TONIGHT

WHO: Avon Lake (8-2) vs. Highland (9-1)
WHAT: Division II, Region 6 quarterfinal
TIME: 7:30
WHERE: Medina Highland Stadium
RADIO: WDLW 1380-AM

If any team needed cheering up this season, it was Avon Lake after Week 4. The record was 2-2. The Shoremen had not been 2-2 since 1996.
They had just lost a heart-rending 11-6 decision to Brecksville, a team that after four seasons in the Southwestern Conference was turning into something of a nemesis for Avon Lake.
Fortunately, the Shoremen had Cody Bennington.
That piece of good luck wasn’t merely related to Bennington’s talents as a football player, although he’s certainly no slouch in that department. It was his personality as much as anything that helped the Shoremen win their next six games.
“Everyone had their heads into the next week,” Bennington said of the mood in the locker room after the Brecksville game. “We put the loss behind us. We all knew we had to push ourselves. Everybody stepped up. That’s what happened and we’re real happy to be in the playoffs.”
“When we were knocked up with injuries he was a steadying force,” Avon Lake coach Dave Dlugosz said about his 5-foot-10, 210-pound senior fullback and linebacker. “Cody is one of the most upbeat and enthusiastic kids I’ve ever coached. He just loves playing football.”
When the coach talks about the injury situation he means Mike Mansnerus as much as anyone. Mansnerus, the speedy running back who has gained almost 1,600 yards this season, was lost for what amounted to three games.
Mansnerus went down on Avon Lake’s first possession of the second game of the season, against Dover, suffering a hamstring injury. He didn’t return until Week 5.
Since then, Mansnerus has been on fire, averaging 230 yards a game. That peaked with a 369-yard effort on 23 carries against Berea in Week 8.
Bennington has been pretty hot, too, albeit with many fewer carries than Mansnerus. But while Mansnerus was running for 224 yards on 26 carries against Westlake, Bennington got 51 yards on eight tries (6.4 per carry). Mansnerus had 140 yards on 26 attempts last Friday against Amherst and Bennington was right behind with 85 yards on 11 carries.
“Now Cody’s taking the pressure off our tailback,” Dlugosz said. “We need that, because (Mansnerus) has been doing so well the other teams have put a target on his back.”
Bennigton said he picked up his zeal for the game from Mike Haddad, the Southwestern Conference’s Most Valuable Player in 2007. Bennington was second string behind Haddad at both fullback and inside linebacker.
“I learned a tremendous lot from Mike,” Bennington said. “I picked up on his enthusiasm for playing linebacker as much as his technique.”
Bennington will have to bring all of that to tonight’s game, when he will be looking across the line at Chris Snook, Highland’s big (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) running back who is headed to West Virginia University on a football scholarship next year.
Dlugosz insists Bennington had that enthusiasm anyway, before he became a two-way starter.
“He earned his letters on special teams,” Dlugosz said. “That little bit of experience paid off. He’s carried that over to offense and defense this year.”
That steadying influence was needed on defense, too. Again, it was a big-time injury that called for some strong senior leadership. Star defensive end Zach Murray missed four games because of a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery. Murray came back for the final regular-season game. 
Bennington’s longest run of the year was 42 yards for a touchdown. That came last week against Amherst to give the Shoremen a 7-0 lead in what eventually turned into a 33-13 victory.
Contact Steve Byrne at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

UNSUNG HERO

Gentry Rohn, Avon Lake

Cornerback Gentry Rohn was called “the most stable guy we’ve had in the secondary” by Shoremen coach Dave Dlugosz. “He wasn’t even a letterman last year, but he’s a starter now,” Dlugosz said. “People don’t throw at him much lately.”
Rohn, a senior, also plays offense, carrying the ball 20 times for 131 yards (6.6 per carry) with a long run of 55 yards.
“He dedicated himself to making his senior year special.”

AVON LAKE SHOREMEN

COLORS: Maroon and Gold
CONFERENCE: Southwestern Conference (tied for first, 6-1)
COACH: Dave Dlugosz (168-31)

Noteworthy

• Avon Lake has made 14 playoff appearances and 12 appearances in the 17 years Dave Dlugosz has been head coach. The Shoremen are 20-12 in the postseason and 19-10 under Dlugosz.
• Tonight’s game will be the 200th in Dlugosz’s head coaching career.
• Avon Lake and Highland have played only once in their histories, in 1961. The Shoremen won.

HIGHLAND HORNETS

LOCATION: Medina
COLORS: Green and Black
CONFERENCE: Suburban League (first, 6-1)
COACH: Tom Lombardo (15-5)

Noteworthy

• This will be Highland’s third playoff appearance and first as a Division II school. In 2000, the Hornets beat Lake Catholic in overtime and lost to Hubbard in the Division III regional. The following season Highland defeated Oak Harbor, 21-20, and lost to Bellevue, 28-14.
• Coach Tom Lombardo guided Lake Catholic to the 2001 Division III state title.
• The Hornets were a controversial penalty away from an undefeated season. Highland was setting up for a 29-yard field goal in overtime — a kick Lombardo called “very makeable” — that would have given the Hornets a 17-14 victory over Cloverleaf. Kicker Eric Duale never got to kick, as he was penalized for not wearing hip pads. The subsequent 44-yard field goal try was no good. Highland didn’t score on its succeeding possession, and Cloverleaf did on its second chance with the ball to give the Colts a 20-14 victory.

Scouting report

Chris Snook and Mike Mansnerus are the go-to guys for their respective teams. Snook has gained 1,484 yards on 207 carries (7.2 yards a carry) for Highland. Mansnerus has 1,596 yards on 193 attempts (8.3) for Avon Lake. If there’s an edge, it’s because Avon Lake also has Steve Mares with 695 rushing yards (6.7) and Cody Bennington with 441 (5.8). No one on Highland has gained more than 289 yards rushing, though Ben Brown has eight rushing TDs.
l Highland quarterback Nick Knerem is efficient, having completed 61.5 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.
l Watch out for the kicking game. Highland’s Eric Duale is 10-for-16 on field goals with a long of 50 yards and 31-of-33 on extra-point kicks. Duale has touchbacks on 22 of his 58 kickoffs. Dan Ohlemacher of the Shoremen is 6-for-8 on field-goal attempts with a long of 42.

 

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