Receiver's big night gives Glenville a Wynn-win situation

Pat Galbincea, Plain Dealer Reporter, November 21, 2009 11:37 p.m.

Glenville's Shane Wynn caught three touchdown passes and then the Tarblooders had to struggle to hold off Solon in Saturday's regional final. - (Joshua Gunter/The Plain Dealer)

PARMA, Ohio -- Track season doesn't start for another four months, but Glenville junior wide receiver Shane Wynn put on a dazzling preseason warm-up performance in the first 24 minutes of Saturday's the Tarblooders-Solon Division I final at Byers Field.

Wynn, who ran on Glenville's state winning 4x200 relay and placed sixth in the 100-meter dash, used his speed and agility to haul in three touchdown passes which proved to be crucial to the Tarblooders' 28-27 win over the Comets.

Wynn hauled in four passes from junior quarterback Cardale Jones for 91 yards, and all three touchdowns were scored differently. For Glenville, it truly was a Wynn-win situation.

His first TD was a 4-yard reception in the right corner, where he crouched low to catch Jones' toss with 1:33 left in the first quarter.

"It was a designed play in which I went back in the corner and curled in," Wynn said. "It was a bad pass, but I made the quarterback look good."

Wynn's second score was a dandy in which he beat defender Kevin Berlocker on a 48-yard post route and made an over-the-shoulder reception with 4:39 left in the half.

"That was no big deal because [receivers] coach Tony Overton has us practicing over-the-shoulder catches all the time," Wynn said.

The final TD came with just 14 seconds left in the half. It appeared Comets defensive back Kevin Hicks had picked off Jones' 33-yard pass into the right corner of the end zone.

"He sure had the ball," Wynn said, "but I jumped up and basically stole it right out of his hands. We went into the locker room with a 28-7 lead, but we made way too many mistakes and missed assignments in the second half. You can't have those and expect to win."

Wynn said he expects to win the Division I state title in the 100 meter dash this spring. He also will be part of two powerful Glenville relays, the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200.

"Coach Overton works us hard in practice, whether in football or track," Wynn said. "I'm much faster than I was last year as a result."

Overton, who is also the Tarblooders' track coach, said Wynn's speed and athleticism make him a dangerous receiver.

"I tell all of our receivers to be playmakers," Overton said, "and it's easy for Shane to do that. He's easy to coach, and he has toughness, a love for the game and God-given ability.

"We needed him big- time tonight. As a team, we made this game hard to win."