Shutout leads Woodridge football to win MAC title

There was no doubt and a big part of that was the play of a surging defense.

Woodridge held visiting Field to just 167 total yards in a 33-0 victory in the regular season finale that led to a piece of the league championship!

It was a win that secured a share of the Metro Athletic Conference championship this fall along with Lodi Cloverleaf and Norton, who all finished at 6-1.

“I am so proud of our kids,” said Bulldogs coach Jeff Decker. “To start the way we did (1-2 heading into league play) and losing to two very good teams also with home games in the playoffs, and then to win six of the next seven games was so encouraging about the mentality of our young men.”

Those losses were to Division IV state power Beloit West Branch and at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, a 7-3 Division III squad.

“They were hurt by those losses and then hurt again when we lost to Cloverleaf by a score late in the game, but we always came right back to work on Monday ready to do what was necessary to get better and still compete for the two goals we had - win the conference and earn a home playoff game,” said Decker.

“It has been since 2018 that we earned a Metro Athletic Conference title, and with the conference so balanced and competitive each week this year, it is really special.”

Woodridge (7-3) earned a first-round home contest in the state’s Division IV playoffs for region 13 as the fourth seed. The Bulldogs were set to host 13th-seed Akron Buchtel (5-4) Friday.

“I feel like, and more importantly, our kids feel like we are by far playing our best football of the season right now,” stressed Decker, prior to the playoff action.

“We have really figured out what we do best on defense and the kids are executing it well,” Decker added. “We have good tacklers and our guys are hard to block. Offensively, we have become dedicated to running the ball with a few different schemes and with a few different backs. We are really playing the style of football you need to play to win in late October and November.”

Play in the trenches and the Bulldog defense up front, and near the line of scrimmage with a battle-test corps of linebackers has gone a long way for Woodridge this season.

“We have played great in our last three games, shutting down offenses with a high potential for big plays and a lot of points,” remarked Decker. “We have just given up one offensive TD in three weeks and that was against our junior varsity players.”

Field (4-6) had difficulty getting anything going against Woodridge, which started the year with seven of its first eight games on the road this year due to construction of the new field.

In last year’s state-playoff loss at Salem, Woodridge showed that its defensive front was robust and difficult to handle.

“Our line is exceptional and are really hard to block and there are making a lot of tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage,” said Decker, of his front of Oliver Mayer, Jeremiah Newsom, Gavin Nesbitt, Terrance Wray, and Taysear Williams.

The backers are as experienced as any group in the area with Owen Snyder, Sam Mencer, Evan Duve and Williams.

“Our linebackers are reading plays well and are in the right spot at the right time,” noted Decker. “They are playing aggressive and also making a lot of tackles. The D-line and linebackers are continually in the quarterback’s face on pass plays.”

With the Bulldog line not just standing up blockers and getting into lanes against running plays, but actually making the initial tackle, it frees up the linebackers to also help an improving secondary that also has experience.

“Our defensive backs and safeties have either knocked down or intercepted a dozen passes over these few weeks, plus they are also in on a lot of tackles,” noted Decker, of his secondary that includes Johnny Howard, David Hitchings, Gavin Lynch, Artrell Wallace, and Jack Novak.

The Bulldog offense utilizes a lot of athletes and speed along with some diverse looks.

Robert Dixie had two touchdown runs against Field of 61 and 20 yards and finished with 10 carries for 117 yards. He can also help out on defense as he had a fumble recovery along with Duve against Field.

Howard is showing his dual threat ability as the quarterback, which could also feature the experience of Hitchings. Both athletes can also run the ball – especially the speedy Howard, plus they can both catch the ball.

Against Field, Howard had a nice 18-yard play action touchdown pass to Hitchings on a corner route. Howard was 3-9 passing for 36 yards, one TD, one interception and also added 10 rushes for 65 yards and another touchdown on a 10-yard scamper.

“Johnny (Howard) is playing extremely well,” said Decker, who likes his big-play potential in the passing game.

Williams (four rushes for 59 yards against Field), Wray (4-27), and Snyder (one-yard touchdown run) help in the running game.

Novak, Wallace, and Duve are all accomplished receivers and they can run the ball as well.

Field also earned a playoff berth in the same region as Woodridge and the 16th seeded Falcons played at top-seed West Branch (9-1), which is lurking on the upper bracket with Woodridge.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Woodridge football shuts out Field to win MAC title