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West Geauga shines in TV football appearance
(by Steve Novak - September 03, 2009)
West Geauga shines in TV football appearance
By STEVE NOVAK
The opening week of high school football was a throwback in history for a pair of Chagrin Valley Conference teams as both of them came out on the winning end of nonconference games.
For the first time in more than a decade, West Geauga squared off against Chardon. The Wolverines played host to the Hilltoppers, but that was where their hospitality ended.
West Geauga won the contest televised by Fox Sports Ohio, 39-7.
Coach Dave Bors' Wolverines provided substantial portions of offense and defense. He said he has noticed his team steadily improving in the past three weeks.
"In our preseason scrimmages, we played tough teams, playing Willoughby South and Maple Heights," he said. "We've improved each week. Our offensive line did a good job throughout the game. You could say it was a game won in the trenches."
West Geauga gained 186 yards on the ground, compared to only 73 yards for Chardon. Bors said he wants to try to carry the team's intensity into Week 2 when the Wolverines travel to Painesville Riverside on Friday night.
"I scouted Riverside when they played Perry this week," Bors said. "They have a very, very nice running game. They're a very solid team."
Hawken 27, US 13
The other CVC team to throw back the history clock was Hawken. For the first time in eight seasons, the Hawks defeated their neighbor, University School. The Hawks came out with a 27-13 victory on their home field.
Although Hawken was 4-6 last season, the team went into this season with 12 returning seniors. This experience paid off last weekend, as the Hawks' wing-T offense gained 347 yards on the ground.
Hawken coach Cliff Walton and University coach Jim Stephens are longtime friends and annual opponents. Stephens said Hawken dominated the game in terms of time of possession.
"It was a case of ball control," Stephens said. "He (Walton) kept the ball away from us. He was back to the wing-T, and they were very good at hiding the ball and misdirection."
Stephens said he hopes to be able to use the loss against Hawken as a rallying point for this week' game against Villa Angela-St. Joseph at 7 p.m. Saturday at Euclid High School.
"I hope this will be a good lesson for us," he said. "We were overconfident. We have to be realistic and start doing what we were coached to do."
Hawken Rocky River Lutheran West at 7 Sept. 4.
Chagrin Falls 42, Crestwood 7
In other games involving Chagrin Valley Conference teams, Chagrin Falls downed Crestwood, 42-7.
For the Tigers, it was an auspicious beginning of a new season following the team's 8-4 mark and playoff appearance in 2008. Quarterback Chris Trinetti threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another score.
Chagrin Falls hosts Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin on Friday night. Last season, the Tigers lost to NDCL in a game that had to be settled in overtime. NDCL won, 33-27.
Bay Village 6, Orange 0
At Orange, first-year coach Adam Becklam was reminded that being close counts in horseshoes, but not on the gridiron. The Lions suffered a 6-0 loss to host Bay Village.
Becklam, a former assistant coach at Orange, said his defensive squad played well throughout the game. He said it was only a case of a missed assignment which set up Bay for the touchdown pass which decided the game.
This week, the Lions host Middleburg Heights Midpark on Friday night.
Kent Roosevelt 38, Kenston 0
Kent Roosevelt, which was 8-3 last season and made the playoffs, was too much for Kenston, 38-0. The game was switched to Kent because the Bombers' new field is not ready.
The Bombers travel to winless Chardon Friday night.
Solon 19, Shaker Heights 0
Solon head coach Jim McQuaide said returning to the playoffs is at the top of his team's agenda this season, and the Comets took a first step in that direction last Saturday with a 19-0 whitewash of host Shaker Heights.
Led by returning senior quarterback Jake Voigt, the Comets cashed in on two touchdowns by Christian Jackson and another by David Gibson. Jackson, a junior, rushed for his two scores. Gibson, a senior, caught a 26-yard scoring pass from Voigt.
McQuaide said opening-week jitters may have caused a lot of the team's mistakes and penalties against Shaker Heights.
"I told the team that our goal was to leave the game being 1-0. We did that, but we're certainly not canceling practice this week," McQuaide said. "We gained about 360 yards on offense, but we made a lot of mistakes and had a lot of penalties."
Voigt completed 15 of 30 passes for more than 200 yards and completed passes to eight different receivers.
Just as it was in 2008, there is no letting up in Solon's schedule. This Friday, the Comets visit Massillon Jackson. The following week, Solon plays Mentor.
LaBrae 47, Gilmour 8
Gilmour's new coach, Matt Simon, wasn't treated kindly by his opening-week opponent. In a matchup of two teams which made the postseason playoffs last year, Leavittsburg LaBrae was the dominant team this year by a score of 47-8.
Last year, LaBrae was undefeated in regular-season play, except for a loss to Gilmour.
The Lancers host Peninsula Woodridge on Saturday.
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