WH vs Holy name. Just like all drew it up right? ?. The junior Biebe might be the dirtiest player I have seen in a long time.
I'm not too surprised by the matchup. West Holmes is undefeated and was the No. 2 seed for a reason. But I don't think anybody should think that West Holmes caught a break by facing Holy Name.
After all, Holy Name was in this same spot a year ago and fell 3 points short against Tiffin (which knocked out West Holmes a week earlier). This year, it took some time, and Holy Name has done a lot to shoot themselves in the foot almost all season long (mainly offensively) and they took some lumps against some very good teams early on, but they are starting to put it together and are a couple of plays away from coming in on an 8 game win streak (though as easily as they could/should have beat Valley Forge and Buckeye, they could have also lost to North Olmsted, even though it was a game they mostly controlled).
Even what appears to be some early lopsided losses, they were mostly games that were closer than the final indicated.
VASJ was a 7-0 game up until about 2-3 minutes before half when Holy Name imploded, giving up a TD, then turning the ball over deep in their territory and suddenly it was 21-0. They came out and got one back to start the third to maybe make it a game again, but VASJ responded with another TD to go up 28-7 and that was that. VASJ was better, but outside that couple minute spurt it was competitive. And say what you want about VASJ, talent-wise, they were as good as anybody from D3 down.
Same the next week against Riverside. It was nearly the same situation, where it was a 7-0 game just before half and HN went three-and-out and forced into a punt after making a stop that hopefully would've gotten them in at just 7-0. They then gave up a late TD to go down 14-0. Then Riverside got the ball to start the third and scored again. HN answered with a TD to make it 21-7, but Riverside answered back to put that away. But that was a solid football team and a tip your cap game.
Elyria Catholic (which is still around in D5 and I think could give Kirtland all they can handle) was an embarrassment, but I think was what was needed to bring this team together. It was a 7-7 game midway through the first half before the wheels fell off. It was pick-6, then a fumble deep in their own territory and suddenly 21-7 (that score seemed to be a theme in these losses, lol). Another pick 6 in the third and another fumble deep in their territory and the route was on. Like VASJ and Riverside, Elyria Catholic was better, but not nearly by as much as the score showed.
Anyway, the offense has come a long way since those games and still has not put everything together. Norton was close (and I usually don't blame refs, but that one was blatant where they tried to do anything they could to make it competitive ... the game was a complete mismatch that night). Padua was pretty close to putting it together (especially the passing game), but some of the self-inflicted penalties popped back up and some questionable clock management nearly cost them in a game that should not have came down to the last play (though Padua's QB made some great throws to get them back in it).
Once you get to this point, you got to be playing your best to advance. That's still the question with Holy Name. The record is deceiving and they are getting better, but still it's a team that definitely hasn't peaked. If they can, they will be a tough out for anybody remaining. If they continue to make those 4-5 bone-headed mistakes that flip the scoreboard, they will be going home.
), but they were also hybrid learning last year.