East Palestine pushes past Windham 57-14

Photos via Ashleigh Mccune

Long before Al Michaels exclaimed ”Do you believe in Miracles,” the band Jefferson Starship asked the same question.

For a brief spell in last night’s 57-14 loss to East Palestine, so did I. Because what I saw on the field was a revamped offense by Jake Eye’s Windham Bombers, who for just a few minutes did not look at all like the same team they had seven days earlier.

On a crisp evening that felt more like October, on the beautiful artificial turf at Reid Memorial Stadium, last week’s walking wounded Bombers, including backs Gavin Kiser and DeJuan Ramsey, downed the opening kickoff at Windham’s 37-yard line. The Bombers then proceeded to look like Coach Eye had raided local schools for a new set of players and had consulted Patrick Mahomes on how to move the football through the air.

After quarterback Bryan Smithberger ran a fake up the middle for a first down, he began a show of aerial legerdemain that he had only hinted at the week before.

Pass one went to Matt Kolaczek. Pass two went to DeJuan Ramsey. Ditto pass three. Pass four went to Xavier Bruton. Pass five…did not come from Smithberger. Gavin Kiser had slipped into the wildcat passing slot, and though his pass to Kolaczek on the five-yard line was dropped, fans knew that something different was happening.

The Bombers had become a passing team overnight. Before the game was over, the quarterback tandem had launched over two dozen aerials, including two completions to Ethan Thornton. Less than half of the passes were completed, however, and therein lies the crux of the problem.

The aerial machine needs more time, and more timing, to give this young team a chance. Many of the passes were wounded ducks, floating higher and slower than the Goodyear blimp.

The Bombers’ running game is in the hands of two of the slenderest running backs imaginable. Xavier Bruton and DeJuan Ramsey have heart, but they lack the size and strength to plow through the line for “three yards and a cloud of dust,” as Woody Hayes once said, or whatever passes for dust on artificial turf.

Hope, however, looms on the horizon in the shape of converted lineman Loudon Collins, who took over much of the second half rushing duties and demonstrated a bull-like ability to hurt tacklers who hit him above the waist.

But still, to be honest, the opening drive that almost scored was the one of the two highlights of the game. The other was that, for the first time in this fan’s memory, the defensive linemen blocked two Bulldog extra-point kicks.

However, the defense, for the second week in a row, had no answer for a rushing game that gashed long gainers at will. High tackling, perimeter weakness, persistent injuries (mainly cramping), and an excruciating number of penalties wore down any chance the Bombers had to be competitive.

At this point in the season, trickeration plays, like shifting linemen and reverse sweeps, are not working. They won’t work until the skinny backs get some blocking. The boys are trying, but they are still learning, at the expense of the running game.

And speaking of the running game, if the CDC ever comes up with a cure for fumbleitis, I’m pretty sure the coaches will have the team line up for the vaccine. Tuck it in, boys.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. It’s truly heartening to see these kids sprint back onto the field after every East Palestine score. They never give up. I did not see a single hanging head. I sat in front of the coaches in the press box, and they were calling offensive and defensive plays as if they were plotting the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. So, the entire team, it seems, is still very goal oriented.

It’s going to be a long season, no doubt about that. But to watch these kids giving their hearts and talent to the Black and Gold means that the fans will still be there for them, and watching the Bombers is always a good time, no matter what the final score.

Before I close, I must mention the work that Coach Nicole Sweet has done with the Cheerleading team. These girls are really worth the price of admission. They are performing group cheers with snap and precision, and their lifts, hoisting the flyers high into the air and catching them in the cradle, are thrilling to watch. These girls are athletes, too, and especially during timeouts, they put on a dazzling show!