The Wolverines played toe-to-toe with Chardon for two quarters, but the second quarter was the difference as the Hilltoppers won the season opener, 35-0.
Game photos click here.
The Wolverines played toe-to-toe with Chardon for two quarters, but the second quarter was the difference as the Hilltoppers won the season opener, 35-0.
“Anytime you can start 1-0 and have a running clock, it’s a good thing,” Chardon Head Coach Mitch Hewitt said.
After trading stops on the opening drives of the game, Chardon struck first.
Thanks to a bad snap on a Wolverine punt, the Hilltoppers had the ball on their own 47 with 4:44 to go in the first. Chardon moved the ball down the field, and three seconds before the end of the quarter, junior halfback Caleb Hewitt took a handoff and ran right. Caleb made a good cut and found the end zone for the Toppers’ first score of the season.
Up 7-0, Chardon was on the move again midway through the second quarter when senior quarterback Will Francis sustained an injury. Senior Austin Leszynski, the starting linebacker and backup quarterback, filled in for Francis and, several plays later, was picked off by junior linebacker Dan Donofrio to end a promising drive.
Early in the game, both teams showed some jitters.
“It’s the first game and a lot of guys were pressing,” Chardon junior fullback Vinny Colombi said. “It was the big start for many of us, so it was good to get used to it.”
After forcing West Geauga to punt, the Hilltoppers got a 46-yard punt return from senior AJ Bruce, who was knocked out of bounds at the 19.
On the next play, Caleb once again turned the right corner and turned on the jets for a 19-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0.
Overall, the junior finished the night with 39 rushing yards and two touchdowns to pair with a 45-yard reception.
While Chardon had success running the ball, the Wolverines had some success with underneath and short routes.
“We knew they were a fast and physical defense and we had to play fast so they could not get their calls in and come after our young quarterback,” West Geauga Head Coach Matt Rosati said.
Up two scores, Chardon was not done yet.
With 3:13 to go before halftime, junior linebacker Alexander Ash and senior defensive end Kyle Kisley made a fourth-down stop when the Wolverines turned the ball over on downs on their 40 yard line.
Then Colombi took a hand-off and went around the left side for a 40-yard touchdown run to increase Chardon’s lead to 21-0.
“He’s a special player, and I think he was just waiting for his moment,” Coach Hewitt said of Colombi. “His brother has taken most of the limelight, but I think Vinny will make the most of his minutes.”
On the ensuing possession, senior defensive back Braden Maruna picked off West Geauga sophomore quarterback Finn Keenan and took it 44 yards to the house for a pick six.
The second quarter proved a killer for the young Wolverines, but Rosati felt the effort was there and was proud that his players didn’t back down against one of the top teams in the state.
“I’m very pleased with how hard we fought,” Rosati said. “We killed ourselves with the pick six. With four and a half minutes left in the half, we were down 7-0, but the score, pick six and punt return killed us. Other than that, I’m really happy with how we played. We hit with the Chardon Hilltoppers, and that was our goal.
“Our kids played extremely hard and were very determined and focused on stopping Bruce and Francis,” he added. “Our guys wanted to play against the best, and we hung in there pretty tough.”
Colombi also scored the game’s final touchdown, a 12-yard run early in the fourth quarter, to end the scoring and start the running clock.
“It was good play-calling and blocking on both runs,” Colombi said.
On the night, Chardon racked up 307 total yards of offense, 247 coming on the ground and 60 in the air. The Hilltoppers picked up 16 first downs but had to deal with 80 yards in penalties and a turnover.
West Geauga managed just 104 yards of total offense; Keenan passed for 91 yards. The Wolverines were held to eight first downs.
Colombi led all rushers with 82 yards and two scores. Francis rushed for 58 yards and threw for 60 yards.
While Coach Hewitt was happy his team won, he felt his Toppers still played sloppy.
“I expected us to play a little bit cleaner, which again, is a reflection on me,” he said. “I probably let the week get away from us, so I have to do a better job of preparing our kids.
“It’s not just the offensive line, it’s fullbacks missing blocks and halfbacks missing blocks. We just have to clean some things up for these next two games.”
While Chardon dominated the end of the second quarter, the Wolverine defense caused the Hilltoppers problems.
“We have to get him (Francis) more protection, that’s for sure,” Coach Hewitt said. “They’re sending the house and everyone’s open. We just need a second and we’d have some big plays. We’ve got to give him a second. He took a big lick, and if you ever questioned his toughness, it was answered tonight.”
Despite being shut out, Rosati believed there was a lot of good to take away from the loss.
“Our goal is to play the Chardon Hilltoppers in Week 11, so we are in it for the long haul and will play a great team next week and the week after that before getting into our conference,” he said. “Hopefully we can learn and get better and better against good competition and it will benefit us down the stretch.”
“Coach Rosati is a good coach and has won some big games,” Coach Hewitt said. “That team is closer to being good than many people realize.”
Perhaps lost in the mix was the renewal of a rivalry game last played in 2019.
“This is how it should be,” Rosati said. “West Geauga and Chardon should be playing football every year. It’s what needs to happen. High school football should be about rivalry and next-door neighbors.”
Up next on the schedule for Chardon is a road game against Tiffin Columbia.
“They called us,” Hewitt said. “Any time a team calls us to play, they feel pretty good about their odds.”
For the Wolverines, a week-two home game with Kenston awaits.
