Brown, Cramer lead Bellevue into playoffs

BELLEVUE — Ike Brown and Caden Cramer are at the top of a small but mighty senior football class at Bellevue. Brown and Cramer — good friends off the field — have put together exceptional athletic careers and will lead the Redmen into the playoffs for the second straight year. "I don't like to think about not having them anymore," Bellevue coach Alex Shepherd said. "We're gonna enjoy them while they're here and let them go out and make plays." Brown and Cramer are part of a 10-man senior class, and fewer than that get regular snaps. Shepherd said the goal is to get 15-to-20 seniors contributing each year, but Bellevue has made quality over quantity work just fine this fall. "It's been a good group and they've had success throughout their careers," said Shepherd, who is in his second year leading the program. "I hear stories about them in fifth- and sixth-grade sports all the time. They've always been talented. Obviously the numbers aren't where we'd like to be, but we have high-quality and high-character kids in that class. "These seniors aren't getting in trouble. They get good grades and work hard in the weight room. Anytime you have talented kids who work hard and do the right things you're gonna have a lot of success." Brown, who will play college baseball at the University of Findlay, has seen the varsity field for four seasons and has started at quarterback since his sophomore year. He's thrown for 3,840 yards and 30 touchdowns in his career and has carried the ball 426 times for 2,087 yards and 30 more touchdowns. On defense, he's made 111 tackles and has intercepted four passes. "He can kinda do it all," Shepherd said. "Defensively he's a really good safety. He runs as well as anybody back there and has good size. He's physical enough to come up and stop the run, but he's also very good in coverage. Anytime you've got a safety who can do both it really helps your defense." Brown said he tries "to be an athlete out there." "I just try to help the team however I can, go through my reads and make the right decision," he said. "If I can go get yards on any play, I can run it whenever." Brown has run the ball more this year while cutting his interceptions in half — from 10 to five. "He touches the ball every play; he gets it to our guys," Shepherd said. "He's allowed to make decisions in the passing game. Controlled, but he can make decisions based off of what he sees and what he likes. He's done a good job of not putting the ball in harm's way." His favorite target the past two seasons has been Cramer, a fast and physical 6-foot-1, 222-pound tight end. "He's big, athletic, strong, has good hands," Brown said of Cramer. "He could play any position and be all right." Cramer has caught 79 passes in his career for 1,189 yards and 14 touchdowns. At linebacker, he's made 227 tackles in three years and has added running the football to his repertoire the last two weeks. Cramer has carried the ball 13 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns, taking direct snaps in the wildcat formation. "I love it," he said. "Running routes, you gotta run the rout, catch the ball, turn around and find some space. But in the wildcat I can just get it and run." Cramer sprinted 52 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of last week's win at Vermilion that clinched the Northern Ohio Conference Bay Division title for Bellevue. "He's not afraid of contact," Shepherd said. "That's evident whether he's running the ball or is on defense. He's textbook 'run through the tackle' or 'catch the ball and run through a defender and break tackles.' "Behind Ike, he's our fastest guy. He's on our 4x100 relay; I think people underestimate his speed. He catches the ball in the open field and runs away from people who are 40 pounds lighter than him. And when he gets a head of steam going downhill, a lot of defensive backs don't want to get in front of it." That goes for defense, too. Last week at Vermilion, Cramer made one tackle that could be heard throughout the stadium. "I was right there but just kinda got out of the way. He's everywhere on the field," Brown said. "You don't have to worry too much about what's happening in the box when you're a secondary guy; you just focus on guarding your dude." When asked who was faster, Cramer was quick to answer while the 6-3, 180-pound Brown offered a subtle objection. "Me," Cramer said. "A hundred yards or less, I got him." "He's got me in the 40 by about a tenth," Brown said. "Tough truth for him to admit," Cramer joked. Both athletes play three sports, including basketball, where Brown was a first-team All-Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division selection last season. Brown also is a two-time All-Ohio baseball player. He plays shortstop and pitches. "He's competing against other high-level athletes year-round," Shepherd said. "He's used to competition and playing in front of people. That just builds confidence and experience." Brown has thrown 16 touchdown passes this season and has 14 rushing touchdowns. He likes to let it fly. "I like completing a deep ball," he said. "It's always fun. Sometimes if they're way down there you can't see it, and I hear the crowd go crazy when someone catches it. " Cramer enjoys being on the receiving side of Brown's passes. "He's good. He's athletic and usually makes the right throw," Cramer said. "I don't have anything to worry about; I let him do whatever he needs to do. It's usually what's best for the team." Bellevue's team includes three other seniors who have been four-year varsity players: Konner Dauch, Evan Bova and Cooper Winke, who also will play college baseball for Findlay. The leading tackler for the Redmen is sophomore linebacker Maddex Bailey. "Our underclassmen have a lot of heart," Cramer said. "They're not the biggest, especially defensively. But they get after it, for sure." Bellevue's seniors will play their final game on their home turf Friday when Marengo Highland visits for a first round Division IV playoff game. The Redmen are looking to post a postseason 'W' for the second straight year. "I hope they play with energy and excitement and are able to enjoy it at the same time," Shepherd said. "We've got great support and great facility. It's special to get one more (game), especially in a playoff environment."