By BOB ETTINGER

sports@vindy.com

CHARDON

Canfield quarterback Vinny Fiorenza is the first to give credit for his success to the rest of the Cardinals. The rest of the Cardinals might just be giving him credit for their 31-14 victory over Chardon on Friday night at Chardon Memorial Field, however.

Fiorenza accounted for 411 — or 89.9 percent — of the Cardinals’ 457 yards of offense and was a part of three of their touchdowns.

“That was because the offensive line and backs blocked and the receivers caught passes,” Canfield coach Mike Pavlansky said. “(Fiorenza) will be the first to tell you it was a team effort.”

The senior signal caller passed for 211 yards and two scores on 9 of 15 passing and carried the ball 23 times for 200 yards and another touchdown for Canfield (3-0).

“The offensive line kept the pressure off me on the passing plays and in the running game, they opened up the holes,” Fiorenza said. “I just had to run through them and break a few tackles.”

It was Fiorenza’s 49-yard scamper to paydirt that put the Cardinals up, 24-14, with 7:38 to play in the third period.

Chardon (2-1) answered with a drive all the way down to the Canfield 1 late in the quarter, but fumbled. P.J. Hallof recovered at the one and the Cardinals had averted a small disaster with 1:01 to play in the period.

“You’ve got to keep playing until the ball is in the end zone,” Pavlansky said. “The defense kept playing. I think [Chardon] just dropped the ball there and we picked it up.”

The Cardinals punted, but again recovered a fumble, this time it was Anthony D’Alesio who emerged from the pile with the ball for Canfield with 7:47 remaining in the game. More than six minutes later, Nick Crawford punched it in from the three and the Cardinals had sealed the victory.

Fiorenza connected with Matt Zaremski for a 52-yard score and a 7-0 lead with 4:17 to play in the opening quarter. Chardon answered on the ensuing kick, however, as Jon McKnight returned the ball 95 yards for a touchdown, though the kick sailed wide and the Hilltoppers trailed, 7-6.

Fiorenza again hooked up with Zaremski, this time from 22 yards out and the Cardinal again held a seven-point advantage. McKnight, though, ran for 65 yards and a score on Chardon’s next offensive play. A.J. Peterson converted the two-point conversion run and it was knotted up, 14-14, with 41 seconds to play in the first.

Fiorenza and Zaremski connected on four passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns in that opening period.

“We knew it would be tough sledding against [Chardon],” Pavlansky said. “We knew we’d have to be able to mix (the pass) in. Vinny put the ball on the money, he had great protection and and the guys caught passes.”

It remained tied until Fiorenza connected with Paul Breinza on a 42-yard pass to the Chardon 10 with just more than a minute and a half to play in the second. Sam Accordino was good on a 27-yard field goal with 10 seconds to go in the half.

“That was tremendous,” Pavlansky said. “The team that scores in the last 30 seconds of the half has a lot of momentum built up. Fortunately, the defense got a stop and we were able to get those points.”