Hubbard took control in the third quarter and pulled away, 48-27.

By JIM FLICK

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

BROOKFIELD — Hubbard scored early and often, pounding Brookfield 48-27 Friday night in a victory the Eagles hope will earn them a berth in the state playoffs.

In fact, Hubbard scored on its first play from scrimmage. Quarterback Marc Kanetsky tossed a pass to wide receiver Mike Carnahan, who scampered through the Warrior’s defense and scored on a 60-yard touchdown pass.

Hubbard (7-3, 6-1 Trumbull Athletic Conference) entered the game ranked eighth in the OHSAA computer rankings. If the Eagles hang onto that slot, they would qualify for a berth in the state playoffs.

But Brookfield (5-5, 2-5) struck back after Hubbard’s score, driving 72 yards in 14 plays to tie the score when quarterback Devin O’Brien dived in from 1 yard.

Hubbard regained the lead late in the first quarter on another long pass play. This time Andrew Zitnik scored on a 71-yard pass from Kanetsky.

Brookfield once again pulled even, tying the score in the second quarter when junior Matt Palumbo snagged a 2-yard pass from Devin O’Brien. Ironically, Palumbo started the game as Brookfield’s quarterback but shifted to wide receiver after one series.

Hubbard regained the lead in the second quarter when senior Robert Wigfall dashed 5 yards into the end zone. The Eagles held a 21-14 halftime lead.

In the second half, Hubbard boosted its lead when Kanetsky tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to sophomore running back Andre Taylor.

But Hubbard took control of the game as the third quarter drew to a close. Stopped by Brookfield’s defense on a third-down play, the Eagles seemed to line up for a punt. But instead of kicking the ball away, Kanetsky lofted a pass to Wigfall, who caught the ball and weaved through the Warriors stunned defense for a 45-yard touchdown catch.

The touchdown scored off the fake punt boosted Hubbard’s lead to 35-14 after three quarters. Brookfield closed the gap when Mack O’Brien snagged a 16-yard touchdown pass from his brother Devin O’Brien in the fourth quarter, but Hubbard replied by scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Wigfall scored his third touchdown of the night on a 16-yard scamper, and Matt Shelton dashed 10 yards into the end.

Brookfield scored its final touchdown when sophomore quarter Preston Pascale dove one yard into the end zone as time expired.

“I was definitely pleased with the team’s effort tonight,” Hubbard coach Brian Hoffman said. “We struggled in the first half and made some adjustments at halftime.

“I knew Brookfield would be ready to play,” he added. “It was a dogfight until the end of the third quarter.”

Hoffman pointed to the fake punt that resulted in a touchdown as the game’s turning point.

Hoffman pointed out that his team held a losing record at 2-3 at the midpoint in the season but now seems on the verge of a playoff appearance in his first year as Hubbard’s coach.

Brookfield coach Randy Clark said, “We needed all the breaks to go our way to win tonight, but nothing went out way tonight.”