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Another ‘flat-out war’

Girard, Hubbard in rematch during Saturday’s regional title game

Tribune Chronicle file photo / R. Michael Semple Hubbard quarterback Davion Daniels, center, breaks through the Girard defense during this Aug. 31 game for a touchdown in Hubbard.

With so many star players and two of the most high-powered offenses in all of Division IV, one of the biggest keys in a Region 13 final will likely center around players not many have heard much about this year.

The offensive and defensive lines could be the biggest factor in a marquee matchup between Girard and Hubbard at 7 p.m. Saturday at Bo Rein Stadium in Niles.

The third-seeded Eagles (11-1) come in averaging 43.6 points per game, fresh off a 34-16 shellacking of returning state champion Steubenville. The fifth-seeded Indians (11-1) are almost a carbon copy, averaging 46.2 points per game and coming off a similar upset, beating top-seeded Perry, 42-33.

While star dual-threat quarterbacks like Girard’s Mark Waid and Hubbard’s Davion Daniels are guiding these offenses, the running lanes and time to pass wouldn’t be there without powerful offensive lines.

“With all the hype and all the media on the skill kids, this battle is going to be won up in the trenches, without a doubt,” Girard coach Pat Pearson said. “Both units are really, really good and really physical in what they do, and it was flat-out war the first time around. I expect it to be the same this time.”

Tribune Chronicle file photo / R. Michael Semple Girard quarterback Mark Waid is under pressure from the Hubbard defense in this Week 2 game. Girard and Hubbard meet in Saturday’s Division IV, Region 13 final at Niles’ Bo Rein Stadium for a place in the state semifinals.

The “first time” he spoke of was the Indians’ only loss, with Hubbard pulling away late in a back-and-forth battle in Week 2, 48-32.

The Eagles’ line paved the way for 318 rushing yards and four TDs, with Daniels rushing for 255 yards. The Indians rallied from a 21-0 first-quarter deficit to make it 21-20 at halftime, but turnovers, mainly three interceptions from Waid, allowed Hubbard to extend its lead.

The second time around has a lot more on the line.

Neither team has ever reached the state semifinal, and each has been tantalizingly close (Girard losing, 33-32, to Norwayne in 2011, and Hubbard falling, 26-23, to Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in 2014).

Someone will be moving on this time around, that’s for sure. The thought of it is something Hubbard coach Brian Hoffman isn’t allowing his mind to ponder.

“I try not to dwell on that very much,” he said. “You kind of get lost in that type of thing.”

Running backs and linebackers can get lost behind two monster offensive and defensive lines.

They’ve been the unheralded heroes for offenses averaging nearly 500 yards per game. And they’ve been the backbone for two overlooked defenses.

Hubbard pitched four consecutive shutouts from Week 6 to Week 9 of the regular season, held a Steubenville team averaging 36 points to 16 and boasts arguably the best defensive player in the Mahoning Valley in linebacker Lukas Mosora (213 tackles, 31 tackles-for-loss).

Girard is no slouch either. The Indians forced four turnovers in their win over Perry, held eight of 12 opponents to 14 points or less and have four players with 80 tackles or more. Defensive lineman Jack DelGarbino, a heavyweight state wrestling champion, has 110 stops and 28 TFLs.

It’s another lost area for two teams loaded in all phases; teams now facing their biggest challenge — again.

“It’s challenging to defend because they’re versatile in both running and passing, and they spread the field vertically and horizontally,” Hoffman said. “The quarterback is the catalyst. If you got a good guy driving the train, that offense can be very prolific.”

Pearson sees a lot of the same traits in Hubbard, a team that boasts several weapons aside from Daniels, who has completed 75 percent of his passes (83 of 111) for 1,107 yards, 20 TDs and seven interceptions. There’s also Rafael Morales (916 rushing yards, 16 TDs), Jermia Harris (592 yards) and JayQuan Odem (45 receptions, 636 yards, 9 TDs).

“They’re an explosive offense,” Pearson said. “It all starts at the quarterback position. He’s a dual threat guy — he can run it, throw it. He made a lot of big runs on us, and they’ve got athletes all over the place.”

Much has changed since Week 2 for both teams, who square off in the first all-Mahoning Valley regional final since Poland and Cardinal Mooney in 2009.

The Indians and Eagles have grown through pivotal wins and responded to adversity on a number of levels. They’re playing their best football of the season and vying for an unprecedented spot in the state semifinal.

It’s an epic rematch in which the winner enters unchartered territory.

“I’m excited for the Mahoning Valley,” Pearson said after last week’s victory. “It shows the kind of football we have in this area. A lot of teams were putting us, putting Hubbard down, and now we’re the last two left (in Region 13). So, it just goes to show what we got here. It’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere (Saturday).”

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