Harding, JFK only locals left in playoffs

By Steve Ruman

sports@vindy.com

The city of Warren will carry the banner for the Mahoning Valley in Week 13 of the high school football season.

Warren G. Harding and Warren John F. Kennedy will play for regional championships in their respective divisions.

Harding (11-1) advanced to the Division II, Region 5 title game with a 49-31 win over previously-unbeaten Chardon. The Raiders will now face Hudson (10-2) Friday at Tiger Stadium in Twinsburg.

JFK (11-1) moved on in Division VII, Region 25 thanks to a 16-3 victory over Mogadore. The Eagles will travel to Pat Catan Stadium in Strongsville on Saturday to face Norwalk St. Paul (12-0).

Cardinal Mooney, LaBrae and Springfield were eliminated over the weekend.

Statewide, 56 teams will play into the third week of November. This week’s winners will advance to the state semifinals in their respective divisions.

Harding advanced to a regional final for the first time since 2006 thanks to a seven-touchdown performance by standout quarterback Lynn Bowden. Against the Hilltoppers, Bowden rushed for 368 yards on 25 carries. He had touchdown runs of 7, 31, 15, 1, 72 and 88 yards. He also threw a 63-yard touchdown pass. He completed 8-of-14 passes for 129 yards.

“We played well, every unit played very solid football,” said WGH coach Steve Arnold. “Preparing for Chardon’s style of offense is no small task, and I thought our defense did a good job of handling the pressure.

“What really stood out was that after the game, our kids, they were happy but there wasn’t a lot of celebrating going on. This group wanted to get beyond week twelve, but they have higher expectations.”

Hudson was a 14-7 winner over top-seeded Aurora. Colt Pallay, part of a three-headed quarterback rotation, led the Explorers offense. He completed 13-of-21 passes for 204 yards, throwing for two touchdowns.

The Explorers possess a balanced offense. Through 11 games, they compiled 2,000 yards through the air, and 1,716 yards on the ground. They are averaging 26.1 points per game, while surrendering an average of 17.8 points.

“You can’t concentrate on one particular aspect with Hudson. They are very well-rounded. They can throw, and they have a powerful running game. Extremely well-coached. They won’t beat themselves.”

Hudson suffered losses to Canton McKinley and Trinsburg in the regular season.

Hudson and Harding played one similar opponent this year. Hudson opened its season with a 17-7 home victory over Austintown Fitch. Three weeks later, Harding traveled to Fitch, where they logged a 35-0 win.

Friday marks the first meeting between the Raiders and Explorers.

Kennedy is making a trip to the regional finals for a second straight year. Against Mogadore (which beat the Eagles in the regional title game last year), JFK benefited from touchdowns by Jacob Coates and Ross Nocera. Its defense also recorded a safety, and limited the Wildcats to 111 total yards and five first downs.

“Our kids were really excited to play Mogadore again,” said JFK coach Jeff Bayuk. “They wanted a chance to prove themselves. There was a lot of celebrating going on in the locker room, and it was a jubilant ride home. Now they have their sights set on next week.”

“This group, they amaze me for a lot of different reasons. Each week we have different guys step up and contribute. And our captains have instilled an unselfish, team-first attitude into the entire team.”

St. Paul advanced with a 24-0 win over Monroeville. Just two weeks ago, the two teams met in the regular season, with St. Paul prevailing 14-8.

The Flyers have dominated opponents with a punishing ground attack. They have amassed 3,709 rushing yards through 12 games. Colton Service (1,660 yards, 22 touchdowns) and Derek Gross (1,308 yards, 19 touchdowns) lead the offense. Defensively, they have allowed just 98 points through 12 games, and have recorded five shutouts.

“St. Paul does not make mistakes, they are as fundamentally sound and disciplined as any team you will see,” Bayuk said. “I am extremely impressed with their offensive and defensive lines. They will line up with two tight ends and pound the ball at you, and they are very capable of hitting you with a play-action pass to keep you honest.”

Kennedy and Norwalk St. Paul met one other time in the playoffs. In 2007, the Flyers beat the Eagles 26-7 in a second-round game at Ken Dukes Stadium in Medina.