By John bassetti

sports@vindy.com

Poland

All Poland coach Mark Brungard asks is that his players go 1-0 each week.

Now, halfway through the season, they’ve complied and, using simple addition, that’s 5-0 after Friday’s 35-10 win over Canfield.

Quarterback Jacob Wolfe was 14 of 17 for 171 yards and four touchdown passes, including two to George Chammas.

“It feels really good to be halfway through the season and to be 5-0, but it hasn’t come without working hard,” Wolfe said.

The quarterback also gained 40 yards on four carries, all in the first half.

“I thought Jake played his best half this season, by far, especially because his decision-making kept drives going. Not only did he spread it around, but he had some critical conversions with his feet,” Brungard said of the first half, when the Bulldogs took a 35-0 lead.

A suitable target was Chammas, who, once he reached the end zone, turned and reached to beat his defender.

“George can make a lot of plays,” Wolfe said of Chammas using his 6-2, 200-pound frame.

“We knew they had smaller players on the outside, so we took advantage of that and it came out good for us,” said Chammas, who had six catches for 53 yards.

“Our running game was a little down, but we took what we could [through the air] and made gains.”

Chammas said he felt the game was his best.

“I felt I had a lot of confidence coming into this game, but it still takes a lot of work to bring it together,” he said.

Brungard likes the addition of a player like Chammas.

“Every week, you take what the defense gives you and, for having him just one year, he does a great job,” Brungard said. “He’s been a basketball player for three years, but, now, in football, he’s showing his athleticism and that’s a target for Jake.”

Not only did Poland use its receivers, including John Markota and Tyler Evan and their TD receptions, but the Bulldogs moved the chains by ground with Ross Gould gaining 48 yards in the first half and Austin Wilson adding a 16-yard touchdown run followed by Bob Devito’s extra-point kick to put Poland up, 14-0.

Wolfe didn’t short change the other side of the ball, either.

“The defense was out there hitting and making plays,” Wolfe said.

Poland limited Canfield to Bryan Kristan’s 33-yard field goal and Luke Whittenberger’s 2-yard run.

Evan’s touchdown catch was one of four receptions and the 6-2 senior also had a fumble recovery.

“I got hit pretty hard and knocked down, but then I saw the ball and just stuck my hand out and found the fumble,” Evan said of the recovery while playing free safety. It came at Canfield’s 27-yard line and set up Markota’s TD catch.

Brungard said that Canfield’s defensive front wasn’t giving Poland much room to run, so Wolfe went to to the air.

The series is believed to be 38-24-3 in Poland’s favor.