North Canton Hoover 14, Massillon 7
Vikings use screen to tame Tigers
Erick Howard runs for 200 yards, scores 2 TDs in playoff victory
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Jonas Fortune, Akron Beacon Journal
NORTH CANTON: All it took was one play to turn the Division I regional
quarterfinal Saturday night in North Canton Hoover's favor and send
Massillon to an early playoff exit with a 14-7 loss at Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers' aggressive defense and strong punting gave the Vikings' bad
field position in the first quarter, and it made it look as if Hoover would be
in for a long evening.
When Hoover quarterback Brett Tulodzieski dropped back to pass during
the Vikings' first three possessions, he was under constant pressure.
Seniors J.B. Price and Jamison Heath-Gates combined for one sack.
Junior linebacker Brian Arelt picked up another.
On the Vikings' fourth possession, they used Massillon's aggressiveness
against them.
The Tigers blitzed Tulodzieski, but junior running back Erick Howard
slipped free for a screen pass.
Howard caught the ball and ran 59 yards to the Massillon 1-yard line,
the first time the Vikings made it into Tiger territory in the first half.
Howard bulled his way into the end zone on the next play to tie the
score 7-7 with slightly more than two minutes remaining until halftime.
The crucial play, which swung momentum for the rest of the game in
Hoover's favor, was a brand-new offensive wrinkle installed two days earlier.
''We hit them with something they have never seen before,'' Howard said.
''It was just something we tested out, and it worked.''
After that the Vikings' defense was fired up and relentless. The Tigers,
who gained seven first downs and 117 yards in the first half, were held
to 25 yards in the second half and one first down.
''Our defense once again [stood out]. I don't think they got a first down
in the second half, probably five three-and-outs,'' Hoover coach
Don Hertler Jr. said. ''Our defense won us a football game.''
Howard seemed to be running even harder as well.
In the beginning moments of the fourth quarter, he found all the
running room he would need to put the game away.
On third-and-7 from the Massillon 49-yard line, Howard took a
handoff and ran through the middle of the line.
A Massillon defender knocked him off balance near the
40-yard line but Howard put his hand on the ground and regained
his balance.
Massillon's Justin Turner caught up to Howard near the
10-yard line and tried to knock the ball out from behind.
Howard spun around, shed Turner and sped into the end zone to
give the Vikings the winning touchdown with 10 minutes remaining
in the game.
''He made a quote in the paper that I'm a good back and he is a
good back and we'll find each other [on the field] . . . so I said to
myself, if we found each other, I am going to make sure he lost
and it happened,'' Howard said.
Howard finished the game with 200 rushing yards on 39 carries,
two touchdowns and two receptions for 62 yards. Turner had 61 yards rushing and one touchdown on 15 carries.
NETWORK
Hoover Vikings Football
Hoover Vikings Football
Massillon Washington Game Review
Hoover High School junior quarterback Brett Tulodzieski stands ready to deliver a timely screen pass against Massillon Washington. Photo by Lindsey Quinn
Hoover High School head coach Don Hertler, Jr. stands with his captains during a post game interview following Hoover's victory over Massillon at Memorial Stadium.
