TAC Hubbard handles Lakeview for fifth straight win

Tony Giancola scored four touchdowns as the Eagles avenged an overtime loss from a season ago.
By GREG GULAS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
HUBBARD -- Tony Giancola scored four touchdowns, had an interception and rushed for a game-high 89 yards Friday as the Hubbard High football team registered a 40-21 decision over Lakeview in the Trumbull Athletic Conference.
"Our offensive line has been outstanding this year. They just go out and do their job every game and that is exactly what they did tonight," Giancola said. "We were just hoping to put some points on the board tonight. With this win, we're just happy now to have avenged our two losses from last season."
Turnovers costly
Four turnovers proved to be costly for the Bulldogs (3-3, 1-2) as they have now committed 11 miscues over the last eight quarters.
"To have that many turnovers over the past two games is very uncharacteristic of our team," Lakeview coach Tom Pavlansky said. "You just can't turn the ball over like we did tonight and expect to beat a team the caliber of Hubbard.
"We're frustrated, but we'll get through this if we keep working hard and stay focused," Pavlansky added. "We're still a good football team and I was extremely proud of our effort tonight."
Hubbard's Myron Drissen gave the Eagles (5-0, 3-0) their first scoring opportunity as he recovered a Kevin Albert fumble on the third play of the game. Giancola then scored the first of his four touchdowns at the 8:07 mark to give Hubbard a 6-0 lead.
After Drissen sacked Albert for a 9-yard loss on their second series, forcing a Bulldog punt, Eagle quarterback Bryan Boyce then found Giancola with a 19-yard scoring strike as Hubbard forged a 12-0 lead after their first two offensive series of the game.
Compliment
"Tony surprises me every week," Hubbard coach Jeff Bayuk said. "He is without question the most versatile player that I have coached during my time at Hubbard High School."
The Eagles took a 19-0 lead at the 6:24 mark of the second period with Giancola's third touchdown, a 7-yard run.
But right before the half the Bulldogs' Trevor Mathews caught an 81-yard toss from Albert to cut the Eagle lead to 19-7.
"After that scoring pass it was dead silence in our locker room at halftime," Bayuk said. "Our defense takes it personally when they give up points and I like that. In the second half we were able to spread our players out. Our versatility has been tough to defense this year."
Ben Lane scores
A Ben Lane 1-yard scamper and a Giancola 7-yard run increased the Eagle lead to 33-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, but John Rimar's 23-yard run and a Mathews 46-yard scoring catch from Albert cut the Hubbard lead to 33-21 with 8:47 remaining.
Boyce's 10-yard scamper with 4:34 left then iced the game for the Eagles as they avenged a 13-12 overtime loss to the Bulldogs a season ago.
The Eagles racked up 335 yards of total offense, 207 on the ground, while the Bulldogs had 267 total offensive yards, 185 coming through the air.