Most definitely ‘not a year away’

By Jim Metcalfe, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Monday, December 1, 2008 (1 year, 3 months ago)
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MASSILLON — As one might expect, St. John’s was certainly in a celebratory mood Friday afternoon.
After all, the Blue Jays had just seized their fifth Division VI state championship in the past 12 seasons with a 20-point beating of unbeaten Hopewell-Loudon.
Their “game plan” was simple from the start of 2008; “Leave No Doubt.”
“We had heard all the talk about us being a year away and everything. I didn’t want us to be a year or two away; I’m a senior,” observed offensive tackle/defensive end Tyler Hayson. “It’s amazing to be a part of the great tradition that has come before. It’s an amazing feeling. I was on the sideline in 2005 (their fourth title) but I played both ways this year. It’s great to be such a big part of this.”
Generally, successful teams become like a family over the year. This Blue Jay edition was no different.
“We heard all the talk about being a year away and such; well, we’re here now and we deserve to be,” junior quarterback Wes Ulm said. “We are like a family: we rely on each other and pick each other up.”
Senior fullback/linebacker Matt Brinkman concurred.
“Me and the other seniors and players like Wes, we wanted to bring the sophomores in and make sure they were comfortable. We didn’t want them to be afraid of us but to look to us,” he observed. “We got along really well.
“Coming off the 2-8 last year, this is a lot better. It’s a lot better to be getting up at 6:30 a.m. and sweating through weights and agilities than to go 2-8 again and not be here.”
Several players pointed to the key to the game.
“It’s our triple option and the option in general. They chose again to take Matt and (sophomore TB) Jordan (Leininger) away, so that leaves it open for me,” Ulm noted. “All of us are like tailbacks and can get the job done. The offensive line did a great job of staying on its blocks. The option offense is tough to stop. It was surprising to me that it took them as long as they did to adjust to that.
“Last year, I wasn’t comfortable running the option; this year, around the St. Henry (week 8) game, it really started to slow down for me and the reads came easier.”
The option is really a team effort when it works.
“I tell Wes all the time that if they are going to load up to stop Jordan and I, keep it. I’ll take the hits; I’m happy with that as long as someone’s getting the job done,” Brinkman continued. “They kept taking Jordan and I and we just kept running the option. It was a nice game plan.”
One particular point in the game — the opening drive of the second half — proved a thing of beauty for the Blue and Gold.
It lasted 8:55 and put the Jays up 27-14.
“That drive was great; we got into a nice rhythm and got into the mindset that they can’t stop us, no matter what,” Brinkman said.
Hayson, the only senior starting on the offensive line, along with four 10th-graders, agreed.
“It was especially great for an offensive linemen. I think every play had positive yards; you just want to keep running the ball,” he continued. “Starting with four sophomores, I felt they looked to me. If they made a mistake, it was up to me to tell them to forget it and go out and hit the guy harder next time. We kind of are a nasty, physical group; we just hit hard and keep hitting hard.”
The Jays also got a better handle on Hopewell’s spread offense as the game wore on.
“It helped to have played spread offenses like Ada and Coldwater; it helps us prepare better, Brinkman added. “Basically, our game plan was to be physical; when they did catch a pass, we wanted to hit them hard with a lot of people and make them not want to catch the ball.”
Hayson credited the linebackers and secondary for that.
“Our defensive backs did a great job. We only rushed three most of the night. We didn’t get a lot of pressure but enough; we just didn’t want their quarterback to scramble or let their running back get a big play,” he added.
Someone familiar to head coach Todd Schulte, his eldest brother, Scott, was at the game.
“I’m so happy for him and St. John’s. I think they do it the right way and that’s why a lot of alumni come back,” he concluded. “I saw a lot of other former players here. They do things first-class, from Don (Huysman) on down. It never gets old to travel 3-plus hours to this. We’ve made five trips to Stark County; we’re 5-0.”

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