Blog
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 [email protected]. 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.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Buchtel 34, Firestone 0: Jarrod Wilson leads Griffins to City Series title
The Buchtel offense wasnt able to do a whole lot against Firestone, but when you have a strong defense and special teams, a potent attack isnt always necessary.
Such was the case Friday night at InfoCision Stadium, where the Griffins beat the Falcons 34-0 to claim their third consecutive City Series championship.
The Griffins can thank senior Jarrod Wilson, a Michigan recruit who probably played his best game of the season. He influenced all facets of the game.
Wilson created the Griffins first turnover on the Falcons first drive, intercepting a pass on Buchtels 14 to get his team out of a jam.
He also helped to set up his teams first score. Firestone faced a fourth-and-10 from its own 10-yard line and was punting. Three Griffins rushed in on the Falcons punter, and Wilson blocked it setting up the Griffins at the 6-yard line. It only took one play for Buchtel running back Darren McGinnis to run through a chasm of a hole that opened on his lines right side to take it into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
Wilson was not finished.
During one of the Buchtel offenses best efforts of the game, an eight-play, 62-yard drive, they faced a third-and-6 from the Firestone 10-yard line. Their quarterback, Chris Davis, dropped back. The Falcons rush forced him to scramble to his left, but he found Wilson in the middle of the end zone for the score.
Hes special. He deserves everything thats positive that happens to him, Buchtel coach Ricky Powers said of Wilson. Hes going to Michigan. Need I say anything else?
Wilson said it was important for him to leave a legacy at Buchtel.
After the loss last week, I just realized that our playoff opportunities are very slim and this may be my last game, so I came out and gave it my all, he said.
Despite those huge plays, Wilson had plenty of help.
Offensively, it came in the person of McGinnis, who rushed for 183 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown to go with a 29-yard touchdown reception. McGinnis transferred from Firestone last season.
Its big. Its the first championship Ive won, so its real big, McGinnis said.
A few weeks ago, Falcons coach Tim Flossie said he wanted to play the Griffins for the title. He got his wish.
Defensively, the Griffins gave the Falcons no room to breathe, holding them to 120 total yards and sacking their quarterbacks six times. They also picked off two passes, including one that was returned for a touchdown but was called back after a penalty.
And, yes, special teams got into the act as well as the Griffins blocked two attempted Falcons punts.
Had the tension in the air for the game been flammable, InfoCision would have been blown off its foundation. Fans for Buchtel got into the act as the game neared its conclusion, shouting Flossie! Flossie! Flossie! The Falcons coach accused Powers of recruiting his players during a flap involving four transfers last year.
Both teams were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, and players had to be separated as the customary post-game handshake dissolved into some pushing and shoving. To avoid further confrontation, Powers had his team move to their locker room and the Falcons did the same.
The way you coach your kids is the way theyre going to present themselves. I dont blame those kids from Firestone, Powers said. I think those kids have just been doing what they were coached to do.
These kids are bigger than this game to me. I want these kids to learn respect. No one thinks they can learn respect because of where they are from. I want them to see a different way of doing things.
George M. Thomas can be reached at [email protected]. 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, October 22, 2011
Tallmadge 42, Copley 14: Tyrin Williams powers Blue Devils
TALLMADGE: Coming off its big win at Wadsworth, Tallmadge fans wondered if the team might suffer a letdown facing Copley, which lost star running back Aregeros Turner last week for the season.
The Blue Devils quickly dispelled such thinking.
Using the running of Tyrin Williams and the passing of Anthony Gotto, the Blue Devils methodically defeated the Indians 42-14 on Friday night at Rossiaky Stadium.
The Blue Devils (7-2, 6-0) made Senior Night memorable by clinching a share of the Suburban League championship with their seventh consecutive victory after starting the season 0-2.
It is the sixth time in eight years that a program that was once the doormat of the league has brought home the title.
Tallmadge coach Joe Vassalotti was concerned coming into the game how his team would approach the game mentally.
From a coachs perspective that is always a concern, but our guys are resilient, Vassalotti said. The two tough losses early in the season made them stronger and taught them never to take anything for granted.
Gotto was not worried. He and his teammates realized this could be their last home game of the season and were going to go all out.
We knew it was a big win against Wadsworth so we had to come out with the same effort this week, Gotto said. We are just jelling together. We have so many targets I can throw to; I am much stronger than I was as a freshman. I could barely throw 45 yards and know I can throw 60.
The Tallmadge offense was sharp and balanced. Gotto connected with junior tight end Jacob Wood five times for 76 yards and Williams scored four rushing touchdowns.
Anthony does a great job of putting the ball right into my hands. He has a good arm and gets the ball quickly to his receivers, Wood said.
Things opened up tonight for Jacob. He has had a lot of game experience, Vassalotti said. It is nice to be able to call plays because you trust your quarterback. We have faith in Anthony.
Williams, a senior tailback, racked up 115 yards on 15 carries in the first half alone. He finished with 152 yards on 24 carries.
Tyrin is a fantastic strong running back that is a great weapon to have, Vassalotti said.
Gotto and the Blue Devils opened the scoring with 4:10 left in the first quarter with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Tucker Linder. On the ensuing series, Williams broke off a 20-yard run and then scored on a 36-yard run that had jukes and moves that left defenders on the wet turf and put Tallmadge ahead 14-0.
Copley cut the lead to 14-7 when Will Thomas took a short kickoff at his own 25 and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown.
The Blue Devils scored twice before halftime on a 2-yard run by Williams and Gottos second touchdown of the half, a beautiful 9-yard throw to Linder.
Copley cut the deficit to 28-14 when Isaiah Wheeler caught a touchdown pass from Lou Gigliotti in the third quarter, but Williams scored two more touchdowns early in the fourth quarter.
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, October 22, 2011
St. Vincent-St. Mary 17, Buchtel 14: Defense, running game carry Irish past Griffins
Points were hard to come by Friday night as Buchtel and St. Vincent-St. Mary scrounged around on defense at John Cistone Field in Akron.
In a game that featured scrappy defense on both sides and some truly special special teams play on the part of the Griffins, the Irish (8-1) came away with a 17-14 victory.
The two teams traded tough hits and punts for the better part of the first half, before the Irish broke through with under a minute left in the second quarter.
With St. V-M quarterback Kevin Besser nursing a knee injury suffered last week, it wasnt realistic to expect him to be at his offensive best.
It took away our ability to run Kevin. We ran him a little bit, but we were a bit leery, Irish coach Dan Boarman said. We knew we were going to have to run the ball, plus Buchtel was giving us some things run-wise.
Besser instead managed the Irish to victory, not trying to do too much. He received plenty of help and a heaping dash of luck.
The help arrived in the form of a nine-play, 29-yard drive that resulted in a 31-yard field goal for the Irish with 51.7 seconds left in the first half.
Some coaches might be content to go into the half behind by three points, but not Buchtel coach Ricky Powers. Hes always expressed confidence in his players and showed it when the Griffins (5-4) got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff.
With first-and-10 at their own 24, Buchtels quarterback Chris Davis dropped back and fired a laser-deep pass that came up a bit short just short enough for St. V-M senior defensive back Sal Faetanini to leap and grab the ball. Faetanini set the Irish up at their own 40 with more than 40 seconds left in the half, precious ticks of the clock that they used to their advantage.
But Boarman wasnt about to nurse the lead.
After a 15-yard completion on a screen and two subsequent incompletions, Besser handed the ball off to running back Matt Matuska, who took it inside the numbers. Just before Matuska reached the end zone, Buchtels Ernie Calhoun punched the ball out. Matuska recovered the loose ball in the end zone and the Irish led 10-0.
When I played at Michigan and we played Notre Dame, they would always get the lucky bounce, Griffins coach Ricky Powers said. Its just the luck of the Irish. Its really living up to the name.
Matuska wasnt done. He eventually scored the winning touchdown on a 59-yard dash.
I was looking to not go out of bounds because coach says never go out of bounds. I was looking for a cut-back lane and it was there, said Matuska, who gained 152 yards on 14 carries and the two touchdowns.
Given the games early tone, it wouldnt have been surprising to see the 10-0 advantage the Irish held at halftime stand up.
Buchtel can thank its defense for keeping the Griffins in the game and punter Marnayre Drummonds foot for almost helping them come back to win it.
Late in the fourth quarter with the Irish ahead 17-7, Drummond nailed the ball 62 yards to trap the Irish at their own 4 yard-line. Three plays later, St. V-M fumbled and Davis eventually punched it in from the 1-yard line to cut the Irish lead to 17-14. From there, the Irish offense ran the clock down.
It was still a victory in which Boarman can thank his defense, which held Buchtel to 162 total yards, and the running game.
Weve been playing pretty good offense, but the defense came to play tonight, he said. They carried us tonight.
George M. Thomas can be reached at [email protected]. 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.
