CANAL FULTON — It was truly the case of the irresistible force against the immovable object when Salem traveled to Northwest for a first-round Division IV football playoff game Friday night at Dr. Martin Smilek Stadium.

High-scoring Salem, which led the Eastern Buckeye Conference in scoring this season at 40.2 points per game, was paired against the host Indians who had only surrendered 17 points-per-contest on defense this fall.

Chalk one up for the Quakers who combined a yeoman 162-yard, two-touchdown effort by senior quarterback Cletis Monroy with some key stops on defense to walk out of Canal Fulton with a heart-pounding 21-15 postseason win.

“We were a good football team last year and we are a great football team this year,” smiled Salem head coach Ron Johnson in a jubilant postgame celebration. “They battled their butts off and I’m so proud of them, so proud of their resolve.”

Not only did Monroy key the Quakers’ offensive prowess, but he made the key defensive play with 1:06 left in the game. With Northwest driving to the Quakers’ 33, Monroy picked off a fourth-down pass at the Quakers’ 30 to seal the win.

“Our guys were ready to come out and play,” said Monroy. “It’s pretty exciting.”

The Quakers’ standout talked of his game-sealing interception.

“We got them in that other fourth-and-10 and we figured they were going to roll right because they had a right-handed quarterback and we faked a blitz and I rolled over and it (the ball) was right there,” said the co-Eastern Buckeye Conference Player of the Year.

“They hitch their wagon to him (Monroy),” said Johnson. “They’re proud to ride along and proud to do their share of pushing and proud to do their share of anything because he is a bonafide leader and bonafide football player and I couldn’t be more proud of him. All he’s worried about is Salem football and God bless him.”

Northwest head coach John DeMarco, who’s team lost two of five fumbles and threw an interception, said miscues hurt his team.

“Too many mistakes, we lost our composure and didn’t do what we needed to do,” said Northwest head coach.

DeMarco was concerned about how Monroy could take over a game and that’s basically what happened on both sides of the football.

Along with an interception on defense, Monroy finished with a game-high 162 yards on 26 carries and scored on touchdown runs of five and six yards. He also tossed a 42-yard scoring aerial to junior wideout Owen Davidson. Monroy also had an 81-yard touchdown run called back by a penalty.

“He (Monroy) is a really good player,” said DeMarco. “I was concerned coming in, I thought he was going to be the best player on the field and he was the best player on the field. He can play.”

Salem wasted no time getting on the board as the Quakers scored just 1:27 into the game, marching 56 yards on four plays, capped by Monroy who scrambled left, stopped and quickly launched a 42-yard scoring pass to a wide open Owen Davidson. Gerson Samayoa added the PAT kick and Salem took a quick 7-0 lead at the 10:33 mark of the first period.

But Northwest answered on its opening drive, marching 65 yards to score on a 36-yard aerial from quarterback Brayden Venables to running back/receiver Kellan Reinford. The Indians set up for a PAT kick but a bad snap forced Venables to run right and he ended up tossing a two-point conversion pass to Conner Stephenson, giving Northwest an 8-7 lead with 7:42 showing on the first-quarter clock.

The score stayed that way as both teams fumbled the football away on scoring chances, but all that changed when Quaker defender Will Harmon pounced on a Northwest fumble at the Quakers’ 35 yard line early in the second quarter. The Quakers, led by Monroy who had 124 yards rushing in the first half, including first down runs on two fake punts, drove 65 yards on 14 plays and took 7:16 off the clock. The drive culminated when Monroy took a shotgun snap and raced five yards around the left end to score with 4:08 showing before halftime. Gerson Samayoa added the PAT boot and the Quakers took a 14-8 lead and made it stand up at halftime.

Salem led in total offense, 208-125 at the break and 331-321 for the game. Salem junior running back Brandon Kana complemented Monroy in the backfield and finished with 60 yards rushing for the game on 19 carries.

The Quakers’ Harmon came up big again with a key 31-yard punt return to the Indians’ 14 late in the third quarter. Salem capped the short drive when Monroy scooted 6 yards around right end to score to give the Quakers a 21-8 lead at the 2:21 mark of the third quarter following Gerson Samayoa’s PAT kick.

But Northwest answered on its ensuing drive when running back Conner Stephenson capped a 68-yard drive with a 49-yard broken tackle scoring run. Kicker Ben Schanz added the PAT kick and cut Salem’s lead to 21-15 with 11:52 showing in the fourth quarter.

But Salem’s offense impressively burned nearly six minutes off the clock with a sustained march into the Northwest red zone. The drive was stopped but the Quakers had achieved what they wanted by pinning Northwest’s offense deep in its own territory. The Indians started their last drive at their own 13 yard line with 5:13 left. The Indians did convert some key fourth downs and drove into Salem territory. However, that’s when Salem’s defense slammed the door, forcing a fourth-and-five at the Quakers’ 33 and Monroy picked off the pass at the 30 to ice the playoff win.

“Our guys really played well (on defense),” said Johnson. “What I’m happiest about is that we kept our composure. They (the Indians) had personal fouls and our guys just walked away and didn’t do anything silly and that’s exactly what we preached all week.”

The Salem coach praised his seniors.

“There were a couple times we should have stuck it in and didn’t and they (the Indians) got down there and we took it off them twice in the red zone,” saidd Johnson. “It was just great resolve and great leadership from our seniors. They’re just a great bunch of guys and couldn’t be more proud of them and happy for them.”

Salem has now won five playoff games in its history and Johnson-coached teams have won four of them over the years.

“I just have good kids and a good staff,” said Johnson. “The guys are just excited and they love to play football, they just don’t want it to end.”

Northwest was led by running back Joey Medure who finished with 119 yards on 22 carries as the Indians finished their season at 6-5.

“We played hard,” said DeMarco.

The win vaults the Quakers (7-4) into next Friday’s second round of the playoffs where they will play second-seeded Cleveland Glenville (7-3) at 7 p.m. at Collinwood Athletic Complex. Glenville, which drew a first-round playoff bye, was idle Friday night.

“To be the best you have to beat the best,” said Johnson. “We’re going to go up there and play our tails off, I know that.”

Game notes

Salem has an all-time playoff record of 5-8. Ron Johnson-coached Quaker teams have won four of those five playoff triumphs against Indian Valley (2015), Struthers (2020), Woodridge (2021) and Northwest (2025) in his 14 years as the Salem mentor.

Friday’s game was the first-ever meeting between Salem and Northwest in football.

S: 7-7-7-021

NW: 8-0-0-7 15

SCORING

S–Owen Davidson, 42 pass from Cletis Monroy, 10:33 1st (Gerson Samayoa kick)

NW–Kellan Reinford, 36 pass from Brayden Venables, 7:42 1st (Ben Schantz kick)

S–Cletis Monroy, 5 run, 4:08 2nd (Gerson Samayoa kick)

S–Cletis Monroy, 6 run, 2:21 3rd (Gerson Samayoa kick)

NW — Conner Stephenson, 49 run, 11:52 4th (Ben Schanz kick)

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S NW

First downs 20 16

Total yards 331 321

Rushes-yards 48-232 36-216

Passing 85 105

Comp-Att-Int 5-7-0 8-18-1

Penalties-Yards 6-60 7-75

Fumbles-lost 4-1 4-2

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INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING–Salem, Cletis Monroy, 26-162, Brandon Kana, 20-60, Bairon Exline, 1-10 ; Northwest, Joey Medure, 22-119, Brayden Venables, 4-15, Conner Stephenson, 3-60.

PASSING–Salem, Cletis Monroy, 4-7-85-1-0 ; Northwest, Brayden Venables, 8-18-105-1-1.

RECEIVING–Salem, Owen Davidson, 1-42, Bairon Exline, 1-10; Northwest, Devin Simon, 1-2, Kellan Reinford, 1-36, Logan Allman, 3-19, Ty Lipkins, 5-40.