BEES WIN 5th STRAIGHT

 

ALL PHASES CLICK IN 34-18 WIN

By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer

Friday night, October 17, 2014

LAKEWOOD – Visiting Brecksville-Broadview Heights sandwiched a blocked punt for a touchdown in between four other scores in a 34-18 non-conference victory over the Rangers here tonight at First Federal Lakewood Stadium.

The Bees spotted Lakewood an early field goal and then went to work. Sophomore quarterback Luke Strnad tossed three scoring passes, two of them to Tyler Tupa and one to Garrett Patterson. Strnad also found the end zone on a short run.

But the play that vaulted Brecksville past the Rangers was when Victor Bierman blocked a punt, scooped it up and raced 43 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter. That turn of events gave the Bees a 21-3 lead and they were well on their way to their seventh victory in eight starts.

The game was not as close as the final score would indicate. Lakewood tallied two touchdowns in the final 5:44 against a Brecksville team that had rightfully and liberally substituted by that juncture.

The Bees were the dominant squad in posting their fifth consecutive triumph. They are now 4-0 on the road this season and emerged victorious in their first-ever appearance at the corner of Bunts and Madison.

Lakewood (2-6, 0-4 West Shore Conference) drew first blood when it marched 54 yards in nine plays. After a pass fell incomplete on its first offensive play the hosts ran the ball seven straight times and were knocking on the south end zone door.

When a third and eight pass attempt from the Brecksville ten was ruled incomplete at the goal line, Kyle Moran booted a 27-yard field goal to put the Rangers on the board. They would not score again until after the midway point of the final frame.

Offensive Onslaught

In the meantime the Bees rattled off five consecutive touchdowns. They would take a commanding 28-3 lead at the half in this late season league cross-over contest.

“We tried to open-up the run to start and then the passing game really opened-up. We capitalized on all of it,” said Brecksville sophomore offensive lineman John Baltas. “It was huge for us to start out well tonight. Against Avon Lake we didn’t start off strong. But we did tonight and it really paid off. The coaches told us all week that we had to come out strong.”

Brecksville had an immediate answer for Lakewood’s game-opening field goal. Tupa made a pair of grabs for 28 yards in a subsequent six-play, 80-yard sojourn. His 46-yard TD reception gave the Bees a lead that was never seriously threatened.

Following his extra point kick Jakob Nypaver lofted a pooch-style kick off that was fumbled by the Rangers. Aaron Livermore, a sophomore special teams demon, pounced on the apple at the Lakewood 43. That was the foundation for Brecksville’s second touchdown.

The Bees went to the ground. Strnad raced for 24 on first down. Backs Joe Dimitrijevs and Zach Venesile netted positive yards on ensuing carries. And then Strnad found senior wide receiver Garrett Patterson in the end zone for a nine-yard scoring toss. Nypaver’s kick widened the gap to 14-3 with 3:07 remaining in the first frame.

The Rangers were forced to punt. However the Bees fumbled the pigskin back near midfield when Strnad was stripped in traffic and senior linebacker Cody Riccotone recovered it.

Bierman Bats One

Four plays later the game took a decisive turn in Brecksville’s favor. Bierman, a sophomore defensive end, blocked a Lakewood punt and 43 yards later found himself in the south end zone. His double-thud dash gave the Southwestern Conference team a 21-3 lead just a minute and a half into the second stanza.

It was Bierman’s second blocked punt of the season. “In all honesty I don’t remember anything from the moment I picked it up until the moment I scored. All I know is that I was in the end zone,” said Bierman after the game.

Veteran BBHHS head coach Jason Black is a stickler for special teams play. “We draw some stuff up every week for special teams. We like to attack on defense. Why not do it in the third part of the game, which is special teams? It’s a very important part of the game,” said Black. “Bierman has executed several punt blocks this year. He finds a way to get in there. And when he gets through good things happen. And he picked up the ball and ran it in too.”

Adding To The Total

Two series’ later Patterson got a Beeville drive off to a good start when he went 25 yards, from the Lakewood 40 to the 15, on a wide receiver reverse. Strnad banged his way for eight yards, six of those coming after initial contact, to the three. He did the honors two snaps later by scoring from there.

Nypaver’s fourth extra point kick, his ninth straight over the last two games, gave Beeville a 28-3 advantage at bratwurst time.

Brecksville (7-1, 4-0 Southwestern Conference) got the ball to start the second half. It wasted little time in upping the margin. Tupa moved the chains with a 16-yard reception on a second down play. And then “Roo” went high to fend off a defender in hauling in a 32-yard Strnad strike with less than two minutes gone in the third period.

The Rangers made the score respectable when slippery-quick Michael Johnston raced 73 yards for a touchdown with 5:44 remaining in the game. Peyton Graham dove in from a yard out and starting quarterback Jack Witri, a junior, passed to the speedy Michael Goolsby for a two-point conversion with 1:46 left.

Lakewood’s two touchdowns came against the Bees reserves. Other than the Rangers opening drive, which Johnston got off to a great start with a 30-yard burst on second down, Brecksville’s defense was ready to play. That was a welcome sight following a 21-point first half by Avon Lake a week ago.

Post Scripts

Bierman, who has had a knack for the big play, is enjoying a solid rookie campaign at the varsity level. “We knew they were going to come out and pound the ball at us so we set-up for that,” Bierman said. “We took advantage of every opportunity we could get.”

From Black’s perspective those opportunities were incubated when no one was watching. “I was happy with the way our defense practiced all week. Our focus was to just do your job. Do it right and whatever happens, happens,” said Black. “I know this is coach-speak. But how you practice during the week is how you are going to come out and play Friday night. At least in the first quarter of the game.”

Brecksville’s offense was more than effective in doing what it does best, manufacture points anyway it can. And, in true-to-form fashion, it registered three of its touchdowns through the air. Strnad was impressive and demonstrated growth through experience when he checked down to at least three and sometimes four different receivers before finding an open choice instead of immediately taking-off when things became dicey.

Tupa, a junior wide out and Division I college prospect, was sensational. The Rangers tried to single-cover him early. Andrew Lesko was tagged for the 46-yard first quarter strike. Joe Malone matched-up better size-wise on Tupa. He was later victimized for a 32-yard toss. And he had help.

Meanwhile Patterson continued to have a fall to remember. The senior has played more than he expected, if he expected to at all, in the Bees secondary. And yet he hasn’t missed a beat offensively. His silky smooth 9-yard scoring reception in the first quarter came on a well-designed and beautifully executed route where he dragged across from the left side while Tupa, who was lined-up on the right, served as a decoy and drew his defender with him toward the post.

Strnad had all the time he seemingly needed through three and a half quarters of work. Credit the BBHHS offensive line for that. “As a former offensive lineman I can talk for hours on that subject. But it is great to see our linemen have some success,” Black said. “We’ve struggled at points on the offensive line throughout the year running the football so it was good to see our guys get into people and work their technique from there. And to see their hard work pay off for them.”

 

LINE SCORE:

BEES …………… 14 ….. 14 ….. 6 ….. 0     = 34

RANGERS …… 3 ……..0 …… 0 …. 15    = 18

 

SCORING SUMMARY:

1) – Lakewood ….. Kyle Moran 27 field goal. 3-0 Rangers (7:54).

1) – Brecksville … Luke Strnad 46 pass to Tyler Tupa. Jakob Nypaver kick. 7-3 Bees (6:14).

1) – Brecksville … Luke Strnad 9 pass to Garrett Patterson. Jakob Nypaver kick. 14-3 Bees (3:07).

2) – Brecksville ….. Victor Bierman 43 blocked punt return. Jakob Nypaver kick. 21-3 Bees (10:30).

2) – Brecksville ….. Luke Strnad 3 run. Jakob Nypaver kick. 28-3 Bees (4:52).

3) – Brecksville ….. Luke Strnad 32 pass to Tyler Tupa. Kick failed. 34-3 Bees (10:05).

4) – Lakewood ….. Michael Johnston 73 run. Kyle Moran kick. 34-10 Bees (5:44).

4) – Lakewood ….. Peyton Graham 1 run. Jack Witri pass to Michael Goolsby. 34-18 Bees (1:46).

Final: 34-18, Brecksville.

 

Upcoming stories: Please stay tuned to the Bees website for Saturday’s notes and quotes column. Sunday’s look inside the Brecksville-Lakewood game stats. And Monday nights preview of next weeks big SWC home game with Berea-Midpark.

 

See You At The Bee Hive!

To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.

Follow the Lady Bees volleyball team on-line at: beesvolleyball.com.

Third-seeded Brecksville (14-9) faces fifth-seeded Solon at Solon in a Division I district semi-final match Tuesday evening at 6:00.

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