Federal League looks loaded with powerhouses
Monday, August 24, 2009
Chris Beaven, Canton Repository
A knowing, somewhat sarcastic, maybe even a bit morbid chuckle that comes each time a Federal League coach talks about what awaits his football team this season.
“It’s going to be a meat grinder,” Perry head coach John “Spider” Miller said after giving the laugh.
Lake head coach Jeff Durbin gave the laugh then talked about teams just trying to “survive.”
Welcome to the 2009 Federal League football season where survival will not be easy in a league featuring among other things:
A reigning Mr. Football;
A number of players on the radar of Ohio State, the rest of the Big Ten and other Division I colleges;
Seven of eight teams returning a starting quarterback;
Three playoff teams returning from 2008, including Division I state semifinalist Hoover.
“Some of these teams have so many kids coming back,” said Miller, whose Panthers have a dozen lettermen returning, a solid number to build upon.
McKinley counts a stunning 43 lettermen back, including 16 of the 22 defensive players on last year’s Week 10 two-deep. Hoover returns 18 lettermen. Lake and Boardman have 16 apiece.
The league returns five full-time starting quarterbacks — Brett Tulodzieski at Hoover, Kyle Ohradzansky at McKinley, Brandon Martin at GlenOak, Rob Boyd at Boardman and Jon Ballard at Fitch. Two other returning QBs who started quite a few games are Lake’s Ryan Christiansen and Perry’s Adam Offenberger.
“It’s amazing,” Miller said of the number of experienced quarterbacks.
Durbin, entering his 20th season at Lake, never remembers so many returning QBs. “It’s going to be challenging every week,” he said.
And don’t think about overlooking the two teams from outside Stark County, Boardman and Fitch.
“They could be loaded,” McKinley head coach Rob Johnson said.
Federal League preseason talk, though, centers around Hoover and its star — Erick Howard, last year’s Mr. Football in Ohio after rushing for 2,304 yards and 30 TDs.
“Hoover’s got the guy you want when you’re building a football team,” Durbin said.
Howard has helped Hoover win back-to-back league titles, reaching the regional finals two years ago and the state semifinals last year. Under head coach Don Hertler Jr.’s direction, the Vikings have won or shared eight of the last 12 league titles.
“Any time you have the reigning Mr. Football and you have Don Hertler Jr. on your sideline, you’re the team to beat without question,” Johnson said.
That doesn’t mean the Vikings will coast through the league schedule.
Johnson’s Bulldogs should feature a defense as good as any with Division I recruits Jewone Snow and Steve Miller leading the way. GlenOak reached the playoffs in each of Scott Garcia’s first two seasons. The Golden Eagles have stars on each side of the ball — Martin and linebacker Andrew Garman — and plenty of other talent, including sophomore running back Brionte Dunn.
“Scott does a great job with them, so they should be exceptional,” Johnson said.
Durbin considers GlenOak, Hoover and McKinley as teams at a level just below the state’s few elite programs.
“The rest of us,” he said, “have a chance to be pretty good. It’s a matter of who can survive.”
Back again
Nearly 40 percent of the players who earned a spot on last year’s All-Federal League football team return this season. Here are the 29 who made the first or second team or were honorable mention:
First team
Erick Howard, Hoover, running back
Steve Miller, McKinley, defensive end
Jamon McClain, McKinley, defensive back
Jewone Snow, McKinley, linebacker
Andrew Garman, GlenOak, linebacker
Casey Irwin, Jackson, defensive back
Caleb Laps, Perry, running back
A.J. Sarbaugh, Hoover, kicker
James Forsythe, McKinley, punter
Second team
Brett Tulodzieski, Hoover, quarterback
Mark Wiley, Hoover, offensive lineman
Brice Everett, McKinley, defensive back
Ronald Gillom, McKinley, linebacker
Jamaal McClain, McKinley, defensive lineman
Kyle Ohradzansky, McKinley, quarterback
Brandon Martin, GlenOak, quarterback
Spyro Spondyl, GlenOak, linebacker
Ryan Christiansen, Lake, punter
Honorable mention
Tyler Mann, Hoover, defensive lineman
Alex Steenrod, Hoover, offensive lineman
Jordan Witt, Hoover, linebacker
Angelo Powell, McKinley, wide receiver
Collin Daniels-Mitchell, GlenOak, defensive back
Brad Beachy, Lake, defensive back
Jon Ballard, Fitch, quarterback
George Thomas, Fitch, offensive lineman
Rob Boyd, Boardman, quarterback
J.T. Moore, Boardman, defensive end
Sam Mariano, Fitch, punter
Hoover Vikings Football
Hoover Vikings Football
NETWORK
2009 Federal League Football
