By Pete Mollica

Howland’s fourth-quarter drive stalled inside Hoban’s 10-yard line.

HOWLAND — Howland High football coach Dick Angle is disappointed his Tigers didn’t get past the first round of the Division II Region 5 playoffs.

“When you get in the playoffs, unless you go all the way you’re going to be disappointed,” he said following the Tigers’ 21-10 loss to Akron Hoban Friday night. “Whether it’s the first round or any round, you’ll be disappointed.”

The Tigers (7-4) couldn’t take advantage of several opportunities, especially a fourth-quarter drive.

Howland trailed 14-10 early in the fourth quarter and drove to the Hoban 9 yard line and had first and goal, but never got any closer. The Tigers then allowed the Knights to drive 91 yards for the game-clinching touchdown with only a minute left.

“We had our opportunities tonight,” Angle said. “Penalties really hurt us tonight, but the kids played hard and they never gave up, just like they’ve done all season long.”

On the Tigers’ drive, they got a false start penalty on first down and then a 5-yard loss on the second down. Instead of being at the 9, they were back on the 19. The Tigers threw three incomplete passes, and even a defensive holding penalty on Hoban that put the ball back at the 9 didn’t help.

“Then on the next series we get called for a face mask penalty that kept their drive going,” Angle said.

Hoban (7-4) was able to move the ball well against the Tigers behind the running of senior tailback Laymon Carter III, who gained 145 yards on 28 carries and scored two touchdowns.

“We knew Howland played very good defense and we felt that we had to be able to run the football against them to be successful,” Hoban coach Ralph Orsini said.

“We let one touchdown get away from us when we dropped the ball in the end zone, but the kids came back with that final drive that pretty much clinched things,” Orsini said.

Hoban took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field, mainly on the ground with Carter and senior quarterback Josh Masters leading the attack.

The Knights drove 64 yards in 10 plays to put the first points on the board as Masters went the final yard for the touchdown.

“They kind of surprised us a little by running inside, we expected them to run outside on us, but we adjusted after that,” Angle said.

Howland came right back and moved to the Knights’ 30 yard line with the big play being a 32-yard pass from Matt Preston to Kyle Spence. But when the drive stalled, the Tigers called on senior kicker Eric Albani, who split the uprights from 48 yards out to get the Tigers on the board.

Hoban got some help from the Tigers on its second scoring drive in the second quarter. On third and 9, the Tigers stuffed Masters, but they were called for a facemask penalty. Two plays later, Carter ripped off a 35-yard run and then finished the drive with a 1-yard scoring plunge.

Howland returned the kickoff 66 yards by Juston Suddeth down to the Knights’ 19 yard line, but again was unable to get anything going. They gave up the ball at the 17.

The Tigers took the short second half kickoff and started at their own 47 before senior Dante Marsh broke loose for a 39-yard touchdown run that pulled the Tigers to within four points, 14-10.

Howland’s only turnover of the game came in the third quarter when the snap from center hit a player’s leg and rolled loose before Greg McMullen recovered at the Tigers 22.

But the Knights missed out when a wide open Rahsheed Moore dropped a Masters pass in the end zone and kicker Zach Christensen had his 39-yard field goal attempt bound off the right upright.

On Hoban’s final touchdown drive, the big play was a 39-yard scamper by Dominic Williams. Carter finished the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run.

mollica@vindy.com