There is not really a formula on how to recover after being defeated by a Northeast Ohio powerhouse like Kirtland. But the Berkshire Badgers’ football team bounced back, defeating Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division foe Crestwood 35-24 last Friday evening at Jack Lambert Stadium in Mantua.
“To be honest we were very happy with how we played Kirtland,” said Coach Josh DeWeese. “Coming out this week we knew we just had to get back to business playing our brand of football.”
Since the Red Devils joined the CVC Valley Division in 2020, they have won three straight games against Berkshire (4-4, 2-1) including a 2021 postseason victory. But the Badgers have now turned the tables, having won the last two contests.
“It’s huge,” said senior wide receiver/defensive back Jack Hastings. “Coming in on an away game for a CVC game, it is huge to get a win and to just dominate like that. I think it is a big credit to the coaches. They prepared us all week and then we just executed all game and got it done.”
On Friday night, the game got off to an unusual start,Crestwood’s stadium lights not being fully operational, with a set of lights on opposite ends of the field not working.
The game still started as scheduled when Crestwood turned off all lights in an effort to restart the entire system, so both teams played the first quarter without any lighting. Berkshire relied on some trick plays using their senior back-up quarterback and kicker Mason Mendolera, who connected with Hastings on a 28-yard pass and a 32-yard touchdown pass, pushing the Badgers ahead 7-0.
“It was nice to have Mason come in and have a few plays at quarterback,” said the six-year coach. “The touchdown was a planned play but the other plays he came in for, he threw some nice passes.”
The 6-foot wide receiver acknowledged it was a first for him catching a touchdown pass with no stadium lights.
“I was definitely confused at first with what was going on,” he said. “But the lights came on pretty quick and it was history after that.”
The Badgers’ defense forced a pair of Crestwood turnover on downs in the first quarter but the Red Devils got the ball back after stopping Berkshire on fourth down, taking over at their 47 and engineering a six-play, 47-yard drive capped off by junior quarterback/defensive back Charlie Sommer throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end/defensive linemen Bryce Bennett, trimming the Badgers’ lead to 7-6 after failing to convert on the two-point conversion.
Neither team scored again in the first half but Berkshire’s two defensive stops against the Red Devils in their territory loomed large.
“Any time you can stop a running game like that on a short fourth down play, that is big momentum-changer for your offense to come back on the field so those were huge in the first half especially when points were at a premium,” DeWeese acknowledged.
Berkshire’s special teams took over in the second half, sparked by an 84-yard kick-off return by sophomore wide receiver/defensive back Cameron Beam on the Badgers’ opening drive and increased their lead to 14-6 on a 6-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback/defensive back Miles Miller.
After the Red Devils responded with a seven-play, 60-yard drive capped off by a 21-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver/defensive back Bryce Giel to cut the lead to 14-12, Berkshire came up with another big play on special teams.
Punting on a fourth-and-15 from their 16, Crestwood sophomore Jake Eyerman shanked his punt and the ball went straight up in the air, hit the 15 and bounced into the end zone.
Hastings jumped at the scoring opportunity and recovered the ball, gifting the Badgers another touchdown, extending their advantage to 21-12.
“I was going to go block it,” Hastings said. “I saw him just kick it straight up in the air and it bounced back into the end zone so I thought it was a live ball and I just dove on it. It was a high I.Q. play by me and I got a touchdown.”
Although Crestwood trimmed the lead to 21-18 on a 28-yard run by junior tailback/defensive back Nate Blasiole, another big kickoff return again gave the Badgers a short field and pushed their lead to 28-18 when junior running back/linebacker Justin Phillips scored on a 4-yard touchdown run.
“I’m feeling pretty proud of how that unit played,” said DeWeese. “The third phase of the game came out on the field and we capitalized on their mistakes.”
The Badgers will welcome CVC Valley Division rival Grand Valley to Great Lakes Cheese Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. while Crestwood will hit the road and take on conference powerhouse Kirtland at Wilson Stadium the same evening.
