Girard at Warren JFK

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Girard vs Warren JFK

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By Joe Scalzo

Girard rally keeps team undefeated

Senior Kyle Stadelmyer keyed the comeback as the Indians beat JFK, 35-27.

WARREN — With the rain pouring down on his head, the Girard student section celebrating in the end zone and his team surrounding him on one knee, Indians coach Bud McSuley delivered a celebration speech only he can give.

Indians fans, this Bud’s for you.

“When guys are doing the things they should do, here’s what happens,” shouted McSuley following his team’s 35-27 come-from-behind victory over Warren JFK at Mollenkopf Stadium, “you overcome adversity, you overcome Mother Nature, you overcome the Pope. ...”

The Pope? Hey, why not? When Girard lost its starting quarterback, Adam Charles, in the team’s first scrimmage, not too many expected it to start 3-0.

Even fewer expected Warren JFK to start 0-3. But two straight losses on the field and a forfeit to CVCA earlier in the week have all but doomed a once-promising season. Only two teams in Ohio made the playoffs last year after starting 0-3.

“We’re 0-3 and it’s all .... I don’t want to say uphill, downhill. ...” said JFK coach Tony Napolet. “It’s a big hill or it’s a mountain.”

The Indians snapped a two-game losing streak to JFK and are 3-0 for the first time since 2004. That year’s third win also came against JFK, a legendary 64-62 shootout that saw Eagles RB Tony Elzy rush for seven TDs, nearly 500 yards — and lose.

“You throw out the records in a Girard-JFK game,” said McSuley. “Ninety-eight yard drives, 64-62, you know what? The kids play. This is one of our rivalry games and we’re one of theirs.”

“This is what it’s about. Our kids know they can play with the Kennedys.”

For a few minutes in the third quarter, though, it didn’t look like they could beat them. Trailing 21-14 with three minutes left in the third, Girard’s best player, senior Kyle Stadelmyer took a big hit on a kickoff return, lost the fumble and stayed on the ground for several minutes with what looked like a hand injury. Two plays later, JFK quarterback Dominic LaPolla cut through the center of the Indians’ defense for an 8-yard TD that made it 27-14. It seemed to sap Girard’s spirit.

But the Indians regrouped, driving 72 yards in seven plays with Stadelmyer plunging in from 6 yards out.

After a JFK punt, Girard drove 94 yards in four plays, Stadelmyer scored again (this time from 22 out) and, suddenly, it was 28-27 with 7:26 left. Four plays later, LaPolla tossed his second interception to set up Stadelmyer’s fourth touchdown with two minutes left.

That all but ended the suspense.

“They went 95 on us, then they went 80 on us,” said Napolet, whose team gave up an 80-yard TD pass from Stadelmyer to Landon Smith in the first half. “How can you win? You don’t win. I don’t care who you’re playing.

“We didn’t play defense at all in the fourth quarter. They beat us. They deserved to win.”

LaPolla finished with 76 yards rushing and three TDs for JFK, which committed four turnovers to Girard’s three. He was 8-of-19 through the air for 97 yards and two interceptions, while Bonner Kimani added 73 yards rushing on 13 carries and a TD.

Stadelmyer was held in check for most of the game (his first 22 carries netted just 66 yards) before breaking through late, finishing with 122 on 30 carries. Freshman quarterback Dan Graziano added 84 yards on 5-of-7 passing for the Indians, whose game next week against Newton Falls might be canceled due to the school’s teachers strike.

“Our kids have faced adversity,” said McSuley. “Things haven’t been going real well, but these kids just stepped up. When they scored a couple TDs to get ahead, our kids rose to the occasion.”

scalzo@vindy.com