Dream comes true for 'Stangs

Mathews will make its first playoff appearance Saturday against Columbiana. By JOE SCALZO VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF VIENNA -- The biggest play of the season for the Mathews High football team came in its first game on the road against Western Reserve. Trailing 14-7, the Mustangs had a fourth-and-30 deep in their own territory with less than two minutes left. "We were pretty much out of it," Mustangs coach Jim Parry said. "My father comes to all the games and he had already left. "When your own dad leaves, the game has pretty much been written off." Then the unthinkable happened -- the Mustangs completed a 31-yard pass to pick up the first down, then tied the game on a 9-yard pass from Lucas Buckner to Brad Hughes with seven seconds left to force overtime. Mathews' defense held Reserve on downs -- stuffing the Blue Devils on fourth-and-1 -- and scored the winning touchdown on a 7-yard run by Nick Ocheltree. Big moment Nine weeks and six victories later, Mathews (7-3) snuck into the eighth spot in Division VI, Region 21 for the first playoff appearance in school history. The Mustangs will play at top-seeded Columbiana Saturday at 7 p.m. "It's a big honor for us," Parry said. "Making the playoffs is sort of a measuring stick for most fans of high school football. I think last year's team was actually a little better than this year's, but you don't get that notification until you get into the playoffs." Last year's team also went 7-3, losing its three non-league games before going 7-0 to win the East Suburban Conference. But the Mustangs were a Div. V team last year and finished 12th in their region. Their recent success can be traced to Mathews leaving the Inter-County League -- where the Mustangs struggled to compete -- and joining the ESC prior to the 2004 season. "What [the switch has] done is given us an opportunity to compete every week," Parry said. "We don't always win, but we've been competitive and gained confidence. That's helped us get better in close games and win those close games. "If we hadn't switched leagues, I don't think we win in overtime against Western Reserve." Building a program The switch doesn't take away from Parry's influence. When he was hired in 2002, only 19 players went out for football. "We got into the mid-20s just by banging on doors," he said. "When we started, we had maybe two or three kids lifting. Now pretty much every kid in the program from the seventh grade up has been in the weight room." Mathews started this season with 43 players, although injuries have since dropped it down below 40. The increased numbers have allowed them to play junior varsity games, giving younger players much-needed experience. It's translated into a better varsity record but before Friday's win, Parry wasn't sure it would be enough for a playoff berth. He's spent the past few weeks crunching numbers -- and biting nails. "I'm an English teacher by trade, but I've been doing math like crazy," he said. "Certain things needed to happen and everything fell the way it needed to." McDonald (7-3) was the odd team out, finishing ninth in the region despite beating Mathews 35-7 in Week Three. The first person to congratulate Parry was LaBrae coach Bill Bohren. Before he came to Mathews, Parry was an assistant at Niles under Bohren. Parry's doing his best to enjoy the moment, but he's also juggling his responsibilities as a teacher, a husband and a father. Parry's wife, Tracie, gave birth to their second child, Natalie, three weeks ago. They also have a 4-year-old daughter named Jane. "I'm kind of lucky because my wife knows my situation and she gives me a night's sleep," he said. "Then, when I get home from football practice, I give her a break. We work well sharing the responsibility, but I'm sure that, as happy as she is about us making the playoffs, she's ready for it to be over." She'll have to wait at least a few more days, although Parry wouldn't mind if the Mustangs stuck around for a few weeks. "We're optimistic," he said. "Mainly, we're just happy to expose the kids to the experience and go on from there." scalzo@vindy.com