Canfield rolls over Alliance

Angelo Babbaro scored four touchdowns and rushed for 156 yards in the Cardinals' 37-0 win.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CANFIELD -- Long before the final second ticked off the clock, the much-anticipated Canfield-Alliance football showdown was over.
Essentially, the game ended 36 minutes earlier, after the Cardinals (3-0) scored three first-quarter touchdowns en route to a 37-0 thumping of last year's Metro Athletic Conference champions.
The Aviators, now of the Northeastern Buckeye Conference, failed to contain Cardinals senior tailback Angelo Babbaro, who scored four touchdowns and rushed for 156 yards on 12 carries.
"We came into this thinking it was going to be the hardest game of the year," Babbaro said. "Our line got after them up front and they opened up holes. And we stopped their big-play threats."
Canfield's defense shut down Aviators quarterback Charles Babb and wide receiver Troy Pascley. In the three quarters that Canfield's first-team defense played, Alliance was limited to 8 yards of offense.
"They have an outstanding defense," Alliance coach Ron Kuceyeski said. "The key was the line -- they just handled us on both sides of the ball. And we had just too many breakdowns on defense."
Babb completed 3-of-14 passes for 7 yards.
Confident corners
"They had weapons, but I was confident our corners would shut down their passing game," defensive end Nick Rousher said. "I knew this would be a battle of defense, and ours was the only one who held up."
The Aviators rushed for 42 yards, most of them in the fourth quarter.
"Our defense has played lights out all year long and tonight was no different," Canfield coach Mike Pavlansky said. "To hold the caliber of player of Troy Pascley to zero catches is unbelievable."
The Cardinals rushed for 337 yards on 49 carries.
Babbaro credited center Rousher, guards Ryan Pitzer and Justin Bonanno, tackles Nate Brode and Matt Glove and tight ends Pat Bellish and Chris Ulery for creating space.
"Rousher leads the charge," Pavlansky said. "It's nice to have a three-year starter to calm things down and call the line blocking schemes. It's a nice luxury.
"We expected a four-quarter battle, but once we got running, things went out of control," said Pavlansky, referring to a "blocked punt, a big run by Ange, a big pass to Ange and the one solid drive down the field."
Four minutes into the game, Canfield led 7-0 after Babbaro raced 69 yards down the left sideline.
"That one was the biggest because it set the tone for the rest of the night," Rousher said.
Three minutes later, quarterback Frank Ross hit Babbaro with a pass at midfield and the tailback shed Aviators defender Lance Taylor's grasp for an 83-yard touchdown reception.
Great read
"It was a great read by Frank Ross," Pavlansky said. "And [quarterback Sean] Baker made some [good] plays back there. We're coming along at the skill positions."
A minute later, John Pitzulo blocked Coty Bates' punt at the Alliance 21 to set up Kyle Banna's 4-yard touchdown run for a 21-0 lead.
"Pretty much untouched" was how Pitzulo described his rush. "It felt amazing, right in the hands. And when we scored the touchdown to make it 21-0, it was even better."
Babbaro's 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter padded the lead to 28-0. His 16-yard scoring run capped the second-half opening possession drive.
The Cardinals defense also recorded a safety late in the third quarter.
"We started out last year also at 3-0, but we ended up going 3-3, so we've got to keep up the intensity," Babbaro said.
williams@vindy.com