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The Insider by Joe Scalzo
The Blitz Show: Week 1
Video
The Vindicator Sports Editor Rob Todor and Sports Reporter Joe Scalzo look back on Week 1 of high school football and gear up for Week 2.
Gallery
Among the things I enjoyed about Week One — from Mineral Ridge going toe-to-toe with Mogadore to South Range and Canfield refocusing on Saturday to win road games after rain suspensions to Columbiana’s wildly entertaining shootout win over Steubenville Catholic Central — none was better than Mooney-Boardman.
Some highlights:
- A crowd of nearly 10,000 people lining the fences of Boardman Stadium.
- Mooney’s Braylon Heard lining up six inches away from Boardman’s Chase Hammond as two of the Valley’s best athletes face off in bump-and-run coverage.
- Boardman’s band. From the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” to Cupid’s “Cupid Shuffle” to the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” to the song “Feeling Good,” there’s something for everybody. I love Boardman’s willingness to try new songs and make them work.
- Boardman and Mooney’s players competing with the type of passion and energy you just don’t get in games with out-of-town teams. You could tell the game meant more than a typical opener. Neither team looked sharp, but even the mistakes were mistakes of trying to do too much.
It wasn’t completely perfect — Boardman’s stadium could use a facelift and I saw a few people wearing sweatpants in public, but it came pretty darn close. (This reminds me of a Seinfeld quote: “You know the message you’re sending out to the world with these sweatpants? You’re telling the world, ‘I give up. I can’t compete in normal society. I’m miserable, so I might as well be comfortable.’”)
Hopefully these two teams will sign long-term contracts and the series continues past next fall. And while we’re at it, wouldn’t you like to see Canfield or Howland play Boardman or Fitch?
Canfield’s first three games this season are at Wooster and home against Canton South and Dover. Howland is playing three home games against Ashtabula Lakeside, Cleveland East Tech and St. Jean de Brebeuf (of Ontario, Canada).
Canfield and Howland are both in Division II. Fitch and Boardman are in Div. I. The Cardinals will play six Div. III schools this season, while Howland will play four Div. IIIs, one Div. IV and two in Div. VI.
For comparison’s sake, Uniontown Lake — the only Division II team in the Federal League and, in the interest of full disclosure, my former high school — will play nine Division I schools this year. Howland and Canfield certainly have programs that stack up to Lake’s. Playing one Div. I school wouldn’t be a burden and games against Fitch or Boardman would certainly help pay some bills.
Incidentally, here’s the breakdown in boys enrollment for the three schools in grades 9-11, as of October of 2008: Howland 437, Lake 424, Canfield 408. Fitch has 650 and Boardman 612.
That’s a big gap to overcome, but it’s not impossible. Especially if it’s once a year.
More highlights
Other things I liked about Week One:
- Hubbard’s Andre Givens maneuvering in space and Poland’s defense doing its best not to give him any.
- Poland senior RB/DB Luke Wollet playing every down like its his last, junior WR Darius Patton making you hold your breath every time he touched the ball and QB Colin Reardon looking like a senior in a sophomore’s body.
- Campbell, Newton Falls and Jackson-Milton earning impressive victories and looking like teams capable of winning seasons.
- Liberty responding to the graduation of Michigan recruits Fitzgerald Toussaint and Isaiah Bell with an impressive win over East.
- Ursuline looking like a team ready to defend its state title with a big win at Columbus St. Charles despite the loss of All-America DL/LB Jamel Turner.
Turner, an Ohio State recruit, was declared ineligible before the season started and is now attending Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va.
Ursuline, Mineral Ridge, South Range and Canfield all had to play on the road Saturday after their games were suspended due to rain and all could have used that as an excuse to not play well. None did. The Irish, Raiders and Cardinals all won and the Rams earned a lot of respect against Mogadore. There’s no shame in losing to that program.
Fit to be tied
Warren Harding and East Cleveland Shaw were two teams that decided not to finish their games, resulting in the first tie in Ohio since West Branch-Southeast in 2004. In case you’re wondering how ties affect computer ratings, the teams split the first-level points. As for the second-level points, each team earns one-half value for each game a tied opponent wins and one-fourth value for each game a tied opponent ties.
West Branch, by the way, made the playoffs as an eighth seed in 2004.
By the way, computer points junkies rejoiced this week as Joe Eitel (www.joeeitel.com/hsfoot) posted the first week’s ratings on Monday.
Roster highlights
Fitch has a player named Ken Burns and Mooney has Charlie Brown, but I don’t think anyone can match Leetonia’s roster this fall for star quality.
No. 44 is Robert Duvall.
No. 45 is ... Tom Cruz.
Joe Scalzo covers high school football for The Vindicator. Write to him at scalzo@vindy.com.