Hood's TD as time expires lifts Chaney past Spartans

By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- When Chaney quarterback Justin Hood builds a head of steam running around end, he is able to beat and overwhelm the defense for valuable yards because of his quickness and speed.
Such was the case against Boardman Friday night when Hood scrambled to his right and then back to his left around end for a 9-yard touchdown dash as time expired, to snap an 18-18 tie and give Chaney a 24-18 win in a high school football game.
Hood's TD run climaxed a six-play, 61-yard drive sparked by his three pass completions to Joe Loto (16 yards), D'Andre Rogers (27) and Andrew Bowell (9), and gave the Cowboys a 2-1 record.
Spartans make comeback
Chaney's last-ditch drive overcame Boardman's 96-yard, 16-play comeback march that tied the game with 51 seconds left at 18-18 on Matt Howells' 10-yard TD pass to Nick Ress, and Howells' conversion pass to Ress.
Boardman (0-3) was able to launch that long and equalizing march after the Spartans' defense rose to the occasion to stop Chaney at the 4-yard line, preventing the Cowboys from taking a two-TD lead line with 5:45 remaining.
"I was trying to scramble to find an open receiver down-field and I saw an opening," said Hood, a 5-8, 170-pound senior who rushed for a game-high 117 yards in 12 carries, and completed 4-for-9 passing for 63 yards.
"There was no receiver open to the right, so I went back to the left and got a couple of blocks and I saw daylight and went for it."
And, "It worked out for the team."
Berdis' strategy
Chaney coach Ron Berdis said there were 7 seconds left when the final play started, and his team had one time-out left.
"We were looking for posture for a field goal [attempt]," but Hood "saw daylight and made a big play. He had the confidence to go for it," said Berdis. "Hood saw an opening and took full advantage. He is really special. He makes things happen."
Berdis said he would have used Dan Balog on the field goal attempt. "He can kick it. We'd give it a shot."
Chaney's defense held Boardman to only 22 net yards rushing in 22 plays, but the Spartans made a game of it with junior quarterback Matt Howells, who completed 17 of 31 passes for 229 yards and two TDs, his other scoring pass going to Mike O'Bruba on a 5-yard toss.
O'Bruba had five catches for 64 yards, but Josh Susany led the Spartan receivers with eight receptions for 98 yards. Tony Tarantino caught two passes for 52 yards.
Brad Beck rushed for 29 yards in 13 attempts for Boardman.
Chaney takes 12-0 lead
Chaney took a 12-7 first-half lead on Mike Hall's 19-yard TD dash in the first quarter and Lamar Sykes' 27-yard jaunt in the second period. The Spartans got their seven points after falling behind 12-0, when Howells hit O'Bruba and John Fahey kicked the placement.
Boardman cut the deficit to 12-10 in the third period on Fahey's 22-yard field goal, but Chris Eskew raced 13 yards to a TD to rebuild Chaney's lead to 18-10 later in the third.
Eskew led Chaney's ground game with 58 yards in six carries, while Sykes added 52 yards in 11 runs and Hall 48 yards in seven attempts. The Cowboys compiled 275 rushing yards in 36 plays.
kovach@vindy.com