Fitch gets a rush out of start

About 10 minutes after Austintown Fitch put the finishing touches on its 22-0 dismantling of Canton McKinley Friday night, Dane Stilgenbauer stood around the 15-yard line and made an astonishing admission.
"I'm kinda nervous," he said to teammate Brian Mellott.
"Radio interview," asked Mellott.
"Yep," answered Stilgenbauer.
That was probably the only time the junior fullback, and for that matter the entire Falcon team, sensed any nerves all night.
Granted, Fitch finished the 2003 season and prepared for this one expecting to be one of the contenders for the Federal League championship in its first season.
But, as the wins have stacked up, the Falcons are playing with the kind of confidence that teams have with serious designs on post-season success.
(Disclaimer: Yes, there still are five weeks remaining in the regular season and Fitch hasn't clinched anything yet. We're not going to predict that the Falcons will finish unbeaten, advance to the playoffs and compete for a state title. But on the other hand ... )
Offense succeedswith simple approach
Here's why -- with all the emphasis in today's game on wide open offensive sets and throwing the ball in all directions, the Falcons have adopted the following approach: We're going to run it. Try and stop us.
So far, no one has, not with much regularity, anyway.
In five weeks, Fitch has rushed for 1,819 yards, an average of just under 364 yards per game.
By contrast, the Falcons have thrown for 113 yards -- total. Quarterback John Mang has more points scored -- 18 -- than passes attempted -- 16.
Senior Mike Eliseo is the leading individual ground gainer, with 559 yards. Stilgenbauer is next with 372 yards, and he's scored six touchdowns.
Three other rushers, including Mang, have at least 190 yards on the ground. Each of the top five rushers, with the exception of Mang, is averaging at least 61/2 yards per attempt.
That kind of balance is the product of a well-executed stacked-I formation which the Falcons run to perfection.
Offensive lineleads the way
There's a lot of misdirection, true, but the brunt of the attack is a straight-ahead game behind an offensive line that averages somewhere between 250 and 1,000 pounds (or so it seems, at least to a defensive front that's getting pushed around for 48 minutes).
There's seniors Brian Mellot (6-foot-4, 265) and J.R. Miller (6-1, 240), juniors Joe Stryffler (6-2, 225) and Mark McGlynn (6-2, 240), senior tight ends Frank Cardon (6-3, 220) and Mike Craig (6-1, 205) and up-back Stas Cherney (6-3, 226), also a senior.
Lost in all the offensive power is a defense that, with the exception of two plays, has tossed a shutout for the entire season.
Friday night, the Falcons limited McKinley's top runner, Ryan Brinson, to 2.3 yards per carry. (Brinson, it should be noted, is within 200 yards of becoming McKinley's all-time leading rusher.)
In five games, opponents have gained 283 yards rushing -- about 80 less than the Falcons' per game average -- and are averaging just about 31/2 yards per play.
Second halfschedule is tough
Which means, in the few opportunities Fitch allows its opponents to possess the ball not much is being done with it.
"Teams going up against our defense know they're going to have play mistake-free," said Coach Neal Kopp, who is 11-4 in his second season.
"The thing we have done a great job of this season is staying patient, doing the fundamentals and when the opportunity has arose we've put teams away."
That philosophy is going to be put to the test in the second half of the season, which can be described in two words: Meat. Grinder.
Fitch plays host to Massillon Jackson and Uniontown Lake, both 4-1, with a trip to always-dangerous North Canton Hoover (1-4) sandwiched in between. Then there's a trip to Canton GlenOak, also 4-1, before the regular-season finale at home against Boardman.
If the Falcons get through all of that and come out 10-0, they will have earned every accolade and rightly can be considered one of the favorites for the state title.
XRob Todor is sports editor of The Vindicator. Write to him at todor@vindy.com.