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Canfield season ends in 33-7 defeat

Canfield'S #21 Nick Crawford gets a block from teammate #36 Seth Hull on Kenston's #6 Matt Lklodi while rushing for yardage during 3rd Qt. action...by R. Michael Semple

WARREN — Canfield and Kenston squared off in a game of truth or dare Friday in a Division III Region 9 championship game.

The truth was that the Cardinals, the top seed in the region, were not skilled in passing the football. It also was true that they rarely needed to pass, considering their run game was dominant for much of the season.

So, then came the dare from second-seeded Kenston, which put almost every player it had within a few yards of the line scrimmage, challenging the Cardinals to pass.

The dare won out in this game.

The Bombers dominated on both sides of the ball en route to a 33-7 victory over Canfield. They now play Eastmoor Academy in a state semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday.

Canfield's QB #11 Max Dawson runs to daylight as Kenston defenders #75Mitch Sotera and #20 Anthony Valocchi go for the tackle during 1st half action...by R. Michael Semple

It was the second straight year the Cardinals (11-2) fell in the regional title game, and coach Mike Pavlansky knew why.

“They dared us to throw the football, and that’s our Achilles’ heel right now,” he said. “We probably tried to beat our head against a wall a little too much in the first half (by running the football). We should’ve tried to throw some passes early on, some play-actions. We just didn’t feel like it was there for us, for whatever reason.

“You can sit here and make excuses, but they just beat us up. That’s all. They were better.”

Kenston (12-1) gave up 171 rushing yards on 31 attempts — 134 coming in the second half — but they held Canfield to 29 passing yards on 3-of-7 passing with two interceptions.

On offense, the Bombers boasted a balanced attack, led by junior running back Jack Porter, who ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries. Quarterback Jon Tomcufcik completed 15-of-22 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. A group of tall, athletic receivers made several spectacular catches as well.

Canfield #33 Carter Myers makes a reception over the middle as Kenston's #21 Jacob Engelhart goes for the tackle during 3rd Qt. action at Mollenkopf Stadium...by R. Michael Semple

It all added up to Kenston taking a 17-0 lead and then pulling away when the Cardinals appeared to be gaining some momentum.

“Canfield’s a very good, physical football team, and the one thing that stood out to us when we were breaking down film is they don’t throw the ball,” Kenston coach Jeff Grubich said. “So for us, hey, we’ve got to shut the run down. If we shut the run down, we’re going to be OK. I’ve been doing this for a while, and I’ve been in these big games before, and if you want to win a state title, and you want to keep advancing in the Ohio high school playoffs, you’ve better be able to run the ball, and you better be able to stop the run.”

The few times they didn’t, Canfield started to turn the momentum.

The Bombers led, 10-0, at the half, and after the Cardinals opened the second half with a drive that stalled and ended with a missed field goal from the 20, Kenston drove 80 yards — scoring on a 3-yard run by Porter.

Still, Canfield responded to get back in the game. Mehlyn Clinkscale broke free for a 40-yard run to the Bombers’ 11. He finished off the drive with a 1-yard TD to make the score 17-7 with 32 seconds left in the third quarter. The Cardinals then took a risk and tried an onside kick, but it backfired as Kenston recovered and took over at Canfield’s 47.

Canfield's #4 Mehlyn Clinkscale gets smothered in the backfield by Kenston defenders #15 Dorion Talley, #11 Joseph Staudenbaur and #20 Anthony Valocchi during 1st half action...by R. Michael Semple

While the Cardinals forced a fourth-and-16 from the 28, Tomcufcik heaved up a deep pass, and wide receiver Bransen Stanley made one of several phenomenal catches, leaping over a defender at the goal line and holding on for a TD. That was one of his nine receptions for 154 yards and essentially sealed the victory for the Bombers.

“They always had an extra guy,” said Pavlansky of Kenston’s defense, which brought its safety near the line of scrimmage to help stop Canfield’s running game. “We came in with the gameplan we’ve had for 12 ballgames, and it worked for us. Tonight, they took everything away — everything we tried. We had two sparks, but we just couldn’t get anything going consistently, and that’s due to them. … They dominated us in every phase of the game.”

Canfield still made school history by reaching the regional finals in back-to-back seasons and also earning consecutive 10-win seasons. On the other side, Kenston moves on to the state semifinals for the first time in 23 years. The Bombers have never won a state title, finishing as runners-up in 1986 and 1995.

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