Howland's strength is all up front

By Tom Williams

Howland’s strength is all up front

The Tigers have six starters on the offensive line back from last year.

HOWLAND — Want to make Howland football coach Dick Angle smile? Ask him about having eight starters return from last year’s record-setting offense.

The heart of the Tigers’ offense can be found up front anchored by senior tight end Tyler Scott (three-year letterman) and senior tackles Craig Stan and Clay Cooper (two letters each).

Also back from last year’s 10-0, Metro Athletic Conference champions are right guard Matt Cash and center Kyle Stan, Craig’s twin brother who returns to his 2006 position after playing right guard in 2007. Mike Zakrajsek will see some time at tight end.

“Any time that you have six starters coming back with two years of experience, it gives you an opportunity for a [strong] starting point,” Angle said. “We kind of take pride at Howland historically to always produce very big, strong linemen.”

No wonder Angle’s smile has been getting a workout this summer. Scott is 6-foot-4 and weighs 230 pounds. Craig Stan is 6-6, 240 while Cooper is 6-4, 260. Cash checks in at 6-2, 260 while Kyle Stan is 6-3, 190.

“We’re really proud of how our kids have become quick and strong besides having the God gift of having size,” Angle said.

They are also armed with motivation.

“We want to do it better than they did before,” Craig Stan said. “Our ultimate goal is a 15th game.

“Fifteen games non-stop — keep it rolling,” Stan said. “Our goal is to do it better than last year’s team. And that’s final, cut, no more words than that.”

Well, almost. Cooper offered a few.

“Last year, 10-0 was great but 15-0 is the best you can do, it’s the best ever, to win a state championship,” Cooper said. “Last year, we were the first team to go undefeated at Howland. To win the state championship for the first time would be even better than that.”

Last year, in the final season of the Metro Athletic Conference, the Tigers swept the slate.

In the playoffs, Howland clobbered Madison, 49-7, before losing to Mayfield, 6-0, in the Division II regional semifinals.

With the merger of the MAC and Trumbull Athletic Conference into the three-tiered All-American Conference, Howland’s schedule has changed. Joining the Tigers in the Red Tier are MAC rivals Canfield, Poland and Niles as well as former independent Beaver Local.

Off Howland’s schedule are smaller MAC rivals as Campbell, Struthers and Salem.

“I don’t like change that much — I was fine with the MAC,” Cooper said. “But going into the All-American league, I will be rarin’ and ready to go. I love challenges. It doesn’t matter who we play — you have to play hard to win.”

Stan doesn’t mind seeing some familiar opponents

“Poland and Canfield are always big games for us,” Stan said. “It means a lot of fans and good competition. Hopefully, it will create balanced competition at all levels.”

For the Tigers, the concerns include replacing nine starters on defense and not playing a home game until Week 5.

“I don’t think anyone in the state of Ohio plays more games away in a row than we do,” said Angle, whose Tigers open tonight at Ashtabula Lakeside. We’re going to have to be road warriors and play well. We’ve been focusing on that all summer.”

On Aug. 30 at 11 a.m., Howland will take part in the Herbstreit Classic when the Tigers take on Pennsylvania’s powerful Woodland Hills at Fawcett Stadium in Canton. Their first league contest will be on Sept. 12 at Canfield.

Angle says the Tigers are unusual because they have almost as many linemen (27) as skill players.

“We’ve got 58 kids on the team and just about half are linemen,” Angle said. “We think we’re very blessed that way.”

Some of the linemen will see action on both sides of the ball. Scott is middle linebacker while Kyle Stan plays some outside linebacker and Cash fills in at defensive tackle.

“Our other tight end, Mike Zakrajsek. is a backup defensive tackle,” Cooper said.

“He’s a utility player,” Craig Stan added.

“He can play anywhere,” Cooper agreed.

Neither tackle is ready to chat about future plans.

“Let’s worry about this season first,” Cooper said.

Both are aware of Howland’s recent tradition of sending players to major college programs, including Doug Datish who played for Ohio State and is now an Atlanta Falcon.

“He goes to my church,” said Stan whose family has detected a connection. His cousin, Warren Harding graduate Rocco Cirone, is a tackle for Michigan State.

“Rocco and Doug Datish were altar boys [at Holy Resurrection Romanian Orthodox Church],” Stan said. “My parents and my family think that altar boys are blessed at my church to go to Big 10 schools. “Unfortunately, I [wasn’t].”

With offers to play for Army and Air Force, Stan’s future appears to be in good hands.

williams@vindy.com