Buchtel reloads after slow start to advance to Division IV football regional semifinal

RAVENNA — Buchtel football coach Bryan Williams has grand plans to return the Griffins to contenders that regularly compete for regional and state championships.

The 2022 Buchtel team took several steps toward that goal with Division IV, Region 13 playoff wins as a No. 13 seed at Woodridge and at Northwest, and almost dispatched No. 1 seed Beloit West Branch, too.

The Griffins and the Warriors met in a high-scoring regional semifinal on a chilly Saturday night at Portage Community Bank Stadium’s Gilcrest Field.

Buchtel sophomore Stevie Diamond and West Branch senior Dru DeShields each flashed moments of brilliance at quarterback, and ultimately it was DeShields and his teammates who celebrated a 41-33 win as snowflakes fell from the sky.

“You start off 0-4 and then you run off [seven] games and win and end up in a regional semifinal game,” said Williams, a Buchtel alum who finished his second season as head coach.

“Beautiful feeling, but endings like this, obviously you can hear my guys in the background, they are crushed. ... This was an incredible team. I have been here as the head coach for a year and a half and the expectation wasn’t to even be here, but when you buy in early and understand what we are trying to pour into you and what we are trying to implement each and every day to make better men outside of football players this happens.”

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DeShields played like an experienced senior with big completions and big runs as West Branch (12-1) erased a 17-6 deficit during the second quarter and advanced to a regional final.

DeShields completed 32 of 48 passes for 403 yards and three touchdowns, and contributed 11 rushes for 72 yards and two touchdowns as WB won its 12th game in a row.

“He is a DI [college level] player,” Williams said of DeShields. “He showed it. He diced us up. Everything that they said the kid is, he is definitely that. Kudos to their team. They came out and were ready to go.”

DeShields spread his passes to seven different receivers. Senior Christian Martig totaled 12 catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns, sophomore Joey Jackson had six catches for 101 yards and one TD and senior Michael Kanagy had seven catches for 66 yards.

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Diamond displayed his skills, too, completing 16 of 34 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns.

Next year could be a year when he leads Buchtel (7-5) deeper into the playoffs.

Buchtel made its 16th playoff appearance in 2022 since the OHSAA started the football playoffs in 1972. The Griffins won state championships in 1987 and 1988, were state runners-up in 1995, 1996 and 2010 and also made state semifinal appearances in 2000 and 2005.

With a 2-1 playoff record this season, the Griffins improved to 31-14 in the postseason.

“My pregame speech was about growth and patience and failure and patience,” Williams said. “As a coach, you have got to understand coming in here that you are going to have failure, but you have to be patient. … With growth, everyday that you step into that building, on that field and in that classroom you are growing up and you are elevating to be better.”

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Williams praised senior starters Jermaine James, Marcel Boyce Jr., Marques Turner, Dijour Fortson, Davian Greenlee, Tinell Edwards and Dontrell Taylor for “buying in” and added that they “left it all on the field.”

“You talk about passion, dedication, sacrifice, discipline and love,” Williams added. “These guys are one of a kind and I saw it last year. … They are going to go off and be great men.”

Boyce had six receptions Saturday for 92 yards and one touchdown. He almost had a seventh catch and a second TD in the end zone when he grabbed an 18-yard pass by Diamond over a West Branch defender on Buchtel's final offensive play, but a referee ruled he did not have a foot inbounds with 38 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

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Williams advised his younger players to “remember this day.”

Diamond’s other primary receivers are set for next year, including junior Zyaire Lewis (four receptions, 100 yards, one TD Saturday), junior Dakota Taylor (one catch, 11 yards, one TD) and sophomore Demetrice Coates (four catches, 30 yards, one TD).

“Buchtel is obviously a great team and they are explosive,” West Branch coach Tim Copper said. “… They are a really resilient group. They have a great coaching staff and those kids are all bought in to what they are doing over there.”

Buchtel is also slated to return juniors Wylie Cheairs III (16 carries for 85 yards Saturday) and Demetrion Duvall (32-yard field goal, four extra points), and key defensive players such as sophomore Arman Gable and juniors Elijah Williams, Antwan Hunt and Lewis (one interception Saturday).

“Buchtel is really young, so that is kind of scary for the future,” Cooper said. “We have a lot of respect for that program and what coach has done over there. They have playmakers all over the field, they have elite team speed, they are physical and they are disciplined.”

Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Stevie Diamond, Zyaire Lewis, Wylie Cheairs III lead Buchtel into 2023