GAME PHOTOS: http://bit.ly/2MF8mcM
Last season the Kenston football team narrowly missed out on the playoffs.
This season, the Bombers look like they don’t want to leave anything to chance.
For the third straight week, the Bombers earned an impressive victory as Kenston defeated rival West Geauga, 37-0, in Week 3 at Howell Stadium at West Geauga High School.
In 2017, the Bombers finished in the ninth spot of the Division III, Region 9 playoff rankings, less then a half point behind Aurora, despite the Greenmen finishing 6-4 and the Bombers finishing 8-2.
This season, the Bombers are off to a 3-0 start with all three victories coming by a more than 30-point differential.
Kenston coach Jeff Grubich wanted his team to start out hot, and they did.
“I was proud of how we started after some slow starts,” Grubich said. “I was proud of how we established ourselves in the first quarter.
“This is what high school football is about: playing your cross-town rival.”
The Wolverines lost their second straight game to fall to 1-2 after an opening season victory over rival Chardon.
First-year West G coach Adam Sopkovich said the Wolverines are playing a lot of underclassmen right now.
“We made a lot of mistakes, but we’re going to learn,” Sopkovich said. “They are a good team. They played great. They have a system down pat. The coaching staff did a great job. They were hitting from all different angles.”
Against the Wolverines, the Bombers wasted no time as they scored on each of their first five possessions. After a solid kick return, the Bombers opened the game at the West G 46. It took them seven plays to cover those 46 yards as Jack Porter scored on a three-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead just 2:38 into the game.
Porter had an excellent all-around game as he rushed 17 times for 107 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half. He also caught three passes for 46 yards.
“We want to hang our hat on running the football,” Grubich said.
After a three-and-out by the Wolverines, the Bombers got going again as Jon Tomcufcik hit Bransen Stanley with a 48-yard pass down to the West G 2. Stanley caught three passes for 72 yards. On the next play, Tomcufcik ran into the end zone for a 14-0 lead with 6:14 still left in the first quarter.
Tomcufcik completed nine of his first 10 passes as he finished 14 of 23 for 196 yards. He also rushed four times for 44 yards.
Kenston got the ball back and marched 85 yards on 11 plays as Porter scored his second touchdown from just a yard out for a 21-0 lead with 21 seconds left in the first quarter.
The lead grew to 24-0 as Anna Sanders kicked a 26-yard field goal with 9:29 left in the second quarter.
Next, Stanley returned a punt down to the West G 9. Just two plays later, Porter had his third touchdown of the game, this time from 4 yards out, for a 30-0 lead. The Bombers never got off the kick on the extra point.
The scoring concluded just a couple minutes later when Kole Jarzembak blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown with 5:28 left in the first half.
West G never really got going offensively. Riley Huge completed 13 of 27 passes for 154 yards. The Wolverines averaged less than a yard per carry on the ground.
“We were concerned about their passing game,” Grubich said. “Number one (Huge) can sling it. We emphasized (defending) the pass.”
Kenston linebacker Joseph Staudenbaur said the Bombers are highly motivated.
“As a team, we’re really tired of being average,” Staudenbaur said. “We played as hard as we could. It all starts with your reads and your keys and doing your job. Just do your one-eleventh.
“Everyone played well. A lot of guys played their best, but there is room for improvement.”
Kenston will face Eastlake North (1-2) for their opening Western Reserve Conference game on Friday at Kenston High School’s Bomber Stadium.
The Wolverines will start Chagrin Valley Conference play with a road game against Beachwood (3-0) on Friday.
“We have to get guys healthy,” Sopkovich said. “We have to try to get our young guys ready to play. We have to look at the film and make sure they know the right reads and what they have to do.”