AMANDA-CLEARCREEK, 10, WARREN JFK, 7 A kick in the gut: JFK falls in overtime

Carlos Del Angel made a 28-yard field goal to lift the Aces.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CANTON -- Losing is one thing. But losing this way, with so much on the line, can be devastating.
Warren John F. Kennedy High football players sprawled out on the turf Friday as if they had been overcome by sickness.
Some dropped to a knee and then fell over. Others just lay motionless on their backs.
Seconds earlier, Carlos Del Angel kicked a 28-yard field goal in the second overtime to give Amanda-Clearcreek a 10-7 victory in the Division V state semifinals at Canton Central Catholic's Klinefelter Stadium.
Unhappy ending
JFK (11-3) had its sights set on winning its first state title since 1991. Now, that won't happen.
"Everybody in here is like a brother to me," said senior Shane Golden, in a locker room full of tears and empty stares. "I love these guys with all my heart."
JFK senior quarterback John DiFiore, who made a remarkable throw-and-catch to senior Jimmy Kokrak in the first overtime, was intercepted on the first possession of the second OT, giving Clearcreek (13-1) its final chance.
The Eagles, however, had most of the chances and breaks on this night.
With JFK players kneeling on the sideline in a scoreless game, Del Angel, who had missed a 22-yard field goal in the third quarter, lined up for a 29-yarder with six seconds remaining in regulation.
Then, an array of hope.
The ball went sailing over the holder's head, the clock ran out and the game went to overtime.
"I felt like God had given us another chance," Golden said. "We had another chance to win the game. I thought that was going to be the turning point."
JFK coach Tony Napolet added, "New life, new blood. I felt that we were in it then."
Working overtime
After Kent Phillips ran for a 5-yard touchdown to give Clearcreek a 7-0 lead in the first overtime, JFK was forced to respond. And the seniors took charge.
On fourth-and-7 from the 17-yard line, DiFiore lobbed a ball into the right corner of the end zone, where Kokrak -- with the Eagles' season riding on his shoulders -- made the catch.
"Great catch, great throw. On fourth down, that was wonderful," Napolet said. "Jimmy Kokrak's been a great player all year."
Senior Russell Accordino made the point-after kick to force a second overtime, but Napolet said the Eagles should have made another decision.
"We elected to hang in there and try to beat them in the second overtime," Napolet said. "We should have gone for two. We took a timeout [to discuss it]."
JFK considered going for the two points, Napolet said, because of injuries to defensive linemen Adam Snyder, Joe Cicchillo and John Swinehart.
"Those are our three ends. We had no ends," Napolet said. "We were playing tackles and linebackers at ends in the second overtime."
Off and running
Playing in their first state semifinal since 1992, when they lost to Liberty Center, the Eagles started fast behind the running of senior Anthony Ambeliotis.
Ambeliotis carried 16 times for 84 yards in the first quarter, 21 times for 99 yards by halftime and finished with 30 carries for 118 yards.
But he was held scoreless, and throughout the second half he was slowed by the Clearcreek defense.
"They did that, so we elected to go outside and throw," Napolet said. "We had some missed blocking assignments and that hurt us big-time."
While Ambeliotis struggled for the same production in the second half, the Aces began picking up yardage with its running game of Raymond Sowers, Nate Saum and Phillips.
"We kept pounding away and pounding away," Clearcreek coach Ron Hinton said. "We were gaining ground and they were softening up."
Missed opportunities
Despite JFK's domination of Clearcreek in the first half, the teams remained scoreless at halftime. Ambeliotis led the Eagles into Clearcreek territory twice, only to be turned away.
"We had it down there and came away with no points," Napolet said. "That doesn't help much."
JFK called Ambeliotis' number often, and it started on the Eagles' first possession, in which they used 16 plays and seven minutes to reach Clearcreek's 17-yard line. But Accordino missed a 34-yard field goal.
JFK didn't let up. After holding Clearcreek on three plays-and-out -- its only possession of the first quarter -- the Eagles' offense went to work again.
It drove 51 yards in 11 plays to Clearcreek's 22, but DiFiore threw incomplete on fourth down.
Kokrak helped to give JFK one of its best opportunities in the fourth quarter. The linebacker blindsided Clearcreek quarterback Sam Davis, forcing a fumble in which junior Julian Strother recovered.
The Eagles then drove to Clearcreek's 20, but DiFiore was sacked on third down and the offense couldn't convert on fourth-and-long.
DiFiore ended his career by completing 11-of-22 passes for 88 yards.
richesson@vindy.com