JFK defense will take on prolific Norwalk St. Paul running attack
By Steve Ruman
They are known as the Flyers, but don’t let the name fool you.
The Norwalk St. Paul High football team has been beating opponents via a ground attack all year long.
Norwalk St. Paul (12-0) and Warren John F. Kennedy (11-1) will meet tonight at Pat Catan Stadium in Strongsville in the Division VII, Region 25 title game. The winner will play Nov. 26 in the state semifinals.
The matchup features two programs with rich playoff histories. St. Paul is in the playoffs for the 18th time. The Flyers own a state title (2009) and have appeared in five state championship games. They were the runner-ups in 2014, and own an overall post-season record of 37-16.
JFK owns a 30-19 playoff record which spans 21 appearances. The Eagles have made it to four state title games, and won it all in 1991.
St. Paul finished atop the region 25 computer standings thanks in large part to a high-powered offense (37.1 points per game) that has racked up most of its yards on the ground. The Flyers boast a pair of 1000-plus yard rushers. Senior Colton Service has rushed for 1,662 yards (8.0 yards-per-carry) and 22 touchdowns while senior Derek Gross has tallied 1,410 yards (7.6 ypc) and 19 touchdowns.
As a team, the Flyers have churned out 3,706 yards on the ground with 48 touchdowns.
“We’re not necessarily a running program, we adjust our offense according to talent,” said St. Paul coach John Livengood. “We came into this season with some really good running backs and an inexperienced quarterback. We’ve made strides in our passing game, but it’s no secret that our bread-and-butter is running the ball.”
Quarterback Nick Lukasko has completed 62 of 117 passes for 991 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“We have been pleasantly surprised with the success this year,” Livengood said. “We graduated 16 seniors last year, most of whom were three-year starters. We knew we had talent coming into the season, but they were for the most part inexperienced, and you just never know.”
“I think a lot of this year’s success is a credit to the program, and to the recent graduating classes which left behind a winning legacy.”
Gross and Service also play key roles on defense, as they have recorded 126 and 70 tackles, respectively. Joey Catalano leads the team with four interceptions.
St. Paul has given up just 98 points through 12 games.
“We’ve been pretty steady on defense,” Livengood said. “It’s been a total team effort on that side of the ball.”
The Flyers beat East Canton 56-20 in the first round of the playoffs, then followed that up with a 24-0 victory over Monroeville. Meanwhile, Kennedy has outscored its two playoff opponents (Toronto, Mogadore) 54-3.
Livengood watched numerous game films on Kennedy and also scouted the Eagles during the regular season. He came away especially impressed the JFK’s team speed and its defense.
“As a team, they are the fastest group we will have faced all year long,” Livengood said. “In terms of speed, no one we put on the field can run with their top five speedsters. We’re going to have to play very disciplined football if we are going to have any success neutralizing that quickness.”
Livengood said the JFK defense is the best he’s seen “in a number of years.”
“That defense just really jumps out at you on film and in person,” Livengood said. “They just fly to the ball, and it’s like they all get to the ball, they are all involved in every play. It’s rare to see a defense that good, one in which so many defenders always seem to be in the right place.”
Kennedy and Norwalk St. Paul met one other time in the playoffs. In 2007, the Flyers beat the Eagles 26-7 in a second-round game at Ken Dukes Stadium in Medina.