By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

Hubbard vs Poland

Video

The Hubbard Eagles face the Poland Bulldogs.

Poland

The last Mahoning Valley public school to win a state title faced off Friday night with a team capable of ending that 15-year drought.

And boy, did it look capable.

Led by a pair of running backs you may have read about, Larry Scott and George Hill, the Hubbard High football team scored on eight of its first nine possessions to roll to a 54-28 victory, draining most of the drama away from the “Game of the Year” by the middle of the third quarter.

“We felt like we’d been progressing the first four weeks and I think we played our best football tonight,” said Hubbard coach Brian Hoffman, whose five victories have all been by at least 26 points. “We beat a good football team tonight.

“If we stay healthy and take it one week at a time, there’s a good chance we’ll see them again.”

Scott, a Michigan State recruit, carried 26 times for 287 yards and four touchdowns for the state’s top-ranked team in Division III. He also had an interception, playing arguably the best game of his already storied career.

“We’ve been looking forward to this all year,” Scott said. “We heard they had a countdown clock in their locker room, so this is something we’ve been working hard for all year.

“We’re just trying to stay humble, go back to practice and work harder and get ready for next week.”

Hill, an Ohio State recruit, added 11 carries for 191 yards and two TDs, while quarterback Cameron Ingram was 3 of 4 for 71 yards, including a pretty 50-yard bomb to Isaiah Scott.

Still, a lot of the credit goes to Hubbard’s offensive line of Frank Cimmento, Matt Jones (a West Virginia recruit), Zach Hover, Drew Bencetic and Adam DeMarco along with tight end Tyler Taafe.

“We were just outmanned,” Poland coach Mark Brungard said. “They were a better team in every phase.”

Good enough to win a state title?

“They certainly have the talent,” Brungard said. “If they can stay healthy, and you always need breaks along the way, they’ve got the roster to do it, no question.

“But we’re a long way away from that. We’d like to get our team healthy and get back there and have another crack at them in the playoffs.”

After rolling through their first three games, Hubbard was supposed to be tested the last two weeks by Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (which it beat 49-15) and Poland. It hasn’t happened.

When asked if he’d like to be in a game that’s close in the fourth quarter, Hoffman said, “No, no. I mean, look, you can’t control that. No, to be honest with you, we’ll take it.”

So he’d be OK with winning 15 straight games by 30 points?

“Right, I would take that, sure, no problem,” he said. “But we know it’s not gonna be that way all the time.”

Marlon Ramirez ran 16 times for 76 yards and two TDs and Austin Wilson ran for one touchdown and return a kickoff 90 yards for another to lead Poland (4-1, 0-1 All-American Conference American Division), which was ranked sixth in Division III.

“We’ve got to find a way to win next week,” said Brungard, whose team next plays host to Howland. “I told the guys, ‘Turn the page quick. Take a shower, wash this one off and come back tomorrow ready to go.’”