MADISON IMPRESSIVE IN PLAYOFF VICTORY
By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer
Friday night, November 7, 2014
MADISON – The host Blue Streaks were as quick as greased lighting. They used their team speed and executed their offense with precision in pulling away from Brecksville-Broadview Heights for a 49-21 victory in a Division II, Region 3 quarter-final playoff game played here on a cold night in front of a good crowd.
Third-seeded Madison (10-1) played a little defense too. The Streaks forced three Bee turnovers, converting two fumbles and an interception into 21 points. They advance to the second-round where they will play Mayfield next Friday at 7:30 at a neutral site to be determined.
Brecksville, which fell behind 21-0 but narrowed the gap to 21-14 early in the third quarter, bows out with an 8-3 overall record. Turnovers plagued the Bees in their second consecutive trip to the playoffs.
“That’s been the story of our three losses this year – turnovers,” veteran BBHHS head coach Jason Black told a media gathering on the field shortly after the first-round game went final. “Congratulations to Madison. They were able to take advantage of our mistakes and not make any of their own.”
The scouting report on the Blue Streaks was that they were fast and would pound the ball on the ground and pass effectively when the situation presented itself. They did all that, and in impressive fashion. “They looked very fast on film in their game at Painseville Riverside last week and that was in the mud,” Black said.
Tonight Madison was even more elusive on a shortly-cropped, well-groomed natural grass surface and in dry conditions.
Brecksville’s defense got off to a good start, forcing the hosts to go three and a punt on its first possession. The Bees ran senior running back Joe Dimitrijevs 16 yards up the middle through a big hole on its first offensive snap. On the next play the visitors fumbled the ball away.
Streaking to a Big Lead
The Blue Streaks, out of the Premier Athletic Conference, used a reverse to pick-up 17 yards before Josh Petruccelli, who lined-up the wildcat formation, dashed eight yards up the middle to open the scoring. Strong-legged junior kicker David Albert added the first of his seven extra point kicks and Madison led 7-0 with 2:24 remaining in the opening quarter.
The second early turning point of the game came after Danny Shirilla made a good return on the ensuing kick off. And the Bees went to work. They moved the ball from their own 34 to the Streaks 29, but the 13-play effort resulted in a goose-egg when Brecksville had a fourth down pass go incomplete.
Madison responded with a 71-yard march that took 11 plays and ended when Isiah McClure planted on his left foot and cut his carry back to the right for an 11-yard touchdown.
Brecksville averted disaster when Tyler Tupa went back to gather a punt snap that sailed well over his head. Somehow he got the kick away and it took a nice Beeville bounce. Madison’s Jarrad Lasko fumbled the one-hopper and there was a scramble for the loose pigskin, but the Blue Streaks retained possession.
True to form Madison pounded it and and pounded it and then lightning struck again. Starting quarterback Connor Smith, a junior, floated a screen pass to his left. Nick Brooks bent down to grab it below his knees. When he looked up he saw nothing but green grass. 50 yards later the score was 21-0 with 2:56 to play in the opening half.
Stemming The Tide
The Bees went back to doing what they do best, execute their passing game with a sense of urgency. Starting at its own 28 Brecksville, courtesy of a pair of incredible 28-yard leaping receptions by Tupa, moved the ball down to the Blue Steaks five.
On a second and goal play sophomore quarterback Luke Strnad rolled to his left and found Zach Venesile who had sneaked out of the backfield. Venesile had a head of steam going when he was met by a Blue Streak defender at the one, however the junior over-powered him and crossed the goal line for his first varsity touchdown.
Jakob Nypaver’s extra point cut the gap to 21-7. And that’s the way the half ended.
The Bees Battle Back
Brecksville received the second half kickoff. Shirilla, a junior two-way standout, hauled in a duo of 11-yard tosses from Strnad. And senior wide receiver Garrett Patterson made a sensational catch in heavy traffic giving the Bees a first down at the hosts 28.
On the next play Tupa made an equally impressive play, going high for Strnad’s pass in the end zone. Tupa, a junior wide receiver, timed his jump perfectly, saved the ball from sailing over his head and came down with it. That tally put the Bees right back in the ballgame, down only 21-14.
Brecksville, a team which has not backed down all season, did exactly what it had to do to stop the bleeding from another early 21-0 deficit. The Bees scored right before the half to stem Madison’s momentum. And when they got the ball to start the third quarter they added another quick touchdown.
With the well-traveled Bee Nation crowd roaring its approval all Brecksville had to do now was play defense. They did. The Steaks went three and a punt.
The sure-handed Patterson made a fine catch of the wind-aided punt while back-peddling during a fair catch. The Bees started at their own 21 with 5:55 left in the third. They only trailed by a touchdown and there was plenty of time left. Momentum had clearly swung from the blue and white to the red and gold.
Strnad found Venesile for four yards on first down. His second down pass was completed as well. But the Brecksville receiver fumbled and McClure fell on the apple at the Bees 29.
On the next play Vince Brooks went 29 yards on a draw play to put Madison up 28-14. The mojo was back on the home side.
The Season on The Line
Now playing with an even heightened sense of urgency the Bees and Strnad caught fire. He completed two passes to Patterson for a total of 15 yards and in between he connected with Tupa and Venesile on short tosses. A face mask call on the Steaks helped. Tupa was good on the receiving end for ten more yards. Shirilla gathered in a 22-yarder that advanced the Bees to the Madison five.
Knocking at the door, Brecksville’s first down pass was incomplete. Strnad was tackled for a 2-yard loss on second down. The Streaks forced a ten-yard coverage sack on third. And when the third stanza slipped into the fourth a dramatic play that almost was ended the fruitless possession.
On the opening play of the final frame, on fourth down at the Madison 10, Strnad was flushed out of the pocket. As he raced to his right and was being brought down by two wolfhounds he somehow got off a pass that was tipped in mid-flight. The ball ended-up in Jared Schott’s hands in the end zone. The Brecksville fans celebration was premature. The officials ruled that Strnad’s knee touched the ground before he got off the pass. It was the correct call.
It was the second time in the game that the Bees were in the red zone and couldn’t punch in a score.
A High-Scoring Fourth Quarter
Madison responded to the threat. Brooks raced 48 yards to the Brecksville 18. And two plays later Josh Petruccelli made it 35-14 on a 13-yard run out of the wildcat formation.
Brecksville, representing the Southwestern Conference, would go 50 yards in five plays. The Bees scored their final touchdown of the season when Dimitrijevs bulldozed in from a yard out to make the score 35-21.
The Blue Steaks added two touchdowns in the games final five minutes. Smith rode bruising senior running back Conner Nikses into the line and sold the run fake. He then stepped out and completed a 31-yard pop pass to Aaron Petruccelli upping the margin to 42-21.
Nick Law’s interception with 3:53 left allowed the Steaks to add the cherry on top of the sundae. Josh Petruccelli dove over the top from two yards out with ten seconds on the clock to make the final; 49-21.
“I’m very proud of the kids effort. I’m very proud of how we played tonight,” Black said. “I’m proud of how we played against a good football team for 48 minutes.”
LINE SCORE:
Bees 0 7 7 7 = 21
Blue Streaks 7 14 7 21 = 49
SCORING SUMMARY:
1) – Madison … Josh Petruccelli 8 run. David Albert kick. 7-0 M (6:16). 7 plays, 41 yards in 2:24.
2) – Madison … Isiah McClure 11 run. David Albert kick. 14-0 M (8:27). 11 plays, 71 yards in 3:40.
2) – Madison … Conner Smith 50 pass to Nick Brooks. David Albert kick. 21-0 M (2:56). 7 plays, 60 yards in 3:47.
2) – Brecksville … Luke Strnad 5 pass to Zach Venesile. Jakob Nypaver kick. 21-7 M (56.8). 8 plays, 72 yards in 1:54.
3) – Brecksville … Luke Strnad 28 pass to Tyler Tupa. Jakob Nypaver kick. 21-14 M (8:51). 7 plays, 65 yards in 3:01.
3) – Madison … Nick Brooks 29 run. David Albert kick. 28-14 M. (5:02). 1 play, 29 yards in 8 seconds.
4) – Madison … Josh Petrucelli 13 run. David Albert kick. 35-14 M (8:05). 7 plays, 87 yards in 3:47.
4) – Brecksville … Joe Dimitrijevs 1 run. Jakob Nypaver kick. 35-21 M (6:53). 5 plays, 50 yards in 1:04.
4) – Madison … Connor Smith 31 pass to Aaron Petruccelli. David Albert kick. 42-21 M (5:01). 4 plays, 50 yards in 1:48.
4) – Madison … Josh Petruccelli 2 run. David Albert kick. 49-21 M (00:10). 5 plays, 40 yards in 3:43.
Final: 49-21 Madison.
Please stay tuned the to Bees football website over the weekend. On Saturday the notes and quotes sidebar story will be posted. On Sunday we will take a look at the final official stats from this Division II, Region 3 playoff game.
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