Hoover @ Louisville

Canton Repository

SITE: Louisville Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

RECORDS: Louisville 1-1, Hoover 2-0.

LAST WEEK: Lake 35, Louisville 34; Hoover 45, Licking Valley 40.

LAST MEETING: North Canton won, 25-7, last year.

WHAT TO WATCH: How will the Leopards rebound from a tough loss? Louisville missed an extra-point kick with 1:13 left that would have tied last week’s game. It was Louisville’s second missed PAT of the game.

The Leopards have no trouble moving the ball, and their defense has shown flashes of brilliance. QB Neal Seaman has distributed the ball between Brandon Mathie, Tyler Jones and Marc Adams. Even though the Leopards have scored 28 and 35 points, they have actually missed some scoring opportunities. They committed five turnovers against Lake. They’ve allowed too many big plays. That could get them in trouble with North Canton.

The Vikings have weapons with QB Jared Wackerly, RB Erick Howard, WR Matt Wakulchik and TE Kevin Dahl.

But Hoover coach Don Hertler Jr. is not happy with his defense or special teams.

Hertler: Defense, kicking need work

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Josh Weir, Canton Repository

NORTH CANTON “Prolific” doesn’t do North Canton Hoover’s offense justice. “Historic” is more appropriate.

The Vikings are Stark County’s highest scoring high school football team through two weeks. More impressive, their 83 points are the most by a Hoover team in the first two weeks of the season, according to Repository records dating back to 1941.

Excuse Hoover’s Don Hertler Jr. if he’s not doing cartwheels. He saw a defense — staked to a 39-7 first-half lead last week — that couldn’t stop Licking Valley from scoring 33 of the game’s final 39 points, almost falling victim to a monumental comeback.

He saw a special-teams unit get two punts blocked in one game — something that had never happened in his career.

“That stuff is inexcusable,” Hertler said.

The 12th-year head coach is looking for continued improvement as the work-in-progress Vikings travel to Louisville on Friday for the 85th meeting between the programs.

Hertler knew his Vikings were capable of producing a lot of points.

Quarterback Jared Wackerly, receiver Matt Wakulchik, tight end Kevin Dahl and running back Erick Howard are an impressive group of skill players. Howard, just a sophomore, has 321 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, including 207 yards last week. Wackerly has completed 24-of-36 passes for 335 yards and five touchdowns. Wakulchik has three scores, two receiving and one rushing.

“We’ve been able to score some points for sure,” Hertler said. “We need to continue that until our defense gets a little more veteran.”

The Vikings lost eight starters from last year’s defense.

Louisville is tied with Lake for scoring the second most points (69) in the county. And therein lies Louisville coach Paul Farrah’s greatest frustration. Those points should equal a 2-0 record. Instead, the Leopards (1-1) let missed tackles and five turnovers plague them in a 35-34 loss to Lake last week.

Farrah believed Louisville’s defense would be the team’s strength. But he’s watched 5-yard gains turn into 50-yard touchdowns. Farrah is preaching a more disciplined approach. Players have to stay home and “mow their own grass” instead of over-pursing and getting out of position.

But on whom do the Leopards focus defensively? The young, talented Howard? The multi-skilled Wakulchik?

“That’s what makes North Canton so good,” Farrah said. “You have to take one away, but then you leave someone else in one-on-one coverage.”

Hertler knows all about the Division II Leopards. He has great respect for Louisville’s spread offense, guided by John DeMarco. The Vikings and Leopards run similar versions of the 5-3 defense.

“We need to put four quarters together to win this week,” Hertler said.

North Canton and GlenOak are the only undefeated Division I teams in the county. When gauging his team’s potential, Hertler is light on hyperbole and heavy on caution.

“When you look at our schedule, everybody can beat us, and we can beat everybody,” he said. “We have to perform every week and play the game the right way.

“It’s early. We’re an above-average team right now.”

These Vikings must be growing on him. After Hoover beat D.C. Dunbar, 38-8, in Week 1, Hertler said, “We’re a pretty average team now.”

Just imagine when they become good.

Reach Repository sports writer Josh Weir at (330) 580-8426 or e-mail: josh.weir@cantonrep.com

POINTS, POINTS AND MORE POINTS

North Canton’s 83 points through two weeks are the program’s most since at least the beginning of the 1941 season. Here are the top eight two-game starts by the Vikings (with year in parenthesis).

1 2007 38+45=83

2 1972 38+42=80

3-t 2001 37+42=79

3-t 1997 30+49=79

5 2006 35+43=78

6 1980 29+48=77

7 1998 31+41=72

8 1999 35+35=70

NETWORK

Hoover Vikings Football

Louisville Leopards Game Preview