It’s a fact: Two Zachs excel at quarterback for Cuyahoga Heights

Joe Maxse, The Plain Dealer, November 07, 2009 1:01 a.m.

If one Zach doesn't get you, the other one will. It's a dilemma opponents will have to deal with when they face Cuyahoga Heights.

Forced to make a second-half move at quarterback, the Redskins showed themselves to be in good hands Friday night as the duo of seniors Zach D'Orazio and Zach Noernberg combined to keep the home team undefeated with a 28-7 win against Apple Creek Waynedale in a Division V playoff opener.

After D'Orazio got his club out to a 14-0 halftime lead, Noernberg was called on when the starter let it be known he was woozy from a big hit.

In fact, D'Orazio said he did not remember much of the first 24 minutes.

"It all came back to me," said D'Orazio, who ran for 95 yards and passed for 67.

"But I didn't remember much, so I'll have to watch the film [to see when it happened]. I feel pretty good. Zach [Noernberg] was awesome."

A starter at flanker and linebacker, Noernberg never faltered as he helped put up another 14 points, scoring on a 31-yard run in the third quarter and not committing any turnovers as the Redskins improved to 11-0.

"I knew we could run the ball," said Noernberg, who finished with 70 yards on 10 carries. "We just had to stick in there and hit hard. We chewed up the clock."

Cuyahoga Heights' option offense kept the Golden Bears in check for the most part. When it wasn't the "Zach Attack," junior Alec Torgerson (79 yards) or senior Nick Simon (54) was doing the damage.

[D'Orazio] played a great first half and never said anything until he was walking up the stairs at halftime," said Cuyahoga Heights coach Al Martin.

"Any time the head gets injured you've got to be careful. [Noernberg] is a very good quarterback. If we had to pass we would have."

That never came to pass because the Redskins never let things get out of their control.

With D'Orazio at the controls, they outgained the visitors 242 yards to 63 in the first half to build a 14-0 lead at the break.

On its first possession, Cuyahoga Heights put together a 10-play, 76-yard drive. Torgerson supplied 37 of the yards on six carries, including the touchdown on a 5-yard bull over left tackle.

Noernberg was stopped short of the goal line on a surprise 2-point play out of a shotgun snap.

It did not matter as the home club drove 74 yards on its next possession, D'Orazio scoring on a 19-yard scamper around right end when he could not find an open receiver. This time the Redskins got the 2-point conversion on a pass play from sophomore Jordan D'Orazio to junior Emerson Thicker.

The Redskins were on the march again after that as they moved 75 yards to the Waynedale 3. But D'Orazio had his pass intercepted in the end zone with seven seconds left in the half. That's one the starter would like to forget.

After Noernberg's touchdown, Simon made it 27-0 with a 27-yard sprint with 1:45 left in the third quarter.

After an earlier goal-line stand, the Cuyahoga Heights defense nearly preserved the shutout with another. But Waynedale got on the board with seven minutes left when senior Cory Stryker scored from the 1 after picking up a botched pitchout by quarterback Spenser Lewis on fourth down.
It was all Waynedale (7-4) had to cheer about.