To its utmost credit, North isn’t flashy in its approach.
The Rangers, with a motivated, sizable offensive line and a pair of home-run hitters in the backfield, rely on their ground game through a single-wing look to pile up the miles on the road.
Steady as a Civic — and when its horsepower is at full throttle, such as Aug. 29 at Harvey, it can be flashy as a Ferrari, too.
Alexavier Harris ran for 221 yards on 21 carries and scored four touchdowns as North dispatched their hosts, 47-22.
The Rangers, who are 2-0 for the first time since 2021, amassed 370 rushing yards on the night through Harris, Brayden Sandstrom and their regiment of road-graters. The ratio of plays might make a few coaches shudder: 38 runs, zero passes.
🏈 North senior guard Edward Kovach-Uzl discusses a 47-22 win at Harvey to get to 2-0
Rangers’ O-line, this young man included, had themselves an evening, showing the way to 370 rushing yards
Always enjoy getting to incorporate linemen into 🏈 game coverage – well-deserved 👍 pic.twitter.com/n6E1iBEUEZ
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) August 30, 2025
Not Shawn Dodd, though, who loves every minute of what it’s yielding in Eastlake at the moment.
“It’s up to the guys up front,” Dodd said. “Our coaching staff have been bragging about them all offseason. These guys have really worked hard implementing this offense. It started in the winter with the kids — with films, in meetings. That continued on in the spring and in the summer. So these kids really understand their assignments and they’re executing it right now at a pretty high level.
“But man, they’re playing with intensity. Very physical. That’s something I can’t coach. That’s something that comes from the kids and what they’ve got inside them. I’m proud of the kids. Proud of the effort.”
Early in the second quarter, Harvey (1-1) had pulled within 14-7, when Markese Wise found Shahn Alston with a lofter in the back left corner of the end zone for a 23-yard TD.
Just 16 seconds later, North had a response.
Harris powered through a seal in the heart of the line and scampered 65 yards for a score. The extra point was no good, but the Rangers had the advantage right back at 20-7.
🏈 Alexavier Harris 4 yd TD run
North 27-7 4:47 2Q
Harris up to 13 carries for 164 yards pic.twitter.com/voEeWVQ8z7
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) August 29, 2025
North’s E.J. Cauton had an interception at midfield to put North back in business. A 10-play, 49-yard march transpired from there, Harris finishing it off with a four-yard jaunt to make it a 27-7 game at the break.
“Honestly, the offensive line, they did their thing tonight,” Harris said. “The holes were there. And I just did what I had to do and hit it, you know? Slow to fast through.”
Alston, the prized USC recruit and Harvey workhorse, was heard from loud and clear to start the second half on a 51-yard scoring run.
Then came, arguably, the decisive punch.
North faced a third-and-3 at its own 49. Sandstrom (10 carries, 111 yards) took the snap out of the single wing and bounced right. A Red Raiders’ tackler went for an ankle tackle, but to no avail. Sandstrom, perhaps displaying some of his explosion from being a long jumper in track and field, averted it, hit the sideline and went 51 yards to the house.
Josh Fenick later contributed a fumble return for a score as the Rangers seized firm control.
When Dodd informed the team of its ground-heavy lean this fall, Harris could tell the pep it put into the step of the young men in front of him in the trenches.
“Oh, they were ready to go,” said Harris, who had his fourth TD of the night on a 45-yard run late in the third. “Like Coach said in the locker room, ‘Put some carnages on the field.’ That’s really what they were trying to do, and that’s what they did tonight.”
🏈 Alexavier Harris 45 yd TD run, his 4th of the night
North 47-15 1:20 3Q pic.twitter.com/5MI2IbRXVL
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) August 30, 2025
Alston accounted for 140 yards from scrimmage (90 rushing, 50 receiving) on 20 touches. Chris Burt later hauled in a 44-yard TD from Wise.
But the name of the game was North’s exquisite work on the ground and the miles it accumulated.
“I give a lot of credit to Coach Dodd and his staff for basically taking the whole summer, the whole offseason, to figure out who their personnel was and put that scheme together that they have in the single wing, it’s something that’s tough to prepare for,” Harvey coach Mick Mohner said. “It’s hard to simulate and practice, and they’re running it at a really high level. They have a lot of good guys up front. They have a lot of good running backs behind them. So all the credit to those guys for identifying what fits their talent.
PHOTOS: Harvey vs. North football, Aug. 29, 2025
“It was just an uphill battle for us today. We knew it was going to be tough to stop it. We need to do more offensively, and we just didn’t get it done tonight.”
Albeit in Week 2, the Rangers had reason to be encouraged. As previously noted, this is the first time in four years they’ve been 2-0 and just the third time in the last decade.
Steady as a Civic. Flashy as a Ferrari. Eager to tack on more miles down the road.
“It’s a big factor,” Harris said of being 2-0. “It gives the boys motivation, honestly. We’re 2-0. Next game, we’re going in with that motivation that we won and we’re going to keep winning.”
🏈 North plays the alma mater after a 47-22 win at Harvey pic.twitter.com/A32AX3vxD9
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) August 30, 2025
North takes on Harvey in a nonconference game Aug. 29. (Barry Booher – For The News-Herald)
THE SCORE
North 47, Harvey 22
Originally Published: August 29, 2025 at 10:53 PM EDT