By John Bassetti

sports@vindy.com

Blitz Live | October 21, 2016

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Week 9 from start to finish with Blitz Live hosts Corey Crisan, Greg Gulas, and Sean Ferguson.

Howland vs Canfield

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Photos my Michael Taylor

CANFIELD

Good field position, plus two rushing touchdowns by Tyriq Ellis and extra-point kicks by Luke Brancaccio helped get Howland off the ground toward a 21-0 victory over Canfield for its seventh straight win.

Not only did the victory decide the All-American Conference’s Red Tier title for Howland (7-2, 4-0), but it gave the Tigers a postseason safety net in Division III, Region 9. The Tigers were No. 7 entering Friday Night’s game at Canfield’s Bob Dove Field.

“I think tonight probably solidified us [in the playoffs], which is good because these guys are on a roll,” Howland coach Dominic Menendez said. “I just told them [the players] that we can’t stop now.”

Howland’s Week 10 task will be a tall one as the Tigers face Warren Harding.

“It’s a great cross-town rivalry,” Menendez said of the once-beaten Raiders. “They’ve gotten us the past couple years, so we’re going to put our nose to the grindstone and go to work Saturday morning.”

Menendez said that Friday’s AAC championship game came against a very good football team.

“We were fortunate to get up on them [Canfield] early and sustain the lead and keep that zero on the scoreboard,” Menendez said of Howland’s game plan to get the ball in the hands of Ellis and quarterback/receiver Victor Williams.

“That’s what we do best,” said the coach. “We thought we could punch a couple in on the ground and we were able to do it,” Mendendez said of his backfield as well as center Jack Lambert and blockers Brandon Matlock, Noah Bell, Ryan Jones, Isom Julian and John Andamasaris.

Ellis finished with 134 yards on 30 carries. Jackson Deemer had Howland’s other score on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Ellis said of the seven straight wins that he attributes to the bond developed among the group of guys he’s been playing with the last three years.

As he spoke, Ellis’ hand clutched a sledgehammer that symbolizes the team’s grit and determination. The tool has the acronym P.U.L.S.E. taped on its handle.

Canfield (6-3, 2-1) had a difficult night trying to advance the ball, offensively, but coach Mike Pavlansky had the answer: “They were the better football team,” the 16th-year coach said of Howland. “They beat us in every facet of the game, including coaching.

“We just couldn’t figure out anything, offensively, to do against them to move the football, so credit them. They’re a good football team and well-deserving of being league champs.”

The Cardinals managed 95 yards on 26 rushing plays and quarterback Jake Cummings was 6 of 24 for 96 yards in the air. The 6-foot-2, 183-pound senior also picked up 64 yards with his legs. Early in the second half, Colin Hritz caught a flea-flicker pass from Cummings that covered 49 yards. That helped the Cards reach inside Howland’s 40-yard line, but the home team couldn’t get any closer.

Howland nearly scored a fourth time, but Williams was hit at the goal line and Paul French recovered his fumble for Canfield to deny the Tigers six points. Also early in the third quarter, George Beatty-Marsh recovered a fumble for Howland.