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Coach says senior QB is leader, never panics
By Tom Gaffney Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Thursday, Nov 22, 2007
The implication is that Bedevelsky should be credited with compiling his 44-1 won-loss mark on the freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams all by himself.
Bedevelsky is the first one to dispute that notion.
''It's been awesome to lose only one game with this class,'' said Bedevelsky, a 6-foot, 180-pound senior. ''We are not weak at any position. A lot of guys have come through for us through the years, not just me. At Brunswick, we know how to play as a team.
''If our offense isn't working, our defense will pick us up. If our defense isn't playing well, it's up to the offense. When I think back to freshman year, I can't imagine losing only one game.''
Although Bedevelsky is not the only reason for the Blue Devils' success, it is safe to say he is the major one, especially this season. His body of work made him a unanimous choice as the 2007 Beacon Journal Player of the Year.
In 2007, he has completed 188-of-282 passes for 3,041 yards
and 30 touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils (13-0) to a berth in the Division I state semifinals Saturday against Mentor (11-2) at Byers Field in Parma.
''He does it with his arm. He does it with his legs. He always comes through for us,'' said Rich Nowak, who has a 135-42 record in 16 seasons as head coach at Brunswick. ''He is our leader out there and never panics. Some guys have it, some guys don't.
''He definitely has it.''
Bedevelsky was the quarterback on the Blue Devils' freshman and junior varsity teams that went 10-0 in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
In 2006, Brunswick was facing the loss of standout quarterback Anthony Lanzara, who had led the Blue Devils to the state playoffs the previous season. Bedevelsky beat out senior Nick Mandilakis for the starting job and led the team to a 10-0 regular-season record and the last Pioneer Conference title.
In the second round of the playoffs, Bedevelsky passed for a school-record 337 yards, but suffered the only loss of his prep career, to Canton McKinley 45-27.
''I saw him as a freshman and knew we had something special,'' said Nowak, whose 2007 club won the inaugural championship in the Valley Division of the new Northeast Ohio Conference and has won three playoff games. ''We were losing Anthony Lanzara, but I knew we were going to be OK at quarterback.''
Senior Jordan Gribble, who holds five Medina County receiving records, has appreciated Bedevelsky since they were on the freshman team together.
''He is a great quarterback. He always finds the open man and makes great plays,'' said Gribble, who has 86 receptions for 1,476 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2007. ''I run the route, and he gets me the ball. He always puts the ball where it needs to be.''
Bedevelsky does more than throw the ball in the Blue Devils' no-huddle, shotgun offense. He also is second on the team in rushing with 618 yards on 156 carries.
On Saturday, at a cold and wet Byers Field, he was limited to 9-of-19 passing for 72 yards against North Canton Hoover after throwing for 773 yards in the previous two playoff games.
But he ran for 136 yards on 24 carries to help send the Blue Devils into the state semifinals for the first time since 1995. He was at his best in the final 4:12, when he ran for three first downs to kill the clock.
''I try to do what I have to do to help us win,'' Bedevelsky said. ''This offense is passing first, but we have been able to run the ball when our passing game was off. Last week, we needed first downs, and we needed to keep the clock rolling. I just tried to make plays.''
Bedevelsky was receiving feelers from Division I colleges over the past 18 months, but his best offer is from Division II Edinboro (Pa.) University.
He said the future will take care of itself, and he is living in the present.
''To be playing in week 14 as a senior is everything I could imagine,'' he said. ''It's a huge accomplishment for us. To be the quarterback of this team means so much to me.''
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
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