By Matthew Peaslee

sports@vindy.com

CANFIELD

Dover and Canfield met just two times prior to Friday’s match up. Each has been one to remember and Friday night’s matchup was no different.

Combined, both squads tallied over 800 yards of total offense.

The offensive slugfest finally gave way to the Cardinals, 43-42.

“I’m so proud of our kids and how resilient they were,” Canfield coach Mike Pavlansky said. “Both teams wanted that game and I’m so proud that we buckled down and came out on top.”

With just over three minutes remaining in the contest it looked as if Dover would be the ones on top. The Tornadoes, ahead 42-35 at the time, took their first lead of the game.

An 11-play, 80-yard Cardinal touchdown drive said otherwise and a successful two-point conversion sealed the deal for the Canfield (3-0) victory.

A simple extra point would have likely sent the game to overtime. Afterall, Canfield kicker John Dellick was a perfect 5-for-5 in PAT attempts. Pavlansky took the risky route and it paid off with a punch in from quarterback Jordan Italiano.

“They way they were playing and scoring freely in the second half, and us struggling, there was no doubt we were going for two, ” Pavalansky said.

After scoring 21 points in the first half, the Cardinals were indeed struggling coming out of the locker room. They did, however, score quickly to start the 3rd quarter thanks to a 62-yard touchdown run from Ben Angelo. It was Angelo’s longest run of the night. He also rattled off 58 yard dash, earlier in the game. He finished with 244 yards on 15 attempts.

Dover (2-1) found big plays in the 2nd half with its gun-slinging quarterback, Derik Swinderman. He completed 23 of 51 passes which included three for scores. No bigger play for the Tornadoes came than late in the third quarter. Down 35-28, it took just one play, a 67-yard bomb from Swinderman to Logan Maholm to tie it up.

Dover then took the lead on its next possession after Mason Mammorella recovered an Italiano fumble with 6:25 left in the third.

Pavlansky said that Dover, QB Swinderman, runs the best offense Canfield will see all year. Knowing this coming in to the game, he made a radical move on defense. Joe Tuchek, normally a receiver, played his first game ever at defensive back. Pavalanksy wanted depth in the back and it paid off as Tuchek picked off four passes, a school record.

Tuchek practiced extensively at the new position all week. Now, it’s something he feels he could do more often.

“My job was to be deeper than any receiver,” Tuchek said. “I was covering streaks, so I would line up 9 yards off the ball and I would just take a backspin and get to the ball. I was like the centerfielder out there.”

Tuchek totaled 63 yards on his interception returns.