Lane sparks Eagles to win

He rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-0 win over Liberty.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Watching Ben Lane run is sort of like watching a bowling ball slowly knocking over pins. He's built like a fire hydrant and he's about as much fun to tackle.
Come to think of it, he's not too much fun to block, either.
"He's a load," said Liberty coach Jeff Whittaker. "Ain't no doubt about that."
Lane ran for 85 yards, two touchdowns, and, in his free time, helped the Hubbard front seven create havoc on defense. He had a lot of help from his friends, too, as the visiting Eagles dropped previously unbeaten Liberty 21-0 in a Trumbull Athletic Conference game on Friday.
"My line does everything for me," Lane said. "They make it easy for me. I just follow their lead."
His teammate, Tony Giancola, did the same, shaking off a first quarter shoulder stinger to run for 106 yards and the game-clinching touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
Both backs ran 19 times. In Hubbard, that's what's known as a balanced offense.
"We take a lot of pride in our offensive line," said Hubbard coach Jeff Bayuk. "It took a while, but we started to wear them down."
Added Whittaker, "They pretty much manhandled us up front."
Costly mistakes
Both teams were hurt by mistakes, but Liberty's hurt more. The Leopards had three turnovers, including two inside the red zone.
The mostly costly turnover came early in the second quarter, when Liberty junior Dania Gilliam rumbled 23 yards to Hubbard's 8, only to have the ball stripped. Eddie Palestro recovered for Hubbard, setting up a 14-play, 92-yard drive, capped by Lane's first TD.
"That hurt," Whittaker said of the fumble. "But good teams have to come back and play hard after that happens.
"Right now, we've got to do a better job in the red zone. We have a tendency to stall when we get there."
Hubbard (4-0, 2-0) had its first score, a 20-yard TD pass from Bryan Boyce to Giancola, wiped out by a holding penalty early in the first quarter. The Eagles also had a 95-yard interception return by Russell Hawkins wiped out by an illegal block in the back.
Both times, they kept their composure.
"We knew this was a big game," said Lane. "We knew we had to stick it out and keep working hard."
Boyce finished 4 of 11 for 74 yards, including two to Hawkins for 41 yards. Sophomore Joel Younkins, who filled in for Giancola, had nine carries for 44 yards.
Good team
"They're just a good football team -- I don't know what else to say," Whittaker said. "I think tonight the best team won and I don't think anybody in this locker room would deny that."
Lane added two batted balls, including one that led to Dan Havalo's fourth-quarter interception. Steve Patterson had a sack and seemed to spend most of the second half in Liberty's backfield.
"I don't know if we'll face another defensive front as good as theirs," Whittaker said. "And they just get off the ball so quickly on offense."
Gilliam led the Leopards (4-1, 0-2) with 14 carries for 54 yards as Hubbard outrushed Liberty 261-97. Boyce was 6 of 14 for 100 yards and two interceptions.
"I've got to assume some responsibility in this loss," Whittaker said. "But I'll tell you, they're good. They're big, talented, strong and well-coached."
scalzo@vindy.com