Green puts end to Hoover streak

Sunday, August 29, 2004

Todd Porter, Canton Repository

GREEN — Thunderstorms delayed the end of North Canton Hoover’s 17-game regular-season winning streak, but a thunderous team from Green High School slammed the door.

Thanks to last-minute heroics of senior quarterback Billy Cundiff, the Bulldogs beat Hoover, 18-15, Saturday night at Green Memorial Stadium. It was North Canton’s first road loss in 51⁄2 years.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Cundiff completed two long passes in the final minutes of the game to lift Green to one of its biggest regular-season wins in school history.

“This is the best win, I think, ever,” Cundiff said. “We had a monkey on our backs with these guys because we’ve never beaten them. This was the most exciting game I’ve played in.”

Down 13-12, Cundiff completed 3-of-4 passes for 74 yards in the final three minutes. He threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Zimmerman for the game-winning score.

Zimmerman made an amazing adjustment on the ball, which looked like it might be picked off by Hoover defensive back Kyle Feinberg. Instead, Zimmerman came from a yard deep in the end zone, jumped in front of Feinberg, caught the ball at the 2, and ran in for the score.

“That was unbelievable,” Cundiff said. “Jesse was playing with a dislocated finger since halftime, but he is my go-to guy and I knew he would catch that.”

Cundiff hooked up with Zimmerman for a 32-yard gain to the Hoover 34 that set up the touchdown pass.

North Canton looked sluggish after waiting a day to complete the game. Officials suspended the game Friday night after a quarter and a half. The game resumed Saturday night for 31 seconds and was delayed again. Both teams played through more than a dozen lightning flashes after play resumed for good Saturday.

When the game first resumed Saturday night, Green got four offensive plays in 31 seconds before a second lightning delay sent them into their respective locker rooms for a break of more than two hours.

The second delay didn’t seem to bother Green, which took over at the Hoover 38 when play resumed. Green was bailed out of a third-and-15 play on a pass interference call that took the ball to the North Canton 28. That’s when lightning was spotted in the area.

Cundiff refused to let his team lose momentum when play resumed. He completed a pass to running back Drew McDermitt in the right flat. McDermitt then trucked through a large hole over left tackle for 12 yards to the North Canton 5. Two plays later, Cundiff faked a handoff left, rolled right and lobbed a touchdown pass to tight end Ryan Callahan, who was wide open in right side of the end zone. The PAT kick failed, and Hoover still led 13-12.

“Give them credit, they just kept battling,” Hoover head coach Don Hertler Jr. said. “We had our chances to take control of the game, and we didn’t get it done.”

North Canton had one drive end at the Green 15. A field goal attempt was wide left. Another drive ended at the Green 4 when running back John Bertsch was thrown for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1. A third drive ended at the Green 18 when quarterback Sean Kostelnik was sacked on fourth down.

Still, the Vikings had a chance to win the game. After Green took the lead 18-13, Joe Pope returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the Green 37 with 1:13 left in the game.

Two plays later, Jason Foote was picked off by Zimmerman.

Game Note: Hoover sophomore Jordan Bucar saw his first varsity action and made the most of the opportunity by registering 8 tackles and 2 sacks. Bucar saw action at the nose guard, defensive end and linebacker positions.

NETWORK

Hoover Vikings Football

Green Game Review