Blocked punt wins Arvin Classic

The Red turned the White's breakdown on a punting situation into the deciding score for a 16-8 win.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NEWTON FALLS -- In a close defensive battle, you never know when the door of opportunity is going to swing open and provide a chance to win.
For example, it could begin to open on a bad pass from center on a punt situation by a team that is deep in its own territory.
And it could swing open even further if the attempted punt is then blocked.
And it can open all the way if an opposing player scoops up the blocked ball and runs for a touchdown for the game-winning score.
This is precisely what happened in the 18th Jack Arvin Football Classic Wednesday night, when the Red team capitalized on the White team's mistakes on a punt situation to break an 8-8 tie and score a 16-8 victory.
The game, presented by the Mahoning Valley Coaches Association and played by top area graduating seniors, attracted about 1,000 fans to Newton Falls High School stadium.
The pivotal play
The play of the game occurred with the White at its 27-yard line, and Eric Moore (Howland) back to punt with less than eight minutes remaining.
Moore tried to field a bad pass from center, and managed barely to get his foot to the ball when Anthony Floyd (Woodrow Wilson) and Andre Stewart (Rayen) converged to block the punt attempt.
Then Jason King (South Range) picked up the loose ball and raced 15 yards to the winning score with 7:31 remaining. Tailback Brad Johnson (South Range) added the conversion run.
"That was the key to the game," Red coach Toby Gibson of Brookfield said. "It gave us some momentum and enthusiasm. At that point, we had a couple of turnovers that flattened us out. We had a couple of long drives that were stopped. It came at a key time for us."
White coach Tom Pavlansky of Lakeview High said Moore did his best to get off the punt.
"If we could have executed that punt, it could have been a tie game," Pavlansky said.
Stuck in 8-8 standoff
Both teams scored in the second quarter to create the 8-8 standoff.
Johnson tallied for the Red on a 2-yard run that also was set up by a bad pass from center to Moore on a punt situation for the White. Craig Bates (West Branch) tackled Moore to give the Red the ball at the White 26.
Then Craig Lodson (Rayen) made a one-handed catch of quarterback Ron Lampkin's (Rayen) 21-yard pass while barely staying in-bounds, to advance the Red to the 5-yard line. Johnson added 3 yards and then went in for the score at 2:33.
The White struck back when running back Josh Cayson (Warren JFK) returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to midfield.
Three plays later, Cayson delivered again by taking a screen pass from quarterback Ryan Beil (Liberty) to the Red 29, setting up Beil's TD pass on the next play to Asher Falatic (Lakeview) 49 seconds before intermission. Beil ran in for the conversion.
Johnson carries load
Johnson (6-1, 195), who got stronger as the game progressed, was a real workhorse with 123 yards rushing in 22 carries, and was named the Red's Most Valuable Player.
Falatic, with the TD catch and also an interception, was named the White's Most Valuable Player.
Quarterback Pat Birch (Springfield) was 3-of-3 passing for 39 yards for the Red.
"The more [Johnson] gets the ball -- and a feel for the game -- the better he runs, and the blocking always helps," said Gibson. "He has outside vision. He has a long gait. He doesn't look like he is running fast."
Gibson said he used Johnson so much because, "Our other tailback, Mike Harden [Campbell], sprained his ankle early in the first quarter and didn't come back in."
Line paved the way
Gibson said the Red's offensive line, especially Anthony Wright (Campbell), Tom Andres (Boardman), Dave Guerino (Brookfield), Joe Herman (Chaney) and Fernando DeChellis (Chaney), did a great job of blocking.
"They were opening up the holes especially in the second half. They wanted to get the job done," said Gibson, who also lauded the defensive work of Stewart, Brad Vizi (South Range) and Brandon Brown (Ursuline).
Brown also ran the ball well at fullback.
"He [Stewart] plays the middle backer and he ran the show for the defense," said Gibson.
Beil led the White offense by completing 5-of-11 passes for 117 yards.
"Ryan Beil, being the only quarterback we had, did a heck of a job," said Pavlansky.
kovach@vindy.com