TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

 

BEES THRIVE AT THE HIVE ON HOMECOMING

By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer

Saturday afternoon September 27, 2014

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS – White dress shirts and ties were the order of the day. Even the girls wore them as the Brecksville-Broadview Heights student body that composed The Swarm cheering section was ready for business long before Friday nights 7:00pm kickoff with North Olmsted.

After all it was Homecoming in the ‘highest of the heights’ and fans in the jam-packed Community Stadium home stands were eager to see their beloved Bees take on the Eagles in a pivotal Southwestern Conference game.

Brecksville’s come-from-behind 33-29 victory over North Olmsted kept The Swarm hopping ’til the final seconds. The fried mushrooms at Swenson’s would be waiting under a heat lamp. Because the business at hand was winning a football game. And the Bees closed their end of the deal on the field.

The contest was so action-packed and the sidebar stories were so plentiful that two-thirds of a brand new steno pad were etched with chicken scratch. While the young ladies primp and gentlemen splash on some stink-pretty in preparation of tonight’s much-anticipated Homecoming Dance in the big gym up on the hill, this corner will attempt to sort out what transpired between 6:15 and 9:45 pm last night at the Bee Hive.

Both the Bees and the Eagles came into the fray with one non-league loss. They were each 1-0 to start the SWC schedule. Something had to give between these two evenly-matched squads. And it didn’t give until the final seconds of what was an ultra-competitive high school football game.

Another beautiful Indian summer evening greeted fans. Savory smoke from Stevie Mehalik’s gas grill, which assistant basketball coach Greg Sejba manned, wafted into the blue sky. Timmy Schmotzer, a former Bees assistant and a teacher at N-O, stopped by to bust a few chops. Some things never change.

Brad Pollock, a former Bees football and basketball player, sauntered into the mix of self-proclaimed know-it-all’s. Pollock, who played his college football at Baldwin-Wallace, is now on the Yellow Jackets staff. He was on a scouting mission, which would commence as soon as his friendly visit concluded.

“Are you ladies the world famous Eaglette’s?” this scribe asked of the flag-bearing girls of the North Olmsted Marching Band who were set to take the field for their pregame show. “Yes, we are,” one of them said. “Are you going to make us more famous?”, asked another.

And so the evening began.

Let The Festivities Begin

On the home sideline Tommy Tupa, home for the weekend from Miami University, was the first to say hello. Tommy reports that all is going well. He would later be joined by at least a dozen former Bees who graduated in the last year or two, including funny man Pauly Karthan. More from Pauly-K later.

In dramatic fashion house honk Dan “Hacksaw” Hodous announced BBHHS’ Homecoming King and Queen. Congratulations to seniors Nick Abraham and cheerleader Morgan Zeleny, she of basketball halftime twirling stardom.

Injured players, and the Bees have all too many of them, reached the bench area ahead of the team. Junior two-way tackle Nick Sokolowski was back in good spirits. His injured knee is on the mend. “I’ll be more than ready to join you at the haunted house when I’m back to one-hundred percent,” Sokolowski offered.

Jared Schott, a senior wide receiver and defensive back, had his left shoulder in a harness. The dislocation will keep him out two to five weeks. Junior running back Josh Underwood was unable to attend. Reports say that he has been getting around school this past week in a wheelchair due to an ankle injury he suffered late in last weeks victory over Olmsted Falls.

Junior cheerleader Chloe Backman offered her pregame prediction. “I say it will be 34-26 Bees,” Backman proclaimed in a confident manner. How close her prediction would turn out to be. We may have found a replacement for Nicole “The Predictor” Best.

Both teams sported black trousers. Brecksville looked sharp in red on red on black.

But the Bees didn’t look so crisp, especially early on defense. North Olmsted drew first blood when it capped a quick 5-play, 71-drive drive with a 25-yard touchdown romp by speedy Matt Starcovic out of the wildcat formation.

A Bees Barrage

The smallish white-clad Eagle cheering sections’ cheers would turn to frowns a short time later. Tyler Tupa’s punt buried the visitors at their own six yard line. Four plays later Victor Bierman charged in from the left side. He swiped at Ryan Coleman’s punt and blocked it with one hand. The ball was loose on the turf. Brecksville’s Joe Dimitrijevs picked it up and carried it four yards for a Brecksville touchdown.

The Swarm, who were vocal and into the game from beginning to end, were delirious at this point.

Sophomore running back Joey McGonegal, in his first varsity start at the position in subbing for Underwood, picked up a key first down by a chain link with a sterling twisting and turning second-effort. The game was becoming drama-filled and this was still the first quarter. By the time it ended players, coaches and fans were emotionally spent.

Luke Strnad made good on McGonegal’s effort by lofting a 20-yard scoring strike to Tupa and Brecksville had its first lead of the game. Ironically it was McGonegal’s interception that set-up the scoring drive.

Niall Lewison, a junior defensive back, created North Olmsted’s third turnover of the first frame when he picked off Christian Ammons. The Bees went on a nice 9-play, 61-yard drive to score again. It was aided by an Eagle face mask penalty which the Beeville coaches saw a mile away. Gratefully so did the zebras as Strnad’s helmet was yanked in the open field.

McGonegal, who in his first start on offense, scored his first-ever varsity TD when he caught a ten-yard pass from Strnad on an outstanding play call that was expertly executed. McGonegal would later add the first rushing tally of his promising career.

With a 19-7 second quarter advantage the large hometown crowd settled in. Brecksville had successfully erased North Olmsted’s early 7-0 lead by scoring the games next three touchdowns. Its only failure was in the extra point department.

The Eagles began to assert themselves on the line of scrimmage. That, and poor tackling by the Bees, enabled the Burns Road Boys to threaten.

But a sack of Ammons, N-O’s junior quarterback, by the duo of Ryder Seballos and Joe Dimitrijevs stopped one drive on downs. Just before the half Brecksville’s defense came up big by forcing an incomplete pass on a third and five from their own eight. The Eagles Max Becker’s 25-yard field goal attempt was just wide left. That ended the first half with the hosts in command, 19-7.

On the Bees last possession of the second quarter McGonegal, who was having the game of his life, was injured. He was down for some time. While he was attended to by the BBHHS training staff the North Olmsted Marching Band, in a classy gesture, took a knee on the far side track in respect of an injured player.

Halftime in The North End Zone

The Community Stadium Homecoming tradition of white and red Christmas lights on the fencing near the main gate took full effect in the dark sky.

There was a sense of relief by this scribe who privately thought coming in that North Olmsted could win this game by two touchdowns on account the significant number of injuries to key Brecksville players.

That thought was not likely on the minds of the free-loaders who occupied chunks of non-revenue real estate up on the grassy knoll. From the bands grandstands the packed home stands was a spectacle. And the Marching Bees stole the halftime show with their annual rendition of the incomparable Script Bees!

First out of the Brecksville clubhouse was senior linebacker Joe Mandato. Mandato, who was having a stellar season, had his left shoulder in a sling. He suffered a dislocation on the games first series. Mandato would join Schott on the IR and their teammates would have to shoulder the responsibility of picking up the slack. They did.

During second half warm-ups McGonegal, whose night appeared to have come to a premature end, was loosening up by running sprints back and forth. “Are you okay?” McGonegal was asked on the way to the bench for the second half. “Ya, I’m good!” was his emphatic reply.

Meanwhile Hodous was still going at it. If he got paid by the word he would be a millionaire. But there was one announcement that someone in the Mandato family didn’t mind because they went home $748 to the good as winners of the Bees Athletic Boosters 50/50 drawing.

Both teams became pass happy early in the second half. The Bees, with a two-touchdown lead, paid the price for such giddiness. Starcovic intercepted Strnad and seven plays later Ammons sneaked in from the three to make it a ballgame at 19-14 Brecksville.

That N-O tally appeared to have deflated Brecksville. On its first play from scrimmage they fumbled. But its defense, on a big fourth down sack by senior DB Ryan Lambert, ended the threat when he tackled Ammons.

The third quarter seamlessly blended into the fourth. But what a frenetic frame it would become.

The Eagles Have Landed  

“How about a nice 12-play drive here?” Bees assistant coach Mike Czack asked of no one in particular while pacing up and down the sideline with his game-face on.

No such luck. Brecksville had to punt. Then lightning struck, and like a flash out of the early autumn sky, the Eagles took their first lead since early in the game when Ammons found a wide-open Ryan Coleman streaking down the left sideline for a 62-yard touchdown.

To add insult to injury North Olmsted passed for a two-point conversion. Matt Starcovic let everyone on the home side know it was he who threw to Kyle Wapshott as Eagles head coach Tim Brediger opened his bag of tricks. The eight-point play gave the guests a 22-19 lead with 10:11 left in the ballgame.

“There is still plenty of football left!”, assistant coach John Shirilla said on the Bees bench. How prophetic Shirilla would turn out to be.

Brecksville continued its “risky business” of passing the ball, according to one sideline denizen. Strnad connected with Tupa on two consecutive plays that resulted in 58 total yards of real estate. Strnad then went to the opposite side where he found Zach Venesile for ten more. Risky or not the Bees were moving the ball.

McGonegal culminated the 5-play, 73-yard assault when he punched it in from two yards out. Jakob Nypaver’s point-after kick made the score 26-22 Bees with 7:50 to play.

Zoo Reports Missing Zebras

On North Olmsted’s ensuing possession the referees took center stage for the third straight week. There was a lengthy delay while they tried to sort out what it didn’t appear they knew what they were sorting. A chorus of boos and cat calls rained down from the home stands as the delay wore on. Fans as well as players and coaches wondered what was going on. “Why aren’t we playing football?”, Coach Shirilla beckoned.

The delay gave Pauly Karthan time to fire a zinger. “Hey Dom. Nice socks. Did you just get them?”

When play finally resumed it was fourth and three and the Eagles had to punt.

Clinging to a four-point lead the risky business continued. After a drop on second and nine Strnad was intercepted by Ben Kurcsak on third down. Then it got crazy.

North Olmsted continued to out-physical Brecksville. Ammons engineered a long drive that climaxed when sophomore running back Josh Hufstetler barged in a from three yards out. Becker’s boot gave the Eagles a 29-26 lead with 3:46 to go.

The Final 3:46

Somewhere in the sea of red jerseys Garrett Patterson kept his cool. The veteran senior wide receiver, who had a rare drop on the Bees prior possession, listened to his own words. “Don’t think about it. Play the next play,” Patterson thought.

It was now gut-check time for BBHHS. Would they come back to win on Homecoming? Or would they wilt under the duress of having too many injuries and too many players playing unnatural positions for too many minutes?

Patterson continued his inner-dialogue.

A squib kick gave Brecksville excellent field position. They started on their own 46. The clock showed 3:39. No one panicked. Least of all G-Pat.

Patterson made a first down catch for ten yards. Two plays later Strnad drilled the ball to Tupa for 18. Pauly Karthan was still making jokes.

On the next play Tupa hauled in a pass across the middle for ten yards. It was first and ten Bees at the N-O 16.

Coming out of the huddle Patterson knew this would be his shot at redemption. Offensive coordinator Tom Tupa has all the confidence in the world in G-Pat. So does Strnad and the other 61 guys that bleed red and gold.

Strnad rolled to his right. Patterson was double-covered. The ball was in the air. Like a shot G-Pat rose up above the pair of Eagle defenders and came down with the pigskin in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

When Nypaver’s kick cleared the upright with 2:23 left in the game The Swarm was in a state of bedlam.

But, after the kick off, North Olmsted still had 2:17 to play with and weapons like Coleman and Starcovic, who is arguably the second fastest player in the Southwestern Conference behind Berea-Midpark’s Justin Harris.

But it was Burcsak whose 15-yard grab for a first down gave the Eagles life at the Bees 30. Exactly one minute showed on the clock.

Ammons had no choice but to continue to air it out. Lewison broke-up his first down pass. Bierman pressured Ammons on the next play and that enabled Mason Mackovjak to deflect the ball. Danny Shirilla came up big by batting down the Eagles third down toss. North Olmsted was down to its final play. A pass to the far sideline was incomplete and Shirilla, a heady junior, was on the scene to make sure of it.

Reason To Celebrate

Brecksville, now in victory formation, had claimed one of its hardest fought team victories in recent memory. As the seconds clicked off Starcovic, North Olmsted’s emotional leader, was the first to offer congratulations to the Bees players.

Some how. Some way. Beeville had managed to pull this pivotal league game out. They did it with guts and duct tape. With heart and soul. They did it by having each others back. This sweet Homecoming triumph belonged to the entire team.

Patterson could not have said it any better. “Emotionally this is a huge victory for our team,” G-Pat said. “And I’m loving it!”

“This is just huge for us. It sets the tone. And it shows people that we are for real. That we’re not messing around,” Seballos said when the team broke its post-game huddle.

Jakob Nypaver and his young lady friend were headed for the car in the parking lot. “We’re not going to Swenson’s. Too much fried food. We’re going to Get-Go for a healthy sub instead,” Nypaver, grinning from ear-to-ear, said. His friend, wearing his white number 16 jersey, smiled and agreed.

That was just one small magical moment in a majestic night of happy Homecoming memories.

 

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT:

“G-Pat came over to the dark side. He played defense for us tonight.” – John Shirilla.

 

BEE HIVE BUZZ:

Through five games this season Brecksville is scoring 25.8 points per outing and allowing 23.8. As close as those tallies are the Bees average margin of victory is a sufficient 11 points.

BBHHS is 2-1 at home with the conclusion of this three-game early season home stand. They have won four out of its first five games and more importantly are tied for first place in the Southwestern Conference with Berea-Midpark at 2-0.

As fate would have it when the first OHSAA computer rankings came out on Tuesday this past week, Brecksville was ranked sixth in Division II, Region 3. North Olmsted was ranked third. So if the season ended that very day the Bees would play a first round playoff game at Drive Bob Morris Stadium. With Brecksville’s victory those numbers will change this Tuesday. It will be interesting to see how the reshuffling shakes out.

Division II, Region 3 (as of last Tuesday):

1) – Madison. 2) – Bedford. 3) – North Olmsted. 4) – Riverside. 5) – Mayfield. 6) – BBHHS. 7) – Rhodes. 8) – Garfield Heights. The top eight teams in the region advance to the playoffs.

The Bees are 2-0 away from Community Stadium this year. They are in for a real road trip this Friday when a trek to Amherst Steele takes place.

 

LAST NIGHTS SCORES:

Southwestern Conference

BBHHS – 33, North Olmsted – 29.

Things haven’t come easy for the Bees, but they keep finding a way.

Berea-Midpark – 47, Avon Lake – 7.

The Titans keep putting up big numbers. Ray Hradek’s group is averaging 44 ppg while allowing 19.4. The question is; who in the SWC can stop them? Meanwhile the Shoremen continue to struggle. They are being outscored at a 29.2 to 8.8 clip.

Olmsted Falls – 51, Westlake – 45.

Both defenses took the night off in a game that resembled an extremely high-scoring SWC girls basketball contest. The Demons slip to 0-2 in league play.

 

Cross-Over Game

Elyria Catholic – 21, Amherst Steele – 7.

The Comets post a harmless fourth quarter touchdown.

 

OTHER GAMES OF NOTE:

Holy Name plays arch rival Padua Franciscan today at Brooklyn rather than at Serpentini.

North Royalton – 21, Medina – 20.

The Bears defense stops a Medina running back short of scoring on a two-point conversion attempt with 33 seconds remaining to notch their first win of the campaign.

Hudson – 28, Cuyahoga Falls – 0.

Lost in the Explorer’s high-scoring offensive prowess is their defense. Hudson is allowing only 8.8 points per game at the halfway point of the regular season. It’s average margin of victory is 32 points. And it appears, at least by the final score, that the Explorers took it relatively easy on the host Black Tigers last night.

Bay – 17, Lakewood – 14.

The Rockets won their fourth game in five starts. This one in the friendly confines of Bay Memorial Stadium by holding the big-play Rangers in check.

Joplin – 49, Waynesville – 48.

The Southwest corner of Missouri was lit up like a Christmas tree in this Ozark Conference track meet.

Stay tuned to the website on Sunday for a look inside the stats of the Bees-Eagles game and more dialogue with Brecksville head coach Jason Black.

 

See You At The Bee Hive!

To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.

Follow the Lady Bees volleyball team on-line at: beesvolleyball.com. Brecksville hosts North Olmsted Tuesday evening in second-round SWC action.

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