the Divison II OHSAA Playoff Tournament.

Mistakes doomed North Ridgeville before the Kinghts wore them down in a 35-7 victory.

The Rangers had a familiar feeling, trailing at 14-0 at the start of the second half — the same scenario they faced last week in a must-win home game against Midview.

North Ridgeville was able to rally last week, ultimately securing the 18-14 victory. Against deSales, however, the result was decidedly different.

The Rangers defense tried to spark the comeback in the opening drive of the second half, but after stopping Knights running back Lee Lukasik for losses on first and second downs, deSales hit on a big play. Instead of handing the ball to Lukasik, Knights quarterback Tyler Johnston handed off to fullback Nate Beauch instead. He ripped off 43 yards to swing momentum back to the deSales sideline.

It would be the Rangers’ last stand.

Johnston then had runs of 15 and 14 yards, setting up a Lukasik 1-yard touchdown run and the rout was on.

The Knights would score twice more in quarter on short runs and would lead 35-0 heading into the fourth.

North Ridgeville showed some pride by putting together a 16-play, 10-minute drive to score their only touchdown of the game, a 2-yard burst by Taylor Abraham with 6:39 left.

St. Francis coach Dick Cromwell has won two state championships with the Knights, who were making their 13th playoff appearance.

“We struggled the first half offensively,” he said. “Our defense gave us some opportunities. The second half we came out and played better offensively.

“North Ridgeville is a very physical team and I think that surprised our kids a little bit in the first half. We blocked a little better in the second half.”

Lukasik, the Knight’s leading rusher this season with 772 yards, was held to 28 yards on 16 carries.

But four other St. Francis players rushed for over 40 yards each.

Overall, the Knights rushed 44 times for 248 yards and four touchdowns.

Johnston completed 5 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown.

The Rangers were led by Mo Jaber’s 58 yards on 13 carries. Abraham had 51 yards on 13 carries while quarterback Michael Mees completed three passes for 33 yards and two interceptions.

The Rangers ended their season with an 8-3 record.

“It was a memorable season,” North Ridgeville coach Jeff Riesen said. “We would have liked to have won tonight, but St. Francis is a great football team that outplayed us. But I am proud of the effort of the kids.

“They didn’t quit and played hard until the end. That is all you can ask. When we made some mistakes early in the game you can’t do that against a good football team.

“But that doesn’t take away from this season and what we accomplished.”

North Ridgeville was its own worst enemy in the first half. The Rangers had two interceptions and two fumbles, losing one.

Two of those turnovers led directly to all 14 of St. Francis’ first-half points.

After a punt pinned the Rangers at their 5-yard line, Mees attempted to throw on first down and was intercepted by Scott Loy on the 17-yard line. Loy returned it to the 2-yard line, and a personal foul penalty moved the ball to the Rangers’ 1.

On the very next play Johnston took it in from 1 yard out.

On the ensuing possession, the Rangers found some success on offense. Mo Jaber broke a 9-yard run to apparently get North Ridgeville over the 50-yard line, but a penalty wiped out the play and the Rangers ended up punting.

The Knights drove inside the red zone, but Rangers senior captain Steven Lopez came up big. First he stuffed a run on 3rd and three and then blocked 33-yard field goal attempt.

However, on first down North Ridgeville receiver Domonique Qualls fumbled Mees’ first completion of the game. Johnston recovered the fumble, and the Knights took over on the 24-yard line.

Four plays later, Johnston rolled left and bought enough time to find Loy in the back of the end zone.

“The defense played great in the first half but we put them in a tough position,” Riesen said. “When you return an interception to the 1, not many teams are going to stop that. Offensively, we moved the ball but we kept shooting ourselves in the foot with an interception, fumble or penalty.

“But no excuse — we lost to a better football team.”

North Ridgeville actually out-rushed St. Francis in the first half, 63 yards to 57. The Rangers, however, only completed one pass for minus-5 yards while St. Francis completed four for 72 yards. The Rangers had six first-half penalties accepted for 36 yards. St. Francis committed two for 10 yards.