Howland VS Copley

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Howland VS Copley

Beaver Local Vs. Howland

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2010 Howland 20 - Poland 18

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Howland

Record	Div.	Conf.
6/4	Div. III	All-American Conference Red Tier

By John Bassetti

bassetti@vindy.com

HOWLAND

When people think of Howland offense, they think De’Veon Smith.

Coach Dick Angle isn’t trying to alter that thinking, but there’s someone else in the mix that has been responsible for getting the Tigers (11-0) in the Division II, Region 5 semifinals vs. Mentor Lake Catholic.

Although Smith had 1,669 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns before he sustained an injury in last week’s win over Copley, quarterback Tim Parana has been the triggerman.

“He’s having a heck of a year in an offense that hasn’t thrown the ball much,” Angle said of Parana, who won the starting job in August following the graduation of Matt Preston.

Parana (5-foot-11, 165 pounds) has completed 68 percent of his passes (48 of 71) for 724 yards with just one interception.

That’s just a slice of the team’s offense, but Angle pointed out numbers that a coach can appreciate.

“The important thing is that he get us in the end zone,” Angle said.

“He’s launched our offense in scoring position over 40 times,” Angle said of the most sacred of statistics.

Of the 43 times Howland has scored, four have been passing touchdowns, 12 are field goals and the other 27 TDs are by run.

Included in Parana’s 200 yards rushing are 10 touchdowns, the latest of which was against Copley when he scored on a 4th and 3 from the 10.

“Not only did he get the first down, but he scored,” Angle said of the game’s final TD in a 17-0 win.

“He does a great job changing plays at the line. The kids have a great amount of confidence in him. He’s set the bar very high.”

“He’s a little sneak,” Angle said, referring to four Parana touchdowns on keeper plays. “He has played within our offensive system and he’s a general on the field. He’s very unselfish,” Angle said of the player who threw six varsity passes in 2009 as a junior.

“He won the job in the summer and has gotten better every time he takes a snap. He could be throwing the ball more and have better stats, but he’s all about the team.”

Because the size of Howland linemen dictates run-orientation, the Tigers need an option when opponents put eight or nine defenders in the box.

“He’s going to make plays for us,” Angle said of Parana’s four pass completions for third-down conversions against Copley. “He kept drives going. He has made key throws to put us in spots to win games,” Angle said of crucial plays against Harding, Poland and Canfield.

Tim Parana. It doesn’t sound like a flashy name, but the quarterback of an 11-0 team needs no introduction.