Fast start lifts Fitch past rival

The Falcons have won four straight over Boardman.
By GREG GULAS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BOARDMAN - Taylor Edwards rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns and the Austintown Fitch High offense registered 317 total yards, all on the ground, as the Falcons defeated Boardman, 27-14, in a Federal League game Friday.
Edwards scored on runs of 61 and 41 yards, while teammate J.J. Pankewicz added 100 yards on 21 carries -- he also scored a touchdown -- as the Falcons won the Optimist Trophy for the fourth consecutive year.
"Our strength is our rushing game and that was evident tonight," said Fitch coach Neal Kopp. "We took our lumps early in the season and when we were 2-5, [we] issued a challenge to the team to be the best that they could be over final three games of the season.
"We were a young team this year, starting eight juniors defensively and six underclassmen on offense. We wanted to play well the final three games and win them for our seniors," he added.
The first half was almost picture perfect for the Falcons (5-5, 4-3 FL) and was anything but for the Spartans (1-9, 1-6).
The Falcons took the opening kickoff and marched to the Spartan 38, but the drive stalled when Boardman's Rob Fernback hit Dane Stilgenbauer, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Spartans' Nick Savage.
Boardman couldn't take advantage as quarterback Joe Bako's pass was picked off by the Falcons' Doug Hurdley.
Early lead
Stilgenbauer later scored from 18 yards out, capping a seven-play, 52-yard drive, with 1:11 remaining in the first quarter.
Pankewicz scored on a 2-yard run 47 seconds before the intermission and Derek Brendlinger's kick made it 14-0.
Fitch controlled the ball for all but 4 minutes, 39 seconds in the first half, out-gaining the Spartans 185-23.
"In watching the Falcons on film this week it was evident that their offensive line was arguably the most physical in the league," said Boardman coach D.J. Ogilvie. "They grind it out and do that portion of their game really well."
"It's disappointing to lose, especially when you play your hearts out but every coach that we have faced this year has told us that we are getting better as a team," he added. "We've closed the gap from a season ago, but the off-season will be critical for us if we expect to grow. The next nine months will be really important to this program."
Keeping it close
Edwards' first touchdown of the night, a 61-yard dash, increased the Falcons' lead to 20-0, but Boardman's Armani Johnson scored on a 10-yard run with 17 seconds remaining in the third quarter to make it 20-7.
Edwards answered with a 41-yard scamper with 2:52 remaining to make it 27-7, but Bako found Tony Tarantino from 16 yards out just 29 seconds later to cut the Fitch advantage to 27-14.
Stilgenbauer also had a touchdown and 41 yards rushing for the Falcons, who held a 17-9 first down advantage in the game.
Johnson had 40 yards rushing on nine carries for the Spartans, who managed just 132 total yards of offense.
The outcome evened the all-time series between the schools at 28-28-1.