McDonald Vs. Western Reserve

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By Tom Williams

A visit to the team’s former locker room gave McDonald winning incentive.

McDONALD — Aware of the difficult challenge of beating a quality team twice within a month, McDonald High football coach Dan Williams felt his players needed inspiration.

So for McDonald’s first home playoff game in school history (coincidentally on Halloween), Williams found motivation — in a crypt.

Following pregame warmups, Williams took his team into the Devils’ Den (the team’s former locker room) underneath the home stands.

McDonald responded by jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, then hung on for a 21-7 victory Friday over Western Reserve in the Division VI, Region 21 playoffs.

Next Friday, McDonald (11-0) will meet Norwalk St. Paul at a site to be announced Sunday.

Running back/linebacker Alex Sampson, who rushed 21 times for 199 yards, said Williams’ twist was appreciated.

“We had no idea — Coach surprised us with that,” Sampson said. “It was a big thing for us. That’s where our tradition started. We looked up to all those guys who came out of there.”

Williams said the Devils’ Den hasn’t been used in about eight years, noting that the 1989 and 1994 state runners-up used that room.

“We talked all week about tradition,” McDonald’s 11-year coach said. “We said we’re going to go down to the Devils’ Den where everything originated, where all the great players of that era rolled through.

The message?

“We’re playing not just for ourselves but for all the alumni who have come through this program,” Williams said.

On Oct. 3 at Berlin Center, McDonald was practically flawless in a 47-6 romp over then-unbeaten Western Reserve.

This time, Western Reserve regrouped from a three-touchdown deficit to keep an upset within range.

“Our kids have nothing to be ashamed of,” Western Reserve (8-3) coach Mike Kopachy said. “They played their hearts out and left it out on the field.”

McDonald’s first score came after a huge break. Western Reserve quarterback Shane Ewing’s first pass bounced off the hands of receiver Justin Lude to McDonald’s Nick Accordino.

“That’s kind of the risk you take when you throw a low-percentage pass like that,” Ewing said. “I couldn’t help myself ... [but] it was a small window.”

Williams called the turnover “a great lift, especially after we go three-and-out and punt the ball. They tried to get us deep early. That set the tone early on.”

McDonald marched 59 yards on 11 plays, with Devon Colburn scoring on a 1-yard run.

The second scoring drive covered 78 yards and was triggered by Sampson’s 42-yard run into Western Reserve territory. He scored from the 1 for a 14-0 lead.

Sampson’s next touch was a 76-yard touchdown run.

Late in the half, Ewing hit Lude for 10-yard touchdown pass.

“Western Reserve brought it,” McDonald’s Mike Thomas said. “They picked up the intensity.”

In the fourth quarter, Sampson participated in two sacks of Ewing to frustrate Western Reserve’s offense.

“He did tremendous on both sides of the ball,” said Thomas of Sampson.

McDonald limited Western Reserve to 101 yards rushing and 79 in the air.

“Our defense in the second half played tremendous,” Williams said. “We shut down their offense and they’ve got some weapons.”

williams@vindy.com