Cerreta goes out with a win

July 25, 2004

Mike Popovich, Canton Repository

CANTON: The end of Saturday's Repository East-West All-Star Football Game was a bittersweet moment for Sam Cerreta.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound quarterback from Hoover High School completed 10-of-12 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown during the East's 14-6 victory over the West at Fawcett Stadium. But as time ran out and the two teams congratulated each other, it hit Cerreta.

His football playing days are over.

"I'm sad that football is ending," Cerreta said. "But this is a great way to end my football career. I can't think of any better way to end it."

Cerreta was a second team All-Ohio selection in his first year as a starter last fall. College football was an option, but Cerreta has chosen to concentrate solely on academics this fall at Ashland University.

"I figured my time's up," Cerreta said. " had a great, great time playing high school football with all of my friends growing up. That's over, and I think it's just time to move on."

Cerreta was one of 10 Hoover players selected to play for the East. Last fall, they helped the Vikings go undefeated in the regular season for the first time since 1975.

The entire team coming together each game to achieve one goal is what Cerreta will remember about his days at Hoover.

"Everybody had their eyes on winning," Cerreta said. "It's just a great feeling to know everybody is going after the same thing."

It was no different Saturday. The East took the opening kickoff and used a 14-play, 78-yard drive that ate up just less than eight minutes to grab the lead.

Cerreta was 6-for-6 for 52 yards on the drive. On fourth-and-7, he connected with Hoover teammate Kyle Watts for a 25-yard completion to the West 16. Chaz Keeney, another Hoover teammate, caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Cerreta five plays later to put the East up for good.

"We said we needed to start the game off on the right foot and hit them early," Cerreta said. "When the other offense comes on the field for the first time, there's nothing worse then being down already. We wanted to help out the defense a little bit and score right away."

The way Cerreta led the East on the opening drive was no surprise to East head coach Don Hertler Jr., his head coach at Hoover.

"Sam is pretty darn good at what he does," Hertler said. "He executes. To come out in an all-star game and go 6-for-6 (on the first drive) is pretty good. You can say we were clicking."

NETWORK

Hoover Vikings Football

Hoover Vikings Football

2004 Repository East-West All-Star Football Game