YORK TWP. — The largest party in Medina County tonight will be inside the gates of the “The Buck-O-Dome.”
That’s the quirky local nickname for Edwin Steingass Field, where the undefeated, third-seeded Buckeye football team will go to war with No. 6 West Geauga (9-1) in a Division III, Region 7 first-round playoff game.
The anticipation is sky-high for this evenly matched 7:30 p.m. showdown, as it marks the first time the Bucks will host a postseason game since 2005.
“I’m very excited for it, and I think the team is, too,” All-Gazette linebacker Dustin McCullough said. “We’re very hyped up for (tonight).”
Since beating fellow playoff team Rocky River 42-28 in Week 2, Buckeye has outscored opponents 354-27, with all eight games having a running clock at some point in the second half.
Meanwhile, the Wolverines, unbeaten since losing to Chardon 24-6 in the opener, are coming off back-to-back thrilling wins over then-undefeated Perry (49-28) and traditional Chagrin Valley Conference powerhouse Chagrin Falls (24-21) on a last-minute touchdown pass.
The winner advances to face No. 2 St. Vincent-St. Mary (9-1) or No. 7 New Philadelphia (8-2) at a neutral site. The Fighting Irish are a 24-point favorite tonight.
“Obviously, (West Geauga) is 9-1, so they’re a pretty good team,” said Bucks slotback/cornerback Nathan Scott, who will play after missing 2½ games with a hamstring injury. “They have some good skill, some good line, pretty good everything.”
Extremely confident West Geauga is one of the hottest teams in Northeast Ohio and, unlike many teams, plays aggressively and loose with the lead. Albeit with an asterisk, the Wolverines have one common opponent with the Bucks, who handled CVC Chagrin Division member Orange in a scrimmage. West Geauga defeated Orange 35-13 in Week 7.
Personnel-wise, coach Lou Cirino’s team is eerily similar to Buckeye and starts seniors at 17-of-22 positions. Quarterback Cam Searight (680 yards rushing, 1,615 yards passing, 34 combined TDs) has moves on top of moves and loves to throw the deep ball, halfback Joe Daddario (1,227 yards rushing, 13 TDs) has a lightning-quick first step and hits the hole with reckless abandon and 5-foot-6 Julian Edelman-clone Carmen Engoglia (38 catches, 637 yards, 11 TDs) and 6-2 Zach Suba (28, 572, 7) are complementary receivers.
The Wolverines’ spread offense is unique in its frequent use of an H-back. Most of the running plays feature trap-blocking, but West Geauga has thrown in jet sweeps and read-options while averaging 36.9 points and more than 400 yards.
The play-action bomb is a near-guarantee, too, as Searight’s quick-trigger right arm can hit receivers in stride from 55 yards.
Buckeye counters with linebackers Kyle Svagerko (10½ TFL, 6½ sacks), Jaret Yohman (8, 3) and McCullough (team-leading 69 tackles) and a speedy secondary featuring the combination of Nathan Polidori, Scott, Justin Lowry (2 ints., 8 pass breakups), John Garner and hard-hitting All-Ohio free safety Trevor Thome.
“We’ve got to stop them up front,” Garner said. “Our defensive line has to get penetration on the quarterback. He’s shifty, he’s fast, he can move around in the pocket.
“I’m pretty confident in our secondary that we can stop their wide receivers.”
Defensively West Geauga runs a 4-3 and has solid size in the box with all seven players at 200 pounds or heavier. The Wolverines allowed a combined 52 points to playoff teams Chardon and Perry in the regular season, but have shined otherwise using speed and aggression.
Nine starters are seniors, highlighted by outside linebacker Dominic Pavich (5-9, 221). The only non-seniors are junior safety Alec Newton and freshman safety Anthony Albino.
Buckeye’s offense is led by the “Big Three” of Polidori (1,036 yards passing, 16 touchdowns, 624 yards rushing, 8 TDs), Thome (920 yards rushing, 357 yards receiving, 28 TDs) and Scott (469 yards rushing, 64 yards receiving, 9 TDs).
The Bucks, who enter as the highest-scoring team in Medina County history at 43.1 points per game, also have a veteran line of Hunter Gray (6-1, 228), Jalin Brock (6-1, 227), Brad Calta (6-0, 230), Jack Schroeder (6-1, 200) and Bruce Barnby (6-5, 265).
Turnovers or red-zone stops will decide this game because chances for a low final score appear to be very low.
“They’ve got a lot of history over there,” Buckeye coach Mark Pinzone said of West Geauga, which is making its seventh playoff appearance in the last15 years. “They do a lot of things right. It’s not like they have a lot of Division I (college) players over there. They’re well-coached, and they’re sound.”
Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.