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New Territory
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Crestview linebacker Tom Oliver (31) and his teammates celebrate their 41-20 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in the Division V Region 17 semifinal at Ravenna High School. Overcoming the loss of eight offensive starters and revamping the defense has landed the Rebels in a regional final for the first time in school history. They face Kirtland (12-0) on Friday at Mollenkopf Stadium in Warren.
Crestview players, coaches prepare for first regional final appearance
By John Bassetti and Matthew Peaslee
bassetti@vindy.com mpeaslee@vindy.com
NEW WATERFORD
When the Crestview High football team enters Warren’s Mollenkopf Stadium on Friday at 7:30 p.m., it will be uncharted territory for the Rebels.
The Division V Region 17 final with undefeated Kirtland comes after the Rebels (11-1) handled formidable opponents in Cuyahoga Heights (44-20) and St. Thomas Aquinas (41-20).
With a program record of 6-9 in the playoffs, Crestview has never reached this point.
The players believe that doesn’t matter.
“We’re only as good as how we prepare for the next game,” defensive end C.J. Collins said. “We’re staying focused on the task at hand.
“Coach always tells us that the next game is the biggest game.”
Collins is an anchor up front for the Rebels and leads the team with 11 sacks, while Derek Peddicord has added nine.
The Knights carried the ball 35 times in last week’s contest to only muster up 161 yards against the powerful Rebels defensive front.
“These past couple of years, we’ve prided ourselves on our run defense,” Collins said. “I’ve taken a greater role to step up and make plays up on the line.”
Between the two of them, inside linebackers Craig Lower and Kaleb Baker have 235 tackles. With Dillon Gorby’s three interceptions, they round out a defense that surrenders just 15.41 points per game.
“Our coaches put everybody in a position to make plays then it just falls on us to execute,” Collins said. “We just have a lot of guys that are tough and know how to play. Everybody makes a strong effort.”
It comes on both sides of the ball.
The Columbiana County school’s football team’s most heralded names, offensively, are running back Nick Blower and quarterback Adam Coppock.
Blower has rushed 169 times for 1,849 yards and 18 touchdowns. Coppock has completed 71 of 135 passes for 1,119 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The quarterback has also gained 970 yards on 128 attempts on the ground, resulting in 18 touchdowns.
Blower has some receiving yards on screen passes and flare passes out of the backfield, but he doesn’t play defense.
Still, his one dimension is a dangerous one.
It’s unlikely that Crestview fans will forget Carter Hill, Mr. Do-It-All from the last several years, but the Rebels of 2011 were prepared for Hill’s loss through graduation. They also lost seven other starters on offense.
“We knew this would happen, so we kind of changed and are multi-dimensional and spread ball a little more,” Crestview coach Paul Cusick said of his team’s personality this season.
“Last year, Hill carried the load, but, this year, we spread it around more.”
Colin Gilbert is Crestview’s top receiver with 33 catches for 580 yards and six touchdowns while Nate Climo is Coppock’s second-most productive target with 11 receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns.
Following Blower and Coppock, kicker Zack Moore has the third-most points (92).
Despite being in a new land in terms of competitive football, the extra pressure hasn’t bothered the players and it won’t disrupt Cusick and his staff.
“We’ve got to maintain routines and make sure the kids are level headed,” Cusick said. “I don’t think they’re getting caught up and in the awe of the moment. They’re focused on playing the next game.”
For the Rebels, that’s really been a statement worth repeating.