Dalton' s loss just proves the old adage in WCAL, if you don't take care of the ball, you can lose in any given week. Proof of that is Norwayne's loss to Smithville in their state championship year. Not taking care of the ball, and coach Schrock letting the grass grow to epic proportions with a wet week, I'm pretty sure the band practiced on that field all week. ?
Will never forget this game! Coach Schrock's last year - a 3-way WCAL split with Norwayne, Hillsdale and Smithville.
Media and all of the experts on here and on other sites figured Norwayne would name their score - rightfully so....Norwayne had beaten opponents by a score of 52-7 on average and the starters never played a 4th quarter.
Smithville DB's bailed and played a deep cover 4 all game - daring Norwayne to throw the ball underneath, but they wouldn't do it. This film-session definitely ended up helping Norwayne in the playoff run, as they began to take what the D gave them - whether it be running the ball, quick screens and then an occasional shot down field.
There were a number of people in Smithville that would have loved to trash the field before that game - but Schrock wanted none of that. The field (inside of the hashes) was absolutely trashed though by game night.
Smithville's O-Line that year was arguably the best in school history. Zach Douglass - who for my money is the best O-Lineman in school history was an All-American at Ashland U. Paul Kelbly was an All-Ohioan and stand out at the College of Wooster. Alex Kurtz had a great career at Baldwin Wallace. Donny Musser played at Heidelberg.
Smithville's backs had the mix of all-state speed (Bates, Shane, Buss) and impressive power (Hilty and Steiner).
A few plays/sequences from that game standout to me to this day.
Right before halftime - Smithville seemed content on running the clock out. Bates busted a QB counter dove into the end zone to take the lead.
Norwayne threw a hook-and-lateral back to Wallace - he trucked a Smithville DB and almost took it all the way to the house to end the 1st half.
Norwayne had a WR wide-open for a bomb and he dropped a perfect ball for a TD that would have made a huge difference in the game.
4th and 3 from mid-field at the end of the 4Q with Smithville up - all of the Smithville players and fans immediately start screaming at the coaches to go for it. They run a simple dive with Hilty - he initially gets stuffed and spins off of it and falls forward for the game-clinching 1st down.
Norwayne has pretty much dominated the series since that night!