Published: Sunday, December 3, 2006
JFK finds St. Henry too tough
The Redskins beat the Eagles, 28-7, in the state final.
By TOM WILLIAMS
CANTON — Count Warren JFK Tony Napolet among those impressed by the excellence of the St. Henry football program.
"We didn't block them very well ... and they were a lot better than I thought they were," said Napolet after JFK lost 28-7 Saturday in the Division V state championship game.
Leading the way was Redskins running back Andy Puthoff, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound power runner who finished his varsity career Saturday with 209 yards on 37 carries.
"As far as running backs go, I don't think we've seen anyone bigger," JFK defensive back Anthony Kokal said of Puthoff, who gained 142 yards after halftime.
Beaten on both sides
Puthoff's runs combined with the defensive pressure the Redskins applied to JFK quarterback J.J. Townsend added up to the Eagles' first loss of the season and St. Henry's sixth state title.
"Their front four took our wides away from us, make us not as proficient as we normally are," Napolet said.
"We didn't have time to throw the ball."
Trailing 21-0 late in the third quarter, the Eagles (14-1) scored when Jared Province broke through the St. Henry line for a 12-yard touchdown. Until then, the Redskins (14-1) dominated.
"We were always in a hole for the whole first half," Napolet said. "We were non-existent offensively in the first half."
Townsend, who completed 13-of-31 passes for 108 yards, said, "We knew we were going to have to play both ways — running and passing — but we couldn't get either of them going for a while."
Townsend also rushed 12 times for 23 yards. Province led the Eagles with 39 yards on seven carries.
The Redskins' only loss was to Midwest Athletic Conference rival Coldwater, the Div. IV team that defeated Mooney in the 2005 state final.
In trouble early
The Eagles were in trouble almost immediately. After a three-and-out series, Zack Thobe returned Kokal's punt to the JFK 28. Seven plays later, Puthoff scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 2-yard run.
The Redskins doubled the lead after Thobe intercepted a Townsend pass at midfield.
Ten runs followed, with Puthoff carrying eight times. He capped the drive with a 1-yard run with 9:52 to play before halftime.
"We wanted it to be physical," said Redskins coach Jeff Starkey, a Mount Union College graduate. "Our game plan was to run the football."
The 14-point deficit could have been worse, save for a valiant effort by Eagles defenders to keep St. Henry's powerful offense out of the end zone.
Kokal intercepted quarterback Doug Griesdorn while linebacker Stefan Aulizio stopped Puthoff for a rare loss to end another series.
Midway through the third quarter, the Redskins forced Kokal to punt from inside the JFK 10. Josh Werling's 16-yard return set the Redskins up at the JFK 32.
Griesdorn hit Thobe with a 31-yard touchdown pass for a 21-0 lead.
The Eagles countered with their only scoring drive.
"It was just too late," Townsend said. "They played hard and deserve everything."
The Redskins responded to the Eagles score with seven straight runs by Puthoff for 66 yards, including a 7-yard score.
Shortcoming
"Defensively, we were very concerned about the athleticism that they had on the outside," said Starkey of the Eagles offense. "We talked all week about our defensive line controlling the line of scrimmage to take away the running game and put pressure on their quarterback."
Napolet said it worked.
"You've got to be able to control the lines of scrimmage," said Napolet, now 1-3 in state title games. "Today, unfortunately for us, we didn't do that on either side of the ball.
"They beat us up pretty good up front," Napolet said. "The big back is a nice back. Give him a little soft spot and he's going to hurt you, and he did today. That's been our Achilles' heel so to speak."
Despite the outcome, JFK linebacker Rob Dray says he won't forget his trip to Canton.
"We knew we had a chance to win, but we didn't expect them to be overpowering," Dray said.
"It was great, something I'll remember for the rest of my life. It was fun."
For a gallery of photos from the game, click here
williams@vindy.com
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