The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Looking back at The N-H Senior Bowl
John Kampf recaps a decade of The News-Herald Senior Bowl, with the area high school football standouts who made the biggest plays in the annual all-star event on the gridiron.
There’s nothing like a good, ole trip down memory lane. Under normal circumstances, we’d be basking in the recent memory of the 10th annual News-Herald Senior Bowl, which was originally slated to take place a week ago. But then again, not much about 2020has fallen into the category of “under normal circumstances.” The 2020extravaganza was supposed to take place at Mayfield’s Wildcat Stadium, with Madison’s Tim Willis coaching one team and Wickliffe’s Marce Porcello coaching the other. As usual, it was going to be a spectacular farewell to area football seniors before they headed off to the next stages of their lives. And as usual, presenting sponsor Hooley House was going to be right on board with The News-Herald for the event, with proceeds going to Clothe-A-Child. The News-Herald Senior Bowl came to life back in the fall of 2010, with longtime N-H sports writer Bill Tilton the driving force. This year would have been the 10th Senior Bowl. But alas, we’ll be waiting until 2021 to celebrate Year 10of the Senior Bowl, thanks to the novel coronavirus. So while we can’t revel in the fresh memories of the 2020Senior Bowl, what we can do is take a look back at the first nine, with the anticipation of the 2021extravaganza as food for thought.
2019 (BLUE 23, WHITE 18)
Blue got late defensive stops by Riverside’s Frank Soukup and Jaylen McCauley to preserve a 23-17win at Mayfield’s Wildcat Stadium on June 14, 2019. Trailing, 18-17, after White took the lead on a two-yard run by Wickliffe’s Isaac Pettway, followed by a two-point conversion pass from Kirtland’s Tommy Powers to Brush’s Zach Dixon, the Blue team rallied. With 5:33left in the game, Blue QB Sean Cusack (Chagrin Falls) hit University’s Jack Voudouris with a 28-yard touchdown pass. But the two-point conversion failed, leaving White plenty of time to stage its own comeback. That is, of course, until Soukup and McCauley came up with big defensive plays. “(The win) is the best thing about this,” Soukup said. “It’s fun packing the stands and seeing everyone, but we came here to win. So it’s a great feeling.” Blue was coached by Riverside’s Dave Bors, while White was coached by Bill Sowers. Cusack was named game MVP by throwing for 196yards and three touchdowns.
2018 (WHITE 7, BLUE 6)
Defense took center stage for the 2018Senior Bowl, with White taking a 7-6victory on June 15, 2018, via an electric touchdown reception by VASJ’s Chris Boykin at Mayfield’s Wildcat Stadium. Early in the second quarter, Boykin was hit in stride by former VASJ quarterback Aubrey Shabazz for a 62-yard touchdown. Shabazz transferred to Euclid for his senior year, so the Shabazz-to-Boykin strike wasn’t the first time the pair had connected on the gridiron. Brush’s Adam Turk kicked the extra point, which turned out to be the critical point of the game. “It was an honor just to be here on this field with all these amazing players,” Boykin said, wearing a big smile on his face and clutching the MVP plaque in one hand. “I’m speechless. This is truly an honor. If I could do it all over again I would, and I wouldn’t change it a bit. I love all these guys, and I just met ‘em.” The White team, coached by Brush assistant P.J. Gudhe, then played exemplary defense the rest of the game to notch the win. A late sack by Chardon’s Louis Monaco iced the game for the White squad. Blue’s lone score came on a 32-yard strike from Riverside’s Nate Sleek to Lake Catholic’s D.J. Griffis. Khalail Mitchell (Brush) knocked away the conversion attempt to preserve the lead. The White team picked off four passes and held Blue to 124yards of total offense. The Blue team, headed by Lake Catholic coach Scott O’Donnell, held the opposition to 122 yards. “Going into this game, if you would have told me the score would be 7-6, I’d tell you that you were crazy,” O’Donnell said.
2017 (BLUE 16, WHITE 9)
South’s Devanaire Conliffe earned his stripes as a receiver during his playing days with the Rebels, but it was his running that earned him MVP honors on June 17, 2017, at Mentor’s Jerome T. Osborne Stadium. Conliffe’s highlight-reel 82-yard touchdown run led Blue to a 16-9victory. It was part of a 93-yard rushing night for Conliffe, but it was a biggie. “Had to be seven, at least,” Conliffe said, pondering briefly before giving his guess for how many tackles he broke on the touchdown run. “That was ‘SportsCenter’ Top 10.” Conliffe also had an 97-yard touchdown run called back because of a penalty. “When I first met him on Sunday, he said, ‘Anything you need me to do, I’ll do,’ “Blue coach Chris Kosiorek (Gilmour) said. “He played defense tonight, ran the ball, played receiver . ... He’s going to be a great pickup for Ohio Dominican.” Blue outgained White, 263-261. White was coached by Chardon assistant Brian Landies and the Hilltoppers’ staff. Noah Mitchell (Euclid) threw for 82yards for White. For Blue, South’s Mike Federico threw for 81yards and Joey Dinko ran for 49. Early in the fourth quarter, Gilmour’s Matt Chiancone nailed a N-H Senior Bowl record 46-yard field goal.
2016 (WHITE 41, BLUE 40)
Multiple records were set in this slugfest at Mayfield’s Wildcat Stadium on June 18, 2016, as the White team took a 41-40win. Kenston QB Parker Gdula set records for passing yards (351), passing completions (19) and touchdown passes (four), earning game MVP honors despite being on the losing team. Other records set were passing yards for a team (436for Blue), combined yards for a team (532 for White), receiving yards (Mentor’s Jason Blizzard, 164) and receiving TDs (Blizzard, two), conversion kicks (Chagrin’s Brennan Izzo, four) and field goals (Izzo, two). “The first thing I did was thank all my coaches — this game was exciting,” Gdula said. The Blue team was coached by West Geauga’s Lou Cirino. The White team was coached by Chagrin Falls’ Mark Iammarino. White QB Mario Monastero of Mayfield threw for 241 yards and a touchdown. For Blue, Blizzard had touchdown receptions of 45and 48yards. It was an 18-6game at the half, with Blue leading, but White scored 35points in the second half. “We didn’t want to lose our last high school game,” Monastero said. “We started playing. We turned it around, and we finished on top.” White outgained Blue, 228-(minus-3) in the game-changing third quarter in which it scored on all four if its possessions to turn its 12-point halftime deficit into its first lead of the game. The game wasn’t cemented until Joey Bates (Kirtland) intercepted Gdula on the 1-yard line to snuff out what would have been the goahead touchdown with 3:30left. White outgained Blue, 532-409. The 941 yards is also a Senior Bowl record.
2015 (BLUE 58, WHITE 36)
In the most electric Senior Bowl of the decade, Blue outslugged White, 58-36, in a wild offensive showcase at Mentor’s Jerome T. Osborne Stadium. T.J. McKiernan (NDCL) threw for 206yards and two touchdowns, ran for a score and accounted for three two-point conversions in earning game MVP honors. Two of McKiernan’s TD passes were to NDCL teammate Aaron Hammer as part of the White team, coached by University’s Ben Malbasa. Blue piled up 516yards of offense. “‘I took the over and ourselves. We parlayed it, and I think it paid 3-to-1,’ Malbasa said with a laugh. ‘Did I expect this kind of game? Yes, I did.’” It was a 22-22game at the half thanks in part to Chardon’s Patrick Sullivan hitting Kenston’s Jeremy Wyers with a 43-yard TD pass. It was one of four TD passes for Sullivan, which is tied for the Senior Bowl record with Kenston’s Parker Gdula (2016game). West Geauga’s Abdul Levy, who ran for 128 yards, scored twice in the second half to push Blue out to a 42-22lead — a 20-0run. Aside from Sullivan’s 210passing yards and four TD passes, White had a huge game from Kenston’s Lovell Spruce (14tackles, five sacks) and Brush receiver Moses Marshall (6 catches, 106 yards). “‘We tried to put on a good show and do some crazy things to keep the people entertained,’” Rosati said. “‘The kids had a great time. They were a lot of fun to work with. It was a great experience, and I thank The News-Herald for putting on a first-class show. It was fun to be part of.’”
2014 (WHITE 16, BLUE 7)
Utilizing the same running game and staunch defense that led Kirtland to five state titles in the decade, the Tiger LaVerde-led White team beat Blue, 16-7, at Mayfield Wildcat Stadium on June 27, 2014. Game MVP Stephen Shorts of Brush ran 34 yards for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter to ice the game for the White squad. The White defense also dominated, limiting Blue to three yards rushing, while piling up five sacks. “That’s typical,” LaVerde said. “‘Turnovers and taking care of the line of scrimmage really is what wins football games.’” White held a 9-0lead when Blue’s Alonzo Turner (Harvey) plowed in from the 2to make it a 9-7 game. Then White went on a game-clinching drive that ended with Shorts (64yards rushing, 49 yards receiving, 33yards receiving) going in from 3yards out to clinch the game. Shorts, Anthony Canganelli (Mayfield), Brandon Davis (Madison) and Erik Caronchi (Mayfield) anchored the White running game. Canganelli scored White’s other touchdown. Russell Porter (South) threw for 74yards for the Blue team. “We just missed a couple close ones in the first half,” Blue coach Shawn Dodd said. “The kids played hard. It was a great group of kids. It was a great week.”
2013 (WHITE 13, BLUE 0)
Led by a massive offensive line and a punishing running game, White pitched a 13-0victory at Mentor’s Jerome T. Osborne Stadium. Euclid’s Juwan Ford ran for 134yards, which is a Senior Bowl record. Ford also scored both of his team’s touchdowns. The White’s starting offensive line averaged 303.6pounds per player and included 300-pounders Matt Blaha and Henry Hinkle of Euclid and Evan Grosel of Lake Catholic. Ford also has desirable size, packing 223pounds on a 5-foot-9frame. “We knew what our strengths were, and we played to them,” said White team coach Tom Gibbons. “It’s really hard to shut out a team in a game like this,” said White linebacker Terrence Roscoe of Euclid. “We kept our cool, and we managed to keep the shutout going.” The White team’s victory was sealed in part by an interception by Brush’s Tony Andrews and a forced fumble by Lake Catholic’s Justin Kravchuck. Blue got some big plays from Kirtland AllOhioan Damon Washington, including a 44yard reception down the home sideline. South QB Casey Klicman threw for 82yards in the second half for Blue. South teammate Anthony Federico had six catches for 97yards. Blue was coached by Fairport’s Brandon Lauer. The game was halted at the 2:19mark when Euclid’s McKenny Mitchell suffered a leg injury.
2012 (BLUE 23, WHITE 7)
Joe Ziccardi of West Geauga scored on two touchdown receptions in the second half to lead Blue to a come-from-behind, 23-7victory at Mentor’s Jerome T. Osborne Stadium on June 22, 2012. Ziccardi caught five passes for 113yards and two touchdowns to lead the Blue team. He also played defensive end for Blue, disrupting the White offense with his presence. He was named the game’s MVP. “It’s an honor,” Ziccardi said. “This means a lot to me because my brother (Vince) played in this game last year, and his team won, too.” Ziccardi caught touchdown passes of 27 and 31yards from QB George Gresko (North). Anthony Bilal (Riverside) had 45yards rushing for Blue. White was led by linebacker Billy Skerkavich, who had a game-high eight tackles — all for a loss — and three sacks. Blue marched 991⁄2 yards for a game-changing score. Gresko (17-for-32, 296yards, three TDs) led the drive, hitting Ziccardi on a vertical route for the demonstrative score. Blue was coached by George Burich (North), while White was coached by Tim Willis (Madison). “(Burich) told us to get the job done,” said Gresko. “He said this is our last time playing on a Friday night. From now on, it’s Saturday afternoon. He said to go out and make this count.”
2011 (BLUE 28, WHITE 26)
Ray Russ (South) completed 16of 25passes for 269yards and three touchdowns to lead the Blue team to a 28-26win in the inaugural News-Herald Senior Bowl at Jerome T. Osborne Stadium on June 26, 2011. Russ, the game’s MVP, threw TD passes of 29and 25yards to South teammate Aaron Lindgren and an eight-yarder to Mentor’s Colton Wallace. “Winning the MVP, that stuff didn’t really matter,” Russ said. “It was about putting on the pads one last time as a high school player, enjoying the week of preparation, having that team mindset, and playing with friends and guys you read about.” The game featured 729yards of offense in front of 1,925 fans. Blue’s comeback ended with Joe Palmer (Riverside) and Tyler Lindgren (South) sacking White QB Timmy Porter on back-to-back plays to end the game. The final 1:55of the first half included a 40yard touchdown pass from Porter (Chagrin Falls) to Clinton James (VASJ) to tie the game at 7; a 29-yard touchdown pass from Russ to Aaron Lindgren to give Blue a 14-7 lead with 36seconds remaining; and a 27-yard field goal from Ivkovic with two seconds in the half for a 14-10 halftime score. Brush’s Rob Johnson led the White team with seven catches for 134yards. “Words can’t explain it,” Johnson said on playing in the first Senior Bowl. “This is the first game for The News-Herald. We wanted to come out and set the tone for the future.” White’s coach was Lake Catholic’s Mike Bell. Blue’s coach was South’s Matt Duffy.