BEES CELEBRATE THE SEASON
BANQUET PAYS TRIBUTE TO SENIORS
By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer
Monday, November 21, 2011
RICHFIELD – Playing varsity high school football is not easy. The time, effort and sacrifices that young men put forth to represent their school is significant. Practices can be grueling. Throw in homework and the balancing of a burgeoning social life and family responsibilities tests time management skills.
But nights like last night make it all worthwhile.
The Brecksville-Broadview Heights football program celebrated the recently completed football season with their annual end of season banquet here last night in the ballroom of the Days Inn.
Once the tables were cleared following a delicious dinner the guys had a chance to kick back and enjoy the chance to bask in the glory of being Bee gridiron gladiators. The players parents, family members and friends of the program joined the coaches for an evening to remember.
"This is a very special night for everyone in our program." Said Brecksville head coach Jason Black. "I'd like to thank all the parents and coaches for their help in putting this on for the team."
Black briefly summed up the 2011 campaign, a season where the team overcame adversity in the form of a key injury and battled their way back to post a winning record.
It was only the second time since 1996 and 1997 that the Bees have strung together back-to-back winning records.
The season began with an emotional win over archrival North Royalton, which enabled the Bees to maintain possession of the fabled Golden Shoe traveling trophy.
The next two weeks is where it got painful in more ways than one. Tough losses at Fremont Ross and Hudson cast a rain cloud over the team. But this group never gave up. They buckled their chin straps a little tighter, came back with a whisker close conference opening win on the road and sandwiched a pair of two-game winning streaks around their only two league defeats.
The ability to bounce back is what defined the Bees season and it spoke volumes of the character of this team.
"We had a very successful and awesome start by beating North Royalton." Black, a Royalton graduate, told the audience. "If we can beat them in anything, even tiddlywinks, I'll take it."
"The team faced adversity in week two. But we showed tremendous character and perseverance by winning a must-win game in week four." Mentioned Black. "Avon Lake had lost only two conference home games since 1994 and they were very good. We regrouped our last two games and that was a very special way to end the season for our seniors."
This banquet was for the entire Bee football program, but the 22 members of its senior class were the spotlighted feature.
The true highlight of this late fall evening was to see and listen to the respect that the players have for their coaches and vice versa.
Coaches, the majority of them teachers, love to help mold young men into winners that will be productive in the much bigger game – the game of life. The players at Brecksville-Broadview Heights get that. And more importantly they appreciate that.
What Bee Nation saw out there on the field this season was a team in every sense of the word.
The coaches spoke with reverence about their players. Their emotions and thoughts were reciprocated.
Brecksville was blessed to have the leadership of four outstanding young men as team captains this fall. Seniors Rody Seballos, Jack Rose, Kyle Graham and junior quarterback Tommy Tupa led the squad by example off the field and by their performances on it.
Back in August Black said that there were many obvious reasons why these four guys were selected as team captains. He hit the jackpot with this group. Being a captain is so much more than going out to midfield for the pre-game coin toss. Seballos, Rose, Graham and Tupa were top men in every aspect of that undertaking.
"Our captains are our leadership voice from the coaches to the players. They do a lot for the program and they did a wonderful job." Black said.
The senior captains had the chance to address the crowd. Their words were from the heart and laced with gratitude. They captivated the attention of the room.
"Thanks for the last couple of years." Seballos told Coach Black. "It has been a fun time."
Graham, who is a leader in the classroom as well and who recently made a visit to an Ivy League school, spoke of Jason Blacks father Jeff, a Bee assistant coach.
"I wrote my college application essay about Mr. Black and what he means to me." Graham said.
The inspirational evening was just heating up.
Rose spoke of his position coach John Mutch, a former BBHHS standout himself. "Coach Mutch has been my football and baseball coach. He always made learning the game fun. I truly enjoyed every practice that's how fun he made it. Thanks for your confidence in me." Said Rose.
Nenad Camur, a senior linebacker, spoke eloquently about long time Bees defensive coordinator Ed Herrick.
"Football is more than a sport, it transitions boys into men." Camur said. "Wherever I go in life it will be because Coach Herrick had something to do with it. I couldn't ask for anything more."
Many other Bee players came to the podium for an opportunity to share their thoughts about the men who guided them through what they'll look back on as the best years of their lives. Football molds lives. The Brecksville coaching staff excels at forging that template.
"Coach (Dan) Schreiber taught us life lessons." Noted senior wide receiver Logan Resparc. "And he always made practice fun."
Senior nose tackle Tony Martella spent the season in a position that gets no love and no glory. "Tony sacrificed his body for the good of the team. He's 5-5 and 175 pounds. He drew double teams where he had to battle against a combined 500 pounds, but he never complained, not once. I could have run an ad in the newspaper and not found anyone interested in that job." Said coach Czack.
Sacrificing ones body for the good of the team. If that doesn't sum up the 2011 Bees nothing does.
"It's been a great last two years." Martella said. "My position coach, Coach (Jason) Simonetti always pushed everyone to give 110 percent. I'm just glad to be part of the Brecksville football family."
The BBHHS football team is anchored with top-notch students. The squad's top 25 lettermen have combined for a 3.995 GPA in the classroom. That was an improvement over last year's stellar performance. Smart young men make better football players. Being successful on the field is the ultimate combination of brains and brawn.
Trey Rainey, a senior offensive lineman, appreciated the fact that when he was taught something on the field he was given an explanation as to why. "Coach (Tom) Tupa always took the time to explain what we were doing and how to fix it." Rainey said of the Bees offensive coordinator.
Speaking of intelligence. Kyle Graham is the team's Scholar Award Winner. He has been nominated for the Academic All-Ohio Team. Only 22 players from across the state will be selected.
2011 TEAM AWARDS:
First Team Southwestern Conference:
Kyle Graham, Sr, LB/FB
Jay Schott, Jr, RB
Mike Tyler, Jr, DE
Second Team Southwestern Conference:
Nick Foster, Sr, OL/DL
Pauly Karthan, Jr, WR/K
Ryan Kelly, Sr, TE
Jack Rose, Sr, DB
Rody Seballos, Sr, OL
Honorable Mention Southwestern Conference:
Timmy Tupa, So, QB/WR
Christian Sifford, Jr, C/DL
All-conference selections are voted on by the leagues head coaches at a post-season meeting.
2011 BEES FOOTBALL Team Most Valuable Player: Kyle Graham
Defensive MVP: Jack Rose
Co-Offensive MVP's: Timmy Tupa and Jay Schott
Offensive line MVP: Rody Seballos
Defensive line MVP: Mike Tyler
Offensive skilled position MVP: Pauly Karthan
Defensive back MVP: Brian Colarik
Special Teams Player of the Year: Pauly Karthan
Most Improved Players: Christian Sifford, Ryan Kelly, Troy Lang and Nick Foster
Coaches Awards: Ben Genco, Will Hubert, Nenad Camur and Tommy Tupa
Iron Man Awards: Eric Moore and Quinton Hiles
BEST-DRESSED AWARDS:
This wasn't exactly a night at the Oscar's. There was no red carpet ceremony or a hoard of paparazzi hanging around outside the hotel. But several of the Bees were looking dapper. Perhaps they had a date afterwards. Grant Cunningham, Bobby Jacobs and Alexander Grgat had it going on. All wore neckties. Jabobs looked sharp in a red shirt and tie. Cunningham and Grgat opted for the sweater vest look. Cunningham's the argyle variety.
Most, if not all of the Bees, wore team polo shirts and khaki trousers. It sartorially illustrated the true unity of this team.
QUOTES OF THE NIGHT:
"It should be noted that Ryan Kelly scored his first touchdown of the year while he was wearing my shoes. I guess he started off on the right foot." Jason Black said to a round of guffaws. This guy is killing me.
"Someone joked to me after our last game that I might have to use my truck to pull Rody Seballos off the field." Said Black in reference to what playing in his final high school game meant to Seballos.
"I'm excited about the juniors and sophomores that we have coming back next year. It will be their job to build on the groundwork that the seniors have laid." Black said.
"The other half of teaching is the willingness of the student or the athlete to learn. We have that at Brecksville." Said Ed Herrick.
THE FINAL WORD FROM SOUTHWEST MISSOURI:
We'd be remiss if we didn't put a wrap on my adopted team, the Joplin (MO) High Eagles.
The city of Joplin was all but destroyed when a devastating tornado ripped through the town in May leveling its high school and Junge Stadium.
Head coach Chris Shields Eagles had a tough season. They finished 3-8 overall and 3-4 in the Ozark Conference.
The team fought through the adversity of having to rebuild their school and gut it out through a season where they had many other more important things on their minds.
But my hunch is that the guys from the Show Me State will be back. They'll show us how to get through challenging times. I'm pulling for them.
THANKS A MILLION:
A big time thank you goes out to all Bee players, coaches, parents and fans. Last night was a truly special night for me to be a part of sending the BBHHS senior football class out with one last big hurrah.
Your kind words and thoughtful and generous gifts are very much appreciated. The framed pictorial collage already has its place on my mantle, not too far from this keyboard.
It is a pleasure to cover Brecksville sports, an honor really. I'm grateful for the opportunity.
As always - Go Bees!
See You At The Bee Hive!
To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.
Please be sure to follow the Bees basketball team on the web at: www.beeshoops.com and the Lady Bees at: www.beesbasketball.com.
- 30-