Fitch tops Chaney to snap losing skid

The Falcons had not beaten Chaney since the 1999 season.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AUSTINTOWN -- Although Chaney and Fitch are backyard rivals, the difference in Friday's season-opening high school football game at Falcons Stadium was miles.
Specifically, Fitch senior running back Miles Williams who, thanks to fine blocking by his offensive line, dominated the fourth quarter of a 27-14 victory.
Key plays by Williams and junior quarterback John Mang helped the Falcons outgain the Cowboys 104 yards to 4 in the final quarter. Williams carried the ball eight times for 43 of his 100 yards.
"[Williams] showed that he's a real good back and I think their dominance on the offensive and defensive lines was obviously the key to their win," said Chaney coach Ron Berdis, whose Cowboys lost in Austintown for the first time since 1999.
"They were just more physical and bigger and stronger than us up front," Berdis said. "They controlled the line of scrimmage from the opening whistle to the end of the game."
Pulling ahead
Trailing 14-13 with 10 minutes to play, the Falcons marched 71 yards on 12 plays to take the lead. On third-and-goal at the Chaney 4, Mang rolled out to his right and raced untouched into the end zone for the game-winning score with 5:22 to play.
The Cowboys' next series lasted one play as Shane Roche intercepted a Justin Hood pass to set up the Falcons' final score, an 8-yard run by Williams.
"We know whenever we need a couple yards, we can give him the ball," said Mang of Williams. "He did a great job tonight as did the offensive line. They were pushing them back all night."
Even though the Cowboys were held to 105 yards, they had a chance after three quarters of play.
"[Even though] we were outmatched, we still had a chance to steal one," Berdis said. "It wasn't because we played great, but we had a couple of kids make a couple of [big] plays that kept us in the game."
Early lead
Early in the second quarter, the Cowboys jumped ahead 6-0 on Hood's 13-yard scramble.
The Falcons responded late in the half with a 68-yard drive capped by Mang's 6-yard toss to Williams. Kyle Grabrick's extra-point kick gave the Falcons a 7-6 halftime lead.
The Cowboys wasted no time in the third quarter, needing only 2:25 to go 61 yards for the lead. Hood scored on another scramble, this one 17 yards. Hood's conversion pass to Chris Eskew put the Cowboys ahead 14-7.
"We played great defense all night except for [trying to contain] Justin Hood," acting Fitch head coach John Kopp said. "He's a great football player."
Late in the third quarter, the Falcons scored on Williams' 2-yard run. The extra-point try failed, keeping the Cowboys ahead, 14-13.
Mang said his team didn't panic despite the frustration of not tying the game.
"On the sidelines, I told them that even if the score is tied 14-14, we had to score again anyways," Mang said. "So we didn't get down."
Mang said Fitch struggled in getting its offense clicking.
"We just couldn't execute inside the 20," Mang said. "Later on, we did."
Kopp served as head coach as his son, Neal, sat out the game with an OHSAA suspension for a practice violation.
"It a great present for him," said Kopp, whose son will make his head coaching debut next week at Massillon Jackson. "I'm pretty happy for my son. He stood up [after] we made a mistake. He accepted the responsibility for that.
"This my 38th year in coaching and that's the first time I've ever seen a penalty like that," Kopp said. "There's been all this stuff that goes on with recruiting and they slap them on the wrist. This kid admits to doing something and they deny him a game. The kids rallied around that."
williams@vindy.com