Canfield 140 team named Super Bowl champs

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Neighbors | Submitted.The Canfield Cardinals 12 U team were named Super Bowl champions of the 2013 football season.

The Canfield Cardinals 140 pound 12U football team held off the Austintown Colts 22-20 Oct. 27 to retain its perfect record this season.

Canfield entered the contest as the only team in all divisions of the Youth Athletic Conference undefeated in both regular season and playoff games, a perfect 9-0 which was only made better by the three non conference games won against the area parochial teams and included perennial powerhouses St. Charles, Holy Family and St. Christine’s. At 12-0 overall the Cardinals faced a 7-2 Colt team that they defeated in the second week of the season 30-14.

The Cards started their first defensive series in typical fashion, stopping the Colts on four consecutive plays and then went to work on offense. Nick Crawford attempted to score a 29-yard touchdown on a jet sweep off the left side of the offensive line, but was called out at the two yard line. On the next play, Greg Karas again exposed the Colts defense scoring off the left side of the formation. Crawford punched in the point after touchdown (PAT), making it 8-0 early in the first.

The Colts next series ended when Santino Marucci smashed AJ Winterburn causing him to fumble and the Cards recovered on the Colts 46-yard line. The caused fumble came with a price with Marucci injuring the middle finger of his throwing hand. The Cards drove down to the Colts 10 yard line when Marucci fumbled and the Colts recovered. On the next series the Cards again stopped the Colts cold to end the first quarter.

The Colts went to work in the air with Bryan Ferguson hitting his tight end for a big play that also was flagged for a block in the back after the catch. From 14 yards out, Ferguson hit his receiver for a touchdown but the Colts missed the PAT leaving it 8-6.

After a catch and run by Ethan Fletcher to the Colts 35-yard line, Crawford again scampered to pay dirt off the left side of the Cardinal line behind Anthony D’Alesio and Peyton Kostelic. The Cards PAT fell short for a 14-6 score. On the first play of their drive, Ferguson fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Cards Seth Hull. With less than two minutes in the half, the Cards went to work from the spread formation. After two incompletions the Cards ran a trick play and Crawford caught a direct snap as Marucci went out for a pass. Crawford hit Marucci for a 17-yard completion, taking the Cards to the 19-yard line. As time ran out in the first half Marucci hit Crawford on the Colts one yard line. The halftime score was 14-6.

The Cards stalled on the opening drive of the third quarter and the Colts controlled the ball for the rest of the quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Cards kept the Colts on downs and followed it up with a Fletcher 60-yard run to the Colts 30. The Cards were hindered by an offside penalty, a fumbled snap and a dropped pass before turning the ball back over to the Colts. The Cards seemed to have the Colts stopped on the 15 yard line when a back broke free and scored. Ferguson hit his tight end again for the tying PAT. With the game locked at 14, the Cards had a chance to end the game but time became a factor. For the second time, Marucci was intercepted by a leaping Colt defender who returned it to the Cards 48. The Cards came up big on a third down Hull sack followed by Marucci breaking up a fourth down pass at the Cards 20. Crawford caught a Marucci pass to the Colts 45 before regular play ended.

In overtime, tied at 14 the Colts won the toss and elected to go on defense. The Cardinals Fletcher took the first toss from the 10 and ran to the three, but a holding penalty negated that play. On first and 18, Marucci ran twice to the Colts seven yard line. On third and 7, Marucci and the entire Colts defense rolled right, a flag for defensive interference crossed his path as he watched Kowal beat Winterburn to the corner. Kowal made a spectacular game winning touchdown reception. The Cards decided to place the PAT at the three instead of the one and a half yard line to pin the Colts back on the 20. Crawford beat the entire Colts team to the endzone around the right end to convert and make it 22-14.

The Colts were penalized on first down to make it first and 15, but converted a pass to the Cardinals 10. On the next play, the Colts wing back busted through a gap to score making it 22-20. With only a conversion to force a second overtime the Colts ran the exact same play. This time Hull shook a block and stood the wing back up at the 2, Marucci took him low and wrapped his legs. Bryce Beal and Crawford finished him off denying the Colts the endzone and sealing a YAC Super Bowl Championship.

The Cardinals finished 13-0 and remained perfect.