Hubbard rips Struthers

Shaun Lane rushed for 222 yards in a 20-7 victory.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HUBBARD -- The Hubbard High football team has a message for future opponents: It is no longer one-dimensional.
Shaun Lane, the senior tailback bound for Ohio State, is synonymous with Hubbard football, but now he's not alone.
He has a supporting cast that emerged Friday night in the Eagles' 20-7 victory over Struthers at Hubbard Memorial Stadium.
Lane was dazzling in rushing for 222 yards on 29 carries, but he didn't reach the end zone. He left that to teammates Chris Buccilli (twice) and Tony Giancola.
"In order to be a good football team, you need to be able to move the ball," Hubbard coach Jeff Bayuk said. "In order to be a great football team, you need to be able to do more than one thing.
"I think we took a step tonight in proving that we can do more than one thing," Bayuk said.
Struthers coach Gary Zetts agreed.
"We watched the tapes and we said that they were one-dimensional. If we stop Shaun Lane, we win the game," Zetts said. "[Bayuk] proved they can do more than have Shaun Lane carry the ball."
Hubbard junior quarterback Bryan Boyce was efficient in running the offense, and 6-foot-6 senior receiver Jacoby Morris was a beneficiary, catching three passes for 66 yards.
"It shows other teams we can pass the ball, and hopefully it will help us get farther in the playoffs than past years," Morris said of his contribution. "I had to step up and catch the ball."
The Eagle defense deserved just as much praise as the offense. It thwarted Struthers and senior quarterback Tim Zetts, especially in the second half when the Wildcats had stolen momentum and were mounting a comeback.
Off and running
With Lane rushing for 166 yards in the first half and Hubbard taking a 20-0 lead, it appeared the Eagles were headed for an easy victory.
But Struthers, after impressive victories in the first two weeks, began to contain Lane, who was held to 56 second-half yards.
"The momentum definitely changed in the second half, but our kids hung in there and played great defense that we hang our hat on at Hubbard," Bayuk said.
It was that defense that prevented the Wildcats from moving the ball with any consistency.
"Gilly Demello covered [Struthers receiver] Dave Allen very well," Bayuk said. "We took it personally when they said that nobody could cover Dave Allen one-on-one."
Struthers' last chance came with just over two minutes to play when it drove to Hubbard's 2-yard line. But on fourth-and-goal, Zetts' pass to Brian Walton was batted away by Lane.
Gary Zetts was at a loss for words.
"That's what is very perplexing," the coach said. "At the half and even at the end of the game, we were trying to figure out what could go that wrong. We couldn't establish anything on offense."
Sidelined
Struthers, which lost for the first time in three games, played without senior running back Dan Livesay, who injured his ankle last week against Warren JFK. He warmed up in pregame and determined the ankle wasn't ready.
Hubbard (3-0), meanwhile, begins its Trumbull Athletic Conference schedule next week when it travels to Newton Falls.
"A lot of people questioned us the first game [Holy Name], and Cleveland East last week wasn't that strong of an opponent," Bayuk said.
"We knew tonight that if we could come off the ball and prove ourselves, we might send a message to everybody around," Bayuk said.
richesson@vindy.com