Avon Lake in good hands whoever is taking the snap at quarterback

AVON LAKE — When junior quarterback Jeremy Dzik was sidelined by COVID prior to Avon Lake's trek to Tiffin Columbian last week, there was no panic among the coaching staff. Senior Jake DePaul, one of the Shoremen's starting wide receivers, was willing and able to take over. "Jake has taken plenty of snaps in the past whether it was the freshman level or sophomore year JV level," said Shoremen head coach Matt Kostelnik, whose team enters its clash with Avon tonight sporting a 3-0 record with wins over Strongsville and Brecksville during the first two weeks. "Last year, he'd take some mop-up time. He's definitely taken a ton of snaps. He's not our No. 1 guy and our offense has made some little adjustments, but he's a great kid and does a lot of great things. We were really happy and were really impressed with what he was able to do Friday (at Tiffin). "Overall, we've been really impressed with how our guys have handled the situation and hopefully we continue to improve on it." Dzik completed 38 of 57 passes for 476 yards over the first two games of the season. He's thrown for five touchdowns but also five interceptions. He's questionable for tonight's showdown with rival Avon. DePaul filled in admirably — completing 9 of 11 for 91 yards and a key 46-yard touchdown to junior Matt Stuewe right before halftime against Tiffin that sparked the Shoremen to a 31-14 victory. DePaul didn't turn the ball over. "Matt saved me right before halftime," said DePaul. "We kind of made eye contact right before that play started. One thing led to another. That was a big play." "It was supposed to be a hitch (pattern)," Stuewe said. "The cornerback was 15 yards off. I ran the hitch and he came all the way up to it. Just took it deep and we were on the same page. He pump faked and got it up there." Things worked out well for the Shoremen, but there some anxious moments, making the switch from Dzik. "It was very nerve wracking," DePaul said. "But I'm with a team of some of my best friends. I give all the credit to my coaches and especially my offensive line for that game. They sealed up holes for me. The nerves are still there but all I had to do was run it." "It was different plays, different cadence," Stuewe said of the change. "More run but we were able to get some throws going. We're getting our confidence going. We should be throwing more this week." Stuewe has great blood lines. His older brother, Michael Jr. just completed a four-year stint at Avon Lake and is now a linebacker at Case Western-Reserve. His father Michael Sr. walked on at Virginia Tech and earned a scholarship (1993-97). He was invited to Detroit Lions training camp. "He's off to a great start," Kostelnik said of the 6-foot-3 receiver. "We didn't expect to throw the ball as much as we did in the first two weeks. We were hoping our run game was going to kick it in high gear. With Dzik at quarterback, we tell him when you get the matchups you want, take them." Stuewe and DePaul are among the county leaders in receptions. Stuewe has caught 21 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns. DePaul caught 10 for 100 yards and a touchdown in Avon Lake's first two wins. Taking DePaul out of his wide receiver role wasn't easy either, but Kostelnik has faith in his backup players. "We do have depth at wide receiver that we feel confident in," he said. "Derek McCrum came out and did a great job, especially for a sophomore. He had a couple big catches that went for first downs." DePaul's responsibility grew as the quarterback. "Learning the call, the clock management, learning just to keep everyone, including, myself settled down in the huddle, quiet down the crowd, especially when it got loud on third down," he said. "I got used to it, but it was definitely nerves at the beginning." Avon Lake has lost four straight and five of the last six meetings with Avon. "They're a great team," DePaul said of the Eagles. "They've kicked our butts four years in a row. I think it's time. We're hoping to get Dzik back, but I'm not sure how that's going to look. We're ready. Coach is getting us ready." "We've always been one play away," said Stuewe. "We had a touchdown last year. It got called back. We had a couple bad special teams plays. This is the year where we get past those." "At the end of the day, we have to control what we can control," Kostelnik said. "We have to take advantage of situations better. We need to respond better when adversity hits. Again, it comes down to playing with confidence and making sure we're in a position to win at the end of the game. "It's going to come down to those moments like it does every year. Who's going to run the ball effectively? Who's going to commit less penalties? Who's going to win on third down? Who's going to win on that final moment? That opportunity to kind of seal the deal. Nothing's going to change. We have to put ourselves in a position to be in that moment in the fourth quarter." Contact Tim Gebhardt at 329-7235 or timothygeb@msn.com.