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Berea-Midpark has certainly had its way with Amherst over the past three football seasons, outscoring the Comets, 156-14. But when the teams meet Friday at Baldwin Wallace’s Finnie Stadium, will it be more of the same?
Actually, the team’s records hint toward a reversal from the recent encounters, as Amherst has started the season with four consecutive victories for the first time since 2019, while Berea-Midpark has struggled with consistency while dropping three of four games.
But the coaches know better. Amherst coach Tom Thome certainly doesn’t believe that the Titans should be viewed as a 1-3 team following losses to Nordonia, Strongsville and Avon Lake.
“They’re not a 1-3 team,” he said. “They’re a very good football team. I don’t care what their record is. They’ve played some very good football teams this year.”
By the same token, Berea-Midpark coach Jon Hunek knows better than to think this Amherst team is one that his team can dominate. In fact, Hunek said Amherst’s strong start has his players knowing that this game won’t be a pushover.
“They’re a really good football team,” he said. “Obviously, they’re 4-0. The 1-3 start is not exactly what we wanted, but with them being 4-0, I think it’s kind of easy to keep our kids focused. Amherst is an undefeated football team and we’re a team on a three-game losing streak, so trying to get back on the good side of things and doing it against a quality football team, it’s an easy motivator for us.”
This game very well could be decided by the quarterbacks and how they are defended. Amherst’s Cole Norris has been lighting things up, averaging 185 yards rushing per game and adding 10 touchdowns. In last week’s 21-16 victory over previously unbeaten Midview, Norris rushed for 213 yards and scored all three TDs. He also passed for 79 yards and averaged 40 yards on five punts, with three being downed inside the 20-yard line.
“Their quarterback is a really good player,” Hunek said. “I know that for sure. He’s broken some big running plays, and he also throws the ball really well. He’s really the focal point for what they’re doing, so he’s obviously what we’re focusing on in our preparation and what we’re trying to take away from him.”
The same could be said for Berea-Midpark signal caller Danny Bowser, who started last season as the junior varsity quarterback but became the varsity starter by the third week of the season. Now the senior is a seasoned veteran playing behind an experienced offensive line that includes Masyn Zahursky, a Bowling Green commit.
“Our quarterback, Danny Bowser, has done really well,” Hunek said. “He’s the straw that stirs the drink. He’s been phenomenal for us. Our offense goes as he goes.”
While Berea-Midpark had been somewhat Bowser-centric on offense in its first three games, Hunek said they moved safety Justin McDonnell to running back last week against Avon Lake, and the senior responded with about 190 yards rushing on 17 carries. All that does is give opposing defenses even more to worry about.
“They are big,” Thome said. “I think every Berea-Midpark team I’ve ever coached against is big. They do a lot, offensively and defensively. I think they’re trying to confuse their opponent. For us, we’ve got to line up and just play our game. We can’t be confused.”
And, the Comets need to figure out ways to get Norris on the loose. Coming into the season, the fact that Amherst’s offensive line would consist of five new starters was an area of major concern, but with Norris averaging better than 10 yards per carry, those concerns have been alleviated.
“We’re going to always go where Cole leads us,” Thome said. “We haven’t really scratched the surface of what we can do with the throwing game. Cole is a very talented thrower, even though he has over 700 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on the ground.”
Containing Norris is at the top of the list for the Titans in this encounter. Much of that will depend on the play of defensive standouts Austin LaForce at linebacker and safety Mitchel Hausler, who broke a school record with 22 tackles in the loss to Strongsville. The old record was set by Joe Bachie, now of the Cincinnati Bengals.
“A key for us is going to be to stop their quarterback,” Hunek said. “For us, we have to be efficient on offense and stay out of the negative plays. Defensively, it’s going to be stopping the quarterback because he’s a great runner.”
Thome said he is most concerned about how his team approaches the game in general as a Division II team facing a bigger opponent on its home field for its homecoming game.
“Berea-Midpark is a Division I school that has had a lot of success against Amherst,” Thome said. “Do we rise to the occasion? Can we step up to their level. I think that’s our biggest question mark. How do our kids respond? Do they step up? We’re going over there. We know it’s going to be a hostile environment. They probably just view us as the same, old, little Amherst Comets. How do we respond to that?”
Magill’s pick: Berea-Midpark. Norris certainly could make things interesting with his running and passing game, but games are normally decided on the line of scrimmage, where the Titans have a big advantage in both size and experience.
