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Indians on warpath: Girard stuffs JFK, 28-6
September 11 Tribute
Video
On the 8 th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks Girard High School football announcer Mark Zuppo offers these comments during a pregame ceremony at Arrowhead Stadium in Girard, OH.
Gallery
Senior QB Adam Charles threw for 231 yards and a TD to lead the victory.
By JOE SCALZO
Vindicator sports staff
GIRARD — Jumbo shrimp. Deafening silence. Sweet sorrow.
Girard ball-control offense.
Anyone who has seen the Indians play over the last decade knows that phrase can be called a contradiction in terms, so when Girard ran the I-formation on eight straight plays in Friday’s third quarter, you couldn’t help but wonder whether Indians offensive coordinator Nick Cochran had fallen ill at halftime.
“No, we were just trying to pound the ball,” said senior quarterback Adam Charles, who is usually in the shotgun running Girard’s spread offense. “We’ve practiced it for awhile.
“Everybody has to have the I-formation in there somewhere.”
The strategy worked, as the Indians eventually wore down Warren JFK, scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 28-6 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
The game lacked the teams’ usual fireworks — who can forget Girard’s 64-62 win over JFK in 2004? — but it showed off the Indians’ balance (and defense) and gave them their second straight win in the series.
“Generally [when we play JFK] it’s up and down the field,” said Indians coach Bud McSuley, now in his 13th year. “Since I’ve been here, this is the largest margin of victory we’ve had in this game.
“They’re a good football team and a great program. Our kids came to play tonight and we took care of our turf.”
Charles, who missed last year’s game with a knee injury he suffered in the preseason, completed 14 of 22 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown for Girard (3-0). His main targets were senior Dominic Morgan (four catches, 107 yards) and junior Landon Smith (seven catches, 99 yards and a TD).
Charles also rushed eight times for 59 yards and scored a TD, while senior Tallen Birmingham added 117 yards on 24 carries and a TD.
Although it was a one-point game through three quarters, Girard’s line was winning the battle up front. Charles sensed it was just a matter of time before the Indians pulled away.
“I think we were shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties,” said Charles, whose team was penalized 11 times for 77 yards. “It just came down to heart. We found our hearts in the second half and just started to push the ball down the field.”
Naturally, he credited his line for that.
“Our offensive line does a tremendous job every game,” he said. “They give me time to pass, they give our running backs holes and they dig deep when they need to.”
Senior Anthony Angelo completed 15 of 22 passes for 174 yards for JFK (1-2), but had three interceptions as the Eagles were forced to pass early and often. Sophomore RB James Coates, the team’s best runner, suffered a game-ending shoulder injury in the first quarter and the Eagles finished with just 43 yards (24 of them Coates’) on 22 carries.
“I know that [the injury] hurt them, but our defense was unbelievable,” said McSuley. “We had two breakdowns in pass coverages that led to the TD but other than that, we shut down a pretty darn good football team tonight.”
Smith had two interceptions — the last one helping to put the game away. After scoring on a 7-yard touchdown reception with 9:51 left in the fourth quarter to make it 14-6, he picked off an Angelo pass on JFK’s next offensive play, giving the Indians a first down at the Eagles’ 36.
Four plays later, Charles plunged through the line for a TD, all but ending the suspense.
“There’s only one word to describe Landon Smith: amazing,” said Charles.
After watching last year’s game from the sidelines, Charles seemed to be soaking up every minute of Friday’s contest.
“Yeah definitely,” he said. “Last year was hard. It’d be hard for anyone who doesn’t play.
“To come back as a senior and be able to play, especially with our great fans and a brand-new stadium, it feels awesome.”
scalzo@vindy.com