2023 Game tickets can be pruchased online at HomeTown Fan mobile app or stadium kiosks (Cash tickets NORTH GATE ONLY)

Hoover 21 - Canton Central Catholic 0

October 18, 2013


Hoover shuts down Central Catholic 

Josh Weir, Canton Repository

 

Central Catholic is a high school football team searching for an offensive identity.

The Hoover Vikings know theirs. He was the best player on the field Friday night.

Hoover quarterback Luke Grandjean played in a different gear than Central possessed and the Vikings defense was strong for four quarters in a 28-0 win at Memorial Stadium.

The loss ends the Crusaders’ three-game winning streak and delivers a serious blow to their playoff hopes in Division V, Region 15. They entered the game ninth in their region.

Central (4-4), which lost starting quarterback Jake Boccuti to a blood clot last week, had won its first two games this year against Federal League opponents (Perry and GlenOak). Friday night, they found themselves playing from behind early and never able to seriously threaten the Division I Vikings (3-5).

“I take my hat off to North Canton,” Central head coach Lowell Klinefelter said. “They outhit us. They outplayed us. Grandjean’s a heckuva player. He outran us. He did a lot of things on his own tonight.”

The senior Grandjean accounted for 235 yards of offense. Central totaled 184 as a team and turned it over four times. Hoover outgained the Crusaders by almost 200 yards.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Grandjean ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.

“We wanted our guys to seal the edge and let me get outside, use my speed,” Grandjean said. “Our linemen did their jobs.”

When he wasn’t tucking and running, Grandjean was rolling out and making plays with his arm. He completed 6 of 15 passes for 100 yards, with a couple of his completions converting third-down plays that led to scores.

Led by linebackers Alex Binnie, Clay Haverfield and Jake Jajack, the shutout was Hoover’s first since Week 3 of 2011. Defensive end Ian Baker played a strong game before being carted off with a neck injury early in the second half. According to Hoover head coach Don Hertler Jr., Baker was able to move his arms and legs, and removing him from the field on the cart was a precautionary move.

Hoover picked off as many passes — three — in the first half as Central used quarterbacks. The second of those interceptions, Jake Garfield nabbed on a deflection and returned 50 yards for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead late in the half.

Central used John Colangelo, Jimmy Russell and Nick Boron at QB in place of Boccuti — the Crusaders’ leading rusher and passer. They moved the ball at times but could not sustain anything.

“We tried to get too many things ready here tonight,” Klinefelter said. “We’re really just searching for an offense now.”

Colangelo ran 14 times for 56 yards. Connor Campbell added 42 yards on eight carries.

A Tyler Drabick interception ended a promising Central drive on the opening possession of the game. Grandjean converted a fourth-and-10 with a 13-yard run, then cut up an outside run and sprinted through the Central defense for a 40-yard touchdown.

“Grandjean was more than we could handle,” Klinefelter said.

A quick three-and-out by Central had the ball right back in Grandjean’s hands. He hit Garfield for 33 yards on third-and-16. Later, on fourth-and-1, Grandjean snaked through the line and burst into the open for a 23-yard touchdown run.

“We tried to get on them early because, no matter what, we know Central is going to fight back,” Grandjean said. “It was important to get up on them right away and try to crush their spirits so they wouldn’t hang around with us.”

Up 21-0 at the half, Hoover expanded its lead to 28-0 on the second play of the fourth quarter. Grandjean plowed in for a 2-yard touchdown. Chris Bledsoe’s 44-yard run was the key play on the drive. Bledsoe ran for 91 yards on 11 carries.

“I think our numbers wore them down a little bit,” Hertler said about Central. “But they’ve come back from being down, so the big thing for us was not letting up.” 

Game Notes: 

Hoover kicker Andrew Zalewski besides kicking four extra points, booted three kickoffs into the endzone for touchback. Hoover LB Clay Haverfield had a QB sack for (-6) yards. (2)


Sources:

(1) fridaynightohio.com

(2) Webmaster, hoovervikingsfootball.com