Nov
24
Congratulations to the Aurora football team and all their fans, supporters and parents!
Who could’a thunk it ? Aurora in the state finals!
Congratulations to the Aurora football team and all their fans, supporters and parents!
Who could’a thunk it ? Aurora in the state finals!
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer (because I couldn’t find it on AuroraAdvocate.com
“Determined Greenmen bounce Big Walnut to advance to state championship
Tim Rogers, November 22, 2008 11:42 p.m.
ASHLAND — The march began in November.
It has lasted one year and a lifetime.
On the night that the Aurora football team was upended in the first round of the 2007 playoffs by Cortland Lakeview — at home, no less — the returning players knelt around coach Bob Mihalik and made a pact to become state champions.
On a frigid Saturday night about 75 miles from home, the Greenmen and their coach gave themselves a chance. What they envisioned 12 months ago became a reality when they held off defending state champion Sunbury Big Walnut, 20-14, in a Division III state semifinal game in Ashland Community Stadium.
Aurora (12-2) will make its first state championship game appearance on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Canton’s Fawcett Stadium when it plays Columbus Eastmoor Academy (13-1), a 14-10 winner over Newark Licking Valley.
“They said that night that they wanted to be state champions,” a jubilant Mihalik said a few minutes after a pass interception by junior Mike Ganoe at the Aurora 47-yard line ended Big Walnut’s last hopes — and touched of a wild celebration along the opposite sideline — with 1:03 remaining. “They have given themselves a shot.”
They have given themselves a shot because of players such as tailback Steven Yung, quarterback Brendan Gallagher and receivers Dee Brizzolara and Steve Snyder. And, they have given themselves a shot because of defensive guys such as end Adam Bellamy, tackle Kevin Carroll and linebackers Charley Haney and Brendan Connolly. All were major contributors.
And finally, there was kicker-safety Andy Heacox. The 6-0, 180-pound senior kicked field goals of 23 and 25 yards and was good on two point-after attempts. He also punted six times for a 36.7-yard average, caused a fumble and was in on four tackles.
Yung, all 5-7 and 160 pounds of him, carried the ball 24 times for a hard-earned 129 yards and the game-winning touchdown with 5:11 to play. Gallagher completed 10 of 18 passes for 105 yards, ran 1-yard for Aurora’s first touchdown and suffered no interceptions. Brizzolara caught five passes. Snyder caught one pass and gained 70 yards on six rushing attempts, each time taking handoffs on flanker-around plays.
Bellamy, an OSU recruit, led the Greenmen with seven solo tackles and was the lead blocker on many of their rushing plays. Connolly had six solos and Haney had five.
Leading, 13-10, the Greenmen got the ball back with 7:54 left at their 32.
After two short gains by Yung and fullback Chris Jenkins, Snyder ripped off a 34-yard gain and Yung broke several tackles for a 12-yard gain that put the ball at the Sunbury 8. He scored two plays later, giving Aurora a 13-point lead.
The best play of the first half came with 7:38 remaining when Aurora was faced with a fourth-and-one situation at the Big Walnut 40. Gallagher found a wide-open Tim Gardner for a 37-yard gain after a terrific fake handoff to Yung froze the defense. Gallagher scored two plays later from 1 yard. Big Walnut (11-23) got back in the game after linebacker Will Studlien recovered a Jenkins fumble near midfield on Aurora’s first possession of the second half.
Quarterback Johnny Cannell guided the Golden Eagles on a nine-play, 53-yard drive, completing a 24-yard pass to Nick Heiden on a third-and-6 play that moved the ball to the Aurora 14. Four plays later, Eugene Cannaday moved in at quarterback and swept right end for a 7-yard score.
Cannaday came back to scorch the Greenmen when he hauled in a 29-yard scoring pass from Cannell that cut Aurora’s lead to six points with 3:17 left. The pass capped an eight-play, 67-yard drive in which Heiden caught three passes for 40 yards.
Then came Ganoe’s interception.
“The receiver had beaten me on their touchdown and I needed to get some revenge,” said Ganoe.”I figured they were going to go deep. I just sat in the zone and saw the ball.”
Who got broken bones in the game? I heard two players were injured.
Big Walnut was tackling to hurt people!!
I love what you’ve done with the Amazing Grace theme!
I really want to change the font on my site which also uses the same theme…if you have any tips on the tweaks you’ve done I’d love to hear em’….you did a FABULOUS JOB on yours!
Happy Turkey Day!
Best Regards,
Rachel