Hoover vs Fitch

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Hoover vs Fitch. Friday, October 4, 2008. Photos by Nick Mays.

By Greg Gulas

AUSTINTOWN — A.J. Sarbaugh’s 30-yard field goal in the second overtime lifted the North Canton Hoover High football team to a 45-42, come from behind victory over Fitch Friday in a Federal League game at Falcon Stadium.

Trailing 35-25 with 4:09 remaining, Vikings workhorse Erick Howard caught a 64-yard scoring strike from quarterback Brett Tulodzieski, cutting the Falcons’ margin to 35-32 with 3:43 remaining.

After holding the Falcons on their next series, Tulodzieski then drove the Vikings to the Fitch 4-yard line where Sarbaugh kicked a 21-yard field goal, forcing overtime.

Falcons quarterback Jon Ballard, who completed 19-of-27 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns, connected with Chris Smaldino on the first play of the extra session and with the Sam Mariano placement, the Falcons took a 42-35 advantage.

Howard, who had a game-high 172 yards rushing, then scored from 3 yards out on the Vikings’ fourth play to knot the score at 42.

Hoover couldn’t get past the Falcon 13-yard line in the second overtime and Sarbaugh connected on his third field goal, this one from 30-yards out, giving the Vikings a 45-42 advantage.

On Fitch’s next possession, Ballard found Terry Terrigno for a 9-yard gain to Vikings’ 11 on the first play.

Nick Groat then added runs of 5, 4 and 1 yard, but on his next attempt, as he jumped over the offensive line, his attempt to reach the end zone fell short and the ball fell from his grasp, recovered by the Vikings’ Dom Boyle in the end zone to thwart the Falcons’ rally.

“We played our hearts out. This was one great effort tonight by these kids,” Falcons coach Phil Annarella said. “To say we’re disappointed is an understatement.”

Howard got the scoring started for the Vikings when he penetrated the Falcons defense from 10 yards out at 5:34 of the opening frame for the early 7-0 advantage.

When Fitch’s Sylvestry Gibbs added a 10-yard run of his own and Groat the two-point conversion, the Falcons took an 8-7 lead just 45 seconds later.

Tulodzieski then found Dan Nettleton from 20 yards out and the pitch and catch duo added the conversion as well for a 15-8 Vikings lead at the 8:54 mark of the second period.

Ballard’s 24-yard run then knotted the score at 15-all at 3:03 of the period, but Sarbaugh’s 38-yard field goal put the Vikings back in the lead, 18-15.

With six seconds remaining before intermission, Ballard then found Quinton Pirl from 6 yards away as the Falcons took a 21-18 lead into the locker room.

Fitch increased its lead to 28-18 when Ballard and Terry Terrigno teamed up from 57 yards out, but a 1-yard run by Howard — one of his three rushing touchdowns, cut the Fitch margin to 28-25.

When Groat scored from 37 yards out at 4:09, the Falcons had built their second 10-point cushion.

The Vikings (6-1, 4-0) racked up 478 yards of total offense, including 282 through the air, where Tulodzieski was 19-of-26 with two touchdowns.

The Falcons (3-4, 0-4), who fell for the fourth consecutive week, had 412 total yards offensively, including 191 on the ground.

North Canton Hoover held a 23-20 first down advantage while each team suffered two turnovers; all fumbles.