FOUR TEAMS BREAK A SWEAT
By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer
Monday night, July 13, 2015
GRAFTON – The beauty of these 7-on-7 passing scrimmages is that no one has ever lost a game at 6:42 pm on July 13th. No one really keeps score except for maybe a few die-hard fans in the stands. And the best thing is that coaching staffs get a look at their skill players running routes and defending passes against guys in different color helmets. Oh, and bumps and bruises are kept to a bare minimum.
“I truly feel that we competed and we played hard. This time of year we have to minimize our mental mistakes,” said veteran Brecksville-Broadview Heights head coach Jason Black as the third of three scrimmages wound down.
The Bees have had 15 days off. And at times it showed. On the bright side the team made some impressive plays on both sides of the ball. And that is why you get on a bus and travel cross town in mid-July. To see what you did well and work to improve upon the rest.
Brecksville tossed the ball around sun-splashed Ross Field at Adelsberg Stadium with Strongsville, Elyria Catholic and the host Middies. And after a slow start, in particular in its first three offensive series’ against the Mustangs, the Bees stepped it up a notch against the Panthers and Midview.
“This group is resilient. They keep bouncing back when challenged,” Black said as performances improved. “Being able to work on things and get some new looks is what this is all about.”
Beeville’s primary play makers did what they do best. Senior wide receiver Tyler Tupa, who has spent some quality time in the weight room, hauled in a scoring pass from junior quarterback Luke Strnad on a crossing pattern against Strongsville.
Versatile senior Danny Shirilla, who can hurt you from so many different positions on both sides of the line of scrimmage, took a handful of snaps at quarterback, which he is apt to do. His TD toss to senior wide receiver Zach Venesile was a nice ending to the opener against the ‘Stangs.
Tupa, the last of the three Tupa brothers and an Ohio University recruit, picked off the Elyria Catholic quarterback on the first play of the second scrimmage. And Brecksville made the Panthers pay for the turnover as Strnad hit a wide open Niall Lewison for a long gain on a nice roll out to his right. On the next play Strnad went to his left where Tupa hauled in the scoring pass.
E-C would tally but the Bees defensive secondary stiffened. Junior Steve Klaus came down with an interception, and on the Panthers next possession Tupa, playing center field, made another. That led to an impressive catch down the right sideline by sophomore Adrian Asimou.
The highlights of the finale against Midview came when Strnad launched a beautiful ball that Shirilla, going from the right side to his left, caught in the corner of the end zone while being well covered. Lewison then made a nice read on the Middies passer and came up with what would have been an easy pick-six.
Wins and losses don’t matter on July 13th. But plays like that provide plenty of optimism.
SCRIMMAGE SCRIBBLES:
Ross Field at Adelsberg Stadium, right behind Midview High School on Capel Road, is a nice ballpark. Ross Environmental Services, a business located nearby off Route 82, has its company logo in a few spots on the artificial surface and has scoreboard signage.
There was a feeling of football in the air. With Elyria Catholic and Strongsville being just a short drive away there was a more than expected crowd on hand. The Bees brought a handful of loyalists including sophomore volleyball players Emma Tupa and Amber King.
Linemen didn’t partake in this evenings scrimmage. But the Bees big sophomore right guard Cole Costanzo stood with his teammates and lent vocal encouragement. Costanzo, who started all 11 games last season as a freshman, will be a key player on the o-line this fall. “I’m looking forward to starting the season,” Costanzo said.
Former Bee Tommy Tupa took in the action. Tupa, a red shirt sophomore (junior) quarterback at Miami of Ohio, is a sports management major. As always it was good to see the strong-armed signal-caller whose name is at the top of most, if not all, of the teams passing records charts. We had a nice walk down memory lane, reminiscing of his outstanding career at BBHHS; from his first varsity start as a sophomore in the opener at North Royalton to his last on a miserable, rainy night in Westlake.
Midview has a good-looking quarterback in junior Dustin Crum. Strongville made its mark by planting a large green and white Mustang flag into the fencing that surrounds the field. Matt Wilson, a teacher and assistant girls basketball coach at Berea-Midpark, is in his second season on the staff at Strongsville. The Bees only game on natural grass this season will be at Garfield Heights in week two.
NEXT UP:
Next Wednesday, July 22nd, Brecksville makes its way to Benedictine to take on the Bengals, Strongsville and a to be named opponent. 7-on-7 action gets underway at 6:00 pm.
See You At The Bee Hive!
To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.
Follow on Twitter: @beevillesports
Follow the Lady Bees volleyball team on the worldwide web at: beesvolleyball.com.
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