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Bruins Lose In a Brutal Shutout Against Lake Catholic, Falling 30-0

Parma, OH – On Friday, October 10th, the Lake Catholic Cougars traveled to take on the Padua Bruins. The Bruins were a disappointing 1-6 going into this matchup, fresh off of a big loss at NDCL. The Cougars came into this matchup with a 5-2 record, after a 26-0 shutout win against Elyria Catholic in Week 7.

After two games on the road, the Bruins were back home in front of a packed student section. The Bruins offense took the field to begin the game. On the first play of the game, Padua QB Landon Hanover rushed right on a designed QB draw. Hanover managed to get a yard before taking a big hit that took him out for the rest of the game. It was discovered after the game that Hanover suffered a serious ankle injury, ending his season.

With Hanover going down, the senior backup Grant McClelland came in. On McClelland’s first pass he looked to hit Brady Devore downfield. Unfortunately for McClelland, the pass was picked off by the Cougars around their own 47-yard line.

Lake Catholic was able to drive down the field with ease behind the strong running from RB Danny Zmorowski and QB Max Pisano. After a strong showing from the Padua defensive front on the goal line, the Cougars were able to punch it in for six. RB Danny Zmorowski scored on a handoff at the 1-yard line, putting the Cougars up 6-0 early in the first. As Lake Catholic lined up for the PAT, Padua’s Jose Caban jumped early, putting the Cougars in better scoring position. Lake Catholic capitalized on their opportunity, tacking on an extra two points, going up 8-0.

The Bruins couldn’t get anything going on their next drive. The Bruins struggled in their previous two matchups against Big Walnut and NDCL, and those struggles seemed to carry into their contest against Lake Catholic. Their offensive struggles carried throughout the entire first half. The Cougars continued to capitalize on their offense woes as they put up another 14 points before the end of the half. The rushing attack was working for the Cougars as RB Michael Valentino and QB Max Pisano both rushed in for touchdowns in the first half. After a rough half of football for the Bruins, they went into the half down 22-0.

As the second half got underway, neither team could get into a rhythm offensively, trading punts. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that someone scored. It would be Lake Catholic’s Max Pisano rushing for another touchdown, his second on the day. After another touchdown and two-point conversion, the Cougars could coast with a 30-0 lead.

Pisano and Zmorowski stole the show in Lake Catholic’s 30-0 victory. Zmorowski finished with 173 rushing yards and a touchdown on the day. Pisano finished with two rushing touchdowns for the Cougars. Following the big win, the Cougars moved to 6-2 on the year.

For the Bruins, the offense woes continued, getting shutout for the second time in their last three games, moving them to 1-7 on the season. With starting RB Chase Weizer being out due to illness, Junior RB Justin Gillipsie got the start. Unfortunately for Gillispie, he ended up leaving the game early with an injured collarbone. Following the game it was discovered that Gillispie would miss the remaining two games. With their leading rushers out, the Bruins were only able to get 21-yards rushing on the day. I talked to Padua Lineman Bo Barney about what the Bruins can do to get the run game going. He told me, “I think we just need to have better connection and communication with our guys in the backfield, especially with Landon and Justin going down.”

The Bruins will be back in action to take on the undefeated CVCA Royals on Friday, October 16th.

SmeeSports Internship Program: Applications Now Open for Spring Semester 2026

Alliance, OH- As the halfway point of the Fall Semester is upon us, SmeeSports has decided to begin accepting applications for Spring 2026 interns!

SmeeSports LLC is a sports media and broadcasting company founded in 2023 that serves the Cleveland and Stark County areas. We have partnered with many teams and organizations, such as Spectrum Channel 1022 Alliance, Minerva Athletics, Holy Name Athletics, Tri-C Baseball, 965 Midwest Challenge, WRCL, OPL, and Diamond League, to provide broadcast coverage of select games. While we do games outside of these partnerships, they make up the backbone and majority of our coverage.

Our owner, Nathan Smee, is a sophomore at the University of Mount Union. He is majoring in Sport Business and Marketing while minoring in Media and Communications. With five years in the industry, Smee has gained a lot of valuable experience in the sports media world.

Our Fall internship team, headlined by Cooper Fontaine, Bryce Fisher, Julian Rodriguez, Jack Speth, and Sarah Magyar, has done great work so far.

Cooper has been a go-to color commentator for SmeeSports, leading to a job with Spectrum Channel 1022 Alliance. The sophomore at Alliance HS has also done good work taking photos, many of which have made their way onto our gameday graphics.

Bryce and Sarah have been the “what do you need” crew for SmeeSports. They have created an Instagram account to post their pregame and in-game photos. Additionally, Sarah has been our trusted scoreboard operator, while Bryce has done everything from calling games to running our overhead or on-field cameras.

As for Julian, he has been a trusty overhead camera operator and producer, depending on the day. Signing on with SmeeSports in April, J-Rod’s addition has allowed us to cover more events with higher quality.

Not to be outdone, Jack has held down the Northeast Ohio fort. As a senior at Pauda High School and a former Cavs junior reporter, he knows how to tell a story with good comments from his peers. He has over doubled our Padua coverage while simply enjoying his senior year.

While not an official ‘intern’, Daniel Clark–AKA DC–has called a few football games on the channel. This work helped him get hired by Channel 1022, just like Cooper.

Let’s not forget about our Summer 2025 interns either. Cameron Ragazzo has been our go-to color commentator for Cleveland games this Fall. Gabriel Cozza has been a strong presence in our weekly high school football pick-ems and will rejoin the broadcast crew during Winter break.

Finally, Emily Malberg and Daniel Ridenour have done great work at Xavier and Bowling Green, respectively. Emily, a junior, has spearheaded our Guardians and St Xavier coverage. As for Daniel, he was given a media pass to attend the MAC media day in July at Ford Field.

Photographers Aaron Sharply, Christy Kyte, and Ally Hall, along with commentator Josh Minier did good work for us during the Summer and have moved on.

The point is, our interns not only get better during this program, but also have a track record of landing jobs afterwards. While this internship is unpaid, our interns get lots of amazing hands-on experiences across the sporting world.

During this upcoming internship cycle (that’ll run from December through May), interns will have the chance to help with hockey, basketball, baseball, softball, and lacrosse broadcasts.

If broadcasting isn’t your style, you can be a photographer or a sports writer for SmeeSports! These roles are not bound by location. However, you must be in the Cleveland or Stark County area and be willing to travel to qualify for the broadcast portion of this internship.

The requirement is to cover two games per week on average. This internship is the definition of you get what you give. The growth we’ve seen from our interns who buy into the process has been incredible.

If interested, you can contact Nathan Smee via email at nsmee00@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can reach out on Instagram at @smeesports. Either way, you MUST fill out the Google form at the bottom of this article.

Here’s to another successful internship cycle!

Apply Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeImsMsEUFATzH6ZdEuAT2QMjoBS6Hbmi_PDye6TfKrR2XmA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=118438138772696393497

A Night to Remember: Minerva Football Earns 1st EBC Victory Since 2019 with a 7-0 Win over Marlington

Alliance, OH- Every team undergoes a rebuilding phase. For some, this period lasts a year or two. Others see the rebuild eclipse the half-decade mark. What if a rebuild sees a team go 4-96 across 10 years, leading into a new era? How do they rebuild? Zach Slates and the new look Minerva Lions have answered this question by improving to 5-3 on the year with a 7-0 victory over the Marlington Dukes.

“Minerva had a long tradition of smashmouth football, and it has been great to see it come back again,” remarked Minerva High School Athletic Director Garth Evans, “I am very excited for this school, town, and community to see success in football again.”

Minerva began the game with the football, but would proceed to fumble deep in Duke territory. After leading Marlington down inside the Minerva 35-yard line, Tyler Walder’s fourth-down scramble came up short, giving the rock right back to the Lions.

Minerva quarterback Kannon Kirkpatrick has been working on his passing all season, and it paid off in a big way on the ensuing drive. With 2nd down and 19 in front of him, Kirkpatrick found Owen Shick over the top for a massive first down inside the Dukes’ five-yard line. A few plays later, Skylar Lab would run to the corner of the endzone to sneak it in for the game’s lone touchdown with 22 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Both defenses proceeded to dominate the final three quarters. In total, the Lions’ defense stopped Marlington three separate times on fourth down. Still, a few players on both squads managed to put up solid numbers.

Looking at Marlington, both Blaize Horn and Caden Dine ran the ball effectively. Horn had 77 yards on 6 carries, while Dine had 45 yards on 8 attempts. In the air, Cole Jones had 46 yards on 5 receptions. Finally, Walder went 9/16 with 76 passing yards. Their big loss came in the form of Cameron Evanich, who suffered a season-ending arm injury during the Dukes’ loss at Carrollton.

As for the Lions, it was the running game that stole the show as expected. Breakout Sophomore Timmy Kirkpatrick ran the rock 24 times for 171 yards. Nate Linkous followed him up with 13 carries that resulted in 45 yards. K. Kirkpatrick went 2/2 passing with 44 yards.

Circling back to Evans, he made sure to give everyone credit when talking about this revival, as he said,

“Everyone involved has been a part of this rejuvenation in football. Students, staff, band, cheerleaders, players, and coaches because they all believe the team can win, and that’s been great to see.”

Up next for the mighty Lions–the Alliance Aviators. Despite losing 34-28 on the road at West Branch, A-Town is looking poised to host a playoff game in Region 9.

As for the Dukes, this loss sees them eliminated from playoff contention in Region 13. They are on the road in week 9 as they take on Salem.

No matter what happens for the Minerva Lions during the home stretch of their 2025 campaign, one thing is certain. This small Ohio town, divided amongst Stark, Carroll, and Columbiana counties, will not forget this special group. A group that helped change the future outlook for Friday Night Lights at Dr. Robert H Hines Stadium.

SmeeSports Player of the Game: Timmy Kirkpatrick

Watch Marlington Vs Minerva Football: https://www.youtube.com/live/DfwCmOX5JDc?si=qCubrRARVxxxBuLa

Bruins Boys Soccer Gets A Big Win Against Buckeye on Senior Night, Winning 9-0

Parma, OH – On Saturday, October 6th the Padua Bruins took on the Buckeye Bucks at home for senior night. The Bruins came into this game red hot, coming off of a five game winning streak. For the Buckeyes, it would be the opposite. They came into this game after losing their prior four games.

As the game began, the Bruins were off to a hot start and didn’t let up. Four different players chipped in for the Bruins in their big win. Three different Seniors were able to score on senior night. Garrett Nowicki finished with four goals, Caleb Zolkowski finished with two, and Kevin Ontaneda had one. Junior Eli Christine chipped in with two goals as well. It was just pure domination for 80-minutes for the Bruins as they walked away with a 9-0 win on senior night.

Following the big win I talked to Senior Gabe Leigh. I asked Leigh how it felt to get a big win on senior night and he told me, “It felt great to walk home with the win, and to help us moving forward and bettering our record.” I also talked to Kevin Ontaneda about what it meant to the seniors to get such a big win on senior night. I also asked him what this win means going forward and he said, “It meant a lot because our coach was pretty nervous going into this game, because he wanted that game to be one of the best days of our lives with it being senior night. We showed why we are a good team. It felt great for us seniors to just keep the streak alive, and continuing to keep it alive going into the playoffs. So it just felt great.” Ontaneda also wanted to give a shoutout to all the coaches and parents for making senior night great.

‘Back on Top’: Marlington Boys Soccer Defeats Alliance 3-0 to Win the Eastern Buckeye Conference

Alliance, OH- Asking the Marlington Dukes boys soccer team to share the EBC title, or even lose it, does not go over well. The boys in orange–with a year hiatus–are back atop the Eastern Buckeye Conference as they took down Alliance 3-0 to confirm an undefeated conference season.

The big storyline, outside of the conference crown, was the return of Parker Woods after his transfer to Alliance from Marlington.

“We certainly hated to see him go,” remarked Marlington head coach Clayton Cowgill. “He’s a tremendous soccer player, a tremendous athlete, and a good kid.”

Woods would go on to have the first shot of the game, but Brock Swisher was easily able to get the save. While the junior goalkeeper was challenged on multiple occasions, he still earned his ninth clean sheet of the season. What makes this stat even more incredible is the fact that he didn’t allow a goal in EBC play this season.

After the match, Swisher said,

“It [dropping the EBC last season] was really heartbreaking, so getting this back was huge.”

With five minutes left to play in the first half, Marlington junior Iden Tate smashed in a wonderstrike on a free kick well outside the 18-yard box to give the Dukes the 1-0 lead at halftime.

“Going into it, I just practice those all the time and was just confident through the hit and placed it like I know I could,” proclaimed an excited Tate. That was his 11th goal of the year, a team high for the Dukes.

Towards the end of the first half, Marlington’s Andy Frederick came up lame after a lunging attempt at the ball and was subbed out soon after. However, he showed the whole city of Alliance that he was ok by getting the Dukes a brace with just over 25 minutes left to play.

Around five minutes later, Marlington found their ‘cherry on top’ as TJ Guess skillfully went through the Aviator defense to make it 3-0. After 20 more back-and-forth minutes, which included Jacob Schuette being denied one-on-one against Swisher, the Dukes clinched the EBC title as the full-time whistle confirmed the 3-0 victory.

For the first time this season, Allinace has dropped back-to-back games as Louisville defeated them 2-1 at Rockhill on September 25th. As well, this was the biggest defeat for the Aviators in 2025, a margin once held by Canton Central Catholic as they downed A-Town 2-1. The Aviators have St Thomas Aquinas, Akron Garfield, and Streetsboro before the regular season comes to a close with a 7-4-3 record in hand.

As for Marlington, the Dukes are now 11-1-3. With this win over Allinace, MHS is now a top 500 team in the country, coming in at 499 according to MaxPreps. As for the state of Ohio, they are ranked 69th. Saturday is going to be a tough test for the Dukes as they travel to Canton to take on the Federal League champions, GlenOak. Then, it’s a senior night duel with Nordonia. That game will be streamed live on the SmeeSports YouTube Channel.

The goal was simple heading into 2025–get back on top. That’s exactly what the Marlington boys soccer team did. In the words of Tj Guess,

“It feels pretty good.”

Link to rewatch Marlington vs Alliance Soccer: https://www.youtube.com/live/psWY1Uj35oA?si=gMe1nN7X_3i5vxnX

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Padua Couldn’t Close it Out Against Elyria Catholic, Falling 21-14

Parma, OH – On Friday, September 19th the Elyria Catholic Panthers traveled to take on the Padua Bruins. Padua was coming off their first win of the season, in a blowout against Sandusky. For EC, they too were coming off their first win of their 2025 campaign. The Panthers were able to pick up a win against Vermillion in Week 4. Both teams hoped to build momentum following their first wins, but it would be the Panthers who came away with this one.

As the game got underway, neither the Bruins or Panthers could find much success on offense. While both teams were able to string together some successful drives, neither could find a way to get points on the board. This would continue to go on the entire first half. The Bruins had chances, such as a field goal attempt from Caleb Zolkowski in the second quarter, but it was blocked by the Panthers defensive front. So following a lackluster first half performance on offense for both teams, it was 0-0 going into the half.

Hoping for a better half, the Bruins offense took the field first in the second half. The drive would start slow until RB Chase Weizer broke off a phenomenal 60-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. Following a Zolkowski PAT, the Bruins started the second half up 7-0. However, the Bruins wouldn’t hold the lead for long. The Panthers were able to drive down the field where EC WR Jazear Terry was left wide open in the end zone, setting up the Panthers for six. After the PAT, we were tied at 7-7.

The Bruins were unable to answer, punting the ball back to the Panthers late in the third quarter. Elyria Catholic was also unable to get anything going on this drive. As they lined up to punt with a minute left in the third, the Bruins blocked the punt, with Jose Caban returning it for a touchdown. Padua went up 14-7 following the score.

Neither team could get much going early in the fourth quarter. The Bruins held on strong to their seven-point advantage until late in the fourth. Eventually the Panthers were able to break through as Jazear Terry scored again for EC, this time rushing for a touchdown. Luckily for Padua, on the PAT, Brady Devore broke through the line to block the kick. With a 14-13 lead, and only a few minuted left, the Bruins were in prime position to coast to the finish line. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the case. On first down from their own 9-yard line, Landon Hanover threw a costly interception, giving the Panthers a chance to take the lead late in the game. EC took advantage, finding the end zone yet again, giving them a 21-14 lead with only a few minutes left in the game.

The Bruins drove down field, although a series of bad plays forced Padua to turn it over on downs. After a great stand from their defense, the Bruins got another chance to tie the game late. The Bruins offense couldn’t get into a rhythm as they tried to get down the field. With time running out, Hanover looked down field to a wide open Trey Gasparro in the end zone, but Gasparro couldn’t hold on. After the drop, the the Bruins struggled to get any other looks to the end zone. Time would run out for the Bruins, giving Elyria Catholic their second win on the season, taking them to 2-3 on the season. For the Bruins it was another disappointing defeat, as they’d move to 1-4 on the year.

Following the tough loss, I was unable to speak with any of the Bruins players as they were incredibly disappointed with the outcome of Friday’s game. The Bruins will be back in action on Friday, September 26th on the road against Big Walnut.

Bruins Get Their First Win Under the Friday Night Lights, Blowing Out Sandusky 47-13

Parma, OH – On Friday, September 12th, the Padua Bruins took on the Sandusky Blue Streaks at home. The Bruins, who dropped their first three games to start the season, most recently to Bedford, hoped to get their first win of the season. For the 1-2 Blue Streaks, coming off their first win against Lorain, looked to get to .500 on the year. This proved to be a revenge game for the Bruins, after losing to Sandusky 28-0 last season, Padua got the best of the Blue Streaks this go around.

Padua’s offense opened the game in front of a packed student section, who hoped to see the Bruins win their first game on the season. In their past few games, the Bruins had a hard time getting going on offense early in the game, but that wouldn’t be the case in their matchup with Sandusky. Padua QB Landon Hanover would find Brady Devore on a screen pass early, resulting in a big first down pick up. After a run play that got stopped behind the line, Hanover aired it out to Devore downfield, resulting in a 33-yard pick up. The Hanover to Devore connection continued, as the two were able to connect again, getting the Bruins down to the 5-yard line. On first down from the 5-yard line, Padua RB Chase Weizer rushed in for a Touchdown, putting the Bruins up early. Following a PAT from Caleb Zolkowski, the Bruins took an early 7-0 lead, following the successful opening drive.

The Blue Streaks couldn’t match on their opening drive, instead they punted it away. The Bruins were able to drive down the field with ease yet again. After a 22-yard carry from RB Justyn Gillispie, taking the Padua offense down to the 8-yard line, the Bruins were knocking on the door for another touchdown. Gillispie got another carry taking the Bruins down to the 3-yard line. However, the Blue Streaks defense would hold strong, forcing the Bruins to settle for three. Following the field goal from Zolkowski, the Bruins went up 10-0 late in the first quarter.

The Blue Streaks couldn’t get an offensive series going, this time fumbling on first down. After a botched pitch from Sandusky QB Dale Johnson, Padua Lineman Antonio Haddad was able to recover the fumble, giving the Bruins offense great starting field position. Hanover brought the offense back out, looking to add more onto the lead. After being unable to gain any yards on first and second down, Hanover was able to connect with Receiver Jose Caban, converting on third down. After converting on third down, Chase Weizer got some more work in the red zone. Weizer was able to get the Bruins offense down inside the 5-yard line. After being unable to convert, the Bruins settled for another field goal, making it 13-0 to start the second quarter.

Following another scoring drive from Padua, the Blue Streaks looked to finally get something going. On second down, Sandusky QB Dale Johnson rolled out of the pocket, hitting Receiver Dante Shipp Jr. for what would be an 83-yard touchdown. However the PAT was no good, making it 13-6 early in the second quarter.

The Bruins struggled to get it going following the Sandusky score. On 3rd & 11 inside their own 10-yard line, Hanover hit Devore on a screen pass. After bobbling the pass, Devore was able to get control, picking up the first down for the Bruins. Following the third down conversion, the Blue Streak defense held strong, resulting in the Bruins bringing out their punt team. Unfortunately for Padua, the snap to Zolkowski was botched, causing the Blue Streaks to blow up the play. Following the botched punt attempt, Sandusky’s offense came onto the field with great field position, starting at the Padua 11-yard line. While the Bruins defense showed fight, the Blue Streaks offense was able to capitalize on the great starting field position. Johnson was able to find his man in the end zone, and following a made PAT, the score would be 13-13 midway through the second quarter.

On the kickoff following the Sandusky touchdown, the Bruins broke the tie as Brady Devore had an electric 80-yard kickoff return touchdown, making it 20-13 following the made PAT from Zolkowski.

After the kickoff return touchdown, the Blue Streaks couldn’t get anything going, forcing them to punt late in the second quarter. The Bruins began to drive down the field with ease yet again. However, the Blue Streaks defense started to show some resistance. Unfortunately, a crucial defensive pass interference call gave the Bruins life with 41-seconds left in the half. Hanover was able to connect with receivers Brady Devore and Trey Gasparro, bringing the Bruins offense to the 10-yard line with under 15-seconds left in the half. On second down with 12-seconds left in the half, Hanover was able to hit Devore in the corner of the end zone. Devore was able to go over the top of his defender, getting his feet in bounds, giving the Bruins another touchdown before the end of the half. After a strong opening half, the Bruins went into the half with a 27-13 lead over the Blue Streaks.

The Blue Streaks would open the half with the ball, but not much changed from the first half as they were forced to punt yet again. For the Bruins, they were also forced to punt on their opening drive. However, Zolkowski’s punt pinned the Blue Streaks down inside their own 5-yard line. The Bruins defense showed strong, resulting in another punt, this one being from their own end zone. Sandusky botched the punt, giving the Bruins great starting field position yet again, this time with it being at the Blue Streaks 25-yard line. The Bruins offense continued to roll, as Hanover hit Devore over the middle for another touchdown. With the Bruins up 34-13, they were able to coast to the finish line. The Bruins added on two more touchdowns in the fourth, with Hanover and Gillispie finding the end zone, putting the Blue Streaks to bed.

Following a strong performance from the Bruins offense, Padua was able to get their first win of the season, and by a large margin. This win takes the Bruins to 1-3 on the season. For Sandusky, they wouldn’t get the outcome they hoped for as they fall to 1-3 on the season as well.

It was an all around strong performance from the Bruins offense. Landon Hanover was able to find his footing as he finished the day 14/30 with 186 yards and two touchdowns through the air. The Bruins were also able to establish their run game, with both Weizer and Gillispie going for over 50-yards and a touchdown each. However, Brady Devore’s performance stands out the most as he finished the day with 248 All Purpose Yards and three touchdowns. I asked Brady about his performance and how it felt to get that first win of the year and he said, “It feels amazing because we’ve been grinding all year and coming up short, so to finally get that win is very rewarding.”

The Bruins will be back in action on Friday, September 19th against Elyria Catholic at home.

One Bruins Record Breaking Performance Leads Padua Against Hoban, Winning 5-1

Parma, OH – The Archbishop Hoban Knights traveled to Parma to take on the Padua Bruins on Thursday, September 11th. The 3-4-1 Knights looked to get back in the win column after losing two of their last three. For the 3-2-2 Bruins, they also hoped to get back in the win column after tying and losing their prior two games.

As the game got underway, the Bruins had a lively student section who hoped to see Senior Garrett Nowicki break the Padua record for most career goals. The record of 54-goals, previously set by Tony Malik in 1998, was tied by Nowicki against Howland on September 6th. He was unable to break the record in their matchup against CVCA on Tuesday, September 9th, setting up their contest against Hoban to be the record breaking night.

The Bruins would strike first in their matchup against the Knights, as Junior Eli Christine scored 20-minutes into the first half, putting Padua up 1-0. Then with 3-minutes left in the half, Nowicki would make history, breaking the record for most career goals by a Padua Bruin. This goal from Nowicki put the Bruin’s up 2-0. Not long after Nowicki’s goal, Senior Caleb Zolkowski scored, putting the Bruins up 3-0 with a minute left in the first half. With 30-seconds left in the first half, Eli Christine was fouled in the box. Nowicki lined up for the Penalty Kick, and scored his second goal of the day. The Bruins led 4-0 going into halftime.

After the hot start for the Bruins, the Knights eventually answered, making it 4-1. But any hopes of a comeback were put to bed after Garrett Nowicki scored his third goal of the game, making it 5-1. The Knights weren’t able to rally for a comeback as Padua went on to win their fourth game of the season.

Following his record breaking performance I talked to Garrett about what it meant to break the long standing record. He told me, “It feels great because that’s been my goal since I chose Padua. I’m just thankful for my coaches and teammates believing in me from the start.”

The Bruins will take on the Benedictine Bengals on Tuesday, September 16th in their next match.

Bruins Fall Short in OT, Losing to Bedford 23-22

Bedford, OH – On Friday, September 5th, the Padua Bruins traveled to take on the Bedford Bearcats. Both teams were hungry to get their first victory of the season. In Week 2 Padua lost in a gritty 7-0 game against Benedictine. For the Bearcats, they were coming off of a loss to Twinsburg in Week 2. Neither team knew what was in store, as they would play an electrifying game that had to be decided in overtime.

The Bruins opened the game with a solid drive. They worked their way down to the red zone, but were unable to find the end zone. Instead they settled for a field goal from Caleb Zolkowski, putting them up 3-0. Following the Padua field goal, the Bearcats would also open the game with a score. For Bedford it was a 60-yard rushing touchdown from QB Kent Staten, putting the Bearcats up 7-3 before the end of the first quarter.

The Bruins struggled to start the second quarter as QB Landon Hanover threw an interception. It was returned for a touchdown but was then called back, as Bedford took control around their own 37-yard line. Bedford’s Kent Staten aired it out to his receiver down field, getting them down to Padua’s 30-yard line. Bedford was able to capitalize on the turnover, cashing in for six. However, they missed the PAT, making it 13-3 midway through the second quarter. The Bruins were unable to match the Bearcat’s scoring drive, resulting in a three-and-out. The Bearcats would go down and add on to their lead, tacking on an extra three points, making it 16-3. On the kickoff following the field goal, Padua’s Brady Devore had an electric return, bringing Padua to Bedford’s 30-yard line before going down. With around a minute left in the half, the Bruins were able to get into field goal range for Caleb Zolkowski, who knocked through another field goal. The Bruins went into the half down 16-6.

As the second half got underway, the Bearcats struggled with turnovers and penalties. This stalled multiple drives for the Bearcats. While the Bruins had opportunities with great starting field position, they were unable to find the end zone and only score three points in the third quarter. Following another Zolkowski field goal it would be 16-9 going into the fourth quarter, only a one score deficit for the Bruins.

Bedford opened up the fourth quarter with the ball inside the red zone, however penalties backed them up yet again. Bedford’s QB Kent Staten, threw an interception giving the ball to the Bruins, who needed a touchdown to tie the game. The Bruins were unable to capitalize yet again, causing Zolkowski to have to punt it away. Unfortunately for the Bearcats, they would turnover the ball again, this time it was a fumble that the Bruins recovered. The Bruins offense took the field inside the red zone following the fumble recovery. Again, the Bruin’s offense just couldn’t find the end zone, instead turning it over on downs. Similar to Padua’s offense, the Bearcats couldn’t get anything going either. Instead, they fumbled yet again, this time it would be their running back, giving the Bruins the ball back in great starting field position. The Bruins slowly chunked their way down the field, hoping to find the end zone for the first time this season. After picking up a first down, Hanover checked it down to RB Chase Weizer on a screen pass. Weizer showed his speed, picking up 23-yards on the screen pass taking the Bruins down to the 2-yard line. The Bruins were finally able to find the end zone after Landon Hanover ran it in himself. Following a made Zolkowski PAT, the Bruins tied the game with only a few minutes remaining in the game. Padua’s defense held on strong, not allowing Bedford to score, resulting in the game going to overtime.

The Bruins started with the ball in overtime. Starting at the 25-yard line, the Bruins were able to drive down to the goal line where Landon Hanover punched in another rushing touchdown. In heartbreaking fashion, Caleb Zolkowski slightly missed on the PAT, making it 22-16.

The Bearcats opened their drive on the ground. They took it all the way down to the 9-yard line before Padua’s Bo Barney would get a 10-yard TFL, moving Bedford’s offense back to the 19-yard line. Following the tackle for loss on the last play, Padua’s Antonio Haddad got in on the action, getting a 8-yard TFL, backing the Bearcats back to the 27-yard line. On 3rd & Goal from the 27-yard line, Bedford’s Kent Staten was able to hit his man over the top, taking the Bearcats down to the goal line for 4th & Goal. Before the Bearcats chance to win the game, the lights went out in the stadium, giving a slight delay. With the lights back on in the stadium, the lights would unfortunately go out for the Bruins. Bedford was able to get in the end zone and kick a game winning PAT, giving the Bearcats their first win of the season. For the Bruins, they would lose their third straight game to start the season, and in heartbreaking fashion.

Despite the loss, the Bruin’s offense improved from the last two weeks. Senior RB Chase Weizer was a bright spot for Padua’s offense against Bedford as he finished with 70-yards total. I talked to Weizer following the narrow loss about how can the offense continue to improve and find the end zone and he told me, “I think in order to improve we just have to keep working hard and continue to focus on the little things. Our run game was working a lot against Bedford, and our line did a great job up front. We just have to build off what we did last week and stay consistent. If we do that and continue to work hard in practice we will find more ways to get in the end zone.” I also talked to Senior Brady Devore about the play of the Bruin’s defense. The Bruins forced multiple turnovers, giving Bedford some trouble down the stretch. I asked Devore what it meant for the defense to come up big when it counted and how they can carry that into next week and he answered, “I feel like our defense always shows up in the clutch, and we need to carry that determined mentality into this week with intensity throughout practice.”

The Bruins will continue to hunt for their first win on the new season against Sandusky this Friday, September 12th.

Mikey Maloney Dominates in First Career Mount Union Start as the Purple Raiders Defeat Wheaton 37-29

Alliance, OH- For the 38th consecutive season, the Mount Union Purple Raiders get a win in week one by downing the Wheaton Thunder 37-29. With it, the NCAA’s longest regular-season win streak increases to 76. The last time UMU lost in the regular season was in their last game against John Carroll in Alliance.

Mount Union got the ball to begin the game and wasted no time driving down the field. Mikey Maloney picked up a first down by connecting with returning wideout Nick Turner. Maloney followed this up with a 55-yard run, putting UMU at the Wheaton seven-yard line. Three plays later, Wyatt Stiehl caught his first touchdown pass since returning to Mount after a year at Southern Florida. Ivan Maric would miss the extra point, so the score remained 6-0 with 13:17 left in the first quarter.

The Thunder would pick up nine yards on their opening drive as Mark Forcucci found Seth Kortenhoeven. However, back-to-back incompletions forced Wheaton to punt. Mount Union used the short yardage game as a launching pad during its second drive. Seven out of the nine plays on the drive went for less than 10 yards. The exceptions came in the form of a 21-yard pass to Turner and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Elmherst transfer Jacob Cockrell. Maric was able to redeem himself as he made the extra point, making it 13-0 with 7:24 left in the first quarter.

The Thunder responded on the following drive as they went 51 yards on four plays to get on the board by way of a 10-yard rushing touchdown from Matt Crider. The Purple Raiders would also respond, taking eight plays and 75 yards to find the endzone. This time, Maloney connected with Shaun Thomas on a wheel route for the 42-yard score. This made the score 20-7 as the first quarter came to a close.

Wheaton looked for an answer with a mythodical drive, but a Forcucci incompletion on the 12th play ended the drive at Mount’s 27-yard line. To make matters worse, Maloney found Cockrell for an 81-yard touchdown after being sacked on the prior play. With the Purple Raiders up by 20, the Thunder needed to get back in the game. However, another mythodical drive stalled out as Wheaton turned the ball over at UMU’s 11-yard line. From there, Mount Union would have a drive stall out after 9 plays, which was followed by a Thunder three-and-out. After trying to get down the field quickly at the end of the half, Maloney was dragged down for the second time, and the Purple Raiders opted to run the clock out. Through 30 minutes, it was Mount Union up 27-7.

The Wheaton offense would continue to have its struggles as the second half began. They would go three-and-out for the second consecutive series, this time with negative eight yards of offense. Maric would hit his first field goal of the season on the ensuing drive, making it 30-7. Keenan Cruz would get his first career interception at Mount Union on the first play of the Thunder’s next drive. This gave Maloney and the offense a short field. Turner would get into the endzone for the first time this season on a one-yard touchdown pass from Maloney. This would round out the Purple Raiders’ offense for the day as they led 37-7.

Down by 30 as the fourth quarter began, things looked bleak for Wheaton. Once again, the Thunder opted for a mythical drive. However, Forcucci was able to find the endzone on a 21-yard scamper. This made it 37-14. Junior quarterback Chase Copper would come in for Mount Union, along with sophomore running back Kayden Minner. They were able to move the ball 19 yards before a loss of two on a rush and a loss of five on a delay of game penalty, forcing Michael Franklin back onto the field to punt. Overall, two of Franklin’s punts ended up inside the 20-yard line. He averaged 44.3 yards per punt, improving on his 41 yards per punt in 2024.

With 8:15 left in the game, the Thunder offense finally clicked. Forcucci took 4:28 off the clock before finding Kortenhoeven for a 19-yard touchdown. This made it 37-21. Then, Wheaton recovered an onside kick out of nowhere. Yet again, Kortenhoeven punished the Purple Raiders as he caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Forcucci. With a successful two-point conversion, a 30-point game became a one-possession game. Maloney and the starters were forced back onto the field given the circumstances, and they got the job done. On a crucial third down, Maloney found Matt Anderson for his 19th completion of the day. However, the tight end fumbled the ball. Still, UMU was able to pounce on the rock, sealing the 37-29 victory.

“The Machine is the consistency of the program,” remarked Mount Union head coach Geoff Dartt after the game.

It’s no secret that players want to come to Alliance to play for UMU, as shown by the sheer number of players on the roster. However, Coach Dartt doesn’t want just any player.

“I think that [35 OAC losses since first title back in 1985] speaks more to the players that are choosing to come here and want to be coached hard and become the best versions of themselves…and I think it’s even more important when you recruit people, they’re good people that want to be coached and want to be developed.”

One of the best pieces of recruiting this past offseason, staying in line with Coach Dartt’s mantra, was bringing in Jacob Cockrell from Elmherst. In his Purple Raider debut, he caught three passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

“Meeting these coaches and players, I really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” proclaimed Cockrell after the game.

Circling back to Mount Union’s lone interception, senior Keenan Cruz was glad to see his hard work pay off in a big way.

Cruz said, “Yeah, it’s amazing. A lot of preparation and work was put in. To see some of that pay off and finally get that [interception], that’s awesome.”

As for the Purple Raiders’ new QB 1 in Mikey Maloney, he had the definition of a dream debut. He went 19/24 with 307 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was also second on the team with 44 rushing yards.

Last season, the Riverside legend went down with an injury that ended his campaign in the win against Wilmington. However, he found comfort in God as he attributed his success to Him.

“The biggest thing being injured is the mental side of it, and I think I grew a lot as a person. My faith in God really helped me find myself, helped me be confident in His plan for me. So, I just put my faith in Him.”

During the postgame press conference with Coach Dartt, he even joked that Maloney could run for Mayor of Riverside [Painesville], showing not only that he is an excellent quarterback, but also a good person.

Next week, it’s on to Grove City as Mount Union takes on the Wolverines in their second and final 1 PM kickoff of the season. This week, Grove City made a statement as they knocked off #10 Courtland 31-14 on the road in New York.

As for Wheaton, it is another road trip next week as they take on Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. The Vikings earned a thrilling win, 42-41, in overtime on the road against Simpson in Iowa. This matchup will begin College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play for the 2025 campaign.

Mount Union had a task heading into week one-keep The Machine rolling and get the win. In the end, it’s mission accomplished for one of the prides of Alliance, albeit in a closer game than once expected. As the saying goes, a win’s a win. 13 more wins, and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium will host the Purple Raiders in the Stagg Bowl to close out the season.