SEASON IN REVIEW Warren Western Reserve's 1972 state championship

Coach: Joe Novak.
Season record: 12-0.
Schedule:
Regular season
26Cleveland Collinwood0
7Austintown Fitch0
14Barberton0
37Jamestown, N.Y.0
21Warren Harding14
34Cleveland John F. Kennedy12
36Akron St. Vincent20
26Akron Hoban7
20Cuyahoga Falls0
28Lorain Southview0
Playoffs
23Toledo Scott15
37Cincinnati Princeton6
Notable players: Ross Browner, Jimmie Browner, Mike Spiva, Aaron Brown, Billy Williams, Calvin Washington, Barry Simms, Marty Murray.
Notebook: Warren Reserve won the first state computer championship in the big-school class AAA in Coach Joe Novak's first season, marking the second straight year a Warren team won the state title. Warren Reserve surged and rolled past Cincinnati Princeton, 37-6, before 15,565 fans in the Rubber Bowl to win the state crown, after leading by only 9-6 at the half. The previous season, Warren Harding had won the state Class AAA state mythical championship. Warren Reserve also made it to the state final in 1973 under Novak, losing to Cardinal Mooney in the Class AAA state championship game in the Rubber Bowl, 14-3. Novak left Reserve after two years at the helm, and began climbing the coaching ladder. He now is coach at Northern Illinois U., where last year he was named MAC Coach of the Year. In the 1972 title game, Mike Spiva, a 150-pound halfback, scored three TDs on runs of 27, 13 and 7 yards and led the Raiders with 72 yards in 11 carries. He finished the season with 774 yards in 149 carries and 96 points. Junior Billy Williams kicked two FGs of 32 and 22 yards. Linebacker Marty Murray led the defense with four outstanding defensive plays, including three fumble recoveries, two of them setting up TDs by Spiva. Murray also blocked an extra-point attempt. Barry Simms was the team's quarterback, and he also was co-captain along with two-way tackle Calvin Washington.