By Brian Dzenis

bdzenis@vindy.com

AKRON

After three years of falling short of the playoffs, the Howland football team got to see Week 11.

The Tigers didn’t like what they saw in a 37-0 loss to reigning Division III state champion Akron Hoban, but some players appreciated the significance of the moment.

Senior wideout Victor Williams took his time leaving the field, stopping for pictures and hugs.

“It was the best four years of my life, I’m not going to lie,” said Williams, a future Toledo safety. “I was out here with my boys everyday and this was my last time with them.

“It was goal we had for four years and we finally reached. I’m proud of my team, man. I love these guys.”

The Tigers (7-4) finished each of the last two seasons with a winning record, but still missed out on postseason play. Howland opened this year 0-2, but then rattled off a seven-game winning streak.

“We stayed with the family factor. At the end of the day, we just depended on each other and every game was our last game for us,” Howland running back Tyreq Ellis said. “We pushed and pushed and we bonded and gelled like we never did before.”

Williams said he thought Howland had the potential to be a playoff team, even at 0-2.

“We had faith. God had our backs and we kept grinding because we knew we had potential and that we could get here one day,” Williams said.

Despite missing coach Tim Tyrell — an Ursuline and Youngstown State grad — because of an Ohio High School Athletic Association suspension for recruiting violations, the Knights (10-1) still looked like the back-to-back D-III state champs.

It took two plays for Hoban to establish its dominance. Running back Todd Sibley went 77 yards for the first of his three touchdowns. He’d need just seven more carries to reach 150 yards and another score in the first half alone. Knights quarterback Danny Clark also rushed for a score as Hoban scored on four of its five first-half drives.

Howland quarterback Samari Dean took a beating in the opening half. He was sacked three times and threw an interception. One of those sacks caused a fumble that led to Grant Kersh’s 34-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half.

Howland was limited to 64 rushing yards on the night and Dean passed for 75. Ellis rushed for 70 yards in his last game in a Tigers uniform. Williams caught four passes for 44 yards.

“They’re great up front on both sides of the ball,” Howland coach Dominic Menendez said. “Their offensive and defensive lines controlled the game and that’s where we went up front.”

Sibley played on the first drive of the second half, capping it with a short touchdown run. He finished the game with 174 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Hoban’s Kentrell Stovall returned a Dean interception 43 yards for a touchdown to start the fourth quarter, concluding the scoring for the game.

“Talking to our guys all the time, it’s not enough to go to the dance. You have to dance,” Menendez said. “We got caught against the wall tonight against a great football team and the defending state champs.”