Howland beats JFK 34-14; playoffs await both teams

By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HOWLAND -- The high school football season has only begun.
That had to be the prevailing theme Friday as Howland and Warren John F. Kennedy renewed their fierce Mahoning Valley rivalry.
Although Howland dominated the Eagles for a 34-14 win at Lombardo Stadium, there is something greater, something on a higher stage, that awaits both teams: the playoffs, where dreams of a state title live inside every player.
11th week
Reminded that his team will play next week in the Division V playoffs, JFK coach Tony Napolet, whose team was ranked second in the Region 17 computer ratings, showed relief.
"Thank God for that," he said. "We have another week of football, and we can make up for what we didn't have tonight."
Howland (9-1), the top-rated team in Division II, Region 5, will play its first home playoff game next weekend.
"We're so proud to play a home playoff game for the first time in school history," Howland coach Dick Angle said. "We've gotten better every week. We got better today."
The Tigers can only hope their first-round postseason game will have as much flash as Friday's regular-season finale.
And a lot of that flash came from an unflashy player -- junior quarterback Brad Lockney.
"He doesn't get a lot of credit because he's not a big, flashy player," Angle said. "But before the game, I told Brad that his job is to get us into the end zone. He does it very well."
Touchdown savvy
Lockney ran for two touchdowns and passed for another as the state-ranked Tigers gave an impressive display in winning their ninth straight game.
"I just do what I have to do," Lockney said. "I try to do the little things to get the team going."
The quarterback scored on first-half runs of 1 and 4 yards, but the latter may have provided the biggest blow for JFK.
Howland gained possession at JFK's 13-yard line late in the half on an interception by senior safety Rob Wyand.
On fourth-and-1 from the 4, senior fullback Mike Tominey fumbled, but the ball bounced into Lockney's hands, and the quarterback ran for the touchdown, giving Howland a 21-7 halftime lead.
"I was just at the right place at the right time," said Lockney, who completed 5-of-7 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. "That was big. It gave us huge momentum. Everybody's spirits were up."
Napolet cited his team's mistakes for its downfall.
"That was very big in this football game," Napolet said of the interception and ensuing Howland touchdown before the half.
"They get the short field, that's one thing," he added. "Then they fumble the ball, and their guy picks it up and takes it in, instead of us maybe falling on it and going in down 14-7."
Lockney capped off his night of big plays by tossing a 41-yard touchdown pass to senior Josh Settlemire with 7 minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter, which put the Tigers ahead 27-7.
Breaking free
JFK's defense contained Howland senior running back Tony Davis, a Penn State recruit, for much of the game. In the end, however, Davis had his way.
Late in the fourth quarter, Davis took a handoff from Lockney and outran the JFK defense to the right corner of the end zone, finishing off the Eagles with a 58-yard touchdown run.
"Once he gets around that corner, he's hard to catch," said Angle, praising the blocking of Settlemire on Davis' runs.
Davis finished with 158 yards on 22 carries, but he wasn't the only Howland runner churning out yards. Tominey, the fullback, sprinted 58 yards on his first carry of the game and finished with 105 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown.
Injuries mount
The victory was costly for Howland. Trying to mend other injuries, the Tigers lost starting senior linebackers Mike Zambelli and Jon Tomko to first-half ankle injuries. They were to be evaluated Friday night.
Junior Nick Lyons and sophomore Lance Smith helped to fill the void.
"The rest of our team rallied around the situation," Angle said. "I think that's what good football teams do."
JFK (8-2) scored on its first possession of the game -- on a 3-yard run by Anthony Ambeliotis, who had 61 yards on 13 carries -- before Howland rallied. The Eagles also scored on a 24-yard pass from Jack Henderson to Adam Rossi.
richesson@vindy.com