BLUE STREAKS RUN FOR 329 YARDS
By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer
Sunday morning, November 9, 2014
BRECKSVILLE – On the Bees first offensive play Joe Dimitrijevs ran through a big hole on the left side for 16 yards. It was Brecksville-Broadview Heights’ longest run from scrimmage. From there on out the Bees picked up only 49 more yards on the ground. Joe-D would score a touchdown on a 1-yard dive midway through the fourth quarter. But otherwise Madison shut down Brecksville’s ground game.
On the other side of the coin, Madison used seven ball carriers to gain 329 yards on 47 carries in its 49-21 defeat of the Bees in a Division II, Region 3 quarterfinal game played Friday night in Madison. Five of the Blue Streaks seven touchdowns came on the ground.
The Blue Streaks (10-1) advance to play Mayfield (10-1) in the regional semi-final this Friday at 7:30 at a neutral site to be determined later today.
The Bees (8-3) season came to an end. But it wasn’t without several notable performances.
Sophomore quarterback Luke Strnad completed 23 of 29 passes for 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He completed 79% of his pass attempts to four different receivers.
Kicker Jakob Nypaver was three-for-three in extra point attempts. The senior finished the season on a roll.
Just To Keep ‘Em Honest
Madison hardly passed the ball at all. I didn’t have to. Quarterbacks Connor Smith and wildcat formation QB Josh Petruccelli combined to go four for seven for 109 yards. Those modest stats still managed to produce two touchdowns. Both of those plays combined went for 81 of those 109 yards and were back-breakers.
Smith hit Nick Brooks on a 50-yard screen pass that went for a TD early in the second quarter that gave the Premier Athletic Conference club a 21-0 lead. Halfway through the fourth frame Smith rode a ball fake into the line and then popped out to toss a 31-yard scoring strike to Aaron Petruccelli. That put the game out of reach at 42-21.
All told Madison rang up 438 yards of offense on 54 plays. Brecksville, which was in the playoffs for the second straight year, gained a total of 333 yards on 52 snaps.
The Bees picked up more first downs than Madison, 17-14. And they were penalized less, 5-8. The Blue Streaks will have to limit their penalties against Mayfield in round two.
Like A Fast Train In The Night
The story of the game was Madison’s ability to run the football, pretty much at will. That is a credit to its offensive line. Yes, the Blue Streaks had a bevy of backs that all could seemingly cut on a dime, but the holes (or at least creases) were there for the smaller shifty guys to get past the linebackers.
Madison’s O-line protected its quarterbacks. Neither Smith or Petruccelli were sacked or intercepted. The Bees forced no hurries or blocked any passes at the line of scrimmage. Dimitrijevs recorded Brecksville’s only pass break-up.
The Blue Streaks did not turn the ball over. Meanwhile Brecksville had three turnovers that led to 21 Madison points.
Strnad Still Slinging in Season Finale
Dimitrijevs gained 63 yards on 12 carries. Strnad, the Bees leading rusher this season, was limited to two yards on 11 tries. That is a credit to the Madison defense, which had the Brecksville ground game all but shut down. They did a solid job of containing Strnad, both on the perimeter and inside the tackles.
What the Blue Streaks had trouble doing was stopping Brecksville’s passing attack. Strnad was very good in completing over 79% of his throws. He was intercepted once.
Tyler Tupa, a junior wide receiver, led the way with ten catches for 122 yards. His longest reception was a sensational 29-yarder that went for a key early third quarter touchdown. That play warmed up the visiting crowd and narrowed the Blue Streaks gap to 21-14.
Junior Danny Shirilla hauled in six passes for 90 yards. Senior WR Garrett Patterson had four grabs for 46. And junior running back Zach Venesile had three catches for ten yards, including a 5-yard reception just before the half that put the Bees on the board.
Tough Night For The Bees Dee
Dimitrijevs, a durable linebacker, closed out his Brecksville career by registering a dozen tackles, including two solos. Junior corner back Niall Lewison had 11 total hits. Senior tackle Evan Baschko was in on eight stops. He led Brecksville with three solo pops and two tackles for a loss. His body-slam of a Blue Streaks running back in the second half was impressive. Baschko, who played the tuba in the BBBHS marching band a year ago when the Bees faced Madison in the playoffs, is one of the many story lines to Beeville’s season. A year in which they made an unpredicted run to week 11.
LAST NIGHT’S SCORES (Division I, Region I playoffs):
#1 Hudson – 29, #16 Massillon Perry – 0.
The Explorers, the states top-ranked team, takes on #8 St. Ignatius next Saturday at a neutral site to be determined.
#12 Canton Glen Oak – 28, #5 Berea-Midpark – 14.
The Titans are upset at home. The Southwestern Conference champions season ends at 8-3.
WEEK 12 IN DIVISION II, REGION 3:
Regional semi-final round
Both games are toss-ups featuring the regions top four teams. Friday night will be a scoreboard watcher’s dream.
#1 Bedford (11-0) vs #4 Willoughby South (8-3)
If you like good, old-fashioned running football this contest should be a treat. Willoughby South has more recent playoff experience. This is the farthest Bedford has ever gone.
#2 Mayfield (10-1) vs #3 Madison (10-1)
Teams that can run the football well win in November. Both of these clubs can. This is a fantastic match-up.
PERSONAL NOTE:
Thank you for following the Brecksville-Broadview Heights football team through this website this season. One of the nicest treats is meeting folks for the first time who mention that they are readers. I appreciate your readership and kind words. Thank you.
The Bees season is in the books. However please check the website from time-to-time during the off-season for news, features and program updates. There will be a few recaps before the site rests on the back-burner in favor of the basketball teams websites.
See You At The Bee Hive!
To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.
Follow the Bees basketball team on-line at: beeshoops.com. The site should be rekindled within a week.
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