Taking advantage of
mistakes at the right time
made the difference in
the OT game.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

HOWLAND — At 5-feet-10, 230 pounds, Solomon Jackson sort of resembles a human bowling ball. The Howland High junior fullback threw nothing but strikes Friday night.

Jackson bowled over half of the Poland High defense on a 7-yard touchdown run that gave the Tigers a 20-14 overtime victory over the Bulldogs before a standing room only crowd.

Howland (8-0, 5-0) took over sole possession of first place in the Metro Athletic Conference with two games remaining.

Poland (6-2, 4-1 MAC) fell into a second place tie with Canfield, who the Bulldogs will meet in the season finale.

Jackson scored the winning touchdown, but it was the Howland defense that brought the Tigers back from a 14-7 deficit in the final period and then again in overtime.

“It was just a great football game and exactly what you would expect from the top two teams in the conference,” said Howland coach Dick Angle.

Poland vs Howland

Gallery

“Our defense played exceptionally well in the second half and in overtime and that was the difference,” Angle added.

Poland held a 14-7 lead at halftime, and neither team could do anything in the third quarter.

Howland’s defense made the big break in the fourth quarter as senior defensive back Josh Kostraba stepped in front of a Gannon Hulea pass and picked it off at his own 15-yard line and returned it to the Poland 37.

“That was the big play of the game,” added Angle.After the interception, the Tigers wasted little time as Nathan Cope took the ball on a reverse, turned the corner and galloped 33 yards for the tying touchdown.

The Bulldogs weren’t done yet and came right back driving from their own 30 to the Tigers’ 7-yard line, but on second down from the 7, Trent Vallinger drove through the line and as he reached out for the goal line was hit and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Howland’s Adam Rubesich in the end zone with just 27 seconds remaining.

Poland had the ball first in overtime, but the Tigers stuffed them on three downs and Ryan Gill was wide right with a 35-yard field goal attempt.

Again the Tigers struck quickly when they got the ball as Jackson carried all three times for nine and four yards on the first two downs and then from the seven slammed into the line and just bowled over the Bulldogs into the end zone for the game-winner.

“It was a great game, a fun game and you got to give credit to Howland they came out in the second half and did what they had to do,” said Poland coach Mark Brungard.

“We had our opportunities and didn’t take advantage of them, while they did and they deserved to win,” he added.

The Bulldogs took advantage of the Tigers’ mistakes in the first half, scoring off two Howland turnovers.

First it was Luke Wollet intercepting a Matt Preston pass at the Bulldogs’ 30 and returning it to the Howland 38.

On the first play, Greg Sabol slanted off tackle, cut back to his left and raced 38 yards for the game’s first touchdown.

Howland came right back to tie the game on a 75-yard drive that was capped off by Dante Marsh’s 30-yard touchdown run.

Howland’s second turnover came after the Bulldogs had punted them into a hole at their own 4-yard line.

Cope fumbled on a third down run, and Wollet was there to recover for the Bulldogs, who scored two plays later on a 1-yard run by Tyler Vallinger.

mollica@vindy.com