Defense saves the day for Hoover in 13-10 win over Twinsburg

Win sets up rematch with GlenOak

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Mike Popovich, Canton Repository

CANTON Hoover coach Don Hertler Jr. put the ball in the hands of his 2,000-yard

back on fourth down when a field goal could have tied the game.

That option didn't work the next time the Vikings were in Twinsburg territory.

But Hoover's defense rose again to help save the season.

Erick Howard ran for two touchdowns and the Vikings came up with four turnovers

in a 13-10 Division I regional semifinal win over the Tigers Saturday at Fawcett

Stadium. Howard finished with 168 yards rushing and went over the 2,000 mark

for the season as Hoover (11-1) earned a spot in next week's championship game

against Federal League rival GlenOak.

Howard eclipsed 2,000 yards on his second carry of the game. That carry wasn't

as big as the one he had on fourth-and-two from the Twinsburg 17. With Hoover down

10-7, he ground out 4 more yards to keep the drive alive.

"Coach asked us, 'Do we have the attitude and the heart to get this

1 or 2 yards?'" Howard said. "We were like, 'Yeah, let's go for it.' It's all about your

attitude in that case."

Howard's 2-yard touchdown run four plays later put the Vikings up for good.

Hertler initially sent his field goal unit out on fourth down before calling timeout

and having a change of heart.

"If we can't get 2 yards in that situation, we don't deserve to move on,"

Hertler said. "We put the ball in Erick's hands, ran our best football play and got

it done."

It wasn't that simple later.

A fumble recovery by Hoover's Dom Boyle on the Tigers' next drive gave the

Vikings a chance to eat the final few minutes. Hoover faced third-and-one from the

Twinsburg 37, but two straight handoffs to Howard netted minus-1 yard and a

turnover on downs.

Twinsburg (9-3) reached only as far as the Hoover 49. Boyle's sack on

third down and Jake Mann's interception on fourth-and-long closed out the

Tigers.

Hoover's Dan Nettleton and Jeff Meek also intercepted Twinsburg

quarterback Cory Eden. Meek's pick came in the end zone and set up

Hoover's game-winning drive.

"Our defense, they make the plays," Hertler said. "They hung in there,

kept it at 10, gave us a chance to get a game-winning drive and had that

big stop in the fourth quarter."

Hoover found yards hard to come by early. The Vikings went three-and-out

on their first two drives and fumbled on their third.

The Tigers struck quickly on their second possession. Joe Hiller's 49-yard

run on a trap play set up Dion Johnson's 2-yard touchdown run, which

opened the scoring.

Nettleton's interception stopped a promising Twinsburg drive at the Hoover

19-yard line. The Vikings drove 81 yards in 10 plays and tied the game at

7-7 on Howard's 15-yard touchdown run and A.J. Sarbaugh's extra point.

Matt Curwin kicked a 24-yard field goal with four seconds left in the first

half to give Twinsburg a 10-7 lead. Thanks to Hoover's defense, those were

the final points of the night and the season for the Tigers.

NETWORK

PICKED OFF! North Canton Hoover's Jeff Meek intercepts a pass intended for Twinsburg's Keith Curry in the end zone during Saturday's high school football regional semifinal playoff game at Fawcett Stadium. Repository Bob Rossiter.

Hoover Vikings Football

Hoover Vikings Football

Twinsburg Game Review

PICKED OFF, AGAIN! North Canton Hoover's Jake Mann intercepts this pass intended for Twinsburg's WR Nick Nero.