Matt Jones, Hubbard ready for another shot at SV-SM

By Kevin Connelly

kconnelly@vindy.com

HUBBARD

Hubbard High School senior lineman Matt Jones isn’t going to give Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School the satisfaction of ending his junior season.

That unfortunate distinction goes to his teammate, Tyler Taafe.

It happened just before the end of the first half in last year’s Division III regional final at Gilcrest Field in Ravenna. Hubbard was fighting to stay in the game with the high-powered Irish, when a freak football accident occurred.

“I was going in for a tackle and I slid off [the ball carrier] and Tyler Taafe came in to clean it up,” Jones recalled Wednesday before a team practice.

“He hit me in the back of the head and knocked me out.

“I felt fine after, but it’s not a way to end your season.”

According to Hubbard’s athletic trainer, Kate Frank, Jones lost conciseness and had a momentary blackout which was reason enough for the team physicians to diagnose him with a concussion.

“I’m still pretty mad about it, because it knocked me out of the game and if I was still in things would’ve been different,” Jones said. “It was real difficult — real, real difficult [watching from the sideline].

“I was prepared for that game, I was ready to go, but it’s not going to happen this year.”

The Eagles (12-0) better hope he’s right, because they’re going to need his size and strength in Friday’s regional final rematch with SV-SM.

It will be the third time in as many seasons Hubbard has faced the Irish in the postseason. Their hope is it won’t be the third time they’ve been eliminated by the defending back-to-back state champions.

This year, the Irish (10-2) don’t boast as impressive a resume as they have the past two seasons — they went undefeated in 2013 and lost to Cardinal Mooney and Massillon on their way to a title in 2012.

But that doesn’t mean the talent still isn’t there.

“Defensively, they’re pretty strong with their front seven and they have some guys in the secondary that can lock you down man-to-man,” said Hubbard coach Brian Hoffman. “Offensively, again, I think the strength of their team is their quarterback and running back position and they can stretch the field vertically with their receiving corps.”

Hoffman has, presumably, lost countless hours of sleep through the years trying to come up with a game plan to beat the Irish. So far, he’s been unsuccessful.

This year may be his best chance.

The Eagles sit atop the Division III state poll and have for most of the season. They also have at least four players committed to Division I schools for football.

Running backs Larry Scott (Michigan State) and George Hill (Ohio State) are the focal points of the Eagles’ offense, with Jones (West Virginia) clearing space up front. Taafe (Toledo) has been steady at his linebacker position.

With a mostly healthy roster, aside from a few guys “nicked up,” Hubbard will be ready to give the reigning champs its best shot Friday night on the blue turf in Ravenna.

It’s a shot Jones has been waiting for all season.

“Yeah, it’s unfinished business,” the senior said. “Still pretty mad about last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.”