Poland claims MAC crown

The Bulldogs' defense helped pave the way for a 17-7 win over Canfield.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
POLAND -- Two years after winning the Division III state championship, the Poland High football team is gaining attention again.
The Bulldogs took the next step toward state glory Friday by defeating Canfield 17-7 and winning the Metro Athletic Conference title at Poland High Stadium.
To no one's surprise, defense anchored Poland's attack.
It held Canfield, which could have gained a piece of the MAC title with a win, scoreless until the final minute.
"When that group of 11 is on the field, they just play hard. They won't be denied," Poland coach Paul Hulea said. "They play great team defense. They pick each other up."
Defense: Contributing to the Bulldogs' staunch defense was senior Brendan Moran, an end who returned to action after suffering an injury Sept. 29 against Chaney.
Moran bounced back after an MCL sprain, an ankle sprain and a bruised tibia on his right leg.
"It was real nice to get back into the swing of things," Moran said. "My teammates have been here for me the whole time to keep my spirit up."
Hulea said, "He was playing on grit. When he got in that ambulance [Sept. 29], he looked up and said, 'I'm going to play in that Canfield game.' "
If the Bulldogs (8-1, 4-0) were inspired because of Moran's return, they showed it, harassing Canfield's offense for most of the game.
The only time the Cardinals (6-3, 3-2) cracked the end zone was with 1 minute, 23 seconds remaining on junior quarterback Leo Sorice's 6-yard pass to senior Chad Marsh.
"We just weren't able to establish anything offensively all night," Canfield coach Mike Pavlansky said.
Slow start: Poland's offense took a while to get started. The Bulldogs began their first two possessions in Canfield territory and were able to control the ball, but they couldn't score.
"We kind of sputtered in the red zone in the first half," Hulea said.
To compound their frustration, sophomore kicker Shawn O'Halloran missed two field goals -- from 36 and 37 yards. Each kick had enough distance but narrowly missed.
"You have to be resilient, and this group is," Hulea said. "They just keep playing, they keep bringing it."
O'Halloran made amends by converting a 25-yarder early in the fourth quarter that gave the Bulldogs a two-possession advantage, 10-0.
Poland gained momentum by scoring first with 1:31 remaining until halftime.
Junior quarterback Sean Clayton executed a brilliant play-action fake to senior running back Lou DaVanzo before tossing a 3-yard touchdown pass to senior Josh Bero.
"In football, the first score is always tough," Hulea said. "It made it a little easier for us at halftime."
Pavlansky said, "We left our defense on the field way too long. When you face an explosive offense like they've got, you're going to give up some points."
Strong fourth: DaVanzo, who found yards tough to come by against Canfield's defense, benefited from a strong fourth-quarter push by Poland's offensive line that helped seal the victory.
"They really picked it up the second half," said DaVanzo, who finished with 51 yards on 21 carries. "There were holes there the second half."
DaVanzo capped a nine-play drive, all rushing plays, with a 7-yard touchdown run with 4:03 remaining.
"It was really nice to see, at the end of the game, our offensive line really pick it up," Hulea said.
Poland finishes the season against Struthers next week. The Bulldogs will then begin the postseason, something Hulea avoided addressing Friday.
"Our season starts over every Monday," he said. "We've still got our 10th season, and we better be prepared to play."
richesson@vindy.com