Buckeye Bucks Football

Buckeye Black River Matchup

Promises to be One for the Ages

10/6/2017 - By ALBERT GRINDLE The Gazette

History should never be ignored because context legitimizes an accomplishment. Too many times the sporting world is quick to judge a team, player or game as the best or worst of all time by being an emotional prisoner of the moment. Tonight is deservedly headlined by 6-0 Buckeye traveling to 6-0 Black River for a share of first place in the Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division. There is no bigger Medina County rivalry on the football field — sorry, Medina and Brunswick — because nothing compares to the consistent passion of rural communities. Families often are intertwined and bragging rights last a lifetime.

Fact: This will be only the third time in county history undefeated area teams have hooked up this late in the season. Then-Suburban League whipping boy Highland stunned traditional power Wadsworth 38-17 on Oct. 12, 2001 in a war of 7-0 teams, while 6-0 Wadsworth manhandled 6-0 Brunswick 34-8 in an Oct. 21, 1966 Chippewa Conference game. How’s that for context?

Black River and Buckeye have yet to play undefeated Firelands, so that steals a little luster. However, this game is, without question, every bit as anticipated as when the 8-1 Bucks knocked off the 8-1 Pirates 10-9 on a late Ryan Hoover field goal to win the Mohican Area Conference championship on Oct. 25, 2002. The players still call that one “The Game.”

Dodge the horse-and-buggy traffic and get to Art Stevenson Field, even if you’re not a Buckeye or Black River fan. Tonight may be a classic since the contrasts are fascinating, with the only similarity being ball-control offenses. That starts with feisty, magnetic 28th-year Pirates coach Al Young in his first meeting against first-class and somehow underrated Bucks coach Greg Dennison, who’s in his 24th overall season.

They are Nos. 1 and 2 in county history with 341 combined victories, and their players have taken on their personalities, as Black River excels with moxie and subdued Buckeye is extremely businesslike. The Bucks have won 19 straight PAC Stars games, 33-of-34 overall in the regular season and, to be blunt, are more athletic at the skill positions with depth to boot. Receivers Justin Canedy, Jonathon Neel and Anthony Watkins, tailback Dominic Monaco and quarterback Adam Fauver individually would be the focal point of any other PAC offense, and all would start for Black River. But the Pirates are frothing at the mouth, spending every baited breath dreaming of how to beat Buckeye after losing the last three meetings 56-27, 48-7 and 17-7.

A take-no-prisoners 3-4 defense led by end Jeff Owen, linebackers Alex Vormelker, Trevor Scott, Spencer Constable and Jacob Campbell and free safety Garrett Hord has been nasty, allowing only three first-team touchdowns all season. The game-deciding matchup is clear: Buckeye’s offense (39.0 ppg) against Black River’s defense (6.2). Through no fault of their own, the Pirates have played an awful schedule, with the only true test a 21-13 decision against 3-3 Northwestern.

More pressing, Black River hasn’t seen a quarterback in the same zip code as Fauver, a poor-man’s version of 2013 Highland star Bruce Kinsey, the only two-time Gazette MVP who was a tremendous leader and tactician. Black River first must contend with the power run game of Fauver and Monaco, be it from shotgun, I-formation or pistol. The Pirates also have to be weary of jet sweeps to Canedy, one of the county’s top speedsters who has touchdowns of 31, 68, 77 and 92 yards despite not being used nearly enough. But the X-factor will be the long-developing play-action game Dennison has lived by for years.

Tight end Logan Schulz has been a monster with seven catches for 186 yards — almost all have been comically open — and Neel, Canedy and Watkins also have had moments. Don’t sleep on trick plays, either, as the Bucks have recently kept them under wraps for when they truly need them. Black River will do what Black River does: Blitz the edges early and often. The 3-4 scheme coordinator Kyle Clark brought from Ashland University has done wonders — just three years ago the Pirates were a laughingstock that gave up 39.9 points per game — and there’s no sense changing what got it to this point.

The only question is whether the Pirates will use zone or go high-risk with man coverage. Can the Black River line of Mitchell Young, Owen and the rotation of Joey Duche and Cole Haswell keep veteran Bucks counterparts Ryan Smith, Dom Kriz, Spencer Murphy, Turner Mitchell and Luke Conrad from getting to the second level? Can Hord keep corners Brandon Weidrick and Caleb Simonson and strong safety Justin Zacharyasz organized and limit momentum-swinging play-action passes? As for Buckeye’s starless but deep defense that rotates players at outside linebacker, inside linebacker and strong safety, discipline will be the word of the week.

Black River coordinator Matt Stafford has taken the double wing-T to a new level by using the new-age pistol with multiple unbalanced formations, allowing the Pirates to run options and devastate with pop passes to wingback Riley Gibbs. The Bucks also use a 3-4 but in a read-and-react form instead of going for broke with multiple blitzes. The front is adjustable, be it an overhanging linebacker to create a 4-3 or putting both outside backers in three-point stances for a 5-2. Expect all three looks from experienced coordinator Luke Beal.

The critical matchup involves Black River’s backbone of interior linemen Haswell, Young and Scott. Buckeye’s inside linebackers attack recklessly at times, and the poor angles led to shaky moments against Revere fireplug Matt Buser and Columbia beast Brandon Coleman. The Pirates make hay with deception. Over-aggressiveness may lead to massive holes for (or blow up) the Pirates’ trap and belly plays to 6-foot, 195-pound fullback Campbell, who has scored a mindboggling 62 points in the last two games. The quick-cutting Gibbs wrecking havoc through the air or on sweeps/counters is made possible partly by Campbell steamrolling linebackers and DBs, and Black River will get a boost with the return of wingback Travis Sexton, who left last week’s game at Keystone with an injury. The three-year starter is one of the top blocking backs in the county.

Can Buckeye linebackers Anthony Musarra, Monaco, Gage Williams, Austin Bir, Mitchell and Isaiah Williams stay home and prevent the Pirates from dictating tempo? Can safeties Collin Graham, Evan Tesar and Pat Caniglia keep Gibbs from snagging a seam pass? Corners Watkins and Neel need to be careful, too, because a simple jet or buck sweep could go down the sideline and to the house. All the scheming in the world — they’ll be plenty — often goes out the window once a rivalry game kicks off. There will be pad-smacking regardless of victor, and the atmosphere will be playoff-quality. Nights like these are rare in county high school football. Facts prove that, so embrace the hype. As for a prediction? Well, the computer simulation website fantastic50.net lists Buckeye as an eight-point favorite. That sounds a little low on paper, but don’t underestimate the monkey in the room: Revenge is a dish best served cold. Talk about playing it down the middle, huh?

Medina County League - 3 Seasons (17-6-2) 1953-1955

(1 Championship - 1953 * With Brunswick)

Independent - 1 Season (4-4-1): 1956

Inland Conference - 32 Seasons (148-67-9): 1957-1988

(8 Championships - 1960, 1961, 1963. 1965, 1979, 1983, 1984 & 1987)

Independent: - 4 Seasons (20-20): 1989-1992

Mohican Area Conference - 11 Seasons (19-35): 1993-2003

(1 Championship - 2002) 

Independent - 1 Season (6-3) : 2004

Patriot Athletic Conference (Stars Division) - 14 Seasons (80-17): 2005-Present

(10 Championships - 2005. 2007. 2008. 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018)

Great Lakes Conference - 1 Season (0-0): 2019

     Ohio High School Athletic Association - Division III

Blocking Tackling Even Punting:

Buckeye's Kriz is Complete Package 

10/5/2017 - By ALBERT GRINDLE The Gazette

Greg Dennison was approached by Dom Kriz in the offseason, a sort of how-do-you-do to the new Buckeye football coach with a winning pedigree. Dennison’s witnessed just about everything in 24 years as a head coach at Norton, Wadsworth and Buckeye, but Kriz’s introduction was unique. This was, after all, his first-team All-Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division two-way lineman.

“It’s funny,” Dennison recalled Wednesday. “When I met him after I first got the job, the first thing he told me was he was a really good punter. (I said,) ‘I heard you were a pretty good lineman, so …’ Dennison then smiled with a bit of surprise in his voice. “But you know what? He works hard at and he’s good at it.

He’s hit a couple big punts that have changed field position. When you have a good punter — a lot of times he’s not a lineman — it can change the game for you.” A 6-foot, 242-pounder with a rocket leg and proud? Yeah, Kriz is the real deal. Teammates bust his chops every now and then, calling him “The Chubby Punter” or “The Fat Guy That Kicks,” but no one laughs at Kriz’s 39.3 career average that is on pace to obliterate the 44-year-old school record set by Tom Kruse (36.6).

An injury to three-year starter Brenden McBride provided the opportunity last season, and Kriz never gave back the job. The high-scoring Bucks don’t punt often, yet big boots from No. 58 contributed to close wins over Black River last season and Revere in Week 1 this fall. He also had three attempts for a 43.7 average vs. Lutheran West and a 41-yarder at Columbia, after which he made a touchdown-saving tackle. “Oh, it feels so good,” said a noticeably excited Kriz, who’s flexible enough to get his toes to eye level on his follow through. “I’m not going to lie, I shank a lot of them, but it goes really far probably half the time.”

While Kriz embraces the thankless job, he’s a left guard first. Arguably the best at his position in the PAC, Kriz built his reputation as the quick guard next to All-Ohioan Hunter Gray in former coach Mark Pinzone’s counter-heavy offense. The main job was to pull on the majority of running plays. Dennison is a more traditional, though Kriz still gets to execute his specialty on quick-hitting traps and counters. The new downhill philosophy suited him just fine, and he worked hard on footwork.

“The backs — Adam (Fauver), Justin (Canedy) — they get all the fame, and as offensive linemen you have to have that mindset,” Kriz said. “It’s nice to go out there, work hard and let them take all the credit.” Now Kriz is the leader of an experienced O-line featuring quick Spencer Murphy (C), physical Turner Mitchell (RG), strong-as-an-ox Luke Conrad (RT) and steady newcomer Ryan Smith (LT). Teammates voted Kriz a team captain along with wide receiver/cornerback Jonathon Neel, Fauver and Mitchell.

“All four of our captains have done a great job, especially embracing the new things we’ve brought in and making sure everyone has been doing what they need to do,” Dennison said. “(Kriz) has been a big part of that. When he talks, people listen.” As for defense, Kriz doesn’t put up awe-inspiring tackle totals. That’s not his job, really, because the Bucks’ new 3-4 defense is about the linemen battling double teams to give the linebackers free reign.

What Kriz has a knack for is a momentum-swinging play, whether he’s at end or switching with Cody Svagerko at nose tackle. Fumble recoveries against Revere and Columbia illustrate that, as do 1? sacks in a surprisingly close game against Cloverleaf. Kriz has 29 tackles, including 4? for loss and 2? sacks, for the season. All are highs for the line. “I just try to keep going until the whistle is blown, you know?” he said. “Sometimes I’ll get double-teamed, triple-teamed, but I’ll just keep trying to work off and hopefully I get something done.”

With athletes all over and experience up front, the Bucks are off to a 6-0 start and ranked eighth in The Associated Press Division III state poll. They’ll get their biggest test thus far Friday at rival Black River, which also is perfect and mans the No. 7 poll position in D-V. The Pirates specialize in smashmouth football, and Kriz is looking forward to the challenge.

Buckeye lives for games like these, and winning 33 of the last 34 in the regular season proves it thrives in them, too. “It’s a big opportunity. Obviously, Black River is a good team and a rival,” Kriz said. “This is going to be a good matchup to see what we’re actually made of.”