North Canton Hoover 14, GlenOak 0

Vikings blank Golden Eagles to win regional

Injury fails to slow down running back Howard; Next stop, state semis

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Jonas Fortune. Akron Beacon Journal

MASSILLON: North Canton Hoover's formula for beating

Federal League rival GlenOak is fairly simple: play great

defense, get an early second-half lead and let junior running

back Erick Howard take care of the rest.

It worked in Week 9 of the season. It worked again Saturday night.

The Vikings blanked the Golden Eagles 14-0 at Paul Brown Tiger

Stadium, claiming the Division I Region 2 title and the right to

face Cleveland St. Ignatius next week in the state semifinals.

''It's really big,'' said senior defensive back Joe Cerretta, who

intercepted a GlenOak pass during a key drive midway through

the fourth quarter.

''First time ever Hoover has won 12 games in a season and

making it to the (state) final four is always big,'' he said.

With whipping winds and some snow swirling around Paul Brown

Tiger Stadium, any thought of both teams airing it out drifted

away with the light winter flurries.

The Golden Eagles didn't pass much at all. Of their 178 yards

of total offense, only 17 were through the air.

Hoover junior quarterback Brett Tulodzieski finished the game

efficiently with 115 yards. He completed 10-of-12 pass attempts,

but only had to go downfield twice.

The downfield pass did appear when the Vikings needed it the

most. Tulodzieski, escaping pressure and rolling to his left,

tossed a wobbly 26-yard pass to senior Greg Beck in the

end zone midway through the third quarter.

Beck, who had a 42-yard reception in the first half, finished the

game with 75 receiving yards.

With a tough-as-nails defense and an even tougher running back

in Howard, the scoring play was all the Vikings needed.

''This game was kind of a statement game for us,'' Howard said.

''To prove that we are not just a Federal League team and that

we are out to do big things.''

After holding the Golden Eagles to a three-and-out on the next

series, Howard began his meticulous, clock-control running effort.

Howard, who missed practice all week with a hip injury, was held to 19 yards on 10 carries in the first half, but by the start of the second half he seemed to be running at full strength with some help from his offensive line.

''I thought both of our lines in the second half took over,'' Hoover coach Don Hertler Jr. said. ''We made a few adjustments at halftime and got some field position and took over.''

Midway through the third quarter, Howard's No. 5 jersey was ripped in half — he had to replace it with a No. 21 — and it didn't faze him. Howard finished the game with 140 rushing yards on 33 carries.

As he received the ball on every snap inside the six-minute mark, he continued to add to his tally before eventually scoring from 1 yard out with 31 seconds remaining.

''He has done it every time all year long,'' GlenOak coach Scott Garcia said. ''When they are able to get a lead, and you have a big back like that, (Hertler Jr.) is a great coach and he does the right thing. He rides his guy. There is not much you can do about it.''

NETWORK

Hoover High School junior RB Erick Howard into the endzone untouched.

Hoover defenders tag-team a Canton GlenOak ball carrier.

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