STEEL VALLEY Good kick lifts Boardman, 22-19

It was the second time this season the Boardman place-kicker has won the game with a last-second field goal.
By GREG GULAS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BOARDMAN -- Andrew Good was hoping he would get a chance to win the game with his foot.
The same foot that defeated Chaney earlier in the season on a last-second field goal was called upon once again -- and produced the same result.
With 18 seconds remaining, Good kicked a 31-yard field goal, his third on the night, as the Boardman Spartans defeated Massillon Jackson, 22-19 at Spartan Stadium Friday.
"I really wanted the opportunity to kick a field goal with the game on the line," Good said.
"Their place-kicker, Ben Hirschman, beat us on a last-second field goal a year ago so I am glad we had the opportunity to return the favor.
"I really don't have a special ritual when I prepare for a placement," Good said. "I just keep my focus and block out any distractions."
Fourth straight: The Spartans (5-1) won their fourth-straight game while the Polar Bears fell to 4-2, halting a four-game win streak after an opening loss at Cuyahoga Falls.
Good opened the scoring on Boardman's first series with a 37-yard field goal.
When Hirschman kicked the first of his two field goals -- a 30-yarder with 2:49 remaining in the opening frame --the game was tied at 3.
"We had a lot of dropped balls tonight and made entirely too many mistakes," Spartan coach Garry Smith said. "Give a lot of credit to their defense. The made quite a few plays and challenged us all night."
Polar Bear quarterback Russ Close scored on a 21-yard run with 3:36 remaining in the half to give Jackson a 10-3 lead, but Spartan quarterback Tom Zetts found Jay Upthegrove from 20 yards out to tie the score at the half.
"I didn't think we protected real well tonight," Jackson coach Phil Mauro said. "Tom Zetts is the real deal, an excellent signal-caller.
"You can't put the ball on the ground as many times as we did tonight and not expect it to hurt you."
Good's second field goal, with 3:58 remaining, gave the Spartans a 13-10 lead entering the fourth.
When sophomore Brad Beck scored on an 11-yard scamper just 41 seconds into the final period, Boardman increased their lead to nine.
Good's kick was blocked and the Spartans had to settle for a 19-10 advantage.
Hirschman then added his second field goal, a 38-yarder with 7:30 remaining, to cut the Spartan lead to 19-13.
On the short end: The Polar Bears stopped the Spartans on their next possession. However, Upthegrove bobbled the ball on the Spartan 30-yard line, and Jackson recovered the fumble. It took just three plays for Rohr to tie the game on a three-yard scamper, knotting the game at 19.
After Hirschman's conversion kick was wide left, Upthegrove didn't take long to make amends. He took the ensuing kickoff 31 yards to the Spartan 40-yard line with 1:53 remaining.
Zetts hit Mike Villagrana for a 16-yard gain to the Polar Bear 46, then found wideout Nick Burnett with a 23-yard pass to the Jackson 23 with 1:35 left.
Six plays later, Good connected from 31 yards out for the game winner.
The numbers: The Polar Bears rolled up 248 yards offensively to the Spartans' 230, with 189 yards on 50 carries. Rohr led all rushers with 79 yards on 22 carries.
The Spartans were held to a season low 94 yards on the ground. Evan Beard ran for 49 yards on 13 carries -- a season low in both categories.
Zetts was 11-of-20 through the air for 140 yards, with Upthegrove catching two passes for 26 yards and a touchdown.
Villagrana and Burnett each caught a game high three passes with Burnett's 23-yard catch on their last series of the game helping to set up the game-winning Good field goal.
Russ Close was 4-of-12 for 48 yards for the Polar Bears.