Blog
Saturday, November 26, 2011
St. Ignatius vs. Whitmer live blog tonight
Join our live in-game blog for updates, analysis and to talk about the Division I state semifinal tonight.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Mentor vs. St. Ignatius live blog tonight
Join our live in-game blog for updates, analysis and to talk about the Division I, Region 1 final tonight.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Aurora 21, Walsh Jesuit 14 (OT): Nemesis Greenmen stop Warriors again
SOLON: Aurora continues to haunt Walsh Jesuit in the playoffs.
In two prior playoff meetings, the Greenmen purged the Warriors from postseason play, and the trend continued Friday night at Solon High Schools Stewart Field in a Division II regional final. Aurora beat Walsh 21-14 in overtime on quarterback Blake Calceis 4-yard touchdown run, his second of the night.
When the Warriors look back on the game, two aspects of it will haunt them.
They appeared to have a firm grasp on momentum close to halftime and let it slip away. Walsh tailback Brock Jones capped a seven-play, 39-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown to give the Warriors a 7-0 lead with just 1:38 left in the half.
They had the advantage and would get the ball back to start the second half. Calcei had other intentions as he drove his team down the field.
On a fourth-and-1 at the Walsh 34-yard line, Calcei ducked around his right side and dashed for a touchdown to cap a six-play, 58-yard drive. The extra point tied the score.
It would have been great to go up at halftime, Walsh coach Gerry Rardin said.
Instead, the Warriors gave up momentum and the lead with 19 seconds left in the half.
Things changed in the second half, when Auroras Anthony Melchiori began to assert his influence.
Aurora stopped the Warriors on their opening possession, and Melchiori promptly went to work. He returned the subsequent punt 45 yards to the Walsh Jesuit 16-yard line.
The Warriors made them work from there, but five plays and 2:36 later, Calcei found Melchiori on a crossing route for a 4-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead.
Im just doing what I can do, Melchiori said. If I have to clean the locker room after the game, Ill do that, too.
He gave much of the credit to his teammate, Calcei, who completed 10-of-13 passes for 59 yards and the touchdown. Calcei proved to be more dangerous on the ground. He ran for 106 yards on 16 carries, including a long run of 34 yards and scored two touchdowns.
We have a quarterback built like a running back, Melchiori said. Hes like Tim Tebow. What he can do is beyond me.
The Warriors had their chances. And they had a decided advantage in kicker Ross Martin on this blustery chilly night, but the Duke recruit wasnt able to deliver in regulation.
Martin had two chances to win the game in the fourth quarter on long field goals with the wind at his back. The first came with 5:38 left and the game, but the protection on the line broke down and the kick was blocked. His offense appeared as if it was going to move the ball closer the second time, but after making a crucial third-and-13 to get themselves in Aurora territory, the drive stalled at the 37. Martin set up for a 54-yard attempt. The kick had the distance but it dropped wide right, sending the game into overtime.
We feel we are very disappointed, Rardin said. The kids have done a good job all year. Hopefully [the underclassmen] have learned to be poised and never quit.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ABJ_Varsity. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Tallmadge 14, New Philadelphia 7: Zach Skraba puts up strong defense for Blue Devils
TALLMADGE: Zach Skraba put a stop to any thoughts of a short postseason for Tallmadge.
Skraba, a junior, made two key defensive contributions in a 14-7 victory over New Philadelphia in a Division II first-round playoff game Friday night at Rossiaky Stadium.
He returned an interception for a touchdown in the first quarter and then made a tackle along the Tallmadge goal line on a Quakers fourth-down rushing play in the fourth quarter as the Blue Devils clung to the lead.
The interception got me pumped, but I knew it was early in the game and we couldnt take anything for granted, Skraba said. We came out a little flat in the second half, and they ran down the field on us, but on fourth down we were able to stay strong. The linemen stuck up the line, and we made a stop.
Tallmadge (9-2) plays Aurora (10-1) next. New Philadelphia finishes its season at 7-4.
Skraba and seniors Jake Lukachinsky, Chris Beal and Ness Alghofari teamed up to stop Quakers sophomore running back Jamal Johnson just shy of the end zone with 5:23 remaining in the fourth.
Junior quarterback Anthony Gotto then guided the Blue Devils on a drive to run out the clock.
Its nice to win, period, Tallmadge coach Joe Vassalotti said.
You have to give New Philadelphia credit. I thought their defense was tremendous. They had good defensive speed, and they had a good scheme to put pressure on us in the passing game. It was tough to get outside on them when we would try to sprint out.
Our defense was very good, too. When they went to the Wildcat [offense] in the fourth quarter it hurt us a bit. They were able to move the ball on counter plays, but our defense made a huge play when they had to on the goal line.
As inconsistent as our offense was, at least with five minutes left when we got the ball on our own 1, we were able to methodically move 50 yards and kill the clock. That was very important.
New Philadelphia opened the game with possession of the ball but went three-and-out with a punt.
Tallmadge put together a 16-play drive on the ensuing possession that covered 67 yards to take a 7-0 lead.
The drive featured a mixture of passing and rushing, and it concluded with a 4-yard touchdown run by senior Ben Schauer with 3:47 to go in the first quarter.
The Blue Devils lead grew to 14-0 on the Quakers second possession when Skraba intercepted a pass by sophomore quarterback Caleb Beans and returned the ball 78 yards with 45 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
I was running with the tight end, and our linemen got pressure on the quarterback, Skraba said.
He threw it up and then the next thing I know I have the ball, and Im running down the field. I was cutting, had my teammates blocking for me, and I took it back to the end zone.
The Quakers cut their deficit to 14-7 with 44 seconds left in the third quarter after junior Dakota Hill ran for a 37-yard touchdown.
Gotto completed 14-of-22 passes for 122 yards. Senior receiver Tucker Linder was Gottos top target with five catches for 64 yards.
Tallmadge senior running back Tyrin Williams gained 90 yards on 22 carries with senior Jon Cipa anchoring the Blue Devils offensive line. Johnson rushed for 120 yards on 17 carries.
Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ABJ_Varsity. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
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