Twinsburg High School
Twinsburg is making its sixth all-time trip to the OHSAA playoffs, while Brunswick is in the postseason for the ninth straight season.
(Editor's note: SportsInk.com was on the scene when Twinsburg and Brunswick met for the first time this season in Week 5 -- and we'll be there on Saturday night, when they square off again in the first round of the 2009 OHSAA playoffs)
BRUNSWICK -- Cold water and doughnuts don’t seem like an ideal recipe for a party. Twinsburg’s football team, however, would beg to differ.
The Tigers celebrated in style on Friday night after becoming the first visiting team to win at Brunswick in five years, knocking the Blue Devils from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 21-9 triumph.
“This was a season-defining win, a program-defining win tonight,” Twinsburg coach Mark Solis said shortly after receiving an ice water shower from his team on the sideline. “To beat a great football program like this on their field, I can’t say enough about it. We’re looking forward to the long drive home down Route 303.”
The Tigers (4-1), who never trailed in the Northeast Ohio Conference inter-divisional game, are the first team to win at Brunswick (4-1) since Week 10 of the 2004 season -- a 31-13 Strongsville victory.
Because of the outcome, Solis will be up bright and early on Saturday morning, living up to his promise to buy his entire squad breakfast from its favorite Twinsburg outpost.
“It was real simple before the game. I said “Doughnut Works,” just like that,” he said, chuckling. “They know I treat them from there after every win. I didn’t have to say anything else.
“Guess what? They’re gonna get doughnuts!”
Things started on a lousy note for the Blue Devils on the opening play of the game when quarterback Pat Felton fumbled in the backfield and gave Twinsburg possession at the Brunswick 8-yard line. Felton played the majority of the contest with starter Jess Smatana still bothered by a shoulder injury.
Two plays later, Andrew Collier tossed a 9-yard touchdown to Frank Dufour, giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead just 48 seconds in.
“Twinsburg played an error-free game tonight,” Blue Devils coach Rich Nowak said. “We came out and game them the first seven (points). It certainly set the tone for the rest of the game.”
Brunswick came right back with a 13-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard Lorenzo Pace touchdown run to tie the score, but the Tigers weren’t to be denied.
Twinsburg answered with a 12-play, 70-yard push of its own to re-take the lead. Joe Hiller’s 6-yard TD run, coupled with Jake Russell’s extra point, made it 14-7.
The score remained that way until the start of the second half, when the Tigers rode Dion Johnson (128 yards, 21 carries) down the field. The diminutive senior carried the ball five times on a nine-play drive, finishing it off with a 4-yard TD on a delayed handoff to give Twinsburg a commanding 21-7 advantage.
“It was like we had the ball to start both halves because they turned it over right away to start the game,” Solis said. “That was tremendously huge, especially after we scored off the second-half kickoff.”
The rest of the contest turned into a battle for field position, which was to the guests’ benefit with a 14-point lead. Brunswick only made one sustained drive the rest of the way, reaching the Tigers 6-yard line with 2:18 left in the fourth, but Tevin Jackson was stopped on a fourth-down run at the 3.
Twinsburg took an intentional safety 1:37 later to ensure the Blue Devils wouldn’t have enough time to mount a comeback, then ran out the clock after Brunswick promptly turned it over on downs.
The Blue Devils finished with their lowest point total at Judy Kirsch Field since 2003 (a 14-7 loss to Parma Heights Valley Forge) and suffered their first non-league defeat anywhere since 2004 (24-7 at Shaker Heights).
“We played hard -- I don’t know if we played well -- but our kids did play hard,” Nowak said. “Coach Solis did a very nice job and I give their team all the credit. They played flawless tonight.”
Twinsburg 21, Brunswick 9
First quarter
T - Frank Dufour 9 pass from Andrew Collier (Jake Russell kick), 11:12.
B - Lorenzo Pace 1 run (Jeff Kravetz kick), 5:32.
T - Joe Hiller 6 run (Jake Russell kick), :22.
Third quarter
T - Dion Johnson 4 run (Jake Russell kick), 6:26.
Fourth quarter
B - Safety, Twinsburg punter Frank Dufour runs out of end zone, :41.
Rushing
Twinsburg: Dion Johnson 21-128, Nick Nero 4-27, Joe Hiller 3-7, Andrew Collier 10-4, Aaron Macer 1-1. TEAM: 39-167.
Brunswick: Lorenzo Pace 13-51, Jared Kaderbek 5-27, Jess Smatana 8-27, Tevin Jackson 6-24, Chase Laudato 1-3, Pat Felton 9-(-16). TEAM: 42-116.
Passing
Twinsburg: Andrew Collier 3-9-52-0, Dion Johnson 0-0-0-0, Frank Dufour 0-1-0-0. TEAM: 3-10-52-0.
Brunswick: Pat Felton 10-22-75-0, Jess Smatana 2-3-18-0. TEAM: 12-25-93-0.
Receiving
Twinsburg: Waquiem Comar 1-26, Doug Talentino 1-17, Frank Dufour 1-9. TEAM: 3-52.
Brunswick: Chase Laudato 3-28, Jared Kaderbek 3-22, Tevin Jackson 2-14, Lorenzo Pace 2-4, Brandon James 1-14, Jeremy Salmonski 1-11. TEAM: 12-93.