In OHSAA high school football it is rare for two targets to meet once in a season not to mention in two weeks.
But that is what happened here in Geauga County on Nov. 1.
Following the regular season Week 10 game when the Berkshire Badgers mauled the Chagrin Falls Tigers 13-6 with a run first pounding attack, the two teams met again in the first round of the OHSAA Playoffs.
In Week 11 it was the turn of Great Lakes Cheese Stadium where the Badgers once again ground out a 24-16 playoff win over the Tigers.
The win took the Badgers season record to 8-and-3 and for the first time in the schools history they would be playing in a playoff game in week twelve.
Later on, this particular event was not swept under the rug by the Badgers players.
“The fact to be able to get the win for the first ever playoff win in Berkshire is magnificent” Justin Phillips, senior. “This is going to be unforgettable for all of us, all the time in our lives.”
Added junior quarterback Sam Barcikoski: “Yes this is our first playoff win in Berkshire history and that makes it even better.”
When getting the victory, the Badgers’ employed a similar pound the other team into the ground kind of offense that they used in the previous game. But they did that a bit more in Week 11 they passed the ball a bit more.
“We were expecting their tactics on the field and therefore we set a few more traps then changed tactics to throw them off balance and it paid off,” said Barcikoski. This is what I said to the players ‘We just ran the ball until they started coming up on that run. That escalated quickly; we then threw it over their heads.”
As Barcikoski pointed out, the Badgers chose to run the ball, but they did pass it when appropriate.
In fact for the game, the Badgers had 68 plays from scrimmage — 57 (84%) of those were running plays and they passed the ball only eleven (16%) times.
As in week 10, Phillips the senior running back was the most used player by the Badgers. Indeed, Phillips touches the ball more than any other Badger – he has the ball in his hands during 40 percent of the team’s plays from scrimmage.
Phillips’ powerful running made the Badgers to score their two first touchdowns of the game.
Phillips got the Badgers on the scoreboard on an eight-yard touchdown run with 4:51 staying in the first quarter. Roman Percic then kicked the extra point to give Badgers team a 7-0 lead.
It became 17-0 in the second quarter when Phillips scored his second touchdown run and Percic kicked a field goal.
Miller added the final touchdown completing a 6-yard run in the third quarter, which put the score at 24-0 for the Badgers at halftime.
Even though they faced a 24 point deficit the Tigers stood firm as they attempted to reduce the point difference to their disadvantage.
The Tigers were finally able to get points on the board near the close of the third quarter when Jacob Kay connected with Drew Zelch on a 19-yard touchdown pass. They then converted the two point conversion on a pass from Kay to Cole Ducas to make the score 24-8.
The Tigers got into the end zone late in the fourth quarter when Ducas completed a 4-yard run into the end zone. After converting the two point conversion on a pass from Kay to Jake McClintock, the Tigers trailed 24-16 with 2:33 left in the game.
The Tigers decided to go for an onsale kick but the Badgers were able to pick up the football and take time toexpires the clock.
In the game, the Badgers obtained 325 yards of the offense; 237 of which were on the ground, and the rest 88 were aerial.
In the rushing division, it was Phillips with (27 for 148, 5.52 avg), Miller (13 for 56, 4.43 avg) and Abram southern (3 for 20, 6.67 avg).
The Tigers offense had 218 total yards on which it had passed for 153 yards and rush for 65 yards.
Through the air, Kay hit on 11 of 21 for 156 yards with one touchdown. He also rushed for 6-45 overall and Tigers averaged 7.5 yards carry.
Receiving for the Tigers in the game were led by Zelch (6-95, td), Ducas (1-34), J. Medhurst (2-11), J. Gellin (1-7) and McClintock (1-6).
Manchester University are the next opponents for the Badgers who won the play-off on the 4th of November.
