TAC Hawkins' haul rescues Eagles

Marc Kanetsky's 67-yard scoring toss to the senior gave Hubbard the edge.
By JIM FLICK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
GIRARD -- A 67-yard touchdown pass with little more than two minutes remaining in the game gave Hubbard High a 31-28 victory over Girard Friday night.
The fourth-quarter touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Marc Kanetsky to senior wide receiver Russell Hawkins that gave Hubbard (6-3, 4-2 Trumbull Athletic Conference) the lead was set up by the strong efforts of senior running back Tony Giancola.
Playing his first full game of the season after recovering from a spinal cord injury, Giancola gained 183 yard on 30 carries and scored two touchdowns.
"It's so good to have him back," Hubbard coach Jeff Bayuk said about Giancola.
Girard (3-7, 2-4) took an early lead. On the second play of the game, senior quarterback Brett Dutton dashed 65 yards for a touchdown.
Most of the Indians' offense revolved around Dutton, who rushed for 128 yards in 18 carries and completing 11 of 18 passes for 227 yards.
"Our kids played their butts off all night," Girard coach Bud McSuley said.
"The kids never gave up. ... It was a tough loss."
Dutton also played a tough game at linebacker, recording several key stops for the Indians.
Before the first quarter ended, Hubbard tied the game on Kanetsky's one-yard touchdown run.
Dutton scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter, one a 2-yard run and a 31-yard pass to senior wide receiver Mark Feist, to give Girard the lead.
Giancola narrowed the lead with a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. At halftime, Girard held at 22-15 lead.
Trading the lead
The teams traded the lead throughout the second half. Hubbard took a third-quarter lead when Giancola caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Kanetsky in the third quarter.
Girard took the lead for the last time in the third quarter, when Feist grabbed a 37-yard touchdown pass from Dutton.
Feist had an impressive night, hauling down six passes from Dutton for 150 yards.
Girard seemed on the verge of putting the game out of reach after Hubbard's center snapped the ball over the head of punter Steve Cinicola.
Girard took over at Hubbard's 43-yard line and seemed headed for the end zone when Dutton gained 14 yards on first down and junior running back Tim Doran followed with an 11-yard gain.
But the drive stalled out near the Hubbard goal line. Girard has a first-and-goal at the Hubbard 9, but was unable to punch the ball into the end zone.
After Hawkins scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown, Girard had one more chance to regain the lead.
After a pass interference call and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave Girard the ball at Hubbard's 12-yard line, the Indians seemed poised to regain the lead.
But on first down, Dutton faded back to pass, was sacked and fumbled. Hubbard recovered at the 22 with 1:10 left in the game.
Junior running back Joel Youngkins gained seven yards to give Hubbard a first down with 35 seconds left in the game. Kanetsky snapped the ball for the final play, fell to his knees and time expired, giving the Eagles the win.
Kanetsky completed nine of 15 passes, gaining 153 yards, and Youngkins gained 25 yards on six carries.
After the game, Bayuk also credited his team's offensive line, saying "they did a damned good job."