The Observer

Issue date: 10/30/09 Section: Sports

rad Paramore (right) had two interceptions in Saturday's 63-14 win over Hiram Saturday. Paramore returned one interception for a touchdown. [Click to enlarge]

When the team makes their annual highlight reel at the end of the year, two players are sure to have plenty of highlights from the Hiram showdown. One of those players is Greg Meyer. Meyer is a senior running back on the team and typically is the Spartans' leading rusher. Meyer carried the ball seven times for a total of only 20 yards and was still the team's second-leading rusher, behind the team leader by a single yard.

However, where the running game struggled, the receiving game picked up. Meyer ended the game with three catches for 110 yards, an astounding 37 yards per catch. In those 110 yards was a 63-yard reception, which nearly ended in a touchdown.

"It felt good to be able to contribute in the passing game. Our creed as running backs is to make the most out of every opportunity we touch the ball. It's nice to know that we can make an impact in the passing game when the rushing game isn't working as planned," Meyer said. On top of the impressive stats, Meyer scored a touchdown on one of his seven carries.

The other player who had a standout performance was senior safety Brad Paramore. Late in the first quarter, Paramore made a great read on the quarterback and intercepted a pass. A convoy of Spartans then led Paramore 34 yards for a CWRU touchdown. Paramore struck again late in the second quarter when he made an incredibly athletic catch, resulting in his second interception of the game. Now Paramore could finally be accepted in the mythological place all Spartan defensive backs and linebackers want to be: Pick City.

"Pick City" is an inside joke on the team. After an interception in a previous season, the player who intercepted the pass yelled, "Welcome to Pick City." It stuck, and now Pick City has grown into an imaginary place that players live after they get an interception.

When asked about how it feels to join the exclusive club, Paramore said, "It feels amazing. It's a liberating feeling. Since it's such an exclusive club, it's a great feeling to join it, especially since I've been trying to get into for such a long time." Paramore also ended the game with three total tackles.

With the assistance of great performances by these two players, the Spartans were able to roll over Hiram. Roll may actually be an understatement, seeing as the team completely dominated Hiram and outscored them 63-14. The Spartans had six offensive touchdowns, three through the air and three on the ground. In addition to Meyer, Billy Deitman and Dan Whalen each had a rushing touchdown. In the passing game, Whalen ended the game 10 of 17 for 216 yards and three touchdowns.

The matchup versus Hiram was the final non-conference game. The rest of the regular season games for Case are against UAA opponents. Now is the real test for the Spartans, can they take what they've accomplished thus far into conference play and win their third straight UAA title? Only time will tell. The first step towards a title is Saturday at the University of Chicago.

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