Chagrin Falls -- Who are these guys in Chagrin Falls Tigers uniforms? We know they are from the same school that lost in the Division IV state finals a year ago. They have the same football coach in Mark Iammarino. They wear the same orange and black colors, play in the same Chagrin Valley Conference as the Tigers from...
Chagrin Falls -- Who are these guys in Chagrin Falls Tigers uniforms?
We know they are from the same school that lost in the Division IV state finals a year ago. They have the same football coach in Mark Iammarino. They wear the same orange and black colors, play in the same Chagrin Valley Conference as the Tigers from this same school that were 14-1 a year ago.
But these Tigers who face Orrville at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Medina in the Division IV semifinals are not the same team as the 2009 model.
Not even close.
These Tigers lost 18 starters and 22 seniors from one of the best teams in school history. These Tigers were picked as low as fifth in their conference. These Tigers were supposed to be . . . well . . . toothless.
How does any team in any division reach the final four of the state playoffs with a 181-pound nose guard?
"Actually, I'm down to 168," said Tom Weston. "But I don't want anyone to know that."
Just like he doesn't want anyone to know he's 5-foot-8 . . . on his toes.
Nor does he want anyone to know that his right wrist hurts so bad, that he hates to shake hands. And he doesn't want anyone to know that he spent most of the off-season drinking four protein shakes and a gallon of milk each day -- and that he spent so much time in the weight room that he should have brought in a sleeping bag and lived there.
"This was my senior year, and I was determined to get on the field -- somewhere," Weston said. "I was supposed to be a cornerback, played that on junior varsity . . ."
He wasn't good enough to start at defensive back this season.
"But we needed a nose [guard] to play in the middle of our line," said Iammarino. "In practice, it seemed every time there was a collision, Tom was in the middle of it. We asked him about trying the defensive line . . ." </p>
Something else about Weston.
His father, Edward Weston, was in the Navy for 20 years. His sister, Jill, is in the Navy now. He has a 3.4 grade point average, and he wants to enroll in a Marine ROTC program.
Something else . . .
In the past few years, he has dealt with shoulders injuries, wrist injuries and a collapsed lung.
"I can't remember all the things that I hurt playing sports," he said. "It's always something."
Nose guard?
No problem.
Except one.
"I play next to Dan Driscoll (6-foot-1, 236 pounds)," said Weston. "If there's a little guy on the offensive line, Dan lines up over him. I'm always over the big kid at center or guard."
Then Weston laughs.
"I'm the one getting double-teamed, can you believe it?" he asked.
Tigers defy odds to go to 12-1
It's hard to believe anything about these 12-1 Tigers.
How does a team get this far with no one who has rushed for more than 628 yards? How no one who has caught more than five touchdown passes or with a senior quarterback who never threw a pass in a serious part of a varsity game until this season? Or with its best wide receiver and one of the few returning starters from 2009 (Marc Geraci) out since the first week of the playoffs with a knee injury.
They found a kicker named Alex Hallwachs who booted a 47-yard field goal and two kicks deep into the end zone in his first game -- and then went down with a knee injury for the rest of the year.
Another key returning senior (Alex Garnaut) was finished for the season after three games with yet another knee injury. They are a team with no blue chip major college prospects, no players predicted to even dominate their conference.
Early in the year, it seemed the Tigers not only lacked talent, they were unlucky.
They played Aurora in the fourth game of the season and lost, 25-14.
"We got beat up in that game," said Iammarino. "The coaches wondered how the kids would react. Last year, everything went right. We won 14 in a row, lost in the state finals . . . and then went to banquets where everyone told the kids who great they were."
But a nine-game winning streak later . . .
"We had all these people doubting us," said linebacker Kurt Vidmer. "But they don't know us."
Other than those close to the Tigers, who knew that Vidmer nearly tore his hamstring right off the bone. It was early in 2009. Instead of being a starting linebacker on that 2009 team, Vidmer spent the entire season rehabilitating the hamstring.
"At the end of the year, the coaches meet with each player," said Iammarino. "I knew it was a hard year for Kurt, but he told me how he pictured tackling this running back from [Kettering Archbishop Alter, which the Tigers lost to in the finals]. He was so intense, Kurt had me ready to suit up and play."
The 200-pound linebacker with the 3.7 grade point average is second on the team in tackles -- but first in touchdowns?
That's right, touchdowns.
He has only 54 carries, but has ended up in the end zone nine times.
Iammarino jokes that sophomore Jack Campbell (628 yards, four TDs) and senior Jack Hinman (466 yards, six TDs) do all "the heavy work" running the ball, then Vidmer comes into the game to bull his way for the final few yards and the touchdown.
But that's a perfect symbol for these Tigers, the ultimate team. Kids play multiple positions. They play positions that seem wrong because their bodies don't fit the usual job description. When senior leader Geraci went down with an injury, sophomore Bradley Munday (4.0 GPA) stepped in and delivered two touchdowns in the 37-14 stunning victory last week over undefeated Manchester.
Backyard dreams become reality
Maybe it has to do with Friday night football dreams of a couple of second-graders named Timmy Porter and Spencer Diedrich playing catch with a football in the back yard and dreaming that one day, they'd do the same for the Tigers.
Porter would be the quarterback, just as his father, Bill, once played the position for the Tigers.
But when Porter arrived at Chagrin, he was a year behind Chris Trinetti -- one of the best quarterbacks in school history. Porter had to wait until this -- his senior season -- to play.
Furthermore, his backup is Tommy Iammarino, a promising sophomore who also happens to be the son of the coach.
"It could have been a tough situation, but Timmy made it work through sheer determination," said Iammarino. "It's hard to wait three years to play, then follow a great player who led the team to state finals."
Porter proved worthy, throwing 16 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions. In the opening game against Crestwood, he delivered a touchdown pass to Diedrich.
"I heard them say 'Porter to Diedrich on the P.A.,' " said Porter. "It was just like I imagined it would one day happen. It means so much to me to wear the orange and black, to have people say that I remind them of my father when he was the quarterback."
Porter has a 3.5 grade point average. He is a pure drop-back passer. Tommy Iammarino is more of a roll-out quarterback and he sometimes relieves Porter in the middle of the game for a series or two to confuse the opposing defense. Rather than become a source of tension, it's two quarterbacks blending together.
"We play as a team," insisted Diedrich, tied with Geraci for the team lead with 27 receptions. "I wanted to play for the Tigers ever since I remember. I was a ball boy. Every game, I have about 10 families watching -- most of them played for Chagrin. A lot of us grew up wanting to play [for Chagrin]. We know it's special.
And this team has delivered one of the most remarkable seasons in school history when it's least expected.