This Week in Benedictine Football, Week 11

Playoff Edition

                                                Benedictine’s first state playoff game

November 16, 1973

Benedictine 23, Lima Central Catholic 0

                MASSILLON – Benedictine became the first Cleveland area school to qualify for the new state computer playoffs which were in its second year.

                In these early years of the state playoffs, only the top team in each of the four regions in each Class qualified for the playoffs. There were only two games to reach the state title game.                And back then, the divisions were broken down by Class AAA (large schools), Class AA (mid-sized schools) and Class A (small schools). There were only three state playoff champions.

                It was truly an accomplishment just to win the region.

Benedictine finished the season with a misleading 6-2-2 record. The Bengals had tied Massillon and St. Edward, both Class AAA powers, and were able to earn many computer points from those games. Benedictine won the Class AA Region 5 title with 493.30 points (the point system was calculated much differently than the one used today). Solon was second with 461.90.

                The Bengals would meet Lima Central Catholic, which finished with a 7-2-1 record. The Thunderbirds compiled 525.40 points to win Region 6.

                As the Bengals were preparing for Lima Central Catholic, senior two-way lineman Jack Glowik told the Cleveland Press, “Benedictine has a tradition of winning the big ones. I guess you can call this another one of those big ones.”

                Otis Merrill, who stepped in midway through the season in the offensive backfield, said, “We’re taking tomorrow night’s game for it’s worth – a championship game. We have something to prove.”

                After they fell to the Bengals 23-0, Lima Central Catholic did not need any additional proof. The Bengals belonged in the title game to be played next week.

                If defense wins championships, then Benedictine was just about ready to take hold of the trophy.

                Even Coach Augie Bossu was effusive about his defense.

                “They (his defensive players) all were instrumental in our play and all helped keep pressure on the passer,” said Bossu. “Our defense was as good as we’ve played.”

                That defense scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and held Lima Central Catholic to -10 yards rushing. Benedictine gained 227 yards on the ground.  The Thunderbirds were a passing team all season and gained 130 through the air in this game. The Bengals, who were able to move the ball on the ground, gained only 42 passing yards.

                On its opening drive, Benedictine drove to the Lima Central Catholic 13 before Tom Seres kicked a 29-yard field goal to give the Bengals an early 3-0 led.

                After receiving a punt, the Bengals took over at the Lima Central Catholic 45. From there, the Bengals used the running of Kevin Krakora and Gerry Modzelewski to move downfield, but it was Otis Merrill who scored from the seven to give the Bengals a 10-0 halftime lead.

                The third quarter was scoreless but in the fourth, senior defensive back Tim Armelli jumped in front of a Thunderbird receiver and ran 43 yards for a touchdown with a pass interception with 11:08 left in the game.

                Less than two minutes later, the Bengals Jack Glowik tipped a pass into the hands of his teammate Lloyd Derricoate, who ran 30 yards for another touchdown to put away the win.

                And just like the custom that dated back to the Charity Games played at Cleveland Stadium by the Bengals, coach Augie Bossu was carried off the field by his players.

                NOTES: This Bengals victory over Lima Central Catholic was the second 23-0 victory in a row. In the previous week, Benedictine defeated archrival Cathedral Latin by the same 23-0 margin.

                Benedictine reached a milestone in its win over Cathedral Latin. It was the first time that Benedictine had tied the all-time series with the Lions. Cathedral Latin dominated the early years of the rivalry winning the first 15 games. But since 1948, when Benedictine defeated Cathedral Latin for the first time, the Bengals had won 20 of the last 25 games. The all-time record now stands at 20-20.

                The Bengals found a home field in 1973 in Massillon. The Bengals went 2-0-1. Earlier in the season the Bengals held Massillon to a 0-0 tie, and then beat Lima Central Catholic and Ironton.

                Prior to the Lima Central Catholic game, Bossu said, “We had only one home game this year - last week when we played Cathedral Latin at John Marshall. Now we’ll be the home team – on an away field – for the second straight week.”

                Benedictine would face Ironton in the Class AA state title game at Massillon on Friday November 23. Ironton defeated Cincinnati Reading 7-0 in its semi-final game. The Bengals won the Class AA state title with a 38-13 win over Ironton. They jumped to a 38-0 lead before Ironton got on the board.

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Wally Mieskoski ’71

Benedictine Football Historian