Team

Boardman

Record	Div.	Conf.
6/5	Div. II	All-American Conference Gold Tier

Boardman’s return to playoffs short-lived, but Ignazio has program on rise

By Ryan Buck

sports@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

In their first home playoff game and their first Ohio High School Athletic Association state football tournament appearance since 2011, the Boardman Spartans were soundly defeated by visiting Dresden Tri-Valley 27-2 on Friday night.

The Spartans managed merely 183 yards of offense and the Scotties’ efficient offense marched up and down the field on a Boardman defense that had held opponents to 8 points per game in their final eight regular-season games.

Third-year Boardman coach Joe Ignazio began the Spartans’ rebuilding process with a roster all of 36-deep in 2013. Friday night, despite the outcome, was a milestone.

“I had to go find kids to play football,” said Ignazio, who played at Boardman. “That’s what we did our first two years. We were successful, got our numbers up over 70 that second year and from there we had to develop football players and a winning attitude.

“I’ve played this group of seniors early as sophomores knowing that they were going to be around and it’s paid off for us. [The playoffs are] a place I feel this program belongs and our goal is to stay there.”

Things started ominously Friday night for the Spartans and only got worse. After stuffing the Scotties on fourth-and-1 at their own 10 on the game’s opening drive, Spartans running back Mario Graziani left the game with an ankle injury. Graziani had just ripped off a 17-yard run and was helped to the sideline minutes after starting two-way lineman Wes Thompson hobbled off with an injury. Another senior, Justin Metzel, left with injuries as well.

The Scotties took advantage and exploited their own health.

After quarterback Tyler McGee found receiver Matt Lawler 38 yards down the seam, the Spartans’ defense held and Chase Dinan put the Scotties ahead 3-0 on a 19-yard field goal with 10:13 left in the second quarter.

With Graziani sidelined, the Boardman offense was listless and ineffective. On third-and-12 at the Boardman 27, Boardman starting quarterback J.R. Ryan fumbled as he scrambled for the first-down marker.

Gavin Dill stopped Andrew Newsom for a loss on first down, but Tri-Valley responded with a perfectly executed screen pass for 33 yards from McGee to Colin Slaboden.

Two plays later, Kolten Hanby plunged into the end zone from three yards out and the Scotties led 10-0.

Another Boardman three-and-out preceded another Dinan field goal, this time as the second quarter expired.

The Spartans gained just 45 yards in the first half.

The second half could not have commenced much worse for Boardman. Slaboden picked up a bouncing kickoff at his own 5 and weaved his way to the Boardman 16. Three plays later, Cody Collins fell into the end zone and the Scotties led 20-0 after the extra point.

“We spread the ball around,” said Tri-Valley coach Justin Buttermore. “We’ve done that all year because we don’t have any superstars. We knew, based on film study, that they were very good defensively and we were going to have to mix it up with the run and the pass as you can’t just pound the ball right at them.”

The Scotties began their next drive at their own 3 after Boardman capitalized on two personal foul calls to reverse field position.

No matter. On the third play of the drive, Newsom took a direct snap, raced through a hole to his right, broke two tackles in the secondary and raced 82 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown.

“They’re physical up front and tough in the passing game and with our injuries, we were plugging guys in and they took advantage,” Ignazio said.

Boardman scored their only points on a fourth-quarter safety on a bad long snap. The Spartans finished 6-5.