Cleveland School High School Top 25 - Glenville Still #1 after Strange Game

Glenville’s 26-22 victory over Wm. T. Dwyer High School from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on ESPN Monday, was a bizarre affair. There were more than 30 penalties, most of them stupid mental mistakes, such as encroachment, false starts, delay of game, running into the kicker, excessive celebration, equipment violations, intentional grounding, etc. I can’t remember ever watching a game with more penalties. The Florida team was playing its first game, which might explain some of it. But it was Glenville’s second game.

For three quarters both offenses looked pathetic, until four touchdowns were scored in the last three minutes of the third quarter, and even that was bizarre. Dwyer hit a 49-yard touchdown pass to Jack Nicklaus’s grandson and when Glenville fumbled on its next offensive play a Dwyer defender picked up a fumble and ran it in. Two touchdowns in five seconds. Glenville’s Shane Wynn returned the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown. Make that three touchdowns in 20 seconds. On Dwyer’s next series, they fumbled and Glenville recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Four touchdowns in two minutes, only one by anybody’s offense.

In the fourth quarter Glenville marched 97 yards to a winning touchdown and Dwyer retaliated with a 79-yard drive that fell an inch or two short of the goal line as time expired.

Actually, four plays earlier Dwyer scored the winning touchdown, but the refs errantly ruled the pass receiver out of bounds. The ESPN replay clearly showed the receiver landing with his knee and shoulder in bounds as he came down with the ball in the end zone. High school rules make no provision for TV replays, however. To further complicate the final seconds, Dwyer ran two quarterback sneaks from the one yard and appeared to score both times, but I can’t say that conclusively because there seemed to be 21 players piled on top of the quarterback. You needed an x-ray machine to find the ball.

The bottom line, however, is that Glenville came out on top, despite critical shortcomings in the kicking game. Long snapping, punting and place kicking will haunt them later in the playoffs. But for now, the Tarblooders are still number one in the Coughlin Top 25.

Glenville still has dazzling speed. It is futile to run wide against them. The Florida team was fast but Glenville was faster. Glenville quarterback Cardale Jones had moments of sheer brilliance. I can’t say that anybody in Ohio can beat them. Glenville begins its Senate schedule next Friday night against Rhodes. The following week the Tarblooders play at Cincinnati Anderson and then they resume the rest of their Senate season. Most of their Senate games will be mismatches that are worse than bad practices. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. I don’t know how coach Ted Ginn keeps them interested over the last six weeks of the regular season.

A couple of other observations. Last Friday I saw Brecksville sophomore quarterback Tom Tupa for just a quarter and that was enough. The kid can drill the ball. You remember his dad, who quarterbacked Brecksville to the 1983 state championship and later played for the Browns and other NFL teams as a punter and emergency quarterback. Obviously, young Tom has big shoes to fill, but he has big feet -- size 14. By the way, he was a starter on the Brecksville basketball team last winter -- as a freshman.

I should point out, however, that Medina won the game, 42-14.

Next, I’m anxious to see Willoughby South’s offense which put up an incredible 57 points on Mayfield.

Now, here’s the top 25.

1. Glenville 2-0 still nationally ranked

2. St. Edward 2-0 a good test Friday at Youngstown Mooney

3. Lake Catholic 2-0 also travels to Youngstown to meet Ursuline

4. Solon 2-0 has a huge one at Mentor Friday

5. Mentor 1-1 Cardinals better brace themselves

6. Maple Heights 2-0 doing it with backup quarterback

7. Walsh 2-0 should coast vs. Bedford which has murderous schedule

8. St. Ignatius 1-1 on the road to Lancaster Friday

9. Willoughby South 2-0 unleashes its scoring machine against Euclid

10. Avon 2-0 the Eagles take their show on the road to Lorain

11. Brunswick 2-0 visits perennially strong Massillon Perry

12. Twinsburg 2-0 has a big one at home vs. Aurora

13. North Royalton 1-1 at Highland Friday

14. Padua 2-0 another tough test at Strongsville

15. Shaw 0-2 after two narrow losses Cards will try to bounce back at Cleveland Hts.

16. Amherst 2-0 at Vermilion

17. Akron Hoban 1-1 at Boardman

18. Akron Buchtel 1-1 neighborhood rivalry at SVSM

19. Mayfield 1-1 it doesn’t get easier at Olmsted Falls

20. Aurora 2-0 major test Friday at Twinsburg

21. Avon Lake 1-1 one of those soft Canadian teams next

22. Euclid 1-1 Panthers better look out. Willoughby South is next

23. Medina 2-0 at Wadsworth Friday

24. Kent Roosevelt 2-0 home to improving Firestone

25. Elyria Catholic 2-0 at Elyria in the TV game Thursday. First time ever that they’ve played each other.
This article reprinted from CoughlinUnplugged.com, through a partnership between Dan Coughlin and The Cleveland Leader. To read more of his writing, visit his website.