Green 24 - Hoover 20
September 11, 2026
Mike Popovich, Canton Repository
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NORTH CANTON — Green’s Talon Dodd is young, but by no means does he look green on a high school football field.
The freshman’s presence was clearly felt in the final minutes of the Bulldogs’ Federal League opener at Hoover on Sept. 11.
Dodd helped Green slam the door on a 24-20 win over the Vikings at Memorial Stadium. His 55-yard catch-and-run on third-and-long helped the Bulldogs’ run out the clock and improve to 3-1.
Let’s give you an idea of how Dodd can beat you. He had just two catches against Hoover. They totaled 126 yards.
Dodd is the only freshman on Green’s roster. There were some early growing pains. Now opponents are going to have to deal with him as a go-to threat for a while.
“Summer workouts, I was kind of struggling a little bit,” Dodd said. “I found my footing and was able to contribute a lot to this team.”
The Bulldogs made something out of what could have been nothing on the two passes from Chase Herbert to Dodd.
The first one came on the final play of the first quarter. With the Bulldogs at their own 2-yard line, Herbert faced pressure in the end zone, scrambled and connected with Dodd for a 71-yard gain.
The second one helped hold off a gutsy comeback by Hoover, which trailed 21-0 at one point. On third-and 12 from the Green 18, Dodd caught a pass from Herbert at the first down marker and turned it into a 55-yard completion.
“We were just looking to get the first down,” Dodd said. “He threw it to me, and I knew I had to get the ball and make a play.”
Dodd made the catch and run on a play where he wasn’t initially the No. 1 option.
“He wasn’t even the main read on that play,” Herbert said. “It went bad, I had to sprint out and I saw him open. He had space, I trusted him and gave him the ball.”
The two completions from Herbert to Dodd resulted from a perfect formula: Herbert’s ability to scramble out of trouble, the offensive line giving him time to find the open man and Dodd finishing off a huge gain.
“The scramble drill, we practice it every week and we did a good job of doing it,” Green head coach Mark Geis said. “Talon got open, and Chase found him.”
Herbert finished 14-of-19 for 325 yards and a touchdown. Aiden Rice caught the TD on a 19-yard completion. Rice was able to roll over a Hoover tackler, stay on his feet and score.
Rice’s touchdown in the third quarter gave Green what looked like a comfortable 21-0 lead. Hoover wasn’t through.
Two Nolan Bonner touchdown runs cut Hoover’s deficit to 21-14. The second one was set up by Vikings defensive back JT Gregory.
Two field goals from Hoover’s Joey Riedinger sandwiched around a field goal from Green’s Logan Noirot kept Hoover within four. The one stop the Vikings needed wasn’t made thanks to Herbert and Dodd.
“We’re very young,” Geis said. “We have a lot of guys who are growing up as they play, and for them to respond after that fumble looked like was going to turn the tide … I can’t say enough how proud I am of the way they bounced back.”
Bonner rushed for a game-high 117 yards for Hoover (2-2).
Rice had four catches for 93 yards for Green, which also received a TD run from Kam Worner.
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Source: Canton Repository