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From The PLAIN DEALER by Tim Rogers, PD Reporter
Fund-raising efforts restored their season — if not all the usual "perks" — and that proved all the motivation the Bucks would need to put together a record run
Practically every high school football player in Ohio has warm and fuzzy dreams of reaching the state playoffs.
The cold reality is just 27 percent of the dreamers make it.
Nobody has to tell the kids from Buckeye High School in Medina County about fighting the odds. Not this year.
The Bucks have beaten the odds. They've experienced how fleeting hopes and dreams can be. Not only have they survived, they have flourished. In one of the greatest turnarounds imaginable, the Buckeye football team has gone from not having a season to having one of the greatest seasons in school history.
Senior Chris Reisner said the date is indelibly etched in his mind, but he doesn't like to think about it.
"It was May 11, " said Reisner, a linebacker for the undefeated and playoff-bound Bucks. "I don't think any of us will ever forget that date. It was the saddest that I've ever been in my life."
Six months ago, Reisner and his football teammates — as well as every other Buckeye parent, student or teacher who participates in extracurricular activities — heard the unthinkable during a contentious meeting with the five-member school board. The bottom line was this: The failure of five previous school levies had left the bank account empty. There was no money. There would be no football — or any other extracurricular activity — in the 2005-06 school year.
The announcement more devastating than a blindside tackle. Students rushed out of the building, disbelieving what they had just heard. Parents and supporters scolded board members and said all would be remembered on Election Day. Grown men stood stunned in the hallways.
"A bunch of us left that meeting and went down to the stadium," said Reisner, who also starts at fullback. "If this was going to be it, we wanted to be together on that field one last time. I am not embarrassed to tell you that I cried. I cried hard. I live for football. Most of the guys are that way. I don't go out on dates during the season. Heck, I don't even drink pop."
Even when the Buckeye Consolidated Booster Club offered to raise the money to fund the extracurricular activities, the board declined.
"That was the strange part," said Reisner, who plans on studying sports management and hopes to continue playing at a small college next year. "The booster club was offering free money and they still wouldn't take it. I didn't understand. None of us did."
The board's reluctance to accept the booster club's offer prompted many athletes to inititate contigency plans. Reisner said he would have transferred to Medina or (horrors!) Black River, Buckeye's archrival. Others looked at Wellington, Columbia, Avon, Brunswick and Cloverleaf.
Quarterback Adam Read explored reluctantly.
"I grew up with these guys and we have dreamed all our lives about our senior season," Read said. "I've known Chris [Reisner] since before we were in kindergarten. We had the same babysitter. To go to another school was an option, but it wouldn't have been the same. It wouldn't have been much fun."
The thought of transferring became complicated when considering the extended impact.
"I was going to play football, somewhere," said Reisner, whose father, Glen, is president of the booster club, which eventually saved the day. "I didn't want to go anywhere else because that would have meant all kinds of things. . . . My parents getting another house or an apartment . . . not graduating with all my friends. And, worst of all, not playing with the guys I'd grown up with."
Then came the miracle. On the day of the senior prom it was announced the board had acquiesced and accepted the booster club's plan. It agreed to conduct fall sports, as long as certain demands were met. Fund-raising began in earnest. A golf outing at Cherokee Hills, reverse raffles, T-shirt sales, candy sales, car washes and clam bakes. You name it and the Buckeye kids and parents sold it, auctioned it, staged it or baked it.
Hearing of the program's plight through an aunt of twoway lineman Adam Harrison, former Philadelphia Eagles coach Buddy Ryan donated items that were auctioned off. In all, through fund-raisers and community donations, the boosters wrote a check for $60,000. Athletic Director Ken Woodruff is confident extracurricular activities at the high school and middle school will continue through this school year.
The reinstatement did not come without sacrifice, however. There have not been any buses the entire season. The football team was not allowed into its beautiful 2,500-square foot weight room for most of the summer months because the building was closed to save money. The team is required to evacuate the school 15 minutes after practice ends, eliminating showers.
Proving that will can overcome adversity, the team has adapted. So, there are no buses. Parents and other adults piled kids into cars and vans, and formed a 15-vehicle caravan to away games. When the players were not permitted to use the school's weight-lifting equipment, they devised their own out of old, massive tractor tires, buckets of sand and poles filled with cement. They used these alongside the practice field in the 90-degree heat that was most of July and August. The makeshift equipment is still used.
"To tell you the truth, this whole thing has brought us closer together," said head coach Chris Medaglia. "The kids have been resilient throughout this whole thing and we certainly are appreciative of what has happened. Needless to say, motivating them to play every Friday was not a problem. I don't think I've made one pregame speech all season."
And, what a season it has been. The team won the first Patriot League Stars Division championship and will take a 10-0 record — the first undefeated season in school history — into Friday's first-round home playoff game against sixth-seeded New Concord John Glenn (8-2) at Steingass Stadium. Buckeye earned a No. 3 seed.
"Everyone in the county has been great to us and we really appreciate what they have done," Reisner said. "We know how close we came to not having a season. It just shows you how much resolve we have on this team."
From The GAZETTE By Eric Pfahler, Staff Writer
Buckeye football coach Chris Medaglia has a quotation on the door of his office, detailing the difference between winners and losers.
"The big difference is in how a man thinks. His attitude will govern his actions," it says.
As Medaglia prepared for his team's practice Monday, he knew a living example of that quote was down in the weight room.
Senior Dustin Supan could have easily chosen the lesser route after being involved in a serious car accident his freshman year. The incident left him with a broken left leg that could have ended his high school career.
Instead, the running back not only came back to lead Medina County in rushing, but he also broke the school record with 303 rushing yards in a game against Patriot Athletic Conference rival Brookside.
"He's persevered," Medaglia said.
That's a critical part of why Buckeye (10-0) will play host to sixth-seeded New Concord John Glenn in a Division III playoff game at 7:30 on Friday night.
"He gives us the big play," Medaglia said. "It's the first time we've had that kind of back in the four years I've been here."
But the chronology could have been far different without Supan's determination.
On April 22, 2002, Supan was confined to a hospital bed one day after he snapped his femur in half. He was left with cuts on his elbow and ribcage from the seatbelt.
The driver, a high school buddy, had lost control and hit a tree in the one-car accident.
The front end of the car and the dashboard collapsed on the two with the friend breaking a leg and shattering an ankle.
Supan spent six days in the hospital while doctors put a metal rod in his leg with three screws and a cap to allow Supan the chance to remove the rod later in life.
After the injury, Supan couldn't walk for five months. His parents set up a makeshift bed on the main level of the house because doctors told him to stay off the leg. Video games and homework were his only distractions from boredom.
"I couldn't go up the stairs for a month," he said. "It was bad because I don't like sitting around doing nothing."
Supan missed that track season and had to watch from the sideline for his sophomore football campaign.
Some might have called it quits at that point. A year of rehab just to get back to 50 percent isn't a glorious task.
"I think it happens more often than not," Medaglia said of people giving up. "That car accident could have ruined his life, but it didn't. He didn't let it."
That doesn't mean the speedster didn't think about it, though the feeling was as fleeting as his feet on the football field.
"My sophomore year, I thought about it a lot more because I had to sit on the sideline," Supan said.
Throughout that year, Supan continued to work with a physical therapist and became a regular in the Buckeye weight room. Soon, the work began to pay off.
"I noticed my leg was getting stronger a bit faster than the doctors thought it would," Supan said.
Slowly, the running back regained the speed that made him a game-breaking threat. He noticed a difference come track season his sophomore year and the ensuing summer in football.
The Bucks star began to compete in practice and found he was faster than most of his counterparts. He still had to regain strength in stabilizer muscles, so he continued to work and added different exercises to his routine.
Medaglia used Supan as part of a split backfield, but the coach knew his would-be workhorse wasn't back to full strength.
"A year ago, coming off the leg injury, we had to nurse him back to football," Medaglia said. "We knew what he was capable of.
"You could see he was still hesitant."
But by Week 7, Medaglia noticed Supan was regaining form. Now it's the opponents who hesitate. One false move or tiny gap and Supan is in the end zone. He has 22 rushing touchdowns, 24 total scores, and 1,626 total yards.
How many players has Medaglia had that have been faster than Supan?
"None," the coach said. "Watch him. They can't catch him. I think it's a testament to the kid."
Supan uses the injury to motivate himself even more.
"I really don't even think it's 100 percent yet," he said. "I kind of think if I never feel it's 100 percent, it will keep me striving for that."
Supan's attitude and thoughts continue to govern his actions, and it has paid off in the form of a playoff berth.
Pfahler may be reached at 330-721-4058 or ericjpfahler@hotmail.com.
Here's the final poll for the 2005 season, broken down by OHSAA divisions, with won-lost record and total points and first-place votes in parentheses:
DIVISION I
1, Cin. St. Xavier (22) 10-0 321
2, Can. McKinley (5) 10-0 282
3, Cle. Glenville (7) 10-0 281
4, Lakewood St. Edward 9-0 221
5, Solon 10-0 183
6, Cin. Colerain 9-1 160
7, Hilliard Davidson 10-0 123
8, Massillon Washington 9-1 96
9, Huber Hts. Wayne 9-1 84
10, Findlay 9-1 46
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Centerville 21. 12 (tie), Brunswick, Cols. Brookhaven 12.
DIVISION II
1, Avon Lake (24) 10-0 310
2, Tallmadge (1) 10-0 270
3, Louisville (1) 10-0 242
4, Canfield 10-0 190
5, Springboro (4) 10-0 187
6, Maple Hts. (1) 10-0 148
7, Cols. Watterson (2) 9-1 139
8, Cin. Mt. Healthy 10-0 99
9, Willoughby South 10-0 97
10, Tol. Cent. Cath. 9-1 61
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Akr. Hoban 13. 12, New Philadelphia 12.
DIVISION III
1, Steubenville (24) 10-0 317
2, Newark Licking Valley (5) 10-0 279
3, Cin. Indian Hill (1) 10-0 228
4, Mentor Lake Cath. 9-1 209
5, Medina Buckeye (2) 10-0 196
6, Clyde 9-1 141
7, Aurora 9-1 115
8, New Albany 9-1 79
9, Spring. Shawnee (1) 9-1 50
10, Youngs. Liberty 10-0 46
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11 (tie), Canal Fulton NW, Akr. Buchtel 22. 13 (tie), Cols. DeSales, Parma Hts. Holy Name 21. 15, Kettering Alter 19. 16, Napoleon 16.
DIVISION IV
1, Coldwater (25) 10-0 310
2, Bellaire (4) 10-0 287
3, Ottawa-Glandorf 9-1 204
4, Germantown Valley View (1) 9-1 186
5, Youngs. Mooney (2) 9-1 156
6, Akr. Manchester (1) 9-1 106
7, Huron 9-1 101
8, Ironton 8-2 87
Tontogany Otsego 9-1 87
10, Plain City Jonathan Alder 9-1 70
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley 64. 12, Lemon-Monroe 57. 13, Marion Elgin 21.
DIVISION V
1, Hamler Patrick Henry (22) 10-0 305
2, N. Lima S. Range (5) 10-0 277
3, Versailles (4) 9-1 208
4, Bucyrus Wynford (1) 10-0 202
5, Cin. Hills 10-0 165
6, Findlay Liberty-Benton 9-1 112
7, Smithville (1) 9-1 107
8, Anna 9-1 65
9, Howard E. Knox 9-1 60
10, Warren JFK 9-1 51
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Cols. Ready 47. 12, Haviland Wayne Trace 39. 13, Lima Cent. Cath. 32. 14, Cin. Harmony 21. 15, Arcanum 17. 16, Columbiana Crestview 16. 17 (tie), Cols. Grandview Hts., Barnesville, W. Salem NW, W. Lafayette Ridgewood 12.
DIVISION VI
1, Dola Hardin Northern (29) 10-0 321
2, Mechanicsburg (3) 10-0 269
3, Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 10-0 249
4, Spring. Cath. Cent. 9-1 175
5, Lancaster Fisher Cath. 9-1 139
6, Liberty Center 9-1 137
7, Delphos St. John's 8-2 119
8, Columbiana 9-1 113
9, Cle. Cuyahoga Hts. (1) 8-2 83
10, Covington 9-1 76
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Maria Stein Marion Local 30. 12, Thompson Ledgemont 17. 13, Newark Cath. 16. 14, Dalton 13. 15, Steubenville Cath. Cent. 12.
©2005 Associated Press
From The GAZZETTE, by Eric Pfahler, Staff Writer
Too many people have been looking through blue rose-colored glasses this season.
Two county teams made the postseason this year in Brunswick and Buckeye and both are solid football sqauds.
Buckeye (10-0) plays host to sixth-seeded New Concord John Glenn at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a Division III, Region 11 contest, while Brunswick (9-1) plays top-seeded Canton McKinley at 7 p.m. Saturday in a Division I, Region 2 game.
People often privately point at the third-seeded Bucks' schedule and cry fraud when in fact the Bucks beat more postseason teams (2) than the Blue Devils (1).
Buckeye shut out eventual playoff qualifiers Bedford and Lutheran West by a combined score of 51-0. Brunswick handled postseason-bound Normandy and Strongsville, which would have been in the postseason without the loss to the Blue Devils.
Buckeye's opponents have gone 48-52, while the Blue Devils' opponents are just 36-64.
That's not to demean either squad because both have some of the best talent the county has seen. Buckeye running back Dustin Supan broke the school single-game rushing record against Brookside two weekends ago, while Blue Devils quarterback Anthony Lanzara is third all-time in career passing yards.
"You can only play and beat the teams on your schedule," said Buckeye coach Chris Medaglia, who had to rearrange his schedule this year when a pair of teams dropped the Bucks.
Brunswick coach Rich Nowak knows his non-conference opponents' inability to win games is why his team had to scrape into the playoffs as an eighth seed despite a 9-1 record. This one year after a seventh-seeded 7-3 team advanced to the regional finals.
That's one spot lower in 2005, though this year's Blue Devils are widely considered to be more talented than the 2004 squad.
Bonus points are not awarded for blowouts in the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
"You can only control what you do," said Nowak, among the first to praise Buckeye's performance.
That's what Brunswick and Buckeye did in combining for a 19-1 regular-season record. The Bucks won the inaugural Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division and the Blue Devils won a share of the Pioneer Conference title, their fourth in a row.
It's not Nowak's fault his non-league opponents went 4-26 after last year's non-conference opponents went 17-13.
Nor is it Medaglia's fault the PAC had just one other team, Lutheran West, make the postseason.
Future scheduling makes it difficult to predict who will get second-level points and who won't. But both teams have the right to say they're one of the 32 best in the state in their respective division. Win a game and they're in the top 16.
Both Buckeye and Brunswick are good teams. They'll get chances this month to show they're great because average teams don't win postseason games.
Though neither team wants a first-round exit, there's no shame if Buckeye's first loss or Brunswick's second comes this weekend.
Players, coaches and community members of both teams deserve the right to appreciate their accomplishments, no matter their schedules.
Pfahler may be reached at 330-721-4058 or ericjpfahler@hotmail.com.
From The GAZETTE, by Brad Bournival, Staff Writer
COLUMBUS — Selection Sunday came and went and to no one's surprise the two winningest teams in Medina County football this decade found themselves with a Week 11 matchup.
Buckeye (10-0) has a Division III, Region 11 quarterfinal tilt with New Concord John Glenn (8-2), while Brunswick (9-1) will go at it in a D-I, Region 2 contest with Canton McKinley (10-0).
"What happens in a place like ours and Buckeye is we expect to make the playoffs," said Brunswick coach Rich Nowak, whose Blue Devils are making their fifth straight postseason appearance and sixth in the last seven seasons. "We don't hope to make it.
"I'm not trying to sing our praises. That's just what the kids at Brunswick and Buckeye think. It's certainly special to Buckeye. They had to climb mountains just to be here. It would have been a shame to have them not play with all that went on."
All that went at Buckeye came from a well-publicized levy failure that momentarily canceled sports altogether.
With their season back in tow, the Bucks ran the table to win the inaugural Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division and finished as the third seed in Region 11.
Being the third seed means Buckeye will host its first playoff game in school history as the sixth-seeded Little Muskies come to town on Friday night at 7:30.
"It does have a special flavor to it for the kids," said Chris Medaglia, whose Bucks have made the playoffs three of the last four years. "We've really enjoyed and appreciated every moment.
"To have it almost taken away and then to go undefeated and make the playoffs is a special accomplishment. It should be great for the kids and to the people who stepped up and made this possible."
The Bucks' prize is a John Glenn team that finished tied for second in the Muskingum Valley League behind conference champion West Muskingum.
Thornville Sheridan and New Lexington, who also made the postseason, were in the three-way runner-up deadlock in the MVL as well.
While Buckeye clinched a playoff spot in Week 9, the Blue Devils had to play the waiting game after beating Strongsville on Friday. Wins by Macedonia Nordonia over Hudson and Avon Lake over Amherst Steele paved the way for Brunswick.
Now, despite missing an undefeated season by one game, the eighth-seeded Blue Devils travel to top-seeded Canton McKinley for a 7 p.m. tilt at Fawcett Stadium on Saturday.
"Sometimes that just happens," Nowak said. "Last year we were 7-3 and we backed in and we weren't as good a football team as we are now.
"This year we came eight points away from an undefeated season and we're the eighth seed. That's the great thing about the playoffs. It's a mathematical thing. You wait until it all plays out. You can only worry about what you can control."
The county's most storied team – Brunswick has made the playoffs nine times – will play one of the most storied schools in Ohio.
The Federal League champion Bulldogs have won 10 state championships and have finished runner-up three times.
The Bulldogs are 3-0 against Brunswick, eliminating the Blue Devils from postseason play every time the two matched up. En route to last year's second-place finish, Canton McKinley knocked out Brunswick in the regional finals.
"I'm just happy to be here," Nowak said. "I don't care who we play. We'll go to Fawcett Stadium and they'll boo us. I love to get booed. We won't be scared or intimidated. We're going to come out and play like we have all year."
Tallmadge (10-0), Copley (8-2), Normandy (8-2), Lutheran West (8-2) and Revere (6-4) round out teams from area conferences that made the postseason.
Bournival may be reached at Bournival929@sbcglobal.net or 330-721-4045.
