YORK TWP. — Pick your poison: A dangerous, scrambling quarterback operating a unique offense behind a college-sized offensive line or a hard-hitting defense that already has four shutouts.
The Firelands football team has the full attention of undefeated Buckeye.
With all due respect to sub.-.500 Cloverleaf, Fairview, Clearview, Wellington and Black River, the Bucks (7-0, 2-0) are ready for their first true showdown since handing athletic Rocky River its only loss of the season in Week 2. The experienced Falcons (6-1, 2-0) would love nothing more than to knock off the heavy Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division favorites.
“It’s indescribable,” Buckeye fullback/linebacker Kyle Svagerko said. “A lot of pressure is on us. This is it. You got to be 8-0 to be 10-0, so this game is very important to us.”
Two years removed from an 0-10 season, Firelands coach Mike Passaerrello’s team has outscored opponents 240-31 since losing to Milan Edison 33-17 in the opener. The lone scare was 19-13 against much-improved Brookside.
Slick-cutting All-Ohio quarterback Brad Thrasher is clearly the biggest name, and the senior three-year starter has the stats to back up the hype with 113 carries for 870 yards and 17 touchdowns while also completing 34-for-51 passes (66.7 percent) for 537 yards and six more scores.
What fans notice first, however, is the offensive line of Ty Wilson (6-foot-6, 275 pounds), Kyle Slack (6-2, 230), Ben Marcovitch (6-2, 290), All-Ohioan Jake Grasso (6-0, 280) and Trevor Stefanski (6-3, 315) that averages 6-3, 278. For comparison’s sake, Division III college superpower Mount Union averages 6-2, 268 and Buckeye 6-1, 236.
“We’ve got to remember why we’re here,” said Buckeye two-way lineman Bruce Barnby, the team’s largest starter at 6-5, 265. “I said this in Week 3, and I still (believe) it: We don’t know how good we are yet. I definitely think we have a lot of untapped potential that we need to find within ourselves. We need to stick together, basically.”
The Falcons are run-heavy and not as explosive as high-octane Rocky River, but the hybrid Pistol offense incorporates varying concepts. The jet sweep and complementary double-handoff counter are prevalent, but plenty of read-options get Thrasher, slotback Michael Whitacre (51 carries, 440 yards, 2 TDs), halfback Aaron Stevanus (55, 278, 3) and slotback Nick Denney (30, 427, 5) involved and create play-action opportunities for 6-foot-5 wideout Collin Myers (15 receptions, 251 yards, 4 TDs).
In fact, the go-to play is a zone read in which Trasher and the halfback share possession while running into the teeth of the defense. It’s the same play Buckeye’s Michael Kelly and Ryan McCormick rode on their way to the 2009 playoffs.
Buckeye counters with a fast, intelligent defense that leads Medina County in scoring (8.9 ppg) and yardage (161.6) by significant margins. The Bucks also have 13 turnovers, 45 tackles for loss (22 sacks) and 22 pass breakups despite the first string not playing a full game six times this season.
“I haven’t seen any offense like this,” Svagerko said. “There are different looks they can run out of it, like for instance when they run the quarterback and they have it in the running back’s arms the whole time. We haven’t seen that all year, and I think that’s what makes it so hard to defend. Teams haven’t seen it, so it’s harder to defend.
“Stopping the quarterback is probably the most important thing, and I think if we can do that, we’ll be 8-0.”
The Bucks’ offense will have, without question, its biggest test of the regular season against a Falcons defense that is allowing 177.4 yards per game while forcing 13 turnovers and recording 52 tackles for loss. Again the line battle will be critical, as end Aaron Miller (14 tackles for loss, 5 sacks) and tackle Grasso (5, 1) were All-Ohioans last season.
Behind the three-headed monster of Nathan Polidori (1,128 yards offense, 18 total TDs), Trevor Thome (845 yards from scrimmage, 116 points) and Nathan Scott (465, 60) — slotback Justin Canedy and wideout Justin Lowry (10 receptions, 227 yards, 3 TDs) also have been key factors recently — Buckeye remains on pace to break the 47-year-old county record for scoring with 44.7 points per game.
The Bucks also are on pace to reach their goal of a 10-0 regular season.
“I’m really looking forward to it, and I think these guys are, too,” Barnby said. “Not to dog the other teams, but (Firelands) is bigger and they hustle a lot more than other teams we’ve faced. I think it will be a great challenge and good exposure.”
Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.