Massillon grounds it out in second half Chris Easterling Chris.Easterling@IndeOnline.com Updated: Sunday, November 15, 2009

Jake Reiman and the rest of the Massillon offense knew exactly what the plan of attack was going to be coming out of the locker room after halftime in the Tigers' 10-7 Division I regional semifinal win over Twinsburg on Saturday night. The coaches left no doubt when they went up to the offensive personnel during the intermission.

"They came right up to us and said we were coming out in Orange formation - our running formation - and we were going to pound it down their throat," said Reiman, who rushed for a career high 125 yards on 26 carries in the game. "That's what we did."

While the record will show that Jeremy Geier's 40-yard field goal was the deciding points in Massillon's 10-7 win over Twinsburg at Fawcett Stadium, there is no doubting the impact the Tigers' shift in offensive attack had on determining the game. After running the ball just 12 times in the first half for 52 yards, the Tigers pounded it at Twinsburg 22 times in the second half for 88 yards.

Reiman was the one who earned most of those carries. He had 78 second-half yards on 19 carries.

"I still couldn't have done it without my blockers," Reiman said. "That's all it took. Them blocking, the fullback blocking. I just couldn't have done it without them."

A big reason for the Tigers' success against Twinsburg was their size advantage up front. Most of Twinsburg's defenders were in the 210- to 220-pound range, compared to Massillon's sizable offensive line.

So Massillon came out in an unbalanced line, flipping left tackle Brandon Pedro over to the other side of the line next to right tackle Averill Draper. That size mismatch helped Massillon blow open some holes, even in the first half, when the Tigers averaged 4.3 yards a carry.

"We were running the ball all over them in the first half, but we just had a couple of turnovers," Tiger offensive guard Jeff Myers said. "So we came out and were like, we're going to run the ball in the second half. We got in that unbalanced set. I looked to my right and told (Draper), 'Let's go baby.' We were just driving that guy off the ball and making room."

In the third quarter alone, the Tigers - Reiman specifically - ran it 11 times for 55 yards. That compared to just three passes in the quarter, after throwing it 10 times in the second quarter with just five rushing plays.

"Part of it's us keep getting these umbrella coverages," Tiger coach Jason Hall said. "We just kept focused at it. If we need to run the ball, we're going to line up unbalanced and run the ball. I thought, personally, after we did it a little bit in the first half that we were a pretty physical team to them. ... I thought our kids really controlled the line of scrimmage when we got in that set.

"We're the type of team that we're going to stretch the field six-to-eight times a game. It is what it is; it's a Mount Union philosophy. That's what we do, but at the same time, today was about saying, when we want to run the ball, we're going to run the ball."

Twinsburg hopes this week they get to add to their growing playoff history once again, this

time with a win over the Massillon Tigers.

Chris Easterling - Chris.Easterling@IndeOnline.com

Updated: Thursday, November 12, 2009 As a football program, Twinsburg's playoff history is relatively limited in scope. The Tigers are in just their sixth playoff appearance in the school's history, and have never been past the second weekend of the postseason in any of the previous five trips. But there's something different about this trip to the playoffs, which continues Saturday night at Fawcett Stadium in a Division I regional semifinal against Massillon. The biggest is the expectations which Twinsburg brings into the playoffs, expectations that come from almost 20 returning starters back from a team which made it to the second round of the postseason a year ago. No longer are the Tigers just happy to be in the playoffs. No, they want more, much more than that our of their excursion into November football. "Our goal since last January was to do everything possible in terms of preparation in order to contend for a regional championship," Twinsburg coach Mark Solis said this week. "That's been our goal since January 4 of this past year. Everything that we've done has been pointed towards winning our region." That starts on the defensive side of the football. Twinsburg is giving up just under nine points a game, and less than 182 yards to the opposition. Eight times in 11 games, the Tigers have held their opponents to single digits. Only once have they given up more than 14 points in a game, that coming in their only loss of the season, a 21-14 setback to Aurora in Week Three. Last week against Brunswick in a 21-14 first-round win, the Tigers limited the Blue Devils to just over 60 yards and one first down in the second half. A big reason for the success of that defense has been its experience. Seven of the Tigers' top 10 tacklers from a year ago return, including their top three - linebackers Joe Kerrigan and Devon Sanders, along with safety Darius Washington - who are their top three tacklers this season as well. "As juniors last year, these guys played very well," Solis said. "They held Hoover to 13 points in a second-round playoff game, even though we lost. Nine of those 11 kids are back this year. They are by far, without a doubt, the backbone of our football team. They have defined our success. "They're not the biggest group in the world, but they're very, very well-coached. They play fast; they play physical; they're athletic; and they play together. Because of that, it's the catalyst of our football team. ... We go as they go." Twinsburg's defense is a 4-2-5 look which defensive coordinator Joe Schiavone, a former Mount Union teammate of Massillon head coach Jason Hall, picked up in talks with current Purple Raider defensive coordinator Vince Kehres. "The 4-2-5, I think Joe would tell you, allows you to be very flexible," Solis said. "It allows you, with the nuances of all these spread offenses and different types of spreads, to be very flexible and line up right against all the different spread offenses that you see. At the same time, if we have to, teams that want to just line it up and run it right at us, we can get into sets like that as well. It really allows us to get a lot of really good athletes on the football field." The Tigers like to get "a lot of really good athletes" on the field on offense as well. And much like their defense, their offense is such that it permits them to do just that. Twinsburg is a spread offense, one similar to what Massillon saw from Mentor in Week Nine. The difference is the athletes which the Tigers are putting in their spread, starting with 960-yard rusher Dion Johnson. Beyond Johnson, Twinsburg quarterback Andrew Collier will look to get the ball to a number of receivers, including Nick Nero, Waquiem Comar, Joe Hiller, Doug Talentino and Brandon Francisco.

"We kind of have this ideology that we call 'spread the wealth,'" Solis said. "We want to spread the ball and get the ball into the hands of as many playmakers as we can because that means if we can do that, that means there's a lot of guys they have to account for. The more guys they have to account for, the more chances we think we have to have better success on offense." Solis admits his team is coming off one of its worst offensive performances of the season in last week's win over Brunswick. Twinsburg finished the game with just over 300 yards of offense, but 74 of those came on its go-ahead touchdown pass from Collier to Talentino late in the fourth quarter. "We didn't play that well last week offensively," Solis said. "We were not good. We still managed to put some points on the board. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one way for us to go, offensively, and that's up. We did not play well at all." If there has been an Achilles' heel for Twinsburg, it has been turnovers. The Tigers have given the ball up 16 times this season, including seven in their loss to Aurora and another three in last week's win over Brunswick. "The key for us has been, when we haven't played well on offense, it's been because we haven't done a good job of securing the football," Solis said. "Last week in the first half, we had three interceptions, but we were still able to come out and win the football game. In our only loss to Aurora, we had seven turnovers. "When we secure the football and play our game, we're pretty good offensively. If we don't do that, we're awful, we're just awful. We'll see this week." PD Football Playoff Preview Check out what the Plain Dealer has to say about this weeks playoff match-ups. Click HERE

Fresh legs key for Massillon, Twinsburg

Chris Easterling: Chris.Easterling@IndeOnline.com Updated: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 Two-platoon football has been the norm this season for the Tigers - be it the Massillon Tigers or the Twinsburg Tigers. The two teams, which will meet Saturday evening at Fawcett Stadium in a Division I regional semifinal, have made it a habit of playing only a few specific players on both sides of the ball. The result has been a pair of football teams that are more fresh as they each enter Week 12 of their seasons. Massillon's list of two-way players is a relatively short one - Bo Grunder at free safety and receiver, Jeff Myers and Brian Robinson, for the most part, on both lines. The same holds true for Twinsburg, which will have Joe Hiller play safety and receiver, while Brandon Bucknell and Matt Fechko will see time on both lines. "We're a Division I high school, and when you play Division I high school football in Ohio, you have to have as many kids going one way as you possibly can," Twinsburg coach Mark Solis said this week. "We have a lot of boys in our school. I've sold that to our younger classes, and it's why our numbers are up. We dress 90 for grades 10 through 12, because our kids know they're going to have a chance to play." But it's not just about getting a chance to get on the field. It's also a chance to get players off the field as well. The payoff, both Solis and Massillon head coach Jason Hall hope, comes over the final 12 to 15 minutes of the game. "We want fresh legs," Solis said. "What we have found, and what we believe, is you keep having kids play

with high motors, and they're able to play with high motors when they have fresh legs. Your hope is, by toward the end of the third quarter and into the fourth, those other guys are tired. "When they're tired, you can get off blocks and then your linebackers can go and make plays. Your offensive line can get more of what we call a vertical push." The payoff doesn't just limit itself to during the games, either. It can help make for a more efficient practice, since more time can be devoted to one side or the other since many players aren't having to jump between offensive and defensive drills, especially on days when a practice is specifically oriented to one side of the ball or the other. In Massillon's case, for instance, it's especially beneficial to helping with the timing on offense, with most of its skill players - Grunder the exception - seeing little to no time on defense. "A lot of those guys are still backups on offense or defense," Hall said. "Rob (Partridge), Devin (Smith) and 'O' (Justin Olack) and (Tyler) Allman, a lot of these guys, are just over there working on specific stuff in their game plan on offense. They really aren't doing much stuff on defense." There are challenges inherent in playing only a few players on both sides of the ball. The biggest one is making sure those select two-way players aren't being overused. "It takes a lot of discipline," Hall said. "It takes getting into a rotation ahead of time. You know that every third series, he's getting a break. Bo, no matter where we're at, is our third-down slot. We have little things that dictate when they're going to play and when they're not going to play." What adds to the challenge is when the player isn't just a key performer on both sides of the ball, but also on special teams. Both teams have a situation like that with Grunder and Hiller. Grunder has 27 catches for Massillon, along with over 70 solo tackles, 20 punt returns and 13 kickoff returns. Hiller, meanwhile, is second on Twinsburg's team with 61 rushing attempts, along with almost 50 tackles and seven punt returns. "That comes back to that situation of us having to keep him fresh and using him smart on offense," Hall said, referring to Grunder. "Number one, we definitely need him on defense. Number two, he's our punt returner, kickoff returner. He has a lot of time on the field." In last week's first-round win over Hoover, Hall's use of Grunder paid off handsomely as the senior recorded 15 solo tackles, nine assisted stops, had a key 18-yard punt return to set up Massillon's first touchdown, as well as four catches for 51 yards. All four of Grunder's catches came either on third or fourth down to pick up the first down. It was a far cry from the previous week against McKinley, where Hall admits he didn't do a good job of limiting Grunder's snaps in order to keep him fresh. "I look back two weeks ago, and I kind of misused him early and wore him out in that McKinley game," Hall said. "It kind of took me back to how we need to use Bo Grunder. I thought we did a good job of keeping him fresh for the whole football game. I'm kind of learning as a coach every week." Twinsburg coach has been watching Massillon team for a while In fact, the Twinsburg head football coach has been planning to play Massillon in playoffs for weeks, if not months, now. Solis was amid the many souls outside Byers Field more than a month ago looking to buy a ticket to watch Massillon play St. Ignatius. Solis wasn't there as a fan. He was working.

Tigers to Play Massillon @ Fawcett Stadium

The Tigers will play their Regional Semi-Final Game at Canton's Fawcett Stadium. Game time is set for

7:00pm. Unexpected Hero helps Twinsburg slip past Brunswick Plain Dealer staff, November 06, 2009 2:38 a.m.

Todd Stumpf, Special to The Plain Dealer, November 07, 2009 11:24 p.m.

Line up the guys on Twinsburg's offense who might beat a team on a given night and Doug Talentino's name isn't going to be high on anyone's list. Now, thanks to the little-used tight end, the Tigers are headed to the second round of the Division I playoffs.

Talentino's 74-yard catch-and-run touchdown reception with 4:08 left Saturday night completed a 21-14 comeback victory over Brunswick and lifted Twinsburg (10-1) into a regional semifinal against Massillon next Saturday.

"That wouldn't be the guy," said Brunswick coach Rich Nowak, whose injury-riddled team finished 7-4.

"There would be a lot of guys standing in front of him. He made a great play on that. Our guys were knocking into each other on that play. It's unbelievable. It's four minutes left in the game, we get a stop, maybe go into overtime."

Even Twinsburg coach Mark Solis said he was looking toward overtime before Talentino struck. Sitting in a third-and-11 from their own 26, the Tigers were simply looking to do something safe.

Lining up on the left side, Talentino ran a drag route across the field. Depending on who you believe, the 6-3, 210-pound senior was either the first option on the play, or the third.

"That play's for me," Talentino said confidently, moments before Solis insisted the tight end was the third choice for quarterback Andrew Collier.

Either way, it worked. Thanks in part to two Brunswick linebackers running into each other to help spring Talentino, and the tight end's steamroll of outmatched Brunswick defensive back Jeremy Salmonski.

Talentino already had a good head of steam when Salmonski, the last Blue Devil between receiver and goal line, tried to stop him.

"I thought he was going to go for my ankles, but he didn't, so I decided to run him over," Talentino said. "I've always wanted to do that."

The touchdown was Twinsburg's second of the fourth quarter. A short drive earlier in the period, capped by Joe Hiller's 6-yard run, tied the game at14.

The teams were preseason form in a sloppy first half that ended with Brunswick leading, 14-7.

A 28-yard TD pass from Pat Felton to Jared Kaderbek on a fourth-and-14 play gave Brunswick an early 7-0 lead. Twinsburg tied the score on Dion Johnson's 2-yard run midway through the second quarter.

Moments later, Felton hit Lorenzo Pace on a 59-yard touchdown to put Brunswick back on top.

"We played absolutely awful in the first half," Solis said. "I made a mistake going for it on fourth down. Twice. You get a little deeper in the playoffs, you can't make those kinds of decisions."

Twinsburg's defense put the clamps on in the second half, allowing just 62 yards. Though the Tigers struggled offensively, they did enough to tie the game before getting the huge play from the unlikely suspect.

"We've got a whole bunch of speed on the outside, so sometimes the slow kid gets overlooked," Talentino said. "That's just what happened."

Todd Stumpf is a free-lance writer in Rittman

Tigers shut down Stow, clinch playoff berth by Dean Raymond - Correspondent - Twinsburg Bulletin Twinsburg -- High school football coaches love to talk about how any team can beat any other team in any given game. Sometimes, however, a game goes the way its supposed to according to the teams' records. Such was the case Oct. 22 when a one-win Stow-Munroe Falls squad ran into a one-loss Twinsburg squad at Tiger Stadium. Stow-Munroe Falls managed only five first downs the entire game and lost 38-0 Oct. 22 to Twinsburg in a Northeast Ohio Conference River Division game. The victory was enough to ensure the Tigers will be playing postseason football for the second straight year. After leading 14-0 at halftime, Tiger head coach Mark Solis said his team turned on the afterburners after halftime. "We made some adjustments at the half," Solis said. "We changed some plays up and we did a good job executing. [Aaron] Macer made some nice plays for us in the second half."

Meanwhile, Bulldogs head coach Marty Tinkler gave a lot of credit to Twinsburg.

"They are one of the best teams in the area and they show it week in and week out," Tinkler said. "We had some opportunities early in the game and we fought to the bitter end." Neither team could no much offensively early in the contest before the Tigers (8-1, 4-0) scored a touchdown on the last play of the first quarter.

Starting at their own 44-yard line with 3:57 remaining in the first period, Twinsburg reached the Stow 36. On thiird and 6, senior quarterback Andrew Collier passed to senior wide receiver Waquiem Comar down the right sideline for 23 yards to the Bulldog (1-8, 1-3) 13-yard line.

On first and Goal at the Stow 2 after a Bulldog penalty, senior running back Joe Hiller raced right up the middle for a touchdown and a 6-0 Tiger lead with no time left on the first quarter clock. Junior placekicker Jacob Russell kicked the extra point and Twinsburg had a 7-0 advantage.

Stow reached the Tiger 44 on its next drive but had to punt. A 49-yard pass from Collier to senior wide receiver Nicholas Nero put Twinsburg at the Bulldog 21-yard line.

Senior running back Dion Johnson then scampered around left guard to the Stow two-yard line and, on the next play, went off left guard again for a Tiger touchdown. Russell again booted the PAT and Twinsburg led 14-0 with 8:28 left in the second period. Twinsburg had a chance to score again before halftime as the Tigers had the ball third and goal at the Bulldog 2-yard line. However, Collier could gain only one yard up the middle on the next play as time expired in the second quarter.

A good kickoff return from Comar put Twinsburg at its 41-yard line to start the third period.

A 31-yard pass from Collier to senior tight end Doug Talentino and a 25-yard pass from Collier to Johnson put the Tigers at the Stow 11-yard line. On the next play, Collier connected with Doug Talentino for a touchdown in the middle of the end zone as Twinsburg led 20-0 with 9:11 to go in the third quarter. The extra point was good again from Russell and the Tigers had a 21-0 advantage.

Sophomore defensive back Michael Waggoner recovered a fumble for Stow at the Twinsburg 47 with 7:44 remaining in the third period, but on 4th and 4 from the Tiger 29 a pass from junior quarterback Duane Mitchell fell incomplete.

Twinsburg then went 71 yards in 10 plays and led 28-0 as Macer raced around left tackle from the Bulldog 5-yard line for another Tiger touchdown. The key plays in the 3:47 drive were a 12-yard run from Hiller on 4th and 2 from the Twinsburg 37 and an 18-yard scamper by Macer to the Stow 17. The PAT was successful by Russell with 0:56 left in the third period.

The Bulldogs went four plays and out on their next drive as the Tigers had the ball 1st and 10 at their own 34-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

On the first play of their next drive, Macer lined up in the Wildcat formation at quarterback and sped down the right sideline for a 66-yard touchdown run. Russell booted the extra point as Twinsburg led 35-0 with 11:38 remaining in the fourth period. With sophomore Zachary Buckeye at quarterback for the Tigers midway through the fourth quarter, Twinsburg took advantage of a 39-yard run from Macer down the left sideline on 2nd and 15 from the Stow 47 as Russell kicked a 17-yard field goal on 4th and Goal from the Bulldog one-yard line for a 38-0 Tiger lead with 4:48 left in the game.

On senior night, Collier ended up 14-of-22 for 245 yards and one touchdown pass for the Tigers with no interceptions.

E-mail: stowsports@recordpub.com Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3113

Twinsburg Football Playoffs-2009

Twinsburg Football Playoff apparel is available to be purchased. Items include regular T-shirts($10), long sleeve T-Shirts($15) and Russell Athletic Hoodies($25). If you are interested in purchasing any apparel, you can place an order with Coach Solis. All of the apparel is Oxford Gray. Playoff apparel will be ready on Monday, Nov. 2nd. Orders need to placed by Thursday, October 29th. Money for apparel will be due Monday, Nov. 2nd. Checks can made out to "Twinsburg Football". The design seen below is what will be

on the front of apparel. Any questions see Coach Solis.

Twinsburg routs Stow, 38-0: High school roundup

Plain Dealer staff reports , October 23, 2009 4:05 a.m. The dynamic duo of junior Aaron Macer and senior Andrew Collier left nothing to chance as they paced Twinsburg to a solid 38-0 win against visiting Stow on Thursday night in a Northeast Ohio Conference River Division contest. The Tigers (8-1, 4-0), ranked No. 7 in the Plain Dealer's Top 25, put this one out of reach in the second half as Macer scored on runs of 5 and 66 yards. He finished with 135 yards on five carries. Collier was just as effective as he passed for 245 yards and one score, completing 14 of his 22 attempts. The Tigers also got 76 yards and a touchdown run from senior Dion Johnson. Twinsburg outgained the Bulldogs (1-8, 1-3), 516 yards to 97.

Twinsburg slogs to vital win in Hudson

by Rob Barrone - Correspondent - Twinsburg Bulletin Hudson -- It didn't take long this football season to figure out that the Northeast Ohio Conference River Division would come down to Twinsburg vs. Hudson.

For two straight weeks the Explorers had slopped and sloshed their way to victories in the mud, edging Stow 14-7 and Elyria 10-0 in a pair of mud bowls. Meanwhile, Twinsburg had raced past Lakewood 53-13 and Cuyahoga Falls 45-7 at the FieldTurf-lined Tiger Stadium. When the two teams met up Oct. 16 in the rain on a muddy Dante Lavelli Field, it took the Tigers some time to adjust. Trailing 7-0 at halftime, Twinsburg found their legs in the second half and rallied for a 14-7 win. The victory puts the Tigers in the drivers seat in the River Division as Twinsburg improved to 7-1, 3-0 in the Division. Hudson fell to 6-2, 2-1 in the division. "If we had a drier track we probably would have thrown the football a little more but what are you going to do," Twinsburg coach Mark Solis said of the wet conditions. "[The Explorers] had to deal with it [too]. Their kids played tough. It's unfortunate that somebody has to lose." Hudson marched 73 yards in 17 plays on the game's opening possession. Hudson ate 9:31 off the clock with a methodical march on plays mostly between the tackles. Piekarski (a game high 81 yards rushing on 16 carries) got the call and the first down on a two-yard gain over left tackle. On third-and-five from the 15-yard line, Hudson quarterback Richie Piekarski finished off the drive. The 6-3, 205 senior raced through the center of the Tigers defense just breaking the plane of the goal line for his tenth touchdown of the season. Mike Ulmer added the extra point and Hudson led 7-0 with just 2:29 left in the first quarter. "That was text book," Hudson coach Tom Narducci said of the drive. "We had a number of critical conversions on that drive. That's exactly what you want to do against this team -- keep the ball away from them." The Tigers tried to answer, but a 10-play possession stall in Hudson territory the Tigers punted and would only have three more plays the rest of the half. The first half had Hudson with 26 plays for 67 yards and the Tigers; 13 touches for 28 yards.

"We weren't playing Twinsburg Tiger football in the first half," Solis said. "Ron Wright, [Hudson's] defensive coordinator, had a great game plan. The beautiful thing about football is you get 20 minutes to adjust. We did a great job at halftime of making some adjustments." Those adjustments earned Twinsburg a 154-57 advantage in total yards after halftime. Twinsburg's first drive of the second half stalled, but punter Frank Dufour's 36-yard boot was downed in the muck at the Hudson 2-yard line. Twinsburg's defense forced a three-and-out and Twinsburg's Waquiem Comar returned the punt to the Hudson 35-yard line. Nick Nero picked up 22 yards to the Explorers' eight-yard line on a fourth-and-five reverse to keep the threat alive. On fourth-and-goal from Explorer 4-yard line, Twinsburg quarterback Andrew Collier rolled right and hit Comar at the two-yard line. The senior fought his way into the end zone. Jake Russell's PAT knotted the score at 7-7 with 36.2 seconds left in the third period. Solis emptied his bag of tricks during the drive. Solis called for a reverse and jump pass from the Wildcat formation, as well as two time outs on the way to the touchdown. Hudson tried to answer as a Piekarski pass to Gabe Adams went for 14 yards on third and 12.

However, on the next play, Piekarski plowed ahead for nine yards, but the ball came loose at the end of the play. Tiger linebacker Joe Kerrigan pounced on the loose ball at Explorers' 45-yard line. The Tigers went to work on a game-winning fourth quarter drive as Collier picked up two big third down conversions moving the sticks on sneaks up the middle. On the eighth play of the possession, Twinsburg took the lead for the first time. Johnson took a counter over left tackle and raced through the Hudson defense for a 15-yard touchdown with 6:47 left in the game. The Explorers got to the Tigers' 49 on an 11-yard run by Piekarski on Hudson's ensuing possession. Two plays later Piekarski was flushed out of the pocket and his long pass attempt along the right sideline was picked off by Aaron Macer with 4:42 left. The Tigers converted twice on third and short to run off all but nine seconds and secure the win. The Tigers will host the Bulldogs Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Ohio. Twinsburg enters Week 9 ranked second in the Division I, Region 2 computer playoff rankings with 19.6 points, trailing only Toledo Whitmer. The top eight teams in each region make the playoffs. E-mail: stowsports@recordpub.com Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3113

Playoff History Added THS's playoff history is now part of the website. Click the link on the left. Right now, the scores of the games may be incorrect. If you are an alumni who played on those teams or you do know the actual score of the games, please send an e-mail here . Thanks to those alumni who suggested the page be added to the website.

The Tigers host Stow this Thursday @ 7:00pm at Tiger Stadium. The game will also be broadcasted on Fox Sports Ohio.

Tigers pounce in second half

By Jim Isabella - special to the Beacon Journal

Published on Saturday, Oct 17, 2009

HUDSON : Mark Solis knew this was a special game. So the Twinsburg coach used all of his special plays in a special situation.

The resulting late third-quarter touchdown coupled with a key Hudson turnover in the fourth quarter led the Tigers to a 14-7 win over the Explorers in a game both teams considered to be the championship game of the River Division of the Northeast Ohio Conference at Dante Lavelli Field.

The Tigers are 7-1 overall and 3-0 in the division, and the Explorers fall to 6-2 and 2-1 in the division. The game also had huge playoffs implications in Division I, Region 2, as Twinsburg came in at No. 4 and Hudson was eighth. The top eight teams in each region qualify for the postseason.

Trailing 7-0 at halftime, Solis felt the urgency to use everything to score when the opportunity came in the third quarter after an exchange of punts gave Twinsburg the ball at the Hudson 35-yard line. It took eight plays, a little chicanery and the final two timeouts for Twinsburg to tie the game at 7-7 with 36 seconds left in the third quarter. The touchdown came on a rollout pass by Tigers quarterback Andrew Collier to Waquiem Comar from four yards out on a fourth-and-goal.

''I did not want to use our timeouts, but we had to score at that point. We used all of our special plays on our play sheet we had for this game,'' Solis said. ''Their defensive coordinator, Ron Wright, had a great game plan. They knew our tenacities and formations.''

One of the key plays was a double reverse handoff to Nick Nero that picked up 22 yards on fourth-and-five to set up a first-and-goal at the Hudson 8.

With the score tied 7-7, the Tigers got the biggest break of the night as Twinsburg linebacker Joe Kerrigan recovered a fumble by Hudson quarterback Richie Piekarski at the Hudson 45 with 10:53 remaining in regulation.

Primarily using counter plays to the left side of the offensive line and two quarterback sneaks, the Tigers took eight plays to find the end zone on Dion Johnson's 15 yards, and Jacob Russell's extra-point kick put Twinsburg on top for the first time, 14-7, with 6:47 left in the fourth quarter.

Piekarski, who was virtually all the offense Hudson could muster on the muddy track, tried to bring his team back. When the senior was flushed out of the pocket, he tried to complete a jump ball pass to his best receiver, Gabe Adams, but Twinsburg defensive back Aaron Macer came up with the interception at the Twinsburg 30 with 4:42 left in the game.

The Tigers' running game picked up two first downs, one on an offside penalty in short yardage by Hudson, and killed all but nine seconds of the clock.

''The key for us was getting that fumble and then drawing them offside. We had a play called if they didn't bite on it, but we felt we could draw them offside,'' Solis said.

Hudson had gone into halftime having accomplished its major goal - keeping the explosive Twinsburg offense off the field. The Explorers did it with a text-book opening drive that covered 73 yards on 17 carries and taking 12:31 off the clock. It was capped with the lone Explorer touchdown, a 15-yard run by Piekarski. At the half, Hudson had 67 yards in offense and Twinsburg, just 28.

''We did not exactly yell at our players, but they weren't playing Tiger football,'' Solis said.

That included trick plays and better execution.

Twinsburg holds off Hudson, tightens grip on title, playoffs

Tim Rogers, The Plain Dealer, October 17, 2009 1:25 a.m. It was Think Pink Night at Hudson on Friday. Twinsburg was thinking championship. The Tigers came up with two second-half turnovers and went on to defeat host Hudson, 14-7, in a game that will probably give the Tigers the Northeast Ohio River Division championship and a home game in the first round of the playoffs. Twinsburg (7-1, 3-0) overcame a sloppy first half on a sloppy night to spoil Hudson's (6-2, 2-1) upset bid. "We just didn't play Twinsburg Tiger football in the first half," said head coach Mark Solis, whose team will gain ground in the Division I, Region 2 computer standings. "We made some uncharacteristic mistakes that we haven't been making. The beautiful thing about football is you get 20 minutes [at halftime] to adjust and we made some adjustments. And, we executed." opened the game with a picture-perfect drive, going 73 yards in 17 plays behind quarterback Richie Piekarski. The Explorers kept the ball for almost 10 minutes before the talented Piekarski finished off the drive by dashing the final 15 yards and Mike Ulmer added the extra point. That was about it for the Explorers' offense, which ran just 23 plays over the final three quarters. "On a night like this you kind of hoped you would maybe be able to hang on to a 7-0 lead," said Hudson coach Tom Narducci, who wore a pink hat on Breast Cancer Awareness Night at Lavelli Stadium. "But we couldn't get the job done." Twinsburg dominated field position for the entire second half, tying the game on a 5-yard pass from Andrew Collier to Waquiem Comar on a fourth-and-goal play and the subsequent point-after by Jake Russell. "We felt we had to get some points out of that possession," said Solis, who used back-to-back timeouts to get things straight. Senior Nick Nero made two big plays in the drive, hauling in a 10-yard pass and then picking up a first down with a 22-yard gain on a reverse on another fourth-down play. The biggest game of the play came on Hudson's next possession. Piekarski completed a 15-yard pass to Gabe Adams to get some momentum going and picked up another first down with a nine-yard gain. He lost the ball as he was being tackled, however, and it was recovered by senior Joe Kerrigan at the Hudson 45. The Tigers did not waste the turnover. Pounding away at the Hudson line with Dion Johnson and Joe Hiller, the Tigers scored in eight plays, with Johnson going the final 15. The defense then took over as junior Aaron Macer intercepted a long pass with 4:42 left and held onto the ball until just nine seconds remained. Neither team was able to move the ball through the air, so they stuck to the ground. Piekarski rushed for 81 yards on 16 carries, while completing two of just seven passes.

Twinsburg slogs to vital win in Hudson by Rob Barrone – Correspondent – Twinsburg Bulletin

Hudson -- It didn't take long this football season to figure out that the Northeast Ohio Conference River Division would come down to Twinsburg vs. Hudson.

For two straight weeks the Explorers had slopped and sloshed their way to victories in the mud, edging Stow 14-7 and Elyria 10-0 in a pair of mud bowls.

Meanwhile, Twinsburg had raced past Lakewood 53-13 and Cuyahoga Falls 45-7 at the FieldTurf-lined Tiger Stadium.

When the two teams met up Oct. 16 in the rain on a muddy Dante Lavelli Field, it took the Tigers some time to adjust.

Trailing 7-0 at halftime, Twinsburg found their legs in the second half and rallied for a 14-7 win.

The victory puts the Tigers in the drivers seat in the River Division as Twinsburg improved to 7-1, 3-0 in the Division. Hudson fell to 6-2, 2-1 in the division.

"If we had a drier track we probably would have thrown the football a little more but what are you going to do," Twinsburg coach Mark Solis said of the wet conditions. "[The Explorers] had to deal with it [too]. Their kids played tough. It's unfortunate that somebody has to lose."

Hudson marched 73 yards in 17 plays on the game's opening possession. Hudson ate 9:31 off the clock with a methodical march on plays mostly between the tackles.

Piekarski (a game high 81 yards rushing on 16 carries) got the call and the first down on a two-yard gain over left tackle.

On third-and-five from the 15-yard line, Hudson quarterback Richie Piekarski finished off the drive. The 6-3, 205 senior raced through the center of the Tigers defense just breaking the plane of the goal line for his tenth touchdown of the season. Mike Ulmer added the extra point and Hudson led 7-0 with just 2:29 left in the first quarter.

"That was text book," Hudson coach Tom Narducci said of the drive. "We had a number of critical conversions on that drive. That's exactly what you want to do against this team -- keep the ball away from them."

The Tigers tried to answer, but a 10-play possession stall in Hudson territory the Tigers punted and would only have three more plays the rest of the half.

The first half had Hudson with 26 plays for 67 yards and the Tigers; 13 touches for 28 yards.

"We weren't playing Twinsburg Tiger football in the first half," Solis said. "Ron Wright, [Hudson's] defensive coordinator, had a great game plan. The beautiful thing about football is you get 20 minutes to adjust. We did a great job at halftime of making some adjustments."

Those adjustments earned Twinsburg a 154-57 advantage in total yards after halftime.

Twinsburg's first drive of the second half stalled, but punter Frank Dufour's 36-yard boot was downed in the muck at the Hudson 2-yard line.

Twinsburg's defense forced a three-and-out and Twinsburg's Waquiem Comar returned the punt to the Hudson 35-yard line.

Nick Nero picked up 22 yards to the Explorers' eight-yard line on a fourth-and-five reverse to keep the threat alive.

On fourth-and-goal from Explorer 4-yard line, Twinsburg quarterback Andrew Collier rolled right and hit Comar at the two-yard line. The senior fought his way into the end zone. Jake Russell's PAT knotted the score at 7-7 with 36.2 seconds left in the third period.

Solis emptied his bag of tricks during the drive. Solis called for a reverse and jump pass from the Wildcat formation, as well as two time outs on the way to the touchdown.

Hudson tried to answer as a Piekarski pass to Gabe Adams went for 14 yards on third and 12.

However, on the next play, Piekarski plowed ahead for nine yards, but the ball came loose at the end of the play. Tiger linebacker Joe Kerrigan pounced on the loose ball at Explorers' 45-yard line.

The Tigers went to work on a game-winning fourth quarter drive as Collier picked up two big third down conversions moving the sticks on sneaks up the middle.

On the eighth play of the possession, Twinsburg took the lead for the first time. Johnson took a counter over left tackle and raced through the Hudson defense for a 15-yard touchdown with 6:47 left in the game.

The Explorers got to the Tigers' 49 on an 11-yard run by Piekarski on Hudson's ensuing possession. Two plays later Piekarski was flushed out of the pocket and his long pass attempt along the right sideline was picked off by Aaron Macer with 4:42 left.

The Tigers converted twice on third and short to run off all but nine seconds and secure the win.

The Tigers will host the Bulldogs Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Ohio.

Twinsburg enters Week 9 ranked second in the Division I, Region 2 computer playoff rankings with 19.6 points, trailing only Toledo Whitmer. The top eight teams in each region make the playoffs.

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Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3113

Playoff History Added THS's playoff history is now part of the website. Click the link on the left. Right now, the scores of the games may be incorrect. If you are an alumni who played on those teams or you do know the actual score of the games, please send an e-mail here. Thanks to those alumni who suggested the page be added to the website. The Tigers host Stow this Thursday @ 7:00pm at Tiger Stadium. The game will also be broadcasted on Fox Sports Ohio.

Tigers pounce in second half

By Jim Isabella - special to the Beacon Journal

Published on Saturday, Oct 17, 2009

HUDSON : Mark Solis knew this was a special game. So the Twinsburg coach used all of his special plays in a special situation.

The resulting late third-quarter touchdown coupled with a key Hudson turnover in the fourth quarter led the Tigers to a 14-7 win over the Explorers in a game both teams considered to be the championship game of the River Division of the Northeast Ohio Conference at Dante Lavelli Field.

The Tigers are 7-1 overall and 3-0 in the division, and the Explorers fall to 6-2 and 2-1 in the division. The game also had huge playoffs implications in Division I, Region 2, as Twinsburg came in at No. 4 and Hudson was eighth. The top eight teams in each region qualify for the postseason.

Trailing 7-0 at halftime, Solis felt the urgency to use everything to score when the opportunity came in the third quarter after an exchange of punts gave Twinsburg the ball at the Hudson 35-yard line. It took eight plays, a little chicanery and the final two timeouts for Twinsburg to tie the game at 7-7 with 36 seconds left in the third quarter. The touchdown came on a rollout pass by Tigers quarterback Andrew Collier to Waquiem Comar from four yards out on a fourth-and-goal.

''I did not want to use our timeouts, but we had to score at that point. We used all of our special plays on our play sheet we had for this game,'' Solis said. ''Their defensive coordinator, Ron Wright, had a great game plan. They knew our tenacities and formations.''

One of the key plays was a double reverse handoff to Nick Nero that picked up 22 yards on fourth-and-five to set up a first-and-goal at the Hudson 8.

With the score tied 7-7, the Tigers got the biggest break of the night as Twinsburg linebacker Joe Kerrigan recovered a fumble by Hudson quarterback Richie Piekarski at the Hudson 45 with 10:53 remaining in regulation.

Primarily using counter plays to the left side of the offensive line and two quarterback sneaks, the Tigers took eight plays to find the end zone on Dion Johnson's 15 yards, and Jacob Russell's extra-point kick put Twinsburg on top for the first time, 14-7, with 6:47 left in the fourth quarter.

Piekarski, who was virtually all the offense Hudson could muster on the muddy track, tried to bring his team back. When the senior was flushed out of the pocket, he tried to complete a jump ball pass to his best receiver, Gabe Adams, but Twinsburg defensive back Aaron Macer came up with the interception at the Twinsburg 30 with 4:42 left in the game.

The Tigers' running game picked up two first downs, one on an offside penalty in short yardage by Hudson, and killed all but nine seconds of the clock.

''The key for us was getting that fumble and then drawing them offside. We had a play called if they didn't bite on it, but we felt we could draw them offside,'' Solis said.

Hudson had gone into halftime having accomplished its major goal - keeping the explosive Twinsburg offense off the field. The Explorers did it with a text-book opening drive that covered 73 yards on 17 carries and taking 12:31 off the clock. It was capped with the lone Explorer touchdown, a 15-yard run by Piekarski. At the half, Hudson had 67 yards in offense and Twinsburg, just 28.

''We did not exactly yell at our players, but they weren't playing Tiger football,'' Solis said.

That included trick plays and better execution.

Twinsburg holds off Hudson, tightens grip on title, playoffs

Tim Rogers, The Plain Dealer, October 17, 2009 1:25 a.m.

It was Think Pink Night at Hudson on Friday.

Twinsburg was thinking championship.

The Tigers came up with two second-half turnovers and went on to defeat host Hudson, 14-7, in a game that will probably give the Tigers the Northeast Ohio River Division championship and a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

Twinsburg (7-1, 3-0) overcame a sloppy first half on a sloppy night to spoil Hudson's (6-2, 2-1) upset bid.

"We just didn't play Twinsburg Tiger football in the first half," said head coach Mark Solis, whose team will gain ground in the Division I, Region 2 computer standings. "We made some uncharacteristic mistakes that we haven't been making. The beautiful thing about football is you get 20 minutes [at halftime] to adjust and we made some adjustments. And, we executed."

Hudson opened the game with a picture-perfect drive, going 73 yards in 17 plays behind quarterback Richie Piekarski. The Explorers kept the ball for almost 10 minutes before the talented Piekarski finished off the drive by dashing the final 15 yards and Mike Ulmer added the extra point.

That was about it for the Explorers' offense, which ran just 23 plays over the final three quarters.

"On a night like this you kind of hoped you would maybe be able to hang on to a 7-0 lead," said Hudson coach Tom Narducci, who wore a pink hat on Breast Cancer Awareness Night at Lavelli Stadium. "But we couldn't get the job done."

Twinsburg dominated field position for the entire second half, tying the game on a 5-yard pass from Andrew Collier to Waquiem Comar on a fourth-and-goal play and the subsequent point-after by Jake Russell.

"We felt we had to get some points out of that possession," said Solis, who used back-to-back timeouts to get things straight.

Senior Nick Nero made two big plays in the drive, hauling in a 10-yard pass and then picking up a first down with a 22-yard gain on a reverse on another fourth-down play.

The biggest game of the play came on Hudson's next possession. Piekarski completed a 15-yard pass to Gabe Adams to get some momentum going and picked up another first down with a nine-yard gain. He lost the ball as he was being tackled, however, and it was recovered by senior Joe Kerrigan at the Hudson 45.

The Tigers did not waste the turnover. Pounding away at the Hudson line with Dion Johnson and Joe Hiller, the Tigers scored in eight plays, with Johnson going the final 15.

The defense then took over as junior Aaron Macer intercepted a long pass with 4:42 left and held onto the ball until just nine seconds remained.

Neither team was able to move the ball through the air, so they stuck to the ground. Piekarski rushed for 81 yards on 16 carries, while completing two of just seven passes.

Twinsburg at Hudson preview

Tim Rogers, The Plain Dealer, October 15, 2009 8:13 p.m.

Kickoff : Northeast Ohio Conference River Division game, 7:30 p.m., Dante Lavelli Stadium, N. Hayden Parkway, Hudson. Call 330-653-1438. Records: Both teams are 6-1, 2-0. What to watch: Huge game in Division I, Region 2, with the winner clinching a playoff spot and perhaps a first-round home game. Twinsburg's depth along the defensive line has been beneficial as coach Mark Solis rotates nine players in the four down spots, keeping fresh legs in the game. One of Hudson's

strengths is its offensive line, which has enabled quarterback Richie Piekarski to make plays. After undergoing minor surgery in the preseason, Twinsburg's Dion Johnson has put together a stellar season, with 613 yards on the ground and 86 in pass receptions. Versatile Joe Hiller and two-way lineman Matt Fechko also have performed well. Twinsburg, fourth in the computer standings, snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Explorers with an 18-0 victory last year. Hudson, standing eighth in the computer, needs players such as receivers Gabe Adams and Jake Brandy to take the heat off Piekarski. PD pick: Hudson.

Twinsburg's offense runs all over Falls by Jim Isabella - Correspondent - Twinsburg Bulletin If the Cuyahoga Falls football team wanted to see how to become a good football program after years of futility, all it had to do is look across the line of scrimmage Oct. 9.

The Black Tigers got to play a team two years ago that was not only losing, but was trying to come out of disarray.

In the 2007 season, first-year coach Mark Solis arrived at Twinsburg from rebuilding a down Elyria program and had to weather a 3-7 season while changing the culture of losing.

As anyone who watched Twinsburg last season knows , the spread offense was not just a gimmick. It has become efficient and explosive -- coming at you with speed, power and from so many different angles and places of attack.

By halftime, the point was made: If you aren't at your very best, the Tigers will dismantle a quickly as the shopping complex on State Street in the Falls.

Twinsburg had a 28-0 after two quarters and cruised to an easy 45-7 win over the Black Tigers at Twinsburg Tiger Stadium.

The win gives Twinsburg an overall mark of 6-1 and 2-0 in the River Division of the Northeast Ohio Conference, while Cuyahoga Falls is 2-5 and 1-1.

Cuyahoga Falls coach Mike Miller said the Tigers rebuilding project simply involved Solis bringing in needed discipline.

"Twinsburg had always had athletes. We knew they were the more talented team, so for us to beat them we would have to play our best game," Miller said. "As a coach, you have to recognize when a talented player beats you, fine. What I won't put up with are players not carrying out execution of a play, not finishing it."

The Tigers dominated in all but one statistical category.

Twinsburg ran for 316 on 36 attempts, an average of 8.7 per carry, as well a racking up 14 first down to just four for Cuyahoga Falls.

The only comparable stats were in the passing game, as Falls hit 8-of-15 passes for 96 yards, while Twinsburg was 4-of-13 for 58 yards.

"We played really well, especially our special teams," Solis said.

The Tigers got off to a fast start because of special teams.

Twinsburg's Nick Nero ran a punt back 53 yards with 9:13 left in the first quarter and Jacob Russell's extra point kick gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead.

With just 11 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Tiger quarterback Andrew Collier finished the offense's first scoring drive when he hit Waquiem Comar with a 9-yard touchdown pass for a 14-0 lead. It was Collier's ninth touchdown pass of the season.

The Tigers showed no let up in the second quarter. Twinsburg made it 21-0 as Dion Johnson scored from 17 yards out with 8:32 left in the half. It was the senior running back's ninth touchdown to go with 619 yards and a 7.4 yards per carry average.

Collier finished up the scoring for the half with a 2-yard effort with 4:28 left in the half for a 28-0 lead going into the locker room.

"The guys understand what they have to do to. We actually played well offensively despite the fact it just rained all night," Solis said.

Russell hit a chip shot 24-yard field goal for a 31-0 lead early in the third quarter.

Just before the third quarter ended, Falls finally got on the scoreboard. Jordan Sweat came out of the backfield to catch a 15-yard pass from Black Tiger quarterback Dylon Leymon and Warren's PAT made it 31-7.

"Jordan has been very good for us as a runner and a linebacker," Miller said. "Dennis Neveadomi (6-foot, 305 pounds) has played well on the defensive line. Twinsburg just kept running away from him."

Ahead for Twinsburg is likely the championship game for the River Division championship, as the Tigers play Hudson at Dante Lavelli Field Oct. 16.

The Explorers, 5-1 and 2-0, have won close games the past two weeks in poor playing conditions, defeating at Stow, 14-10, and at Elyria, 10-0.

"We have learned a lot from the loss to Aurora. Our guys knew would likely decide the division, but we have learned not too overlook an opponent and play every play," Solis said.

Falls is home this weekend against Lakewood, which has lost six straight after winning its opener. On Oct. 23, the Black Tigers finish their home schedule at Clifford Stadium against Hudson.

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Big plays lead Tigers to big win vs. Rangers

by Steve Batko - Correspondent - Twinsburg Bulletin

Big-play football. Twinsburg coach Mark Solis loves it.

Three touchdowns by senior running back Dion Johnson along with two touchdown runs by senior Joe Hiller and Aaron Macer's two big touchdowns, including a 106-yard interception return, vaulted Twinsburg past visiting Lakewood 53-13 in a NOC River Division opener Oct. 2.

Twinsburg is now 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the NOC River as the Tigers averaged nearly 10.0 yards a rushing attempt and totaled almost 400 yards.

Macer's explosive return in the fourth stanza is most likely a school record. Solis also liked the five turnovers his defense caused.

"It was a great way to open up conference play," said Solis, whose Tigers play Homecoming host to Cuyahoga Falls (2-4, 1-0) Oct. 9.

After Twinsburg took a 12-0 lead on touchdown runs by Johnson (4 yards) and Macer (86 yards), Lakewood was actually in this game in the first quarter and at the half (18-6).

However, the big plays just kept coming from Twinsburg.

A versatile junior, Macer had his long return reminiscent of a 99-yard fumble return touchdown by Hiller last year in a win over North Royalton.

The Rangers (1-5, 0-1) scored on a 25-yard TD pass by quarterback Seamus Gowan to cut the lead to 12-6. Hiller added a 6-yard scoring run to make it 18-6 at the half.

"I didn't really like the way we played in the first half -- at times, we didn't execute well," said Solis.

A 21-point Tiger third period broke open the game. Johnson had touchdown runs of 9 and 4 yards, while Hiller had a one-yard plunge. Johnson ended with 118 yards on nine totes.

Macer had his record-setting interception return in the fourth quarter while sophomore defensive back London Carter also scored his first varsity touchdown on a 35-yard fumble recovery return.

An opportunistic Tiger defense also had three interceptions -- one each by senior lineman Matt Fechko, senior cornerback Tom Godinsky, and Macer.

Gowan did toss for two TD passes and was 22-38 passing for 265 yards, but the Tiger defense caused some damage. The Ranger ground game was non-existent with 21 yards on 32 carries.

"We need to work on cutting down some on the passing yards, but you know, it's funny, with all of our big plays this year, our opponent always has more snaps than we do," said Solis.

"Hitting on the big plays are great, but they can hurt you in some ways as you don't have as many situational downs and long drives," Solis noted We did improve from an execution standpoint."

Hiller added five stops, including two behind the line, a quarterback hit and broke up two passes. Fechko added a forced fumble, three QB pressures, and two hits.

Fechko and Godinsky both had picks as Godinsky added four tackles and a tackle for a loss, which is also what sophomore Tom Delegram had in his best outing.

Seniors Joe Kerrigan (six tackles), Mike Maier (six), Devon Sanders (five), Terrence Branch (fumble recovery) and Jeralle Knox (three) also played big along with junior tackle Brett Gulosh (sack).

Collier passed for 54 yards and ran for 23 as Twinsburg is scoring 35.8 points a game. Senior Nick Nero had 98 all-purpose yards.

"It's Homecoming week and that can be a distraction," Solis said. "We have four more opponents now and we can't look past Falls. We can't look past anyone with the (computer point) region we are in."

Solis hopes for big plays to continue to come on defense, offense and special teams.

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Signature Tigers notch signature win at Brunswick

October 1, 2009 - by Steve Batko - Correspondent Twinsburg Bulletin

Signature wins are ones that can change the course of a football season.

If you ask Twinsburg mentor Mark Solis, the impressive 21-9 Northeast Ohio Conference crossover victory

Sept. 25 over powerhouse Brunswick, could be a signature win for the Tiger program, not just this team.

"It was a big win, but I think it's a big one for our program -- especially when you beat one of the biggest

schools in the entire state," Solis said.

Solis saw his troops move to 4-1 overall as his defense played one of its best outings to hand the Blue

Devils their first loss of the year.

In fact, this may have been Solis' biggest road win since coming to Twinsburg.

The win ended a 24-game home winning streak for Brunswick. The last team to win at Judy Kirsch Field

was Elyria in 2005 -- coached by Mark Solis.

"That was great to beat a school with their kind of tradition," said Solis. "The kids played their tails off." Billed as a match up of two speed clubs, Solis saw his team collect a ton of computer points,

"It really will help with points -- especially Level 2 points as Brunswick will win plenty more games this

year," said Solis.

Twinsburg's defense was stellar. The locals set the tone early.

On the game's first play from scrimmage, Brunswick senior quarterback Pat Felton had the ball squirt

through his hands from the shotgun formation.

Senior linebacker Devon Sanders recovered at the Blue Devil's 8-yard line. Two plays later, Twinsburg

scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Collier to tight end Frank Dufour.

Brunswick promptly answered the call with a 14-play, 6-minute drive with a touchdown on a 1-yard plunge by Lorenzo Pace.

The Tigers responded with its own scoring drive when senior Joe Hiller ran in from 7 yards out to give the

visitors a 14-7 lead in a wild first period.

Another great drive by the Tiger offense and its offensive line to start the second half sealed the game for

Twinsburg.

It was an 11-play, 52-yard march that lasted almost six minutes. Halfback Dion Johnson scored on a 4-

yard jaunt and Jake Russell nailed his third PAT to make it 21-7 in the third quarter.

The defense handled things from that point on. The Tiger's 4-2-5 set held Brunswick to 233 total yards on

a whopping 62 plays.

Solis praised veteran defensive coordinator Joe Schiavone, who is in his 11th season.

"Our defense did a great job in preparation all week as the entire team did," said Solis. "The defense was

unbelievable and Coach Schiavone had his kids ready. Our speed matched up well with theirs."

Pace was held in check as Solis had a ton of praise for the Tiger's defensive front that included seniors Brandon Bucknell, Matt Fechko, Shamont Rudolph, Terrence Branch, and E.J. Singleton. Junior Brett

Gulosh also played strong.

Solis also lauded senior linebacker Joe Kerrigan. Kerrigan was in on 15 tackles while senior defensive back Mike Maier was in on 10 stops with a career game. Hiller added nine. Seniors Tom Godinsky and Darius

Washington each had seven.

Johnson finished with 122 yards on 19 attempts, while Collier was 3-of-9 passing for 50 yards and no

interceptions.

Felton was 13-of-22 through the air for 120 yards for the hosts.

Seniors tight end Doug Talentin and wide receiver Waquiem Comar had key catches. Talentino had a 17-yard reception while Comar had a 27-yard catch and run. Comar also had another nice return on special

teams.

Senior wide receiver Nick Nero added 25 yards rushing on four carries.

Twinsburg hosts Lakewood (1-4) Oct. 2 in the opener of the NOC River Division.

For the Tigers to reach the playoffs this year, it looked on paper as if the locals had to post one or two

wins against the likes of Aurora, Brunswick, and Hudson (Oct. 16) -- all tough road games.

As the schedule pans out, only Hudson and Solis' former team, Elyria (in Week 10) offer solid computer

points. Twinsburg hosts Cuyahoga Falls (1-4) and Stow (0-5) on Oct. 9 and Oct. 22.

That Elyria game is on the road as well. The Oct. 30 tilt could loom large for the Tigers.

However, Solis is thinking about computer points now -- he just wants to win the rest of the games.

"We have to get right back to work and prepare for Lakewood," said Solis.

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Early turnover gives Twinsburg edge over Brunswick

Todd Stumpf, Special to The Plain Dealer, September 26, 2009 1:15 a.m. Mark Solis got the Gatorade. His players got the doughnuts. Neither treat was as sweet as what preceded them Friday night. Taking advantage of an early Brunswick mistake, visiting Twinsburg jumped ahead then made its way to a hard-fought 21-9 Northeast Ohio Conference crossover victory at Judy Kirsh Field. "When we win, I buy doughnuts," said Solis, the Twinsburg coach, dripping from his sports drink shower. "I told the kids before we left the locker room, 'Donut Works?' Just like that. They won and they're going to get doughnuts."

The Tigers (4-1) earned their pastries by nearly hanging a doughnut on the Blue Devils. Brunswick (4-1) scored a first-quarter touchdown but couldn't get across the goal line again. In a game that was all about ball control, the inability to control the ball on the game's first snap may have ultimately decided things. In shotgun formation, Brunswick senior Pat Felton had the ball squirt through his hands.

Twinsburg senior Devon Sanders bolted through from his inside linebacker spot and fell on the ball at the 8-yard line. Two plays later, the Tigers took the lead on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Collier to Frank DuFour.

"It was a high snap," Sanders said. "I was taught just to shoot the gap. I saw the ball on the ground and just fell on it. That was a big momentum changer. That first play, to get a turnover, that sets the tone."

Brunswick answered with a 1-yard Lorenzo Pace touchdown run, which capped a 14-play drive that lasted nearly six minutes.

The Tigers followed with a five-plus-minute march of their own. Joe Hiller's 7-yard gave Twinsburg a 14-7 lead.

The early turnover essentially gave the Tigers the ball to start each half. "The first drive of the second half was huge," Solis said of his team's march to start the third quarter. The possession covered just 52 yards, but lasted 11 plays and chewed up 5½ minutes.

The teams took the field averaging nearly 40 points each. Big plays were their rule. This time, it was all about the little plays. A combined 103 plays barely produced 400 total yards. Brunswick had just six plays of 10 yards or more.

"They played physical," Brunswick coach Rich Nowak said. "They had a great plan on both sides of the ball. They controlled the ball. For one of the first times ever, we got out-hit."

Twinsburg senior running back Dion Johnson was the closest thing on either side to an offensive star. He picked up 119 yards on 19 carries.

It was Twinsburg's defense that ended a 24-game home winning streak for the Blue Devils. The most recent road team to win at Kirsch Field was Elyria in 2005 - coached by Solis.

"That's a big win for this football program," the Tigers' third- year coach said. "It's a season-defining and a program-defining win. We knocked off one of the premier football programs in Northeast Ohio." Twinsburg at Brunswick preview

Bob Fortuna, The Plain Dealer, September 24, 2009 7:39 p.m. Kickoff : Northeast Ohio Conference crossover game, 7:30 p.m., 3581 Center Road, Brunswick. Call 330-273-0496. Records: Twinsburg 3-1; Brunswick 4-0.

What to watch : Twinsburg is quick, has depth and runs the spread very effectively with quarterback Andrew Collier, running back Dion Johnson, receiver Waquiem Comar and tight end E.J. Singleton, while their lines are anchored by Brandon Bucknell. The Tigers defense, headed by linebacker Joe Kerrigan, will have its hands full in trying to keep up with quarterbacks Jess Smatana or Pat Felton, tailback Lorenzo Pace and a receiving corps consisting of Jared Kaderbek and Mitch Tridico. Ryan Conway and Mike Price

give the Blue Devils an edge in the trenches. PD pick: Brunswick Tigers offense comes alive in second half by Dean Raymond - Twinsburg Bulletin Correspondent

Twinsburg -Twinsburg started to take advantage of some opportunities in the second half and defeated

Normandy 27-7 Sept. 17 in week 4 of high school football action.

The game was played on a Thursday because of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah Sept. 18.

"They [Normandy] had 37 snaps to 15 for us in the first half,"Twinsburg head coach Mark Solis said. "We just couldn't get into a rhythm. We knew we would get the ball to start the second half and we persevered. It wasn't pretty, but we beat a good football team. This was a good test for us and we have

another one next week at Brunswick."

Early on, it appeared the visiting Invaders (2-2) might prevail as they took the opening kickoff and went

63 yards to the Tiger 17-yard line.

The drive took 18 plays and 9:34 off the clock but on four and 7 from the Twinsburg 17, a pass from senior quarterback Casey Pierce to senior wide receiver Matt Minor was broken up in the left corner of the

end zone by senior defensive back Darius Washington.

However, the Tigers (3-1) were hurt by several penalties on offense in the first half as an 11-yard

touchdown run by senior Joe Hiller was called back because of holding early in the second quarter.

While most of the statistics were in favor of Normandy in the first half, including the number of plays run

and time of possession, the score was still 0-0 at the half.

However. Twinsburg got a 99-yard kickoff return from senior Waquiem Comar to start the second half and

led 6-0 with 11:47 remaining in the third period. The extra point failed.

Junior linebacker Nicholas Gagne-Cross intercepted a pass from Pierce on the Invaders next drive as the

Tigers had the ball at their own 31-yard line with 5:59 left in the third quarter.

Runs of 15 and 16 yards from Hiller eventually put Twinsburg second and one at the Normandy 7-yard

line before senior running back Ben Stinard went over left guard for another Tiger touchdown.

Senior quarterback Andrew Collier was stopped just short of the goal line on the two-point conversion

attempt, but the Tigers led 12-0 with just 0:55 to go in the third period.

Both teams then traded fumbles before the Invaders got on the scoreboard with 7:52 remaining in the

fourth quarter.

On first down at the Twinsburg 49, Pierce completed a 36-yard pass to Minor. Pierce then raced up the middle of the Tiger defense on third and goal from the three-yard line for a Normandy touchdown. Junior

placekicker Djuro Majerle kicked the PAT to cut the Tigers' lead to 12-7.

The Tigers shot themselves in the foot again with two more penalties on their ensuing drive and had to

punt to the Invader 12-yard line.

"The key to defending this offense is keeping them off the field, and that's what we did," Solis said.

Hiller then recovered a Normandy fumble after a pass completion, giving the Tigers the ball at the Invader

28-yard line with 4:34 left in the contest.

One play later, Hiller went right up the middle for a 16-yard touchdown run as the Tigers led 18-7 with 3:54 to go in the game. Hiller then raced around right guard for the two-point conversion as Twinsburg

had a 20-7 advantage.

The Invaders committed another turnover with 2:43 showing on the clock as Pierce was intercepted by Washington at the Tiger 48. Washington returned the ball all the way down to the Normandy three-yard

line.

After a penalty on Twinsburg, Collier passed to senior tight end Elester Singleton towards the left side of the end zone for a Tiger touchdown. The extra point was good by junior kicker Jacob Russell and

Twinsburg led 27-7 with just 2:12 remaining in the NorthEast Ohio Conference cross-over contest.

Another fumble by Normandy one play later was recovered by Tiger junior defensive back Aaron Macer

and Tiger sophomore quarterback Zachary Buckeye then took a pair of knees to run out the clock.

Twinsburg faces another big game Sept. 25 as the Tigers travel to Brunswick in a game that could have

large playoff implications. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

E-mail: stowsports@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3113

Normandy at Twinsburg preview

Tim Rogers, The Plain Dealer, September 16, 2009 6:20 p.m.

Kickoff: Northeast Ohio Conference crossover game, 7 p.m., Twinsburg Tiger Stadium, 10270 Ravenna Road, Twinsburg. Call 330-486-2480.

Records: Both teams are 2-1.

What to watch: How will Twinsburg, previously ranked sixth in The Plain Dealer Top 25 poll, respond to its 28-21 loss to Aurora? That is all that matters. The Tigers, now ranked 16th, can start by not turning the ball over 10 times, which they did against Aurora. On the positive side, the Tigers lost by seven points despite the gaffes and still are scoring 38 points per game. Normandy, which has tumbled out of the Top 25, bounced back against Brecksville as expected last week after losing to Poland Seminary in Week 2.

PD pick: Twinsburg .

Aurora wins sloppy, spirited game vs. Tigers

by Frank Aceto - Associate Sports Editor - Twinsburg Bulletin

Aurora -- They won a state championship.

They've captured conference titles.

And they've conquered just about everyone who dared to stand in their way.

But there was still a tiny problem that managed to keep the Aurora football players awake at night over the last three years -- they never beat Twinsburg.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the Greenmen are sleeping quite well now.

The Greenmen captured a stunning 28-21 victory over the Twinsburg Tigers last night at Veterans Stadium in Aurora.

The Greenmen (3-0), the defending Division III state champions, got a key defensive play late in the game and then held their breath after a costly mistake.

After senior running back/linebacker Eric Schultz stopped Twinsburg tailback Dion Johnson on fourth down with less than two minutes remaining, all Aurora had to do was run out the clock to pull off the win.

The Greenmen did. Well, they ran out most of it at least.

With less than 10 seconds left, Schultz hoped to end the game on what would be his final carry of the night.

But there was one problem.

He lost the football.

The Tigers (2-1) recovered and had the ball on Aurora's 47-yard line with 1.9 ticks remaining.

Thankfully for the Greenmen, Twinsburg quarterback Andrew Collier's long pass was knocked down.

And Aurora, which had lost its last three games against the Tigers, celebrated as students rushed the field.

"At one point, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong," Greenmen head coach Bob Mihalik said. "But we never lost faith. That just shows the character of these kids."

When the two teams met last year, Twinsburg, a Division I regional finalist in 2008, manhandled Aurora to the tune of a 27-6 thumping at Tigers Stadium.

The Tigers had the lead for much of Friday's game, but the Greenmen persevered in the end.

"Everyone was pulling against us," Schultz said. "No one really gave us a chance. It really shows how hard we've worked. We've been training for this since last winter."

Both teams had their share of obstacles to overcome.

Aurora junior quarterback Ty Watson threw three interceptions on the night.

Twinsburg, on the other hand, could only wish it had that few turnovers.

The Tigers gave the ball away seven times.

Collier threw three picks and the offense lost three fumbles. The Greenmen also recovered an onside kick late in the first half.

In the end, though, Twinsburg's sticky fingers led to Aurora's 15th straight win. The Greenmen scored 21 points off Tigers' turnovers.

"You can't commit seven turnovers and expect to win," Twinsburg head coach Mark Solis said. "We can sit here and split atoms all we want. That's seven extra possessions."

Besides the turnovers, Schultz had the biggest impact.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound standout found the end zone three times, including two late in the fourth quarter.

He also recovered a fumble after senior linebacker Conor Heraghty stripped the ball early in the third stanza.

Schultz's 52-yard touchdown reception from Watson got the Greenmen on the board after the Tigers took a 14-0 lead. Kevin Rahill booted the first of his four extra-point attempts to make it 14-7 with 44.7 seconds left in the second quarter.

Schultz also had scoring runs of four and one, respectively, during crunch time.

His first rushing TD tied the game at 21-21 with 8:25 to go and his second carry to the end zone gave Aurora a 28-21 advantage -- its only lead of the night -- with 5:19 remaining.

Schultz did just about everything.

He finished with 56 yards on 14 carries and added two receptions for 71 yards. He also made several tackles on defense.

Twinsburg outgained the Greenmen 232-84 on the ground as Johnson led all rushers with 130 yards on 18 carries. He also had a five-yard TD run that gave the Tigers a 14-0 lead.

Joe Hiller, who was listed as a wide receiver, had scoring runs of 15 and five, respectively, and finished with 59 yards on nine carries for the Tigers.

Aurora 's other score came from another running back.

Senior Steve Snyder had a six-yard run that tied the game at 14 early in the third quarter.

Watson managed to keep his feet under him despite a few erratic throws. He completed 13-of-25 passes for 173 yards and Collier threw for 134 yards on 7-of-16 passing.

Despite all the chaos, Aurora kept its unbeaten streak alive. And the Greenmen got a huge monkey off their backs in the process.

"Somebody told me that we've lost maybe five games over the last few years," Mihalik said. "Three of those losses came to Twinsburg. We got past a quality Division I team, which I think is a state title contender."

E-mail: faceto@recordpub.com Phone: 330-686-3914

Greenmen overcome odds to defeat Tigers Joe Magill, Special to The Plain Dealer, September 12, 2009 2:18 a.m.

Aurora 28 - Twinsburg 21

If there was a lesson to be learned from Friday night's wild game between host Aurora and Twinsburg, it was that you can't count out the Greenmen.

The deck constantly seemed stacked against Aurora, but the Greenmen kept fighting back, taking advantage of numerous errors by the Tigers to earn a hard-fought 28-21 victory in front of a packed house estimated at better than 6,000 people.

"We just beat a team that I truly believe is a contender for the Division I state title," said Aurora coach Bob Mihalik. "There were no great adjustments, our kids just responded."

The Greenmen fell behind by two touchdowns in the first half, several Aurora players suffered from cramps during the second half, and the highly regarded Tigers, who reached the Division I regional semifinals last year, had more speed, size and depth.

"We just found a way to get it done," said Aurora senior Eric Schultz, who was the go-to running back for much of the second half. In all, Schultz scored three times, including the only two scores of the fourth quarter.

"I owe it all to the offensive line. They were knocking them back 3 or 4 yards every play."

For much of the final quarter, the Greenmen displayed a power running game, with Schultz carrying the ball nine times for 51 yards, scoring on runs of 4 yards and 1 yard.

"We had a makeshift offensive line out there," Mihalik said. "We began the game with two starters out and then we had guys going down with cramps. To be honest with you, we had guys out there who usually play on Saturday morning, but they were getting the job done."

With Joe Hiller and Dion Johnson scoring touchdowns in a 5-minute span of the second quarter, the Tigers jumped up, 14-0, and held a 14-7 lead at the half. However, it was Aurora that held a team meeting in front of their bench and ran to the halftime locker room whooping and hollering as if they were on top.

Twinsburg lost fumbles on their first two possessions of the third quarter, and turned the ball over four times in the second half. The Tigers' last turnover was perhaps the most damaging, as quarterback Andrew Collier lost the ball when hit from behind. Aurora's Nick Sivillo picked up the ball and returned it to the Twinsburg 11.

Five plays later, Schultz danced through a huge hole on the left side, giving the Greenmen their final margin of victory with 5:19 to play.

Joe Magill is a free-lance writer in University Heights.

Twinsburg at Aurora preview Tim Rogers, The Plain Dealer, September 10, 2009 8:15 p.m.

Kickoff: Nonleague game, 7 p.m., Veterans Stadium, 109 W. Pioneer Trail, Aurora. Call 330-954-2008.

Records: Both teams are 2-0.

What to watch: This is the first in a series of key games for both teams. Aurora plays Chagrin Falls next week in a matchup of Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division contenders. Twinsburg plays Normandy and then at Brunswick in crossover games against Northeast Ohio Conference teams. Aurora, the Division III state champ now competing in Division II, has scored 86 points in two games behind quarterback Ty Watson and slotback Steve Snyder. Quarterback Andrew Collier and halfback Dion Johnson have helped make Twinsburg even more prolific, as the Tigers have scored 93 points in their two games. Aurora has the revenge factor in its favor. The Greenmen have gone 35-5 in regular-season games over the past four

years. Three of those losses have been to Twinsburg.

PD pick: Twinsburg.

PD Locker Room Blurb Bob Fortuna, Tim Rogers and Tim Warsinskey, The Plain Dealer, September 04, 2009 9:18 a.m. Fast learner: Heading into the season, Twinsburg coach Mark Solis said one of the keys to the team's success would be the development of quarterback Andrew Collier.

The 6-2, 180-pound senior quickly put his coach at ease by completing his first four passes in his starting debut. Three of Collier's passes went to Joe Hiller, Frank Dufour and Nick Nero for touchdown strikes of

46, 6 and 14 yards in a nonleague 51-6 win over visiting Firestone.

Collier ended up clicking on 11 of 14 passes for 145 yards and four touchdowns.

"Not a bad start and he had completions to seven different receivers," said Solis. "Andrew definitely has a grasp of our offense."

Tigers shut down Patriots, ready for Aurora

by Steve Batko - Correspondent, Twinsburg Bulletin

No one looked past winless Valley Forge and yet Mark Solis had plenty of points to go over with his Twinsburg football team.

Forge, which didn't post a first down until 3:03 was left in the first half, was led by back Duran Efford, who had 60 yards rushing on 18 carries.

Defense and special teams will be keys in the match up at Aurora. The Tiger's starters will likely play all four quarters for the first time in the early season.

Twinsburg's defense has only allowed three first downs in four first half quarters this year. The 4-2-5 defense is also allowing just 109 total yards a game and just 1.4 yards a rush attempt.

The quick-strike Tigers moved to 2-0 with a 42-0 win over the Patriots at Tiger Stadium on Sept. 4.

Solis didn't want his club to look past Valley Forge to the huge road trip Sept. 11 at defending Division III state champion Aurora.

It was a victory that was a win-win for Twinsburg's staff because the Tigers stayed focused and won. Yet Twinsburg had some mistakes, turnovers, and too many penalties, according to Solis.

This gives Solis some coaching points -- aspects of the Tiger's focus and execution -- which can be used during the week of practice prior to the showdown against Aurora.

"We didn't want to look past anyone -- the Aurora game is a big one and everyone has been looking forward to it for quite some time," said Solis, whose team beat Aurora 27-6 last fall. It was the last loss the Greenmen had before going on to win the title.

Aurora , 2-0, also had an easy win in week two, defeating Crestwood 44-19.

Senior quarterback Andrew Collier was intercepted twice by the Patriots, but still managed to connect on 12-19 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns ñ all in the first half.

Collier also added five rushes for 44 yards and a score as he amassed 234 total yards for the Tigers. He had plenty of help.

Senior Joe Hiller totaled 140 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, senior tailback Dion Johnson had 77 total yards and two scores, while senior wide receiver Nick Nero had 127 all-purpose yards.

Hiller had four catches for 76 yards and add three rushes for 44 yards. He scored once on the ground and once as a receiver. Hiller added 20 yards on two returns and added a tackle for a loss on defense.

Johnson had nine totes for 44 yards and two touchdowns plus had two receptions for 33 yards. On the year, Twinsburg has already had 15 different athletes run the ball.

Nero grabbed four passes for 47 yards, had a 61-yard kickoff return, and a 19-yard punt return. He also had a 35-yard punt return called back because of a penalty.

Tight senior end Frank Dufour had a 17-yard touchdown catch, plus averaged 49.3 yards on three punts.

After the benches emptied, Solis was happy to see some spirited play by two running backs -- senior Ben Stinard and freshman John Barton. Stinard added three rushes for 20 yards plus starred on special teams. Barton impressed with 32 yards on six carries.

Solis lauded a steady offensive line as on of the big reasons for the solid rush attack. Senior tackles Matt Fechko and Brandon Bucknell, senior center Joe Beltrami, junior guard Nico Gagne-Cross, senior Zack Keller, and junior Brett Gulosh make up the line. Dufour and senior E.J. Singleton have blocked well at tight end along with junior Frank Shaffer and senior Doug Talentino.

A pair of seniors -- Joe Kerrigan and Terrence Branch led the defense along with junior Wayne Grant.

Kerrigan was in on seven tackles while Branch has six. Kerrigan had a tackle for a loss, while Branch had a sack and a tackle for loss. Grant had five stops, two tackles for losses and a sack while senior Darius Washington had a pass break up and four tackles.

Senior cornerback Mike Maier played well as did junior Anthony Surace (sack, fumble recovery) and senior lineman Shamont Rudolph. E-mail: stowsports@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3113

Firestone Game Photos Up Thanks go out to Mr. Kirtley's Media class for the outstanding photos of the season opener vs. Firestone. The link is on the left.

Tigers demolish Firestone in season opener

by Steve Batko - Correspondent, Twinsburg Bulletin

A 51-6 demolition of the Firestone Falcons marked a perfect season and home opener on Aug. 27 for the Twinsburg football team.

The Tigers won the defensive side of the ball, won the offense, and also dominated in special teams play over Tim Flossie's Falcons. Tigers coach Mark Solis emptied his bench as he gained his 75th career victory.

It was evident from the start. On Twinsburg's first offensive play of the season, senior quarterback Andrew Collier hit senior wideout Joe Hiller on a crossing pattern in the flat for a 46-yard touchdown.

Twinsburg led 34-0 at the half and the second half started with another bang -- an 88-yard kickoff return for a score from senior Waquiem Comar, who also snagged a 5-yard touchdown pass in the second stanza.

Collier was superb as he was 11-of-14 passing for 145 yards and four touchdowns. More importantly, he had zero interceptions and a 149.4 quarterback rating in the spread offense. The 6-2 Collier completed his first four passes with two going for touchdowns. He also hit seniors Frank Dufour and Nick Nero on short scoring passes in the first period. Neroís catch at the 3:58 mark made it 21-0.

"We obviously need to be able to throw the ball, and Collier can do that," said Solis. "It all comes down to his decision making, he has been working hard on that." Solis was also pleased with his new-look offensive line and the team's quick 4-2-5 defense.

"The line is getting better and better, and I think that scrimmages against powers like Ignatius and Avon Lake make you somewhat battle-tested." Solis said.

The Tigerís defense allowed 104 total yards and six first downs. Of those yards, 72 yards came on one play as early in the third, Firestone backup quarterback Matt Rivoire passed a 72-yard touchdown pass to Connor Mathis.

Firestone was held to 32 yards rushing on 32 attempts. Cody Grice, a bullish 230 pounds, was held to 16 attempts for 30 yards. Twinsburg held Firestone without a first down until the 5:59 mark of the second quarter.

It was a good debut for junior kicker Jacob Russell, who kicked field goals of 19, 27 and 25 yards.

In all, a whopping 12 different athletes rushed the ball for the Tigers and Collier hit seven different receivers as the hosts had 338 total yards. "With so many kids getting touches, that ties into our team concept -- we want to spread the wealth," said Solis.

Twinsburg, who hosts Valley Forge (0-1) Sept. 4, had great balance on defense, but sophomore Michael Baker a career game on defense with 9 tackles and a sack.

Standout senior linebackers Devon Sanders and Joe Kerrigan each had eight stops and a tackle behind the line. Also coming up big was junior Sam Burgess (7.5 stops) and senior Darius Washington (6, blocked pass, QB pressure).

Solis was thrilled to see senior corner Tom Godinsky get an interception while senior Shamont Rudolph blocked a punt. Washington recovered the blocked punt while junior Kellen Quinn and Burgess each tallied a half of a sack.

Halfback Dion Johnson, a senior, carried the ball 13 times for 83 yards and a TD. Senior Ben Stinard added three rushes for 22 yards while Burgess (2-18) and sophomore quarterback Zach Buckeye (5-14) also ran well as the Tigers featured the jet sweep.

Hiller had two catches for 64 yards; Nero had two receptions for 31 yards plus 11 yards rushing while it was Dufourís first varsity TD.

Comar amassed 122 all-purpose yards and other top receivers were senior Brandon Francisco (2-25) and junior Wayne Grant (2-10). Junior letterman Nico Gagne-Cross also had a fine game on both ends.

"We have a chance to be very good this year, but we need to continue to work hard, stay humble, and not look past anyone," said Solis, who has a monster road trip Sept. 11 at defending Division III state champion Aurora.

E-mail: stowsports@recordpub.com Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3113

Vote for Collier for PD Game Ball! Tiger Senior signal caller Andrew Collier has been nominated for a game ball from the Plain Dealer. Vote for last week's top performer until noon Thursday. The winner receives a Game Balls T-shirt. See who won Friday in The Locker Room. Click here.

Tigers strike quickly, maul Falcons By Jonas Fortune - Beacon Journal sports writer

POSTED: 10:28 p.m. EDT, Aug 27, 2009 TWINSBURG: On Twinsburg's first offensive play of the season, senior quarterback Andrew Collier spotted senior receiver Joe Hiller racing across the middle of the field 6 yards away. Hiller caught a pass from Collier, turned up the left sideline and raced to the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown. And with that, the high school football season was off and running for the Tigers, who trounced the visiting Firestone Falcons 51-6 at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers, a playoff team from a year ago, showcased a bit of a new look on offense in the opener. Their spread offense was still intact. The jet sweep was still around, too. Yet unlike last year, these Tigers unveiled a dangerous passing game.

''We want to be able to throw the football,'' Twinsburg coach Mark Solis said. '''We've got a guy who can sling it and we have a lot of guys who can catch it. We don't have that big feature I back where we are going to pound you; we just don't have that guy. We are going to fit our offense to our personnel.''

Collier, making his debut as a starter, completed his first four pass attempts; two of them went for touchdowns. First it was Hiller, then seniors Frank Dufour and Nick Nero each caught 6-yard touchdown passes in the first quarter. ''With the offensive line and wideouts we have this year, they made it easy for me,'' Collier said. ''I stayed in the pocket, made the right reads and threw it to the wideouts.'' Senior Waquiem Comar had a 5-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, his first of two touchdowns in the game. Comar also returned the second-half kickoff 88 yards to make the score 41-0. Collier completed 11-of-14 passes for 145 yards and four touchdowns. His completions were spread around, as well. He connected with seven different receivers in all. ''That is exactly what we want,'' Collier said. ''That is exactly what this offense is built for. This offense; every game we are trying to hit every receiver that gets onto the field.'' It didn't hurt that his defense placed the ball in Firestone territory during every possession of the first half. Twinsburg's worst starting position was at the Firestone 49. The ball didn't enter Twinsburg territory much at all during the game. It wasn't until midway through the second quarter that the Falcons pushed the Twinsburg defense past the 50. At halftime, the Tigers led in yardage 206-18. Twinsburg senior running back Dion Johnson carried the ball 13 times for 83 yards and a touchdown. Junior kicker Jacob Russell kicked field goals of 19, 27 and 25 yards. It wasn't all negative for the Falcons. Early in the third quarter, junior quarterback Matt Rivoire, who did not start, showed off his arm strength with a 73-yard touchdown pass to senior Connor Mathis. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jonas Fortune can be reached at jfortune@thebeaconjournal.com . Read the Varsity Letters high school sports blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/ . Also on Twitter at

http://twitter.com/ABJ_Preps .

Twinsburg Football ready to roar in 2009 by Steve Batko - Correspondent - Twinsburg Bulletin

With 16 starters back and speed to burn returning from a state playoff squad that lost a division I state regional semifinal by three points, Twinsburg football is ready to roll. Some key graduation losses and a move from the Lake Division in the Northeast Ohio Conference to the River Division should not slow down this loaded Tiger squad that returns 27 lettermen from a 9-3 Lake Divisio championship unit. Third-year coach Mark Solis (12-10) will be looking for his 75th career victory (he's 74-33) when the Tigers open the year Aug. 27 against Akron Firestone at home at 7 p.m. Nine of those starters come on the defensive side as the Tiger's explosive spread offense should be supported by a swarming 4-2-5 defense. "We have a lot of kids back and it is an exciting time for Twinsburg football." Solis said. "The guys finished their pre season scrimmages against state powers Ignatius and Avon Lake. In both instances, we did very well. We still have a lot of work to do, but this season will be very exciting." Here's a glimpse of the Tiger's senior starters: * Linebacker Joe Kerrigan (6 feet, 205 pounds) was in on a team-high 149 tackles last year and had three fumble recoveries. He should be one of the best in the area. * Running back Dion Johnson (5-feet-7, 165) is a dual threat as a halfback. Last year, he had 1,425 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns. He rushed for 859 yards and 10 scores plus had 27 catches for 459 yards and four touchdowns. * Defensive tackle Brandon Bucknell (6 feet, 275) had a team-high 12 sacks and 16 pressures plus nine tackles for loss. He is a force up front, who added 51 tackles and four forced fumbles.

* The team's leader in a youthful offensive line is senior tackle Matt Fechko (6-1, 240). Fechko is a veteran in the offensive trenches. That young line has been some good progress, according to Solis. * Wide receiver Nick Nero (5-7, 170) is just one of the many receivers that Solis will use. Nero led the team in receiving last year with 30 catches for 611 yards and two touchdowns. He had 867 total yards as he added 130 yards on 28 carries on counter plays. "We have so many options at receiver and tight end in the spread offense," Solis said. "We have Dion Johnson to lead the ground game, but this team has eight to 10 options to work with as receivers." * Linebacker Devon Sanders (5-10, 185) was second in stops with 121.5, plus he led the team in tackles for losses (10). * Safety Darius Washington (6-3, 185) may be one of the top safeties in the NOC. Last year, he had 101 tackles and 16 pressures. * Joe Hiller (5-10, 185) is another stellar safety, who can also help on offense. He was in on 60.5 tackles, plus had seven touchdowns last year with six coming on offense. He ran 30 times for 148 yards and six scores. * Wide receiver Waquiem Comar (6-0, 170) is a three-sport star and expects to increase his catch total of five from last year. * Cornerbacks Mike Maier (5-10, 180) and Tom Godinsky (5-11, 175) are two of the team's cornerbacks with starting experience. Maier was in on 77 stops last year. * Doug Talentino (6-3, 210) is a two-way end who will shine this season for the Tigers. * Senior quarterback Andrew Collier (6-2, 180) is a first year starter, but he will mark his second straight start to kickoff a season. Last year when Cory Eden was out for the opener, Collier responded with 120 total yards and a touchdown. Collier finished 14-22 (64 percent) passing for 231 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Solis is looking for Collier to make sound decisions in the spread offense. "He is the best pure thrower that I have ever had the opportunity to coach," Solis said. "It all comes down to his decision making, He's been working hard on that. He's a different type of QB than [Eden]. He won't run as much as Cory." Another senior who will make a huge impact is wideout Brandon Croom-Francisco (6-2, 190), who had two touchdowns on seven catches last year. He made some big plays in the scrimmage against St Ignatius, where Collier and Washington also played well. The Tiger staff will also use senior defensive lineman Shamont Rudolph (6-3, 220) to help in the trenches. As for juniors, Aaron Macer (6-1, 175) is a returning starter at cornerback and had 21 stops in 2008. He is also the backup quarterback. Wideout Wayne Grant (6-0, 205) has had a strong pre season as well. Other seniors include linebacker Terrance Branch (6-0, 220), lineman Zack Keller (5-9, 185), linebacker Ben Stinard (5-9, 180), tight end Frank Dufour (6-3, 210), lineman Joe Beltrami (6-0, 220), lineman Jeralle Knox (5-10, 210), lineman E.J. Singleton (6-0, 205), defensive back Brady Marlow (5-9, 160), cornerback Jordan Rogers (5-6, 150) and wideout Nathan Hodge (6-0, 160). Key juniors include defensive back Sam Burgess (5-9, 170), running back Miguel Hechavarria (5-9, 175), running back Denorris Turner (5-9, 165), defensive back Anthony Surace (5-11, 175) and kicker Jake Russell (6-0, 150). Sophomore London Carter (5-7, 155) is another track athlete to watch at wide receiver, along with freshman quarterback Jalen Washington (5-11, 160). Other youngsters will make an impact in the trenches. A new kicking game should challenge the Tiger's special teams play, but the locals have several burners who can change a game in a hurry. Comar, Nero, Johnson, and Hiller have experience at returning kicks. The River Division will feature famiar foes in Hudson, Stow-Munroe Falls Cuyahoga Falls, all of whom should be improved, as well as Solis plays at his former team -- Elyria -- and Lakewood. E-mail: stowsports@recordpub.com Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3113

Kerrigan Named Top 40 PD Player From the PD (8/17/09) 38. Joe Kerrigan, Twinsburg Sr. LB 6-0 205 - Tigers' defensive leader has a nose for the ball. Accumulated 149 tackles and three fumble recoveries. The entire list can be viewed here