INSIDE THE SEASON OPENER
By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer
Monday night, August 25, 2014
“Home openers are great, whether they are at home or on the road.” – Yogi Berra.
BRECKSVILLE – The long wait is almost over.
There is nothing like high school football in Northeast Ohio, and for those who have been counting down the days the excitement will grow by the hour this week. A few teams get things underway with a special edition Thursday night game. As for the Bees and the Green Wave Friday night at 7:00 is when the anticipation reaches its crescendo.
Brecksville-Broadview Heights makes the short trip across Route 82 to take on Holy Name at North Royalton’s Serpentini Stadium. It is then and there that many of the questions that have been on the minds of Bees head coach Jason Black and the Namer’s top man, Dan Wondolowski, will be answered. The same can be said for fans of both teams.
Brecksville is coming off a 10-2 season that netted the red and gold a Southwestern Conference championship and a trip to the Division II playoffs. Holy Name went 4-6 overall a year ago. But things are looking up on Queens Highway.
“Holy Name is much-improved. They have a good quarterback and two good running backs. Their defense is also improved,” said Black, now in his sixth year on Mill Road.
Brecksville defeated Holy Name last year, 48-14, in the season opening game at the Bee Hive. Expect a much tighter contest this time around. There are those that say the Bees have to be on upset alert. H-N, a more experienced team when it comes to varsity playing time, would like nothing more than to wash over the Bees.
H-N’s Play-makers
The Namer’s have 43 guys on their roster. Several have gained preseason recognition. All eyes will be on senior quarterback Christian Klink (6-2, 215) who transferred to Holy Name last year from St. Ignatius.
Taking the pressure off Klink will be junior running back Shakif “Fish” Seymour (6-1, 210). All Seymour did last year as a sophomore was come on to run for 933 yards and score 16 touchdowns in six games. He was an All-North Coast League pick.
When Klink is not handing off to “Fish” he will have a bevy of wide outs to throw to. The veteran cast is led by senior Dean Cassell (5-10,170). Three other talented gents will provide Klink with options in the passing game.
The Green Waves defense is a well-seasoned group too. The D-line is senior-laden and its front seven has two or three years of varsity experience under their belts. Even though one of the Namer’s linebackers is just a sophomore, Colin Costanzo (5-10, 185) was in on 120 tackles in 2013.
Holy Name plays in the North Coast League’s White Division. They are in Division IV’s Region 11. Wondolowski, in his second year at the helm in Parma Heights, has two quality coordinators on his staff. Pat Patton runs the defense and Mickey Morris is the OC. Morris has been with the H-N staff for decades.
For those who like to look ahead the Green Wave plays Normandy at Byers Field in week two. But, rest assured, Wondo and Company have all their attention focused on Beeville.
The Focal Point
They will have to keep a keen eye out for junior wide receiver Tyler Tupa. “Roo” is the teams leading returning receiver, he was a first-team All-Southwestern Conference selection last season and already has offers on the table from Bowling Green and Kent State.
“We have to build off of last year. Those guys taught us some important things last year, like how to be a leader. And they had a great work ethic. We just have to be dedicated, go out there and work hard and teach other guys. And hopefully we can have the same type of season that we did last year,” said Tupa. “You have to do your job and know that your teammate did his and everything will work out.”
Tupa will be the primary receiver of the Bees two-headed monster at quarterback; Danny Shirilla and Luke Strnad. Shirilla is listed first because he is a junior and one of only two returning starters from last years team. Strnad is a sophomore. The truth of the matter is, “I couldn’t tell you who is going to take the first snap against Holy Name Friday night,” Black said yesterday.
Shirilla is also a solid defensive back who has a nose for the ball. He is expected to provide the leadership for that unproven unit. “We know that Holy Name is a good team. Their quarterback came from St. Ignatius. It will be a competitive opener,” Shirilla said.
Junior Josh Underwood is Brecksville’s feature back. Returnee Garrett Patterson, a senior and the teams second leading returning receiver, will see the pigskin as often as possible. Junior two-way lineman Nick Sokolowski is also a D-1 college prospect. He has an offer from B-G. Other than that it is up to a troupe of many others that will be looking to make names for themselves under the bright lights on Ridge Road.
Let’s Get Physical
One of the hallmarks of last years Bees team was that it wasn’t afraid to lay the wood. The proof was in the pudding. Black and his coaching staff have continued to foster that mindset throughout the off-season, from the weight room right up to the present.
“We have to become more physical as offensive and defensive units. You can never be physical enough in a football game. And the main reason I say that is I thought our team last year was physical, but Madison showed us what physical football is like,” Black said on what the key is this Friday as well as all season long. “And we didn’t back down from them at all. But it just showed, when you think you are physical there is always another level to reach beyond that. We need to dominate physically on both sides of the ball.”
The Sum of The Parts
Senior and three-year varsity player Joe Dimitijevs has been around long enough to have seen both sides of the coin at BBHHS. In 2012 he was a sophomore on a much-ballyhooed team that finished 5-5. With expectations bordering on doubtful a year ago he was part of a group that emerged, week after week, to become one of the best clubs in program history. “The focus is on playing as a team. We aren’t worried about what they do. We just want to play as a team and play hard,” said Dimitrijevs.
Ready To Roll
As of now the weather forecast is calling for a 62-percent chance of rain on Friday night. But that will hardly dampen anyone’s spirits. After all, it’s the beginning of the high school football season.
“I’m looking forward to this first game. Just to get back out there. We had such a great season last year. And the improvement that we made from the Highland scrimmage to the Riverside scrimmage was great,” Shirilla said. “I’m pretty sure the whole city is excited for this year.”
Amen to that!
BEE HIVE BUZZ:
Senior tight end and linebacker Joe Mandato is the Bees Captain of The Week. He will join Dimitrijevs, Shirilla and Tupa for the pregame coin toss.
Holy Name, like Brecksville, graduated 20 seniors in June.
In an odd twist of the schedule the Bees head back to Serpentini Stadium in week two to take on the host Bears in the annual tussle for the Golden Shoe.
The high school nickname of the day is the: Fort Lauderdale (FL) Flying L’s.
See You At The Bee Hive!
To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.
Follow the Lady Bees volleyball team on-line at: beesvolleyball.com.
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