FAMILIAR FOE WILL DETERMINE FATE

By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer

Monday night, October 26, 2015

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS – When there is morning frost on the pumpkins is when things really heat up on the gridiron. It’s week ten and there is a lot on the line. As a high school football fan you can’t ask for much more than that.

With a shot at the playoffs still a possibility Brecksville-Broadview Heights makes its way to Hudson Friday for a big Suburban League National Division game with the Explorers.

Both teams are 7-2 overall. Hudson has a 5-1 record in league play. The Bees check in at 4-2. Yes, Brecksville would like to knock off the Explorers and tie them for second place in the loop. But there is something much bigger at stake over in Summit County.

The Bees are currently in 11th place in the Division II, Region 3 playoff picture. Hudson is 6th. For Brecksville to make a post-season appearance for the third consecutive year they are going to have to beat the Explorers, plain and simple. Hudson on the other hand controls its own destiny.

“We’re going to go back to work and to doing what we do,” said veteran BBHHS head coach Jason Black following the Bees 37-28 loss to Stow-Munroe Falls last Friday. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll go to battle with the 60 kids I have in my locker room against any team, any time, anywhere. I’ll do that!”

Brecksville, which has been riddled with injuries to key players all season, has also had the misfortune of its three non-conference opponents going an unlikely 5-22 overall through nine weeks. Second-level computer points have been about as difficult to come by as hitting the lottery.

The Bees hope to change their luck and hopefully cash in their fun tickets for what they hope is another whirl into Novembers state tourney. It won’t be easy.

A known commodity is one thing. And the Explorers and North Royalton were the only two teams on the Bees 2015 schedule they had any recent familiarity with. That being said. Brecksville has lost to Hudson the previous four seasons when the two teams faced each other in non-conference action. The last time the Bees visited Memorial Stadium, two years ago, the hosts pulled out a one-point win in overtime. That was Brecksville’s only regular season defeat in 2013.

Exploring The Opponent

Hudson, under head coach Ron Wright, spanked Wadsworth, 30-6, in week nine. After losing at Stow, 17-10, on Thursday, October 8th, the Explorers have won two in a row. Their only other blemish was a non-league home loss by the same score to Strongsville in week two.

Hudson, who advanced to a Division I state semi-final game in 2014, is scoring 29 points per game. It’s defense is the best the Bees will face this season. It is allowing just 7.6 ppg.  They have shutout two opponents. The most points scored on them was the 17 that both the Mustangs and Bulldogs posted.

This year the Explorers have dropped down the enrollment ladder and are in D-2. They will face a gritty Brecksville team whose senior class is not akin to losing. The Bees will lean on their leadership this week, and no more so than at 7:00 pm Friday.

Bees Banter

Brecksville is also scoring 29 points per contest. It’s defense, other than in its two losses, has been solid. They are permitting 14 per outing.

The Bees are averaging 372 yards per game and allowing 244. Up until two weeks ago the Bees secondary had not seen a TD pass get by them. The defense has pitched four shutouts.

Danny Shirilla has more than settled into the quarterback position since filling in for the injured Luke Strnad in mid-season. Shirilla, a veteran senior two-way starter, is 48 of 85 for 629 yards. He has thrown six touchdown passes and has only been intercepted twice.

Senior running back Josh Underwood has had an outstanding season. And the last two weeks he has really opened some eyes. Underwood has gained 678 yards on the ground and has scored eight times through nine games. He had two touchdowns last week against Stow including a 76-yarder.

Good Young Hands

Due to injuries and their subsequent position shifts the Bees were looking for someone to step-up in the receiving department. Sophomore Sam Wiglusz has done that in a big way. He had scoring receptions of 36 and 76 yards last week. And his 69-yard catch and run put Brecksville in a position to draw to within two points of the Bulldogs with under 5:00 to play.

“Hudson is good. But hopefully we’re going to get some of our injured players back and make one last push for the playoffs with a victory,” Wiglusz said.

Brecksville’s defense is led by senior Niall Lewison. He has been a stat sheet stuffer this fall. Lewison has 85 total tackles, including 22 solos. And he has 5 sacks, 6 QB hurries and 17 tackles for a loss.

Sophomore linebacker Michael Graham has been in on 96 total hits. Junior LB Nick Zakelj has notched 74 pops. And tenacious junior defensive end Victor Bierman has registered 67 tackles.

Junior kicker Sammy Kraguljac is 29 of 33 (88%) in the extra point department. The Bees are plus one on the season in the all-important give-away/take-away ledger. It goes without say that they will have to take care of the football and force turnovers in order to emerge from Hudson victorious. And then sit back and wait to see if computer points add up on Sunday morning.

 

BEE HIVE BUZZ:

Brecksville will send all 12 of its seniors to midfield for the pregame coin toss at Hudson. The fathers of senior players will be pregame locker room guests of the team Friday. Both are week ten Bee football traditions.

 

THIS WEEKS GAMES:

SUBURBAN LEAGUE National Division

BRECKSVILLE-BROADVIEW HEIGHTS (7-2, 4-2) at HUDSON (7-2, 5-1) ….. A few days before the season started I predicted the Bees would be a 5-5 team. Victories at Brunswick and Wadsworth have upped the ante. And both of those were of the gut-check variety, on the road against teams that have solid running games. I think Brecksville has one more of these performances in them. And I know the Bees will play with intensity for 48 minutes. I never envisioned that this would be an 8-2 team back in August. Certainly not after the Highland scrimmage. But after watching them compete for nine weeks I’m sold. Beeville in an upset. And a hope that old Doc Ross’ computer is kind.

TWINSBURG (0-9, 0-6) at CUYAHOGA FALLS (0-9, 0-6) ….. Writing that something will have to give is way too trite. Here is what the gut says. Twinsburg is the better football team. The Tigers will win.

WADSWORTH (3-6, 3-3) at NORDONIA (6-3, 4-2) ….. The Knights are in the playoff hunt, and they have worked too hard in battling back to the record they sport today. Meanwhile the Grizzlies cobbled three mid-season triumphs together against teams they should have beaten. That won’t be the case Friday at Boliantz Stadium. Nordonia by at least two TD’s.

NORTH ROYALTON (3-6, 2-4) at STOW-MUNROE FALLS (9-0, 6-0) ….. There is no way the Bulldogs want to share a piece of the National Division pie with anyone, least of all Hudson. And Stow is in the drivers seat for a first-round home playoff game in D-1. Perfect seasons don’t grow on trees, especially the ones along Graham Road. The Bulldogs will chase the Bears back to NORO. Gobble! Gobble! Vantrease. Andrassy. And a few more Gobbles.

 

OTHER GAMES OF NOTE:

PADUA FRANCISCAN (1-8, 0-4 NCL) at NOTRE DAME-CATHEDRAL LATIN ….. Basketball season can’t start soon enough on State Road.

GARFIELD HEIGHTS (1-8) at SHAW ….. The Bulldogs are too well-coached, and that means they won’t chuck it now. The proof was in the pudding when they gave Maple Heights a real good tussle last week. I like Garfield to end its season on a positive note even though its on the road in a tough stadium to play at.

STRONGSVILLE at BRUNSWICK (3-6, 3-3 GCC) ….. This border war is back in week ten where it should have always been. And even though its not Russ Jacques against Rich Nowak the luster has not left this Hatfield’s and McCoy’s rivalry. The Blue Devils have had two tough back-to-back road trips; to Euclid and Mentor. And it will be good to be back in The Mart where they are 2-2. But Strongsville won at Hudson, and if the Mustangs can do that they can win at Brunswick.

 

See You At The Bee Hive!

To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.

Follow on Twitter: @beevillesports

Follow the 19-4 Lady Bees volleyball team on the worldwide web at: beesvolleyball.com. Top-seeded Brecksville will face 5-seed Twinsburg for the third time this season in a Division I district semi-final match tomorrow night at Solon at 6:00 pm.

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