LEXINGTON — Nevaeh Lewis was Madison’s X Factor.

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A speedy freshman forward, Lewis scored two goals as the Rams won their fourth straight district championship with a 3-1 win over Richland County rival Ontario at Lexington High School.

 

The local heavyweights battled to a 1-1 draw during the regular season. Lewis sat that match out while dealing with an ankle injury, but returned for the district semifinals earlier this week.

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“She’s a freak. She is an X factor any time she’s in the game,” Madison coach Zac Huff said. “It obviously showed today.”

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Lewis scored Madison’s first goal off a Taylor Huff assist with 15:30 remaining in the first half. It was Huff’s 89th career assist, moving her into first place on the state’s career assist list.

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“I didn’t realize it until after the game that I assisted and actually beat the record,” Taylor Huff said. “It’s amazing to get to do it in this game.”

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Ontario (14-3-3) scored the equalizer on a perfectly executed set piece when Morgan Carroll headed in Macy Mangan’s corner kick with 8:47 remaining in the first half.

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“We played very good in the first half,” Ontario coach Larry Atkinson said. “Taylor can take over a game. We didn’t defend her very well.”

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Playing with the wind at its back during the second half, Madison (17-0-3) scored a pair of goals in the opening 15 minutes. Lewis and Huff connected again with 37:54 remaining for a 2-1 Madison lead and Huff iced it when she went almost the entire length of the field and scorched a shot past the Ontario keeper with 26:36 left.

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“At halftime I moved Taylor up with Nevaeh and it worked pretty well,” Zac Huff said. “After we went up 3-1 I put Taylor back at defense. Not that I didn’t trust our defense, but having her back there strengthens it.”

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Madison will play either Oak Harbor or Toledo Central Catholic in the regional semifinals at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The Rams are the defending regional champs.

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“It means so much,” Taylor Huff said of winning the district crown for a fourth straight year. “It’s just an indescribable feeling.”