Metcalfe, MacLennan do their part for Jays

Published:  Saturday, December 5, 2009 (3 months, 2 weeks ago)
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jmetcalfe@delphosherald.com

Steven Metcalfe, here hauling in a scoring pass versus Versailles, hopes to go out a title-winner in his final game in a Blue Jay football uniform Saturday afternoon.Senior fullback Mitchell MacLennan finds some room for yardage during Saturday night’s state semifinal versus Marion Local. He hopes to be a key cog as St. John’s goes for title number 6 this Saturday versus Norwalk St. Paul at Massillon.DELPHOS — Everyone is quite familiar with the “stars” of the St. John’s football team.
Junior tailback Jordan Leininger, senior quarterback Wes Ulm, junior long-ball receiver/third-year starting free safety Tyler Bergfeld, junior middle linebacker Chris Pohlman/offensive tackle (the recently-named Division VI Defensive Player of the Year) and senior outside linebacker Joel Polhman get tons of credit for the Blue Jays playing in Saturday’s Division VI state championship game in Massillon versus Norwalk St. Paul.
As with any successful team, though, role players have a big part to fill in how far a team goes.
Case in point: seniors Steven Metcalfe (wingback) and fullback Mitchell MacLennan.
Metcalfe was a role player on last year’s state title team, mostly on special teams and on defense.
This year, he moved over to the offense, starting at wingback.
“I like to hit. Unfortunately, the only time I really get to hit is on kickoffs and when I crackback; I like to do that,” he explained. “We have played Norwalk St. Paul a couple times before in title games and they ran back the opening kickoff for touchdowns both times.”
This season, he has six catches for 102 yards and three scores.
“I don’t mind not getting the ball thrown to me a lot. I can say that in my four years, we’ve never had a closer team; we’ve become a family,” he continued. “As we get closer to the game, we’re really excited. We don’t want to go there and not give our best or let anyone down, especially teammates. Still, as a starter, I feel I have contributed a lot more than last year.
“We’ve been working really hard during practice, as we have all season. It doesn’t matter who gets the credit as long as we win as a team.”
It was a lot different last year from this year, he recalls.
“Last year, no one expected us to win. This year, we’ve been number one all season,” he added. “Still, as hard as it’s been, it’s been a lot of fun. I don’t think I haven’t enjoyed any practice.
“Joel is the perfect leader for this team. He knows how to get us excited and not feel any pressure. He gives us energy and keeps us relaxed.
“We have worked hard and we want to enjoy this but at the same time, we know we have one more goal to accomplish.”
MacLennan is maybe the most unlikely unsung performer at all.
He wasn’t a fullback until late last season.
“I was a wingback and defensive back. We were playing in the ‘Wiener Bowl’, a freshmen/junior varsity game where the coaches combine our teams and then split them up,” he explained. “The coaches played me at fullback and Coach (Todd) Schulte saw me and liked what he saw. (Freshmen) coach (Dick) Clark ‘promoted’ me to the coaches and I was moved there.”
In the offense’s bread-and-butter plays: the triple-option and the ‘O’; the action is keyed much by MacLennan.
“If I can get a kickout for Jordan to get 20 yards on the ‘O’, I am happy. On the triple, if I can get the defense to pound on me, that opens it up for Wes or Jordan to get big yards or big plays,” he said. “If I don’t get carries but am doing my job and others are getting the recognition, that is my contribution; not everyone can get the headlines. You just have to be humble about it.”
That was especially true during the team’s last two games: overtime wins over Ada and MAC archrival Marion Local.
MacLennan, who has 71 rushes for 415 yards and three touchdowns and has nine pancake blocks, ran for 115 yards in the former but 43 in the latter.
“I had the chance against Ada because they were keying on Wes and Jordan. It’s nice to be able to contribute when I had the chance,” he added. “It was good that we didn’t panic either time when the game got tight.
“We have to go down and take care of business. At the same time, we’re relaxed; we don’t want to be too focused or geared up. It helps to have been there last year. We don’t want to put any more pressure on ourselves so we can play our game and right now, all we’re focused on is preparing and playing our best.”
Those two, as well as eight other seniors, hope that “Keep the Dream” means title number six in the program’s history come late Saturday afternoon and that they will do their usual “unsung” best.

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