The Spartans regrouped in the second half to overrun Fitch, 25-0, for a 7-3 mark.

By TOM WILLIAMS

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

BOARDMAN — A cold shower never felt so good to Boardman High football coach D.J. Ogilvie.

Senior running back Tyler Amendola celebrated the Spartans’ first playoff appearance in six years by dousing their fourth-year coach with the water from a sideline cooler.

“That surprised the [heck] out of me,” Ogilvie said after Boardman’s 25-0 win Friday over Fitch that secured a Division I playoff berth for the Spartans.

“Amendola set me up really well.”

So did the Spartans offensive line, which came out of the locker room after halftime and pushed Falcons all over the place.

“The second half we took it to them and that [was a sign] of all the hard work we did in the weight room the last three years,” said Ogilvie, crediting left tackle Alex Lipinsky, left guard Mike Sypert, center Kevin Mills, right guard Matt Snovak, right tackle Corey Linsley and tight end Pat McFall.

Their effort enabled junior tailback Damien Jarrett to rush for 97 yards in the third quarter and score two touchdowns as Boardman (7-3, (5-2 Federal league) turned a scoreless tie into a rout.

Jarrett’s third touchdown plus two safeties in the fourth quarter ended Fitch’s season at 1-9 (0-7 FL) and has the Spartans looking ahead.

“He’s our go-to back ever since Tyler hurt his knee,” Ogilvie said. “He’s stepped up and done a fantastic job.”

The win and playoff berth kept varsity careers alive for seniors Mills and Sypert.

“Everybody always dreams about their senior year being great and making the playoffs,” Mills said. “For u s, it’s a dream come true. I don’t care if we’re playing here or anywhere else, Boardman is coming. Boardman is back.”

Looking ahead to Week 11, Sypert said it’s meaningful to the seniors “because a lot of our brothers played on that [2001] team. And we’ve always heard it from them.”

They heard some other things at intermission. Ogilvie credited the Falcons for stifling the Spartans’ ground game in the first half.

“Our jet sweep has been averaging over 10 yards a play, and they did a great job shutting it down,” Ogilvie said. “So we chose to run it up the middle — power football.”

The adjustment worked as the Spartans powered ahead for 234 yards in the second half.

“I coach the offensive line. At halftime, I said it’s on us,” Ogilvie said. “They responded in a great way.”

Sypert, who sacked Falcons quarterback Jon Ballard in the end zone in the fourth quarter, said the Spartans weren’t looking ahead.

“We knew they’d come to play [hard] — Boardman and Austintown Fitch is a great rivalry,” Sypert said. “We just came out from halftime and said we have to stick with what we do best — pound it.”

Sypert admitted there was concern after being shut out for two quarters.

“But our defense was playing great and except for a few mistakes, we would have had some big plays,” Sypert said.

It took the Spartans just seven plays in the third quarter to march 65 yards, with Jarrett scoring from 12 yards out.

Ten plays after Nick Demarinis intercepted Falcons quarterback Joe Reedy at midfield, Jarrett scored from the 1.

Meanwhile, the Spartans defense continued to contain the Falcons’ offense, limiting Fitch to 7 yards on 12 carries. On the night, the Falcons rushed 26 times for 16 yards.

Jarrett led the Spartans with 167 yards on 22 carries.

“He’s such an incredible athlete, with the ability to make things happen when there’s not much happening,” Sypert said. “He makes people miss.”

williams@vindy.com