NOTES AND AN OUTSIDE QUOTE

By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer

Thursday night, July 9, 2015

BRECKSVILLE – August 28th, the Friday evening the Bees open the 2015 season with a non-league home game against Padua Franciscan, will not only be the lid-lifter for both teams it will also feature a lengthy pregame ceremony. Plan on arriving early as the formal dedication of the new turf at Community Stadium will take place prior to the 7:00 pm kickoff. Donors, and there are plenty, will be introduced and officially thanked before what is expected to be a good crowd.

The Bee Hive’s original artificial ‘field-turf’ surface was installed in 2007, and it was time for a new rug. The Bees Athletic Boosters generously donated $30,000. The Brecksville-Broadview Heights football program added another $6,000 to the kitty through their fundraising efforts in the annual sales of mulch and Gold Cards.

The field remains closed to the public, and will be until at least July 24th, as finishing touches are being applied. I got a good look at it earlier today and it looks fantastic.

The Early Season Schedule

The opener with Padua is believed to be the first time the Bees will face the Bruins in a regular season game. In fact Brecksville, save for a long ago date with Cleveland Central Catholic back in the early 1980’s, and a game at University School about 15 years later, were the only two times the red and gold faced a parochial or private school on the gridiron until two years ago.

The Bees played Holy Name in a home and home non-conference series to start the past two seasons. Brecksville dominated the Green Wave, 48-14, at the Bee Hive in 2013. Last year they claimed a 28-13 verdict at Serpentini Stadium in North Royalton.

In week two the Bees travel over to Garfield Heights to take on Lance Riesland’s Bulldogs at venerable Blaugrund Field. The match-up is believed to be the first one between the two nearby schools on the gridiron as well.

“At first glance, in looking at the Bees schedule, I would say that Garfield Heights is an interesting bird,” cautioned a follower who shared his thoughts via email a few weeks ago.

With entry into the Suburban League this season teams that Brecksville has not faced in football are Cuyahoga Falls, Twinsburg and Stow-Munroe Falls.

Old standbys, or at least one-time former opponents, are; Brunswick (a former Pioneer Conference foe), Nordonia, Wadsworth (a charter member of the PC), Hudson and of course that school on Ridge Road.

Sincere Condolences

Lawrence Czack, father of longtime BBHHS assistant coach Mike Czack and grandfather of former player Colton, passed away Monday morning. He was 78.

Mr. Czack was a football coach as well. He is a member of the Parma Sports Hall of Fame and a member of the Lutheran West Athletic Hall of Fame. Czack was actively involved with the special needs students at Normandy High School. And was a fixture in the Parma youth league circuit.

Thoughts are with the Czack Family this week.

National TV Kick Off

Defending Division IV state champion Benedictine will open its season on the road in Toledo and it will be in front of ESPNU cameras. The game, against defending Division III champion Toledo Central Catholic, will air at 4:00 pm on Saturday, August 29th.

The game will be played at TCC’s Gallagher Stadium, a venue that seats 6,500. The Bennie’s were allotted 1,000 tickets. The game between the Bengals and the Fighting Irish should be a dandy. It will be a chance for the country to see what Ohio high school football is all about as two of the Buckeye States best go at it. A capacity crowd is expected to go along with a national TV audience.

Brecksville will tangle with the Bengals on their home turf in a 7-on-7 passing scrimmage on July 22nd.

A Cut Above in The Classroom

Recently graduated linebacker/running back Joe Dimitrijevs was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. Joe-D, who excelled in track as well, led a solid Bees defense last year and when called upon to run the ball later in the season, made his mark on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage.

Viewing Midview

Brecksville makes its way to Grafton late next Monday afternoon for a 7-on-7 passing scrimmage with the Middies, Strongsville and Elyria Catholic. The action gets underway at 5:00 pm.

Midview’s Adelsberg Stadium, located behind the high school, also has a relatively new artificial surface. The previous field was natural grass. The Middies received a $200,000 grant from the Cleveland Browns to help offset the total cost of the installation. The funding was part of NFL’s Grassroots Program which has helped construct or renovate over 250 football fields.

The Midview football team, under head coach Derrick Shaw, recently completed their Bear Club Obstacle Course. Shaw is a math teacher at the high school.

Old Friends in The Show Me State

This corner will keep tabs on the Joplin (MO) Eagles again this season.

Modern Technology

The year I was born, so I am told, folks attended sock hops and cruised the streets in hot rods, stopping off at the local drive-in for a late night chocolate malt. Ten years later I watched, starry-eyed with the rest of the world, as Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

A short decade ago I would cover a high school football game on a Friday night for the Sun Newspapers. I would write the story sometime on Sunday and submit it, well ahead of deadline, for the following Thursdays paper. Today … you may follow this old scribe via Twitter @beevillesports.

 

See You At The Bee Hive!

To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.

Follow the Lady Bees volleyball team on the worldwide web at: beesvolleyball.com. That site is now  open for business for this upcoming season.

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