Crestview ousts

LaBrae with

ground assault

By Ryan Buck

sports@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

Thanks to a dominating, clock-controlling running game, a smothering defensive effort and advantageous turnovers, Crestview soundly defeated LaBrae, 27-7 Friday night at Spartan Stadium at Boardman High School.

The Rebels (10-2) advance to meet Canton Central Catholic in a Ohio High School Athletic Association Division V regional final next weekend.

“We played with intensity through all four quarters,” said Crestview running back Zach Hicks, who rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns. “We have full trust in each other. We trust that everyone is going to do their job and tonight they did.”

The Rebels struck first in the opening quarter when they capitalized on the game’s first turnover. LaBrae return man Tariq Drake looked to return a Hicks punt from the LaBrae 15, but stumbled as he was hit by the coverage team and the football slipped free.

Drake appeared to be down, but the play was ruled a fumble after a lengthy discussion by the officials and the Rebels regained possession at the LaBrae 20.

Spencer DeSalvo called his own number for five yards and Hicks carried four straight times afterwards, walking into the end zone on second down and goal from the 3 yard line. After the extra point, the Rebels led 7-0 with :25 left in the first quarter.

Behind mammoth left tackles Jarred Jones and Jacob Scheller, the Crestview running game gradually picked up steam.

“Our linemen did a really good job of getting bodies on bodies and opening up gaps,” said Hicks, who now holds the Crestview single-season touchdown record with 33.

The Rebels’ defense was also sound, limiting the Vikings until some second-quarter trickery.

With standout back Keevon Harris held in check, the Vikings needed a spark. It came in the form of 5-foot-7, 165-pound back Arjay Oliver.

The two teams traded punts following Crestview’s first score. After Drake fumbled another punt, but recovered at the 33, the Vikings fed him the ball once again on first-and-10.

Harris moved to his left and handed the ball to Oliver, who was cutting back across the field. Oliver raced down the right sideline, dove for the pylon and earned the touchdown signal from the nearest official.

Isaiah Carmichael’s extra point tied the game at 7 with 9:07 left in the second quarter.

“[LaBrae]’s got some guys who can make some big plays and fortunately we only gave up the one big play,” said Crestview coach Paul Cusick. “We were very sound after that. We’re not going to get frustrated or flustered.”

Two Crestview drives later, Cusick and his staff inserted 6-foot-1, 190-pound running back Tyler Stratton to complement Hicks’ quickness. The move paid off immediately as Stratton carried 6 times for 65 yards on a methodical 13-play, 91-yard touchdown drive which took 4:16 off the second-quarter clock. Hicks capped the drive with a 3-yard plunge on third-and-goal and Crestview grabbed a 14-7 lead it never relinquished.

On the first drive of the second half, Stratton and Hicks once again alternated carries, wearing down an outmanned LaBrae defense which was slowly getting overwhelmed by Jones and Scheller.

Stratton converted a fourth down at the LaBrae 40-yard line with a 7-yard run. Hicks broke around the right end and scored on the next play to increase the lead to 14 points with 9:07 left in the third.

DeSalvo never threw the ball in the second half as there was no need, considering his running game and a 25-mph crosswind that made any pass attempt risky at best.

“We couldn’t throw the ball today,” said Cusick. “The wind was just awful. We came in wanting to be as balanced as possible, but when the wind starts kicking up, we said, ‘The heck with it.’ We knew we were going to run it.”

Their defense, meanwhile, limited anything Harris, Drake and LaBrae quarterback Carlton Brown wanted to do.

The Vikings first first down of the second half came with 4:00 left in the third quarter and their only meaningful possession that led to the Crestview side of the field came via two pass interference penalties.

A last-gasp drive began with 7:24 remaining in the game at their own 25. Another reverse attempt had the opposite effect as Harris and Oliver ran into each other and Crestview recovered at the LaBrae 16. DeSalvo scored five plays later to provide the final margin of victory.

“[Crestview] had a good game plan,” said LaBrae coach John Armeni, whose season concluded with a 9-3 record. “Obviously they kept us at bay.

“A lot of times you saw our guys break one or two tackles, but then they have more guys trailing and pursuing.”