ALL ABOARD FOR LAKEWOOD
By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer
Monday night, October 13, 2014
BRECKSVILLE – When the Southwestern Conference contracted from eight teams to seven with the merger of Berea and Midpark in the summer of 2013, and the West Shore Conference’s membership likewise reduced at the same time the folks who are in charge of such things came up with an absolutely brilliant idea.
It was decided that because each team in both west side leagues would need to pick-up one more independent opponent that ‘why not just match-up teams for two seasons to fill those gaps until conference realignment takes place in the summer of 2015’.
And when Lakewood was announced as the Bees WSC cross-over partner some longtime fans rejoiced. Not so much with the fact that the Rangers came to Broadview Heights last year. The guys that weighed-in on the subject were already looking forward to October 17, 2014. They wanted to see Brecksville-Broadview Heights play at Lakewood.
First Federal Lakewood Stadium will be the venue Friday when the Bees make their way to the corner of Bunts and Madison to take on the Rangers at 7:00 p.m..
It will be Brecksville’s first appearance at the Mad House on Madison. FFLS is not your typical suburban ballpark. It is not surrounded by a bucolic acre of parking spaces. It is, however, tightly packed into a densely populated residential neighborhood. Up and down double-homes line Bunts Road. Pizza joints, beer joints and retail establishments make Madison Avenue a popular pregame and post-game destination.
A Good Time For This Game
Friday nights non-conference game will be a nice break for both teams. Three out of the Bees four conference games have been tough ones.
Brecksville (6-1, 4-0 SWC) had to hang on to defeat Olmsted Falls in its league opener. And it had to depend on late fourth quarter comebacks to defeat both North Olmsted and Avon Lake. All three of those tilts were at Community Stadium. And last Fridays 35-28 overtime win over the Shoremen was dubbed ‘The Miracle on Mill Road’ because the Bees came back from a 21-point deficit at the end of the third quarter to snare victory from the jaws of defeat.
Beeville trounced Amherst Steele, 36-6, in its last SWC road trip to Lorain County in week six. The Bees are 3-o away from the Bee Hive.
Brecksville has been living dangerously in the SWC. And it has a shot at a playoff berth in Division II, Region 3. That will be the teams focus this Friday at Lakewood.
“We are looking at the playoffs right now. Every game is a playoff game. Every game counts,” said senior linebacker Joe Dimitrijevs.
Badges and Six-Shooters
Meanwhile Lakewood (2-5, 0-4 WSC) can use a change of pace after league losses to; Avon, Bay, Rocky River and Elyria Catholic. The Rangers were defeated by the Panthers last Friday at EC, 41-31. They went 2-1 in the early going with wins over Parma and Normandy. North Olmsted was a 35-25 victor at Lakewood in week two.
Lakewood likes to run the ball and it mixes in play-action very well. The Rangers have good size and plenty of toughness. Toughness is a trait that first-year head coach Mike Ribar brought to LHS when he took over the reins from Ron Lewis this past off-season.
The Bees easily handled the Rangers last year by the score of 49-14 in a game played at the Bee Hive. “This Lakewood team is way more improved from last year than we thought,” said veteran BBHHS head coach Jason Black. “It will be a huge challenge for us going up there.”
The Rangers, who are 1-2 at home, are averaging 18.7 points per game and giving up 22.1. Brecksville is scoring 28.5 and allowing 21.8. The common opponent was North Olmsted.
A Buzz In The Air
It is no secret what the Bees like to do when they have the ball. With season-ending ankle injuries to its top two running backs, they have had little choice, especially as of late. Brecksville has well over twice the amount of passing yards as it does rushing yardage.
The Bees have scored 29 touchdowns this fall, 24 of them have come through the air. They have one defensive touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Luke Strnad (90/339) has three of the squads four rushing TD’s.
Through the air Strnad is 119 of 172 for 1,575 yards (69%). He has thrown for 22 touchdowns and has been intercepted eight times.
He has three excellent receivers to choose from. Leading the way is All-SWC junior Tyler Tupa. Tupa, who has a knack for making the clutch catch, even when double-covered, has hauled in 53 passes for 811 yards. He has reached the end zone 15 times. Needless to say he is the clubs leading scorer and main offensive threat.
Senior Garrett Patterson is a solid number two pass-catcher. G-Pat has grabbed 30 aerials for 469 yards and has reached pay dirt 6 times. He caught the game-winner against North Olmsted on Homecoming. Junior Danny Shirilla, who excels in the secondary, has made 18 catches for 141 yards.
Given the fact that the Bees have not played at Lakewood before Patterson spoke for the team, which has maintained its one game at a time focus so far this season. What Brecksville will have to guard against is looking ahead to its week-nine SWC headline match-up with Berea-Midpark.
“It will be different, but we’ll go up to Lakewood and play the same way we always do. We’re just playing football and trying to win every game,” said Patterson. “Obviously we have one loss right now, but we’re trying to not lose any more.”
Senior kicker Jakob Nypaver (15/20 PAT’s) may be a factor in this game. He certainly was last week with a 5-for-5 outing against the Shoremen.
Makes Plays When Necessary
Brecksville’s defense, although it has bent to the point of near snapping, has made big plays when it had to. It is an opportunistic group as a plus 4 margin in turnovers attests.
Senior linebacker Joe Dimitrijevs leads the squad with 81 total tackles. He scored the units only TD when he scooped up a fumble. Senior Troy Walter has a team-high five interceptions to go along with a pair of recovered fumbles.
Ryder Seballos (59), Victor Bierman (55) and Niall Lewson (54) follow Dimitrijevs on the Bees total tackle chart. Seballos, a junior defensive end, has a team-leading 4.5 sacks and six quarterback hurries. Bierman, a sophomore defensive end, has 4 sacks. Lewison, a junior DB, is the team leader with 5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Shirilla has a nose for the ball. His 5 pass deflections have made a huge impact, particularly in crunch time, for Brecksville this season.
Into The Unknown
First Federal Lakewood Stadium has been mentioned as the Wrigley Field are area high school ballparks because it is nestled in the middle of a residential neighborhood. From some vantage points people can see the field from their balconies. RTA buses and emergency vehicles ply Madison Avenue with regularity. This is not the kind of venue the Bees are used to playing in.
“Lakewood Stadium is an older stadium. It’s very unfamiliar to us, which makes me a little nervous because we don’t have a routine there,” Black said. “When we play at Avon Lake I know what to do. Now we play at Lakewood. It’s going to be a learning experience for me.”
Learning experiences are sometimes accompanied with a painful price. Brecksville will have to be on red-level upset alert Friday at The Mad House on Madison.
“I think our focus now has to be that we are in a playoff game from here on out,” Black said. “You’re fighting for your life because one loss can knock you out.”
BEE HIVE BUZZ:
Senior linebacker Mason Mackovjak is Brecksville’s captain of the week. Troy Walter won last weeks ‘Big Stick Award’ from ESPN Radio 850 WKNR for his crunching stop of an Avon Lake receiver.
Plan on arriving at Lakewood early. Not so much as to find a place to grab a pregame meal but to find a place to park. Figure on walking varying distances to the ballpark, depending how fortunate you are to find a halfway decent spot to park the family truckster. Unlike Wrigley Field folks don’t charge $40 to park on their front lawn.
First Federal of Lakewood purchased the naming rights to venerable Lakewood Stadium in 2012. The playing surface is Field Turf, which was installed in 2007. The stadium is also the home field of St. Edward. Former Ohio Governor Dick Celeste is a Lakewood High graduate (1955).
THIS WEEKS GAMES:
Cross-over Game
BBHHS (6-1, 4-0 SWC) at Lakewood (2-5, 0-4 WSC)
The Bees will score points and they will come through the air. Strnad, Tupa and Patterson will see to that. The question mark becomes how will the bend-but-not break Brecksville defense perform? Lakewood has size, a play-maker or two and toughness. So did North Olmsted and Avon Lake. But both of those wins were at home – any by the skin of the Bees teeth.
Southwestern Conference
Olmsted Falls (3-4, 2-2) at Avon Lake (1-6, 0-3)
Falls is capable of beating anyone. A-L is better than its record shows. If the Shoremen go less with the spread offense and bang big Sam Klimkowski off tackle and up the middle I like their chances at Memorial Stadium.
North Olmsted (4-3, 1-2) at Amherst Steele (1-6, 0-3)
The Eagles all the way. It shouldn’t be close.
Berea-Midpark (6-1, 4-0) at Westlake (3-4, 1-2)
The Titans roll, setting up the SWC title game with the Bees on October 24th.
OTHER GAMES OF NOTE:
Warren JFK (1-6, 0-2) at Holy Name (3-4, 1-1) at NR on Saturday night.
If the Green Wave can beat Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas on the road I like their chances in this North Coast League game at Serpentini Stadium.
Mayfield (6-1, 2-0) at North Royalton (1-6, 0-2)
The Wildcats (unofficially) are in the top spot in D-2, R-3. They are on a mission. Look for Mayfield to cage the Bears early in this Northeast Ohio Conference divisional game.
Strongsville (6-1, 1-1) at Hudson (7-0, 2-0)
Talk about upset alert. The Explorers can ill-afford to look past the Mustangs to their made-for-TV Northeast Ohio Conference title game showdown with Mentor next Thursday.
Springfield Hillcrest (2-6) at Joplin (5-3)
The Eagles will score 40. The hunch is they will hold Hillcrest to around 28 in this Ozark Conference fray.
See You At The Bee Hive!
To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.
Follow the Lady Bees volleyball team on the web at: beesvolleyball.com.
Third-seeded Brecksville takes on ten-seed Garfield Heights Tuesday evening in a Division I sectional tournament opener at Solon High School at 6:00 p.m.. The Bees won 10 of their last 12 regular season matches to finish with a 12-9 overall record.
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