How good is Maple Heights? We are about to find out.
Shaw coach Rodney Brown.
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(Plain Dealer file)
How good is Maple Heights?
We are about to find out.
"They haven't faced a team like us," Shaw coach Rodney Brown said. "It's a two-way street this year. This is the biggest game in Northeast Ohio [tonight]."
Maple Heights, 6-0 and ranked fourth in The Plain Dealer Top 25, hosts No. 21 Shaw (4-2), which has won four straight. Maple Heights' first six opponents have won a combined seven games, causing the Mustangs to sink to sixth in the Division II, Region 6 computer rankings. It should be noted, Maple reached the state final last year as a No. 6 seed.
Maple Heights came from behind to beat Shaw, 28-22, last year.
"It was like a playoff game last year and I'm sure it will be the same," Maple coach Todd Filtz said.
Speed will be key.
Maple Heights quarterback Shaq Washington has recovered from a knee injury, and RB DeVonte Ransom and wideouts Andre Stubbs and Dana Day all can fly. Shaw counters with QB Robert Small and speedy wideouts Micah White, Ron McCloud and Jamel Hicks.
After missing three starts with a bruised knee, Washington was 9-of-22 passing with one TD against Shaker Heights, and was a more efficient 9-of-11 with two TD passes against Bedford last week.
The game also features two big-play defenders, Maple end Claybourne Miller and Shaw linebacker Antonio Longino. Playing free safety, Hicks will shadow Ransom.
Walton among the few: Hawken's Cliff Walton last week joined an elite list of coaches who have won 200 games at one school. The Hawks' 60-0 victory over Richmond Heights improved Walton's record at Hawken to 200-108-1 in 30 seasons. His career record is 216-112-2, including two seasons at Lutheran East, which is his alma mater.
Other coaches from Greater Cleveland and Akron who have 200 victories at one school are: Jim France (328 at Manchester), Augie Bossu (275, Benedictine), Chuck Kyle (275, St. Ignatius), Bill Gutbrod (267, St. Joseph), Gerry Rardin (224, Walsh Jesuit) and John Cistone (207, St. Vincent-St. Mary).
Like France, Walton coaches in a stadium that bears his name, and prior to tonight's 7 p.m. home game against Independence, a ceremony will be held in his honor.
Eden excels: University School junior quarterback Tyler Eden (6-4, 205) continues to improve and impress. A first-year starter, he has completed 92 of 165 attempts for 1,470 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions in the Preppers' pass-oriented offense.
"He has a great deal of potential," coach Jim Stephens said. "He's the best we've had as far as athletic ability. He can run and he can throw. He has a cannon for an arm."
Red flag: Another week, another big game in the Chagrin Valley Conference's Chagrin Division. Tonight, Perry (5-1, 2-1) travels to Kenston (4-2, 2-1).
A potential red flag for Perry is the foot bone bruise quarterback Mitchel Hokavar is dealing with. He's been unable to practice and had five turnovers in the last two games.
"They recommended two to three weeks off and he refuses to sit. It means too much to him," Perry coach Matt Rosati said. "But he's not the same kid he was four weeks ago."
Defensively, Perry has had some trouble against the run, so with Kenston backs Pat Porter and Percy Johnson finally healthy, expect the Bombers to pound the ball out of the power-I formation. They combined for 55 carries and 380 yards rushing in a comeback win against Orange last week.
Porter and Johnson also will play safety and linebacker, respectively, which they did not do last week. Johnson (6-0, 217) has several colleges interested in him as a linebacker.
"We're not sure sometimes which side of ball he's better on," Kenston coach Roger Vasey said. "He's very hard to get off his feet."
Scoring drought's over: Solon's 48-14 victory over Mayfield made up for some lost time.
The Comets were blanked, 6-0 and 27-0, in 2006 and '08, at Mayfield Municipal Stadium. The last time they scored on the Wildcats' turf prior to Sept. 30 was a 30-0 rout in 2004.
Record-setting Bengal: Frank Hanis, a 1973 Benedictine graduate, witnessed his 325th straight Bengals football game last week.
The streak began when Hanis attended the Bengals' 48-0 victory over West Tech on Sept. 5, 1981. Saturday's game set a school record for Hanis, who surpassed the mark of 324 consecutive games set by Theodore Girard from 1973 to 2003, but it might be a game he'd like to forget.
Benedictine was shut out by unbeaten St. Edward, 45-0.
Rotating quarterbacks: Brush rotated three quarterbacks during its Sept. 30 Northeast Ohio Conference Lake Division loss to Parma.
Pocket passer Mark Ciarlillo and versatile Pharaoh Brown took snaps under center and Isiah Wilson was also thrown into the mix.
"We've been trying to get our running game going," said Arcs coach Rob Atwood, "and Isiah's one of those quarterbacks whose strong point is his ability to run."
Big loss: When Mayfield quarterback Caden Loew was sacked in the second quarter and left the game during the 48-14 loss to Solon, little did anyone know the knee injury would be season-ending.
"Caden hasn't been able to get an MRI yet because the knee is so swollen," said Wildcats coach Larry Pinto, "but he's done for the year."
Also questionable for tonight's game against Strongsville is center Mike Perozek and fullback Stefan Rood, who left the Solon game with concussions.
"It's a day-to-day thing with Mike and Stefan," Pinto said. "It's unfortunate but [injuries] are part of the game. Caden was having a nice year but we need to move on because we have some big, big games coming up."
Loew had completed 30 of 67 passes for 677 yards before the injury with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Sophomore Alex Brooks now moves into the starting role.
Long live the king: Lutheran East defensive end Jalen Coleman had a day to remember during last Saturday's 26-20 overtime win over visiting Youngstown Christian. Not only was Coleman crowned Homecoming King, he also garnered 12 tackles and helped the Falcons hold the Eagles during a fourth-quarter goal line stand.
Twin brother/linebacker Marques Coleman registered 13 tackles, while quarterback Brian Burdine and tailback Levert Cox did their share offensively. Burdine passed for 116 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 160 yards while Cox gained 91 yards and found the end zone three times.
Nemec nears milestone: John Nemec wants to make sure the spotlight is focused on the right part of the stage.
"The focal point of this game is the kids, the community and the big game that the community looks forward to every year," the veteran Kent Roosevelt coach said about tonight's annual tug-of-war with neighboring Ravenna. We cannot lose sight of that and we can't let the focus be on anything but that. It's the kids' arena. The rest of us are just window dressing."
This from a man who has an opportunity to record his 200th career victory when Roosevelt and Ravenna get together for the 89th time.
Nemec, 64, is in his 30th year as a head football coach. He spent four years at Wapakoneta and the rest at Roosevelt. His teams have a combined mark of 199-95-3, 166-84-1 at Roosevelt.
Don't be misled. Nemec is proud of his record. Yet, he is reluctant to talk about it.
"How do I feel about winning 200?" he asked rhetorically. "I don't know. But I can tell you that I'd rather have 200 wins when I wake up on Saturday than 199."
So, how does he feel about having won 199?
"It's better than having won 198."
Precautionary move: Hudson coach Tom Narducci calls sophomore Ben Gedeon "an impact player" and "the answer." That is why he chose to use Gedeon sparingly in a 19-7 victory over Stow that snapped the Explorers' losing streak at five games.
Gedeon, 6-2, 207 pounds, has played quarterback, running back, wide receiver and linebacker this season. He came up with a slight shoulder problem two weeks ago and had been cleared by team doctors to play last week. Narducci thought better.
"He's a sophomore who is making an impact and if you have a question about who's going to play quarterback or who's going to play running back or linebacker, he is the answer," said Narducci. "I just thought it was better to give him an extra week's rest. He wanted to play."
-- Bob Fortuna, Tim Rogers, Tim Warsinskey