"It's Been on Our Mind": Green Bulldogs Eye Redemption Against GlenOak Golden Eagles
After two thrilling matchups decided by blocked field goals, Green seeks another win, while GlenOak fights to turn their season around.
A win could be the turning point for either team—Green aiming to stay in the hunt for the Federal League title, and GlenOak desperate to break their losing streak.
Here are the essential facts before Green (4-2, 2-1) travels to GlenOak (0-6, 0-3) tonight.
The last two out of three games played between the Green Bulldogs and GlenOak Golden Eagles have been decided by a blocked field goal. The outlier, their 2022 game, wasn’t decided by a field goal; rather, it’s a game Green head coach Mark Geis’s team are fueled by this week.
“It has been something that has been on our mind.” Green head coach Mark Geis said.
GlenOak have had their longest losing streak since their nine-loss season in 2019. Currently 0-6, they’ve played one of the most objectively difficult and physical out of conference schedules in northeast Ohio.
Thanks to this schedule, the Golden Eagles have only been able to accumulate 20 points in six weeks, opposed to the 205 points they’ve allowed their opponents to score.
But, this isn’t where the road ends for GlenOak. Parallels to their 2023 season can be found hidden in the cracks of their team, even if the total losses now are stacked against them a bit further than they were last year.
They went 7-5 in 2023, but went 2-4 in the first six weeks.
GlenOak has a recent history of turning things around, and Scott Garcia’s locker room morale would be turned on its head with a win against Green.
GlenOak’s defense is led by senior linebacker David Potter, who currently has seven tackles-for-loss this season.
They still have to beat a riled-up Green team, though.
Attempting to piggyback off of their last-minute win against Jackson, the Green Bulldogs found their four-game winning streak halted thanks to McKinley in week six.
The Bulldogs aren’t counted out of a Federal League championship, however. If Green wins out, they take the top spot with a McKinley league loss.
Green junior Tyson Hunka currently leads the Federal League in passing yards, amassing 1,084 through six weeks of play. He’s tied for second in the conference for passing TDs. Hunka was 17-of-31 passing for 208 yards agaisnt McKinley last week.
Junior Evan Reed is going to be the primary running back.
The most notable for Green, figuratively and sometimes literally, is senior Antonio Martin. Despite missing the first three weeks due to an ACL injury suffered during the basketball season, he’s already racked up three receiving touchdowns on 255 yards. He already has the second most receptions in the Federal League.
“We know at any moment we can make an explosive play. He brings that to the table.” Geis said.
After limited cornerback reps against Hoover, he’s come back to the defensive phase in a big way. A game-sealing interception against Jackson was the kickoff to his return to the secondary.
“I will say, defensively, he’s probably played some of his best football of his career in the last couple of weeks. He’s gone up against some really good wide receivers—he’s taken on the challenge of really going up against some good matchups. It’s fun to watch him play.” Geis said.
In terms of other weapons defensively, Green has junior Anthony McMichael III. He currently leads the Green defense with 46.5 tackles and two interceptions.
Junior Dario Lombardi led the Federal League in sacks last week, and his prowess on both sides of the line are substantial in Green’s success. Lombardi is returning from an injury that ended his sophomore season.
“He’s very strong. He’s worked very hard to get to the point he’s at. It takes a lot of hard work to get to that level. He’s got an interesting dynamic of: he’s athletic, he has good speed, but he’s also very strong. He plays his position very, very well.” Geis said.
Junior Evan Georgiou has two interceptions as a cornerback, and is expected to make another leap forward against the Golden Eagles.
With Green chasing a shot at the Federal League title and GlenOak fighting to salvage their season, tonight promises to be more than just another game—it's a chance for both teams to rewrite their storylines.
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