High school football playoffs: Wadsworth welcomes Avon in clash of the titans

What is now Art Wright Memorial Stadium originally opened as Grandview Stadium in 1930. The beautiful facility within Wadsworth's Memorial Park obviously has hosted numerous marquee games for Medina County's winningest football program. None can hold a candle to the Division II, Region 6 semifinal that will take place tonight. Defending state champion Avon is the public school juggernaut everyone wants to replicate. The Eagles are incredibly well-coached, talented and deep, haven't lost to an Ohio public school in more than four years and have won 26 of their last 27 games. Second-seeded Wadsworth (11-0) considers it an honor to host third-seeded Avon (10-1) and understands this is its opportunity to join the elite. The Grizzlies are the underdog even with home-field advantage but feel a lot has changed since losing the matchup 41-10 at neutral-site Strongsville last season. "To put our program up against what I consider the premier public school program in the state of Ohio, if you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best," Wadsworth coach Justin Todd said. "It's a tremendous opportunity for our kids. They're super excited, and we're going to do everything within our power to scrape, claw and fight to keep playing together." As the Eagles do seemingly every season, they have reloaded after the graduation of Mr. Football finalist Nolan Good (Kent State), wide receiver Matt Maxey (Kent State) and two-way lineman Jeremiah Kelly (Cincinnati). Avon has no obvious shortcomings, averaging 40.9 points and allowing 11.0. While North Carolina recruit and first-team All-Ohio safety Jakob Weatherspoon will miss a third straight game with an injury, a deep secondary rotation still has Wadsworth's attention. Linebacker Ryan Stolarski (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) is headed to Miami (Ohio), defensive end Lance Dawson (6-5, 250) is committed to Cincinnati, 300-pound tackle Max Hauck has three scholarship offers and quarterback Blake Elder, son of coach Mike Elder, has a surgical playing style reminiscent of former Grizzlies standout Trey Shaffer. The key matchup will be up front, where Avon, which has a 188-23 record over the last 16 seasons, has a clear size advantage. Wadsworth's offensive line averages only 229 pounds and is without All-Gazette guard Gabe Ludtke (knee), but will see all-league selection Colton Leavitt return to H-back after playing right tackle in replacement of fireplug right guard Carter Raymond, who is expected to play after leaving a 34-6 regional quarterfinal win over Toledo St. Francis de Sales with an injury. On the other side of the ball, the Grizzlies are a bit beefier than in recent years but still rely on a rotation of six players to remain fresh. "Man, they're really good," Todd said. "The biggest challenge is their size, strength and length on both sides of the ball up front. Their trenches are just excellent, and that is how they've been able to overcome private schools who get to pick their players. They are Avon kids, and somehow they've figured out a way to grow their kids to be 6-5, 6-4, 270 pounds. We haven't quite mastered that feat yet, but we're working on it." Avon's defense will be the second-biggest challenge for Wadsworth given its depth and complexity. The Eagles use a base 4-3 alignment but rarely line up that way, walking up the linebackers to create five- and six-man fronts — sometimes with one or zero linebackers in the middle of the field — that confuse offenses with zone blitzes, similar to how Ohio State's nation-leading defense operates. Stolarski is the best linebacker Wadsworth has faced to this point by a mile. Dawson is a push-rushing dynamo, cornerback Caden Clapham was second-team all-district and 6-0, 220-pound linebacker Vincent DeTillio brings throwback physicality next to Stolarski, who is an an elite gap-shooter and play-recognizer. "They do a nice job with their creepers and guys who are showing and going," Todd said. "It's been a lot of film study and making sure we slide protection the right way and get a hat on a hat." Wadsworth has the county's most explosive offense, which revolves around an RPO-based attack featuring quarterback Brysen Hall (117-for-180, 2,278 yards, 27 TDs, 2 INTs), Cooper Gray (142 carries, 1,133 yards, 17 TDs), Army recruit Gavin Madigan (104, 1,095, 21) and Air Force pledge Calix Lemp (41 catches, 966 yards, 15 TDs). "They're going to bring five guys, six guys, and when it comes down to big-game football, you put your kids in positions to have one-on-one opportunities, whether that's up front or on the perimeter," Todd said. "We've got to win some one-on-ones and we've got to be sound in our blocking scheme in the run game and the pass game." The Avon offense isn't as high octane as last season — Good is so talented he's played in five games as a true freshman at Kent State — but is difficult to turn over with only four interceptions thrown and four fumbles lost. Five players have scored at least 50 points, including second-team all-district kicker Jensen Petro. Elder is the embodiment of a coach's son. The 6-1, 179-pounder with a smooth, quick release has completed 144-of-210 passes (.686) for 2,381 yards, 28 TDs and three INTs, but built-like-a-man wide receiver Grant Barr (6-0, 196) will be the most important player to stop considering he has 52 catches for 846 yards and 10 scores and owns an offer to eventually join Lemp at Air Force. Michael Colburn (75 carries, 391 yards, 7 TDs) and Quiante Smith (50, 266, 5) are Avon's version of Madigan and Gray, while Finn Jerdonek (35 catches, 531 yards, 7 TDs) is the shifty receiver who excels in the quick game. Wadsworth's defense hasn't been explosive with 52 tackles for loss (14 sacks) and 13 turnovers. Led by Madigan, two-time Suburban League National Conference Defensive Player of the Year Jacob Earnest and Lemp, the Grizzlies instead rely on schematic confusion out of a unique 3-2-6 system that has allowed averages of 11.4 points and 229.9 yards, similar to the Eagles' 11.0 and 201.7. "We've got to be better up front on both sides of the ball," Todd said. "It's an excellent team and excellent program. Schematically, they're not all that different (front last season). What they do is line up in heavy sets and run the ball effectively and throw play-action. "The QB is really, really good in the RPO game. Good represented a challenge last year because he was such an elite runner. Elder can run the ball, but it's not something they make a living on. You can just see he's identifying pre-snap where the depth is and where the leverage is on defense. He's as good as any player we've gone against this year." Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.