Fitch optimistic despite 28-7 loss

The Falcons avoided a shutout with a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AUSTINTOWN -- Fitch High football coach Neal Kopp sees a potential silver lining in the Falcons' dark cloud of defeat, 28-7, at the hands of speedy and big-play Canton McKinley Friday at Falcon Stadium.
"We are a better team after playing a team like that squad," Kopp said. "A team has to play great football to beat them.
"That's as fast a team as Cleveland Glenville was last year," said Kopp, who is hoping his Falcons will be able to do the same thing that McKinley did last year after losing at home to Fitch.
"We beat them 22-0 last year there, and they had a 2-3 record after we beat them, and they went on to win nine games in a row before losing the state championship game to Cincinnati Collerain," Kopp said. "They have a 14-1 record since losing to us last year."
Morgan Williams, a strong and swift-moving junior running back, helped McKinley to stay undefeated by rushing for 222 yards in 16 carries, including a pair of touchdowns covering 80 and 20 yards.
Bulldogs now 5-0
The Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 Federal League) struck for a 14-0 lead in the first period and added seven points each in the third and fourth quarters before Fitch finally got on the board.
Williams, who was able to break would-be tacklers for extra yardage, got off to a strong start with 154 yards rushing in 11 carries in the first half.
He was complemented throughout the game by several other offensive threats. Junior quarterback Dan Grimsley fired a 58-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver Joe Morgan, while senior defensive back Brian Williams picked up a Fitch fumble and raced 31 yards to the end zone to account for all of Canton's TDs.
Zach Campbell was 4-for-4 in extra-point kicks.
Grimsley completed 5-of-10 passes for 110 yards.
Fitch averts shutout
Fitch averted a shutout when senior running back Dane Stilgenbauer plowed one yard to a TD early in the fourth period to cap a 75-yard, six-play march.
Senior running back Taylor Edwards led the Falcons' ground attack with 94 yards rushing in 23 carries, while Stilgenbauer added 79 yards in 21 hauls.
McKinley coach Brian Cross said his defense was able to handle Fitch's offensive line this year.
"Their offensive line comes off the ball, and I didn't know if we could handle them. They did a good job of blocking last year, and we couldn't stop them," Cross said. "We stopped them on offense."
Cross said Morgan Williams has both speed and strength that helped him break Fitch tacklers.
"People don't realize how strong [Williams] is. He breaks tackles. He has speed and vision, but he is a lot stronger than you think," said Cross. "He can run the 40 in 4.5 seconds. He can pick them up and lay them down."
Kopp said Fitch didn't do a good job of tackling.
"We didn't do a good job of wrapping our tackles," Kopp said.
Offense bounced back
But he said his offense bounced back to move the ball in the second half because of better blocking.
"We were sustaining our blocks better and staying on them. There were four of five plays that could have made the difference in our offense," said Kopp.
McKinley compiled 364 total yards in 36 plays, including 254 yards rushing in 26 attempts and 11 first downs.
Fitch had 214 total yards in 56 plays, including 183 yards rushing in 51 attempts, and 10 first downs.
Senior quarterback Matt Ruble was 2-for-4 passing for 24 yards for the Falcons before being injured late in the third quarter toward the end of Fitch's scoring drive. Replacement Xavier Godoy was able to finish directing the scoring march and was 1-for-1 passing for 7 yards.
The Grimsley to Morgan TD pass came on the second play of the game, and the Bulldogs also scored the next time they got the ball on the second play when Williams raced 80 yards to his first score.
Then on the first offensive series of the second half with Fitch at its 26, McKinley's Brian Williams scooped up a fumble at the Falcons' 31 and went the distance.
Two offensive series later, Fitch mounted its long scoring drive to cut the deficit to 21-7.
However, Canton then struck back with a 70-yard, six-play scoring drive capped by Morgan Williams' 20-yard scoring dash.
kovach@vindy.com