Announcement
10/14/2016 - By ALBERT GRINDLE Gazette Sports Writer
Quick: Name another high school football team that had to replace more than 20 starters, lost its starting quarterback 1? quarters into the season and still is in position for a league championship.
We’re waiting …
Hello? …
No answer? …
Didn’t think so. A special storyline is unfolding in Medina County, and we’re not talking exclusively about long-downtrodden Medina experiencing success. Look no further than neighboring Buckeye, fresh off a 10-0 regular season led by arguably the best senior class in school history. No one thought that feat could be replicated except the young men from York, Liverpool and Litchfield townships. A wish-they-could-have-back overtime loss to Revere in the opener is the only blemish on what has been a season filled with adversity.
The Bucks (6-1, 2-0) play a pivotal Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division game at physical Firelands (6-1, 2-0) tonight, and their confidence is through the roof because they’ve passed nearly every test thrown at them. How coach Mark Pinzone’s squad has reached this point is a lesson in how to build a successful program. The talent of the players on the field does not solely matter — this team is not as talented as last year — because heart, brotherhood and damn-if-we’re-going-to-lose attitudes trump everything. The respect, prior success and experience of Pinzone’s coaching staff at Brunswick are well-documented. Hall of famer Rich Nowak is coaching offensive line, for crying out loud.
How coach Mark Pinzone’s squad has reached this point is a lesson in how to build a successful program. The talent of the players on the field does not solely matter — this team is not as talented as last year — because heart, brotherhood and damn-if-we’re-going-to-lose attitudes trump everything. The respect, prior success and experience of Pinzone’s coaching staff at Brunswick are well-documented. Hall of famer Rich Nowak is coaching offensive line, for crying out loud. But, as Pinzone will tell anyone, this goes deeper than coaching — much deeper — because this group of 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds refuses to settle for anything less than perfection.
That starts with two-time All-Gazette picks, senior leaders and likely 2016 All-Ohioans Hunter Gray and Dustin McCullough, who complement each other in positions (tackle and linebacker), size (6-foot-2, 240 pounds; 5-8, 200) and leadership styles. Gray is the mature, magnetic, laid-back California kid who keeps the mood loose and positive. McCullough is old-school intense — the kind of captain who doesn’t accept slacking and whose fearlessness/swagger is contagious on defense.
This team would not be as successful without them, but don’t forget the myriad examples of the newest football clich: New man up. Quarterback is Exhibit A, as a Turf Monster at Revere’s Joseph F. Pappano Stadium tore an ACL of talented junior starter Adam Fauver. Senior backup Eric Keller stepped in, threw for 110 yards in 2 quarters and nearly powered the Bucks to victory, then selflessly gave way to former QB/slotback Michael Doerge the next week. All Doerge has done is lead the county in rushing while going 6-0 behind center. Everyone can identity with the 5-10, 195 senior who would have started for most other PAC teams in 2015 but bided his time behind record-breaking stars Nathan Polidori, Nathan Scott and Trevor Thome. Oh, but there’s more.
* Returning starting punter Brenden McBride hurt his foot early in the year. Dominick Kriz, who already was starting at offensive guard and defensive tackle, stepped in and has almost caught Highland’s Jack McGinty for top average in the county (38.4 to 38.9).
* Wide receiver Jonathon Neel had 10 catches for 136 yards over the first two games but broke a collarbone (He’s still out). Long-haired senior Richard Van Boxel has elevated and provided key blocking on the Bucks’ signature jet sweeps — he successfully sealed 6-2, 245 Black River linebacker Curtis Roupe multiple times last week — along with big-play receptions.
* Athletic sophomore Dominic Monaco helped replace Neel on both sides of the ball and was on pace for a breakout season before a gruesome broken leg at Wellington. Linebacker Josh England promptly returned to his old position, safety, and Isaiah Williams stepped in at linebacker. Williams then had two interceptions, including the game-sealing pick-six.
* In response to Monaco’s injury, Buckeye simplified its offense against archrival Black River and ran little else than Justin Canedy jet sweeps or Doerge QB counters, with Gray and Kriz throwing lead blocks. The Bucks won anyway. Who needs passing, right?
* Don’t forget the defense, either. McCullough is having another monster year with 10 tackles for loss, but Keaton Sandor, Van Boxel, Williams, McBride and Brennan Thiergartner have interceptions, Cody Jackson (5 sacks), Jacob Kohler (3), Damien Hughes (3) and Kriz (2) have at least two sacks and sophomore Anthony Watkins has a team-leading three pass breakups.
What’s the theme here? These are players no one in the PAC heard of heading into the year. Buckeye’s lofty goals come down to the next two weeks against Firelands and Keystone (6-1, 2-0). The Falcons have a ridiculous beefy offensive line that averages 6-3, 268, while the overachieving Wildcats have won four games by single digits. Win both and the Bucks clinch an unprecedented fourth straight PAC Stars title.
Then a near-guarantee win at Brookside in Week 10 gives them a chance at a home playoff game for the second straight season. Maybe the smaller Bucks wear down tonight. Maybe they even get upset by Keystone. The law of averages has to catch up at some point, right?
Don’t bet on it. The final chapters of the 2016 season have yet to be written. No matter what happens from here on out, however, the first seven earned Buckeye a tremendous amount of respect. At the end of the day, the Bucks work hard, play hard and always, always, always stick together. Those are lessons for life.
