Boardman bounced Euclid, 14-7, as the Spartans ran the ball 59 times for 302 yards.

By TOM WILLIAMS

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

EUCLID — A lopsided prediction by a Cleveland newspaper provided the Boardman High football team with more than enough inspiration to earn a Week 12 playoff game.

“The Plain Dealer made us 45-point underdogs,” senior lineman Mike Sypert said. “We used that to really fuel our fire all week.”

Quarterback Nick Tuminello said the prediction “motivated us all week in practice to prove the Cleveland area wrong, that Youngstown football is back.”

In their first playoff appearance since 2001, the sixth-seeded Spartans shut down Euclid’s potent offense in a 14-7 Division I Region 1 playoff victory Saturday at Euclid High.

“They came in averaging 32 points per game,” Boardman coach D.J. Ogilvie said, “so holding them to seven was a tremendous job.”

Euclid’s offense, powered by rushing quarterback Howard Drake, was limited to 57 yards rushing on 22 tries and 102 through the air.

“We blitzed him the whole game,” Sypert said. “Our defensive coordinator [Mike Popio] came up with a great plan.”

The Spartans dominated up front, helping tailback Damien Jarrett to rush for 157 yards on 22 carries. In all, Boardman ran the ball 59 times for 302 yards.

“Time of possession was something like 32 [minutes] to 16 so our offensive line did a great job of controlling the line of scrimmage,” Ogilvie said.

Tied 7-7, the Spartans opened the third quarter with one of their few mistakes as quarterback Nick Tuminello lost the ball after a snap. But four plays later, the Spartans defenders stopped Drake a yard short of a first down.

Given a second chance, Tuminello and company made the most of it, driving 84 yards on 16 plays. With 3:36 to go in the third quarter, Jarrett scored on a 4-yard run for a 14-7 lead.

“Our defense had that quick four-and out, and that was a big confidence boost for our offense,” said Tuminello who rushed 22 times for 90 yards.

Tuminello said his role was to stay positive.

“Our offense had been doing well all night and it paid off in the end,” Tuminello said.

Late in the first quarter, the Spartans began to assert themselves rushing, marching to the Panthers’ 14, but Phil Curl’s 31-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Luther Jones preserving the scoreless tie.

“They’re so explosive offensively, that not coming away from that with points sort of scared me,” Ogilvie said. “It felt good to know that we could move the football, but when you get inside the 20-yard line you got to score.”

The Spartans found the end zone on their next possession, going 48 yards in 10 plays. Tuminello hit Eric Polen with a 10-yard pass to the Panthers’ 15. Two runs by Tuminello and one by Jarrett set up Jarrett’s 2-yard score for Boardman’s 7-0 lead.

Bailey’s 39-yard kickoff return triggered the Panthers’ only score. That touchdown came when Bailey caught a 21-yard strike from Drake.

After that, Jarrett dominated.

“He’s our-go-to-guy but you can’t run without an offensive line,” Ogilvie said. “They did a fantastic job up front.”

Jarrett agreed.

“My offensive line, the credit goes all to them,” said Jarrett referring to Sypert, Alex Lipinsky, Kevin Mills, Matt Snovak, Corey Linsley and Pat McFall. “We had to play smash-mouth football and our line is so big and strong that we could pound it up the middle.”

williams@vindy.com