2017: Cleveland HS Football Season in Review

Dating back to my days as a toddler, sports have always been a passion of mine. So much so that the ADIDAS acronym, “All Day I Dream About Sports”, wouldn’t be a far cry from my daily excerpt. And while working in sports in some capacity has always been a dream, this past fall brought me a unique opportunity to put a passion of mine at work: assist cleveland.com in their coverage of high school football in one of the largest (and most competitive) areas in all of Ohio: Cleveland. A hot bed for recruiting talent, high school football in northeast Ohio is a sight to behold, to say the least. And week after week, I got the opportunity to be in the middle of it. 

So with that, here is my recap of the 2017 season. 

Quick notes about the season (covered the following):

-11 games in seven different stadiums, including 20 teams (two teams twice) across five divisions: I, II, III, V, and VI.  

-Ohio’s Mr. Football (see below).

-At least 20 Division I recruits.

-Three record-breaking performances.

-Three games in which the winning team held their opponent to 6 points or less, including one shutout. Overall, the winning teams combined for an average margin of victory of 21.6 points (55-14, 44-6, & 36-0 being the largest margins). 

-The highest scoring team in the area - Wadsworth (on a night in which they tallied their highest scoring output of the season 61... see below).

-Seven teams that qualified for the State playoffs (St. Edward, Hudson, Benedictine, Wadsworth, Olmsted Falls, Bedford, and Bay).

-Three playoff games (one in each of the first three rounds) – Mansfield Senior at Bay (Division III, Region 10 Quarterfinal), Black River v. Wickliffe (Division V, Region 17 Semifinal), and Avon v. Olmsted Falls (Division II, Region 6 Final).

Now, here's a deeper look into some of the highlights from my coverage this season.

Last second sophomore (Week 1) – North Royalton 24, North Ridgeville 21

It's only fitting that the first game I covered came down to the final play. In a game that saw no offense through the first three quarters (North Royalton led 9-7), both teams exploded for a combined four touchdowns in the final six minutes of the game. Trailing 21-17 with just over two minutes to go, Bears' sophomore QB Joe Marousek ran the two-minute drill to perfection, capping the drive with a 12-yard TD pass to senior wideout Miles Strnad with 31 seconds left for the win.  

Just two years old, North Ridgeville's Ranger Stadium is one of the best in the area.

Read full story here: North Royalton edges North Ridgeville with last second TD

Big plays take center stage (Week 3) - No. 14 Bedford 44, Garfield Heights 22

A game full of highlights, Bedford's speed was on display throughout. The Bearcats scored on plays of 32, 25, 23, 5, 35, 28, and 102 yards. Senior wideout Davion 'Speedy' Johnson (5-6, 150 lbs., offer from Iowa State) led the way, catching nine passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another 53 yards and a score on the ground. Meanwhile, senior RB (& LB) Kenny Wilkins (offers from Cincinnati, Iowa State, Kentucky, among others) was all over the field, including a highlight reel TD run (see play number 2 on top plays below). A 102-yard pick-6 by senior LB Kevin Brewer capped an impressive night for the Bearcats. 

Bearcat Stadium (Bedford, Ohio)

Watch highlights here: No. 14 Bedford 44, Garfield Heights 22: Watch the plays that shaped the game

Special Teams on display (Week 4) – No. 9 Hudson 23, Broadview Heights 20

How often do you see three field goals made in a high school game? Let alone three attempts? Hudson’s senior kicker Grant Gonya was a perfect three-for-three on FG attempts, leading the Explorers to a 23-20 win over Brecksville-Broadview Heights. He connected on FG’s from 22, 39, and 36 yards out. His final kick made it a two possession game with just under three minutes to play to help secure the victory.

Hudson Memorial Stadium (Hudson, Ohio)

Read full story here: Special teams, ground game lead Explorers past Bees

Best Defensive Performance (Week 5) - No. 25 Benedictine

Benedictine recorded seven takeaways (5 INT’s and 2 FR), including five in the first half, and a blocked punt for a score to dominate Columbus Bishop Watterson, 35-16. The Bengals held the Eagles to just 155 yards of offense (in which over 80 yards was gained on the Bengals’ JV squad). Senior DB Michael Lacey corralled three of the Bengals five INT’s.

Fun Note: Urban Meyer’s son, Nate, played wide receiver for Bishop Watterson.

Read full story here: Bengals defense shines in win over Eagles

Best Offensive Performance (Week 7) – QB Joey Baughman (Ohio's Mr. Football)

How often is a Division I wrestling recruit this dominate on the football field? Wadsworth senior QB Joey Baughman, a University of Virginia wrestling commit, was as good as advertised in week 7. He solidified himself as Ohio’s Mr. Football on a night in which he set a school record for passing yards in a game with 416 (tallied 490 yards and five TD’s in total) in a 61-28 win over North Royalton. He led the Grizzlies to scores on eight consecutive drives, including 31 points in the second quarter. The dual-threat QB proceeded to break the school record in style – a 74-yard TD strike to senior WR Mitchell Blackburn on the third play of the second half.  

Gibson Field at Serpentini Chevrolet Stadium (North Royalton, Ohio)

Fun Note: Baughman’s favorite target, Blackburn, also set a school record with 261 yards receiving on 12 catches.

Read full story here: Baughman's record night leads Grizzlies past Bears

Best Game (Week 9) – No. 18 Olmsted Falls at Avon Lake (OT)

Who would have thought for the second consecutive season that this game would come down to a two-point attempt? In 2016, Olmsted Falls scored with just seconds left, opted to go for two, and succeeded – stealing a win over its conference rival. Fast forward to this season, and this game saw a similar situation, with Avon Lake trying to return the favor. After Olmsted Falls scored on its initial overtime possession (taking a 21-14 lead), Avon Lake responded with a touchdown of their own. However, the Shoremen decided to go for two and the win, but an unsuccessful pass attempt gave the Bulldogs their second straight one-point win in the series (via two-point tries - one offensively and another defensively). And another instant classic.

Avon Lake Memorial Stadium provided the perfect setting for an instant classic (Avon Lake, Ohio). 

Fun Note: Olmsted Falls blocked a potential game winning 34-yard FG to send the game into OT. That was after Avon Lake had a TD called back because of a questionable personal foul call.

Read full story here: Bulldogs defense stands tall on two-point attempt

Bay rewrites history (Week 11, Playoffs) - Bay 28, Mansfield Senior 18

For the first time in program history, Bay won a home playoff game by defeating Mansfield Senior, 28-18, in the Division III, Region 10 quarterfinal. It was also the first time the Rockets reached 11 wins in a season (11-0). In a game in which Bay attempted only two passes, they racked up 321 yards on the ground (on 46 attempts), led by senior running back Trey Psota who tallied 202 yards and four scores. 

Bay gathers after making school history.

Read full story here: Psota's Huge Night lifts Rockets past Tygers

And finally, here are my TOP 25 plays from the season:

While there was a lot to take away from this season's grand adventure, covering high school football in Cleveland gave me a glimpse into the athletic prowess of Northeast Ohio. An area filled with passionate players, teams and communities unlike any other. And maybe more importantly, a stark reminder that chasing your dreams has to start somewhere.