2011 ITCL
Playoff Preview
Division 6 - Region 21
(Saturday November 5th - 7:00pm kickoffs)
Wellsville Tigers
(5-5)

VS

Shadyside Tigers
(7-3)

@ Shadyside Fleming Field
Villa Angela-St. Joseph
Vikings
(6-4)

VS

Western Reserve
Blue Devils
(10-0)

@ Blue Devils Stadium
    Make sure you know which side of the field is home and visitor Wellsville fans, as both teams will be wearing black and orange in this battle of the Tigers.  But many long time Wellsville fans are very, very familiar with Shadyside as the 'Ville lost to them in the 2001 playoffs in an exciting 41-35 game.
     Last year Shadyside made it all the way to the Division 6 State Championship game where they got clobbered by Delphos St. John's 77-6.  This year, although they are relatively young, that humilating loss may be driving this squad to excel and try to reach the State Finals again.
    For the second year in a row the Western Reserve Blue Devils will host a 1st round playoff game.  This time howver, the Devils do not face a league rival, but they still face a very battle-tested team.  The four Viking losses all came to Division 3 & 4 schools, while they also beat a local school in Warren JFK (pictures above) 14-6 back on 9/17.  The Vikings finished in 2nd place in the all parocial North Coast League, behind D3 school Holy Name.
     The Vikings are coached by John Storey, who is in his second stint with the school as he coached the Vikings in 1991-93, and then returned to the Vikings sidelines in 2009.  He currently has a 15-15 mark in his last three years, and this is the 1st playoff game for the Vikings since they lost the Division 4 State Championship game to Versailles in 2003.  Included in that playoff run was a 1st round win over Cardinal Mooney.  Like many paraocial schools, Villa Angela-St. Joseph's has seen it's enrollment shrink with the economy and population shifts in the Cleveland area.
    Shadyside is led by Head Coach Mark Holenka, who has accumilated a 26-11 record in three seasons with the Tigers.  The Shady-Tigers run a pro-style offense under Holenka, and multiple sets on defense.
     Wellsville fans should watch out for (#5) junior quarterback Chase Kinemon who is elusive with 497 yards rushing with 9 touchdown, and 612 yards passing with an additional 11 touchdown tosses.  When passing, Kinemon likes to look for junior wide receiver (#20) Cody Hudson who has 16 receptions for 348 yards and 5 TD's
     On the ground, besides Kinemon keeping the ball, Shadyside counts on (#42) junior running back Brooks Ramsey, who has 810 yards and 6 TD's on the season.
     Defensively Shadyside is lead by three-year letterman (#54) senior defensive end Matt Hammond, and (#15) senior lineback-end Mason Gulash.  Shadyside's defense has only given up a single score in five of the last seven games this season, including essentially a playoff game against Barnsville last week.
     With both teams being lead by some young talented players, these two schools may meet again in the future, but this year it will be a battle to see who is the BEST Tiger.
    The Vikings will represent perhaps the quickest and most athletic team that the Blue Devils will have faced so far as the Vikings have some very talented skill position players.  They are led by (#3) senior running back Tim Harrison who has rushed for 1,359 yards on 163 carries, and has scored 16 TD's.  (#22) Junior running back Devon Bolden has also contributed 105 carries for 656 yards and 6 scores.
     Although the Vikings like to primarily run the ball from the spread formation, they have seen (#10) senior quarterback Anthony Sywanyk complete 46 of 132 passes for 771 yards and 9 touchdowns.  Sywanyk's favorite target is (#19) senior receiver C.J. Germany.  Germany has caught 23 passes for 441 yards and 7 touchdowns.
     The records may be mis-leading, as this is definetly a tough test for the Devils, but the Devils have home field advantage and a goal to go deep in the playoffs.