HIGH SCHOOL PREVIEW Friday night football

URSULINE vs. BOARDMAN
When: 7:30.
Where: Boardman High Spartan Stadium.
Boardman (6-2, 2-1 Steel Valley Conference) scouting report: Boardman is battle-tested with tough wins over Chaney and Massillon Jackson and losses to powerhouses St. Ignatius and Harding. The Spartans are coming off a 56-0 win at East Liverpool. QB Tom Zetts went above 1,000 yards passing for the season with an 8-for-12, 183-yard night. Evan Beard ran 13 times for 90 yards and Brad Beck added 12 carries for 84 yards. Boardman has given up 100 points in their two losses, and 41 points in their six wins. The Spartans are averaging 34 points per game. PK Andy Good has two game-winning field goals this season. Boardman is 12th in the Division I Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the computer ratings.
The coach says: "We got off right from the get-go [against East Liverpool]. Mike Finamore returned the opening kickoff 78 yards and Andy Good pinned them deep to maintain good field position. When things are clicking our offense, we're in good shape. The passing game passed very well even in the bad weather, we had a good running game and the defense pitches a shutout." On the Irish, "With Ursuline, you always start with the running game. Delbert Ferguson and Terrence Graves are great backs and we'll have to contend with those two. Their passing game is developing with [Jim] Riley and Louis Irizarry. They present a lot of problems. They've got pretty good size on offense." -- Garry Smith.
Ursuline (7-1, 2-1) scouting report: Ursuline has been on a roll since their loss to Harding in week four. But the Irish may be distracted because of the allegations of using an ineligible player surrounding the team. The Irish need to beat Boardman to have any hope of the playoffs and they'll need QB Darryl Clark to complement their strong running game with a solid passing attack. Boardman is very strong on the offensive and defensive line, which will present a challenge for the Irish along the line of scrimmage. Ferguson and Graves both topped 100 yards in the 63-12 win over Fostoria last week and Terrel Washington added 84 yards. Clark threw for 164 yards and Riley caught seven passes for 109 yards. Ursuline is third in the AP's Div. IV poll but 11th in the computer ratings. Only the top eight teams qualify for the postseason.
The coach says: On last week's 63-12 win over Fostoria, "It kind of snowballed on them. We're not 50 points better than they are. We were just on that night. Our quarterback [Clark] threw the ball well, and Riley had over 200 yards in offense. Boardman is playing really well, probably as well as I've seen in my three years. Our kids have to be at their best, or it will be a long night. We have to stop their run, and when they throw we have to find a way to put pressure on their quarterback. We've got to be prepared despite what's happening around us. Our kids have been through adversity before; we'll be all right." -- Jim Vivo.
Radio: WKBN-AM 570.
POLAND vs. CANFIELD
When: 7:30.
Where: Poland High Stadium.
Canfield (6-2, 3-1) scouting report: Since their loss to Howland on Sept. 21, the Cardinals have reeled off three victories, including 27-7 over Salem last week, to move into playoff contention. Junior QB Leo Sorice has completed 52-of-101 passes for 882 yards and 10 touchdowns, with no interceptions. Senior WR Gavin DiRusso has 12 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns. Junior TB Tim Dewberry has 98 carries for 521 yards and four touchdowns. Junior CB Tom Rogers has two interceptions. Sophomore Justin Kucek is averaging 35.9 yards on 27 punts. Canfield is ranked seventh in the Div. II computer ratings.
The coach says: "When you start the year, this is definitely the spot you want to be in. In week nine, you hope you're playing in a game of this magnitude." On his team's three-game win streak, "We haven't turned the ball over and we've been able to control the lines on both sides of the ball. Our defense is playing outstanding." On Poland, "Ever play a small Division III college? They're huge up front. When you look at tapes, there are no weaknesses anywhere. When you want to watch team defense, throw in a tape of Poland. It's going to be a great challenge for our offense to establish consistency Friday night. They have more balance in the running game than they've had, and they have one of the finest juniors in the state [quarterback Sean Clayton] when it comes to throwing the ball." -- Mike Pavlansky.
Poland (7-1, 3-0) scouting report: The Bulldogs disposed of Howland 24-14 last week to put themselves in position to win the MAC title outright. Clayton, a junior, is the MAC's top quarterback, completing 91-of-137 passes for 1,087 yards and seven touchdowns, with five interceptions. His favorite target is the MAC's top receiver, senior Jake Bajerski, who has 34 catches for 439 yards and three touchdowns. Senior TB Lou DaVanzo has 141 carries for 810 yards and 12 touchdowns. Senior Vince Antonucci is averaging a conference-best 16.8 yards on 10 punt returns. Junior DB Neil Harris has four interceptions. Injured senior OG/DE Brendan Moran is doubtful for the game. He has been replaced by junior George McNabb. Poland is fifth in the Div. III AP poll and No. 3 in the computer ratings.
The coach says: "We try to coach week-to-week. This is our biggest because it's our next one. We just want to get better this week. We'll have to get ready for a balanced attack, with what Canfield has. Our kids have been a great practice team; they're very coachable. We believe in our players, we trust them, we love them, no matter what happens. Canfield's success isn't a surprise to us. [Pavlansky] is a great coach, but they had everybody up the pipe coming back from a playoff team." -- Paul Hulea.
Radio: WBBW-AM 1240.
-- Vindicator staff report