Hoover has come far, ready to go further

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Chris Beaven, Canton Repository

NORTH CANTON They achieved plenty in the last two weeks with a pair big wins in the Federal League.

The Hoover Vikings, though, know those wins mean a little less if they don’t finish off the season strong Friday night. Hoover ends its season with its annual neighborhood battle against Jackson.

“We know it’s a rivalry game. It’s for bragging rights, and records don’t matter for this one,” Hoover coach Don Hertler Jr. said. “It’s one football game, and we’ve got to be ready. ... We’ve matured and come together as a team and so far it has been rewarding. But we have a lot of goals ahead of us, and that starts with Friday night.”

Victories the last two weeks over contenders McKinley and GlenOak already have secured the Vikings at least a share of the league title. It’s their second straight title and eighth in Hertler’s 13 years. They’ve also locked up a first-round home game in the playoffs.

But one big goal remains out there.

“No. 1, we want to win the league outright two years in a row,” Hertler said. “It’s extremely hard to do that in this league. That’s the main goal and has been our goal. We haven’t won the league outright, and that’s what we have to do Friday.”

That Hoover is a win away from a perfect league season and a 9-1 overall record is a bit of a surprise, even to Hertler. The Vikings graduated a number of stars from last season’s team that reached the Division I regional finals.

“It’s a credit to our kids and coaches,” Hertler said. “They work hard every day, they keep striving for perfection and getting better, and their attention to detail as a whole has been good.”

Hertler loves the senior leadership on this team.

“They have led with a consistent effort and kept things calm for the younger guys,” Hertler said. “As long as the younger guys listen and follow, we’re going in the right direction.”

An offense centered around tailback Erick Howard, the county’s leading rusher and scorer, leads the Vikings. Quarterback Brett Tulodzieski, a first-year starter, has emerged as the league’s leader in passing yards. He spreads the ball around to a variety of receivers.

Defensively, the Vikings have mixed newcomers in with some holdovers to build a hard-nosed unit that’s been strong much of the season.

“We’ve got to keep pressing on ... and play better than what we’ve played,” Hertler said.

Jackson comes in having won three of its last four and has more than enough talent to spoil Friday night for Hoover.

“We know Jackson will let it all hang out and play its best,” Hertler said. “They’ve got very good skill from quarterback to wide out. Their running back is running well, they throw the ball well, are very efficient ... and defensively, their linebackers are outstanding, and their front people are very good.”

It adds up to quite a challenge for the Vikings, who want to use Friday as the final springboard into a good playoff run.

“We want to play our best football at the end of the year,” Hertler said, “and we don’t want to take any steps backwards here at the end of the year.”

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