Steubenville downs Dover for regional title
By STEPHANIE ELVERDArticle Photos
CANTON - No. 2 Dover put up a fight but scored only 14 points on top-seeded Steubenville as Big Red made the Tornadoes look more like an afternoon thunderstorm with a 28-14 victory in the Division III, Region 11 final at Canton Fawcett's Stadium on Friday.
''Our first goal is to get a home playoff game and win our region. If we can do that then we get to go home and re-access our goals,'' Big Red coach Reno Saccoccia said. ''Now we get to re-think things. Hopefully, we can win our next game and go from there.''
Big Red secured a spot in the state semifinals with a 17-play, 84-yard scoring drive that chewed 8 minutes off the clock in the final quarter. Before the long drive, Dover trailed just 20-14 with a quarter left to be played. After it, the Tornadoes were down by scores with just 1:52 left to be played.
''That drive was beautiful. It was probably our best drive of the year,'' Saccoccia said. ''We had some nice drives against Inkster, but that was the best one hands down. That drive was the key to the game.''
Dover coach Dan Ifft agreed. After scoring to pull within a score of Big Red, the Tornadoes held Steubenville. However, Big Red answered by holding the Tornadoes to three-and-out. It was all Big Red after that.
''We had our chances and we gave ourselves a chance. We had stopped them and they punted to us and we were in a good situation but we went three-and-out,'' Ifft said. ''That was big key because when you face an offense like that and you get them stopped once, that's what you're looking for. We were able to do that but stopping them twice was going to be a little more difficult.''
Statistically, the game was lopsided. Big Red finished with 28 first downs, which doubled Dover's 14. The Tornadoes had just 55 yards passing and 58 rushing for 113 total offense yards. Big Red threw for 195 and ran for 179 more for 374 total yards. Big Red also outdid the Tornadoes in time of possession. Steubenville had the ball for 32 minutes to Dover's 15.
Big Red drew first blood with an 11-play, 65-yard scoring drive that came at 6:14 of the opening quarter. Steubenville crossed the goal line when JoJo Pierro ran in from a yard out. The kick after was blocked. That came back to haunt Big Red when Dover's Ricky Maz returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a score and Zachary Rafter split the uprights to give the Tornadoes a 7-6 edge
With 1:22 remaining in the first half, it looked like the 7-6 score would stick, but Big Red made the most of time they had left by driving 60 yards on nine plays in just more than a minute. Dwight Macon capped off the drive with a 2-yard run with 17 ticks on the clock. He also ran in for the two points to give Big Red a 14-7 lead at the half.
The Tornadoes tried to take back the points but Jordon Meyer intercepted Dover QB Marcus Mamarella on the Big Red 3.
''Scoring right before the half was huge,'' Saccoccia. ''It was a beautiful score and we needed it. At one point, we had run 40 plays to their 14, but we we're only up by seven. Getting the lead at the half was key.''
Big Red tacked on seven more points at the start of the second when Shaq Petteway hauled down a 9-yard pass from Macon. The TD connection finished off an 11-play, 54-yard drive at 5:19.
At that point, the Red had 14 first downs while Dover had yet to register one. Dover's first finally came with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. It's second came on the same drive as did its third. A pass interference call on Big Red gave the Tornadoes their fourth-and-half the distance from the goal. At first-and-4 on the 4, a false start pushed Dover back by Mamarella was able to find Ian Murphy in the end zone.
After two quick possessions, Big Red began their game-clinching drive. Seventeen plays later, Macon ran the ball in from 6 yards out. On his way into the end zone the ball was stripped but offensive lineman Jamey DeVaul dove on the loose football. That made it 26-14. Dominic Garay then pulled down the two-point conversion pass from Macon for the 28-14 final.
