The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Week 3 of playoff action set to kick off
Morning Journal Sports Editor Jon Behm breaks down the two big games this week: Avon vs. Olmsted Falls and Bay vs. Toledo Central Catholic.
NO. 1 AVON VS. NO. 3 OLMSTED FALLS What: Division II, Region 6final When: 7:30 p.m., Nov. 17 Where: Ranger Stadium, 34600 Bainbridge Road, North Ridgeville Records: Avon 12-0, Olmsted Falls 11-1 Ontheair: WDLW-AM 1380, WDLW-FM 98.9, WEOL-AM 930
Last time: Week 2— Avon 31, Olmsted Falls 7
How they got here: Avon def. No. 8St. John’s Jesuit, 28-12, in a regional quarterfinal, then def. No. 4Medina Highland, 28-10in a regional semifinal; Olmsted Falls def. No. 6Midview, 26-23, in a regional quarterfinal, then def. No. 2Wadsworth, 21-20, in a regional semifinal. For the record: It is rare that Avon is not the most experienced team on the field. This is one of those times. When the Bulldogs and Eagles face off for the second time this season, it will be with an Olmsted Falls squad making its second trip to a regional final in as many years. For Avon, it is the first time the Eagles are back in a regional final since 2013, meaning none of the current Avon crop has made it this far. You can bet that both teams are approaching this one as another Southwestern Conference game. And they should. It will mean a more relaxed atmosphere for all involved, allowing both squads to showcase what Lorain and Western Cuyahoga counties already knew — the SWC is arguably the top conference in the state. Make no mistake, though, this game will be nothing like the Week 2 showdown that Avon dominated. The Bulldogs were still working on retooling their offense following the graduation of Spencer Linville then, and Avon has had to make plenty of changes to its offense as well as injuries have forced new players into the lineup. The Bulldogs have found their niche with a strong committee of running backs. Luke Lombardo leads the charge (196 carries, 1,126 yards, 21 touchdowns) with Jack Spellacy (141 carries, 888 yards, 12 touchdowns) a close second. But don’t discount Michael Howard (66 carries, 640 yards, six TDs), Nick Dailey (55 carries, 411 yards, three TDs) and Teddy Grendzynski (58 carries, 404 yards, five TDs). Avon is not unfamiliar with stopping the run, though. That is what the majority of the SWC is. Expect some solid defensive tricks as the Eagles work to put the game in the hands of quarterback Grndzynski and out of the Bulldogs’ comfort zone. From the offensive standpoint, the Eagles have shown their versatility so far this postseason, as all eight of Avon’s touchdowns have come on the ground, courtesy of four players. It’s a transition from a regular season that saw 2017 Matt Wilhelm Award-winning quarterback Ryan Maloy pass for a touchdown in all of the Eagles’ regular season games. That balanced attack is exactly what makes Avon’s offense one of the most dangerous in the state. If Maloy isn’t beating you with his arm, either he’s doing it with his legs or Tony Eberhardt is rushing it past your linebackers. Olmsted Falls will need to blitz to force the Eagles into quick decisions and try to force some errors — another thing that the Eagles’ offense does not do too often.
NO. 1 TOLEDO CENTRAL CATHOLIC VS. NO. 2 BAY
What: Division III, Region 10final When: 7:30 p.m., Nov. 17 Where: Strobel Field at Cedar Point Stadium, 75 Orlando Pace Drive, Sandusky Records: Toledo Central Catholic 10-2, Bay 12-0 How they got here: Toledo Central Catholic def. No. 8 Glenville, 28-0, in a regional quarterfinal, then def. No. 5 Clyde, 45-27, in a regional semifinal; Bay def. No. 7Mansfield, 28-18, in a regional quarterfinal, then def. No. 3Padua, 21-7, in a regional semifinal Last time: 2016 — Toledo Central Catholic 41, Bay 7
For the record: The regional quarterfinal from last year that saw top-seeded Toledo Central Catholic blitz No. 8 Bay has no bearing on this year’s matchup. Both teams are mere shadows of what they were last year. What that means in terms of this matchup is up for debate, but there can be no mistaking that this will be a solid matchup. Any questions about the legitimacy of the Bay defense due to what some pundits called a weak schedule were eliminated last week after the Rockets held a potent Padua offense to 7 points. And, keep in mind, the Bruins had averaged 35.8 points per game heading into the regional semifinal, with their previous low being 10 points against an Akron Hoban squad that will play for the Division II, Region 5 title on Nov. 17. In other words, the Padua offense was high-powered, but the Rockets did what they have done all year — stop a team in its tracks. The Rockets defense now boasts a season points-against average of 9.1 — the best in The Morning Journal area and probably one of the best in the state. With that being said, the Fighting Irish are easily the toughest challenge the Rockets have had this season. Led by star running back Devon Rivers, Toledo Central Catholic is a run-first team that will keep coming right at you. The Fighting Irish average 246.3 rushing yards per game and have scored 37 times on the ground through 12 games, averaging 28.3 points per game. Rivers is the Fighting Irish’s clear-cut star — and he has done a fantastic job of filling the shoes left by last year’s Mr. Football, Michael Warren — rushing for 1,297 yards and 11 touchdowns on 200 carries. However, the Rockets have been no stranger to stopping elite running backs this postseason, stifling Mansfield standout Jornell Manns in a quarterfinal before holding Padua star Trenton Cramer to 86 yards in a semifinal. What makes Toledo Central Catholic different than Mansfield and Padua, though, is that the Fighting Irish are not one back deep. Dallas Fields had 165 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries against Clyde and is fourth on the team in yards (331), but first in touchdowns (12). Also, don’t sleep on Troy Durden (126 carries, 493 yards, three TDs) and Jase Bowen (54 carries, 419 yards, seven TDs). The Rockets’ defensive line and linebackers will have their hands full. On offense, the Rockets will need to be quick in their decisions and break plenty of tackles behind the line as Toledo Central Catholic loves to blitz. Fighting Irish linemen Domonique Kimble (24 tackles for a loss, 17 sacks) and Demarco Craig (16 TFLs, 10 sacks) lead a strong line that likes to harass the quarterback, but don’t discount linebackers such as Justin Schiets (12 TFl, seven sacks), Ja’Kobe Crowell (2 TFL, eight sacks). Running back Trey Psota, a Matt Wilhelm Award finalist, is a versatile back who can plow it up the middle or scamper to the outside for yards. He’s going to have to pick his runs wisely if he wants to get things going for the Bay offense.