Overtime field goal enables Poland

to escape Boardman’s upset bid

By BRANDON JUDEH

sports@vindy.com

BOardman

It’s not often a kicker gets to decide the outcome of a high school football game, but Friday night that rare occasion was a reality for Poland’s Bob Devito.

After missing two field goals earlier in the game, Devito nailed a 33-yard kick in overtime to help the Bulldogs escape upset-minded Boardman, 10-7.

“All the guys came up to me on the sideline before the kick and told me to forget about the two kicks I missed earlier in the night,” Devito said. “I had this feeling inside of me and I told myself not to be nervous, just go out there, do it and we were going home winners.”

As soon as the ball left his foot, Devito took off running as his teammates followed close behind.

“I turned and ran, it was just a special feeling that I wouldn’t trade for anything and to have my teammates mob me like that was unbelievable,” Devito said.

Boardman (0-3) squandered an early opportunity as sophomore quarterback Sean Birchfield scrambled 10 yards toward the end zone, but was met by Adam Wollet.

Wollet caused a fumble at the goal line and Poland recovered to keep the game scoreless late in the first quarter.

“I was a little behind on that play, but I was able to chase him down and I got a piece of the ball when he was trying to score and it ended up being a big play,” Wollet said. “Boardman came out and played a physical football game. They did a great job.”

Later in the half a holding penalty brought back a nearly 50-yard run by Boardman’s Mario Graziani and clock mismanagement cost the team points in the final moments of the first half.

“There were some holding calls on big runs that changed the tempo of the game, but overall we are getting better and starting to put some things together,” Boardman coach Joe Ignazio said. “Our guys need to keep their heads up, they did a great job tonight.”

The Spartans defense shut down the Bulldogs (3-0), holding Poland to one first down in the first half.

That came at the 4:19 mark of the second quarter.

The second half saw plenty of chances for both teams, but penalties and mental breakdowns hurt both squads.

The most crucial of those mistakes came late when the Spartans faced fourth-and-inches at midfield.

A lineman jumped before the snap and Boardman was forced to punt.

The Spartans grabbed the lead in the second quarter when Graziani punched it in from a yard out to put Boardman up 7-0.

Poland tied the game at 7 late in the third on a play-action fake that led to a 1-yard pass from Dom Petrony to Gino Centofanti.

Boardman held Poland to 132 yards of offense. Petrony accounted for 78 of them.

Graziani led Boardman with 133 yards on 30 carries.