Unbeaten Hoover goes for 12th-straight win on Saturday

Regional Semifinal

Thursday, November 6, 2003

Todd Porter, Repository sports writer

NORTH CANTON The list of firsts is getting long. Sooner or later, the North Canton Hoover football team will have to start writing in the margins.

It is another week of high school football, and these Vikings have a chance to do something none of their predecessors has done before.

Win 12 games in a season.

Hoover became the first North Canton team since 1975 to go 10-0. Last week, the Vikings beat Hudson 49-0 in a first-round playoff game to become the first North Canton team to go 11-0.

Now, they want to go again where no team before them has. Not bad for a team many thought would be lucky to win seven games.

"Our goal has simply been to play better the next week," Vikings head coach Don Hertler Jr. said. "Our school has never won 12 games in one season. That's a lot of what we're looking at now. We want to get that 12th victory and do something no one has done in Hoover history."

To do that, North Canton will have to get past Wadsworth on Saturday night at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in a Division I, Region 2 semifinal game. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Wadsworth may have the most explosive offense North Canton has seen since playing Akron Buchtel in Week 2.

Is Hoover's defense, which has allowed 14 points the last three weeks, good enough to shut down the Grizzlies?

"We feel fortunate that things have gone our way so far," Hertler said. "We're just happy to still be playing."

The Vikings are coming off their most impressive performance of the season in beating Hudson. North Canton was faster and more physical than the Explorers.

If anyone is thinking Wadsworth is going to be the same kind of pushover, Grizzlies head coach Greg Dennison may change your mind.

"We've improved since the first half of the season, and we're playing our best football of the year," Dennison said. "We played a lot more physically the last few games, and that's a big part of playing good, sound defense. Part of that is we've gotten healthy and settled into positions."

Wadsworth finished the regular season 8-2, losing to Padua to start the year and Green in Week 7. The eight teams the Grizzlies beat finished well below .500 collectively. Just two Medina and Division II Copley had winning records.

However, in 11 games, the Grizzlies have scored 380 points (34.5 per game) and given up 204 (18.5). North Canton has scored 302 points (27.5) and surrendered 84 (7.6). Just two teams have scored more than one touchdown on the Vikings.

The Grizzlies have been helped a great deal since Jake Blatter moved to linebacker. Blatter intercepted three passes last week and recovered a fumble against Green. Three of those turnovers set up Wadsworth scores.

"Defensively, they've given up some points," Hertler said. "But they seem to have played better the last few weeks. Sometimes they're very good on defense, and sometimes they're average. They're well-coached and very athletic."

Most of the athletes are on offense, where Wadsworth averages 35 points per game.

Grizzlies' senior quarterback Clint Cochran, who was being recruited by some Big Ten schools, committed to Toledo within the last month. He has thrown for about 2,300 yards, 21 TDs and 11 interceptions. Dennison has used a no-huddle offense, and defenses are on their heels with Cochran running the show.

"They've got the best quarterback I've seen all year," Hertler said. "I would think he's one of the best in the state. He's active. He has good feet and a great arm."

Senior fullback Luke Busson opens holes for tailback Paul Macko, who has more than 1,000 yards rushing. Mike Marshall is the leading receiver. Clearly this will be the biggest test of the year for North Canton's defensive backs, Chad Coyle, Mike Wright and Dan Gruber.

The offense, however, revolves around Cochran.

"He does a lot very well," Dennison said. "He's a good athlete, and he's real smart. He makes good decisions and has a great arm. We gear our offense around him."

Chances are the Grizzlies have not seen a defense as good as Hoover's. Defensive end Kyle Watts has 20 sacks.

"We've got to pressure the quarterback, get to him a little and not let him have a career night," Hertler said. "This is our defense's biggest challenge since Buchtel."

Wadsworth's offensive line takes bigger splits between lineman than most. That is done to create running lanes. But against a 5-3 defense, it could backfire if Hoover's linebackers do not miss tackles.

"They're like us," Hertler said. "They're not overly big, but they're quick and get a head on a hat and create running room. They don't have the kind of line that's going to blow you off the ball consistently, but they do a good job creating seams for the backs and protecting the quarterback."

Against Hudson, Hoover's defensive speed surprised the Explorers.

"They have great their quickness and general toughness is what sets them apart," Dennison said. "All you have to do is show the film to our kids, and those things jump out."

Wadsworth trounced Green last week and avenged a regular-season loss. Surely the Grizzlies, too, see this region as a wide open race to the state semifinals.

"We are playing with confidence," Dennison said. "The way we've been playing the last couple of weeks has allowed us to gain confidence."

NETWORK

Hoover Vikings Football

Wadsworth Grizzlies Game Preview