MACEDONIA, Ohio — Cuyahoga Heights' third straight trip to the state final four comes with a new cast.
"Third time's the charm," senior tackle Jordan Krucek said Saturday night.
That's Cuyahoga Heights' hope. It took another step closer to that goal Saturday night at Nordonia's Boliantz Field with a 35-20 win vs. Warren JFK for the OHSAA Division VII, Region 25 championship. Krucek and Co. advanced to this week's semifinals at Marengo Highland, which is located between Mansfield and Columbus. The Redskins (11-2) will play Glouster Trimble (12-1).
This Cuyahoga Heights team is unlike the last two coach Al Martin guided this deep in the playoffs. Only two players who suited up Saturday night started in last year's state championship game. A third, Richie Allison, helped hoist the regional championship plaque Saturday while standing in street clothes with his arm in a sling. A fourth, all-district linebacker Chase McDaniel, was lost before the season began because of injury.
This year, Cuyahoga Heights faced more adversity than its last two teams.
"I think they just continue to believe that they can get it done," Martin said.
There are just six seniors on the Cuyahoga Heights roster, counting Allison, who was hurt in Week 9 against Fairport Harding and would have remained an asset at tight end and linebacker. At the time, the Redskins were just finding their stride, three games into a seven-game win streak that has brought them to this point.
"They've probably improved more than any team of those three," Martin said. "Those last two years, we were pretty good early in the season. We got better, but this team has come a long way from where we were — if you just look back to Brookfield and Kirtland — how far we've come from then."
Last year, Martin's squad had a talented senior class to lean on with Lucas D'Orazio and Dylan Drummond. Both are now in college, D'Orazio plays at Duquesne and Drummond is at Eastern Michigan.
"We lost a lot of amazing talented, just pure athletic guys," said junior Brayden DiSanza, who has taken D'Orazio's role at fullback and linebacker. "Great leaders, too. At the beginning of the season, it was kind of weird. We didn't have a lot of leadership. As it went on, and we started picking each other up, it just got a whole lot easier."
DiSanza's play Saturday was one of a few highlights from the weekend for area teams. Here is a look back.
Kirtland 20, Mogadore 14: It took 13 weeks, but Kirtland finally found its match in Mogadore.
The top seed in Division VI, Region 21 pushed Kirtland to the last 15 seconds before Joey Torok's 3-yard run with 15 seconds left for the 20-14 victory. Torok's winning run broke a 14-all tie.
Typically, Torok and his teammates have scored on big plays and forced running clocks in their victories. Torok even said his 3-yard TD run is a two-point conversion play in the Kirtland playbook.
The close encounter marked Kirtland's first game this season giving up more than one score.
It might have been fitting, considering the programs had a combined 23 state semifinal appearances before this one.
Joey Torok, Kirtland: Torok scored all three Kirtland touchdowns. In addition to his winning score vs. Mogadore, Torok ran 15 times for 166 yards. He rushed for two TDs and had a third receiving, which came on a 47-yard score.
St. Edward's defensive front: Mentor has dominated opponents up front. The Cardinals performed so well that Ohio State-bound left tackle Ryan Jacoby was named All-Northeast Lakes District Offensive Player of the Year.
None of that mattered in Friday's rematch vs. St. Edward, which limited Mentor to only 65 yards rushing. The Eagles won, 24-14.
"That was the key up front," St. Edward coach Tom Lombardo said. "Our defensive line, they controlled the running game."
Tyris Dickerson, Archbishop Hoban: The senior Eastern Kentucky commit ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns Friday in Hoban's 52-6 drubbing of previously unbeaten Maple Heights.
In all, the Knights racked up 416 yards with 273 yards of rushing.
Brayden DiSanza, Cuyahoga Heights: The junior left the field only for a kickoff. He ran 26 times for 131 yards and three touchdowns, blocked two extra points and recovered a fumble Saturday in a 35-20 win vs. Warren JFK.
Bransen Stanley, Kenston: The senior receiver on an offense loaded with juniors at the skill positions, Stanley caught nine passes for 142 yards. That was all but 67 of quarterback Jon Tomcufcik's 209 yards passing. While Stanley made it easier for him, he added an interception on defense late to make it more difficult for the opposition. Kenston beat Canfield, 33-7.
Avon: A week earlier, Toledo Central Catholic ripped through Southwestern Conference co-champion Avon Lake. That didn't happen when Avon got its crack at the Fighting Irish.
The Eagles secured their return to the Division II state semifinals, their fourth in program history and third under coach Mike Elder, with a 37-22 win vs. TCC. More impressively, the Eagles (12-1) advanced without injured junior Nick Perusek.
Quarterback Ryan Maloy and Mark Steinmetz picked up the slack. Maloy rushed 151 yards and two touchdowns. Steinmetz, who doubles at middle linebacker, rushed 31 times for 94 yards.
“Mark Steinmetz is a dude – there is no other way to say it,” Elder said Friday. “He’s just a football player. The people in this community have no idea how lucky they are to see him play on Friday nights. He is everything a high school football player should be.”
Check out OHSAA football playoff brackets for the semifinals and finals of all seven divisions. Note, state championship times and dates will not be determined until next week.
Want to look back? Here is every regional playoff bracket.
Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email ([email protected]). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.
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