Explosive Thurgood Marshall stands in Bellevue's way for trip to title game

Like anyone else, members of the Bellevue football program have a lot to be thankful for today.
That includes football practice on Thanksgiving Day, as the Redmen (12-1) prepare for Saturday's Division III state semifinal vs. Dayton Thurgood Marshall (12-1) at Ohio Wesleyan University's Selby Stadium.
"It's something you talk about, the goal of being able to practice on Thanksgiving," Bellevue coach Ed Nasonti said. "It's a neat thing. We told the kids they are 17 or 18 years old, you'll have 50 or 60 Thanksgivings to celebrate in your lifetime.
"Your opportunity to get the chance to take a run at a state championship is once in a lifetime."
Nasonti planned an early practice for today, allowing the players and coaches to enjoy the rest of the day with their families.
"And it's a different schedule with them being off from school three days this week," Nasonti said. "So that is nice really, because we don't have to feel pressure to get things crammed in. We can take our time and make sure the kids get everything in."
When breaking down Saturday's opponent, Nasonti and his coaching staff have gotten a throwback and unique view.
The Cougars run the double-wing offense, an old-school style of offense that typically features two tight ends, two wingbacks and a fullback alongside the quarterback in a bunched formation.
The main philosophies of the offense were created by legendary coach Glenn 'Pop' Warner more than 100 years ago, and was the primary offense used by Ara Parseghian's Notre Dame teams from the 1960s and 70s.
While it may be a throwback look, the results from Thurgood Marshall look like video game numbers with wild point totals.
The Cougars not only have three 1,000-yard backs, but their team leader, Denzell Norvell, has ran the ball 229 times for 2,320 yards (10.2 yards per carry) with 36 touchdowns. Vayante' Copeland has 1,707 yards and 17 TDs on 133 carries, while Deangelo Worthy has 1,006 yards and 16 TDs on just 87 carries.
Thurgood averages 359.5 yards rushing per game and a staggering 57.3 points per game offensively. The Cougars have eclipsed 60-plus points in eight of their 13 games, including all three playoff games, posting wins of 67-22, 68-9 and 60-21.
For more information on this story, see Thursday's Sandusky Register.