QB Question Mark: Green vs. Glen Oak Game Preview
Green High School's QB Dilemma vs. Glen Oak - Who Will Lead the Bulldogs?
This Friday (9/22), Green will continue their Federal League play against Glen Oak @ 7:00 PM. Friday will be the Bulldogs' first game at home since their week one contest against Dover. Glen Oak, while their record looks less-than-stellar at first glance, still managed to pull off a shocking victory against Hoover in week four. Against McKinley, Samino Manson, Green's starting QB, who had played exceptionally well during the first few weeks of the season, suffered a collarbone injury and was sidelined. So, the big question remains: who will be Green's QB1 for tomorrow?
Here's everything you need to know before Friday.
Golden Eagles Shine Despite Challenges
After losing three games straight, the Golden Eagles cleaned up their act against Hoover in a strong showing. However, after their starting RB Avante Burt also went down early with an injury, it was not without concern. Burt is questionable for tomorrow, but the other half to the Eagles’ backfield, Jamar Johnson, is ready. Johnson ran for 226 yards and two TDs last week against Hoover, and he has 527 total yards on the season. So, does a Green defense that allowed McKinley to run for 350 yards last week stop him? Expect Glen Oak to favor the run this Friday.
On the other side of the ball, Glen Oak LB Carlito Hall leads the team with 6.5 TFL. Another staple, LB David Potter, leads Glen Oak's total tackle race with 38.5. CB Brailon Wilcox has two interceptions and will mainly attend to Baglia while in Glen Oak's zone defense.
Injury Struggles Plague Bulldogs
Green's offense had back-to-back touchdown drives to start the first half against McKinley, but when Manson went down, it began to stall. Though, it didn't look broken. Of course, losing your starting quarterback will dampen the consistency, but it doesn't lighten the blow of Green's explosive offense. Green has one of the best receiving cores in the Federal League. Zach Baglia has proved in the past weeks how he has some of the best hands in northeast Ohio HS football, tallying up five touchdowns and averaging 13.8 yards per reception. His 483 total receiving yards are to be noted, too. Antonio Martin, a name mentioned frequently in the past few weeks, is also making strides. The high school equivalent of Deebo Samuel, he executes elusive runs and stellar catches. Martin was used last week as a transitional QB between the Manson and Logsdon switch. However, he's too good to sacrifice on Green's five-wide offensive scheme. His 301 receiving yards and six total TDs will most likely keep him as a halfback.
Jack Logsdon, the potential replacement for Manson, cushioned the Green offense after Samino was sidelined. Logsdon delivered a beautiful 13-yard TD to Zach Baglia in the endzone late in the second quarter and finished with 82 yards. While he ended the game with two interceptions, he showed in his short time that he could still make big plays happen.
Green's defense, allowing 350 rushing yards against McKinley, still is one of the better defenses in the Federal League. Green's defense looks incredible, led by Michael Schaal, a ruthless lineman on both sides of the ball. Green grabbed five interceptions total against McKinley last week. Ballhawk Josh just secured two interceptions, while Anthony Fortunato managed to snag a pick-six. Martin also intercepted McKinley’s quarterback with a well-timed catch on an overthrown pass. Evan Reed added to the excitement with an INT he seized while stealthily awaiting the opportunity.
Morale is high in the locker room amidst the disheartening casualties they’ve endured due to injuries this season. As long as Green can fill in the gaps left empty from last week, I think they’re still set for a winning season.
The Edge
