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The Chardon Hilltoppers take the field at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon led by QB Andy Fetchik, far right, who threw for 249 yards and ran for 87 yards with three total touchdowns. Chardon has played in three state championships in Massillon (1994, 1998 and 2020) and has won twice, making it the only football team in Geauga County with two state championships. Chardon finished the season 12-0, outscoring opponents 507-109.
Bringing the Championship Home By Matt Jaworski As the busses looped around Chardon Square late Saturday night, more than 200 fans were waiting to welcome their state champions home after a 31-28 win over Columbus St. FrancisDeSales. It was a chance to celebrate like it was 1994, when the Toppers claimed the school’s first football championship. Passing local businesses, the fire station, the library and the historic courthouse en route to the high school, this year’s football team had turned Topper Town into Title Town. For the coaches and players, it was the end of an amazing,
perfect journey. Trailing by two touchdowns midway through the fourth quarter, it appeared the Stallions were in control. DeSales had the momentum, and the big breaks had gone to them. A magnificent kickoff return by Blake Barker just before halftime was wiped off the scoreboard due to a holding call. At halftime, Chardon trailed by seven points. Later in the game, offensive coordinator Don Navatsyk attempted to exercise a demon from the 1998 state title game by calling the hook and ladder play. Head coach Mitch Hewitt instructed Navatsyk to install the play into the game plans mid-
week and, with just under eight minutes to play, it appeared the play had worked to cut the deficit in half in a fourth-and-goal situation from the DeSales 14. Fetchik took the snap and threw it to Brady Toth, who then flipped it backwards to Even Ash for the touchdown. When they practiced the play, Fetchik admitted they initially had trouble running it, but he knew DeSales would not be expecting it. After all, at that point in the game, only Chardon fans could appreciate the irony of using the play that cost them the 1998 state title. However, with the Chardon fans in attendance going nuts, officials decided to use video
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replay to review the play and ultimately ruled Toth’s knee was down on the 4 yard line before he pitched the ball to Ash. The reverse pulled a crucial touchdown off the scoreboard and took away the Toppers’ momentum. Up to that point in the game, Quintell Quinn, the star running back for DeSales, who accepted a scholarship offer from Ohio University, had ran through and around Chardon’s defense. When Quinn was not running with the ball, quarterback Whit Hobgood was having success throwing the ball to Jordan Johnson. See Champs • Page 4
Sports Editor: Jamie A. Ward Contributors: Matt Jaworski, Mason Cole, Rich Kelly Photographers: Bill Fugate, Torrey McNeal, Sandy Ward Layout: Pamela J. Molnar Ad Design: Karen Kaplan Sales: Clinton Sestak Editor: John Karlovec Publisher: Jeff Karlovec
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DeSales had a chance to put the game out of reach. Stallions head coach Ryan Wiggins even admitted they had Chardon right where they wanted them, albeit with the ball on their own 4, following the review reversal. But Chardon’s defense stepped up when it mattered the most and forced a three-out. From that point, Chardon was the dominant team. Trailing by two scores, only a team with the heart, desire and play of a champion could mount a comeback against a team like DeSales. Based on the first three and a half quarters, Chardon should not have won the game, but they did. Football is a four-quarter game, and against a perennial powerhouse like DeSales, the Hilltoppers earned a place in Chardon lore as one of the greatest teams in school history. They played tough, physical football for four quarters and two overtimes. They kept their emotions in check, remained focused and stayed level-headed. Make no mistake about it, this team earned all the accolades. They proved themselves champions. Granted, some stars have to align in order for a team to be crowned the best, but that is universally true no matter the sport and the level. With the exception of Nathaniel Sulka missing the Tiffin Columbia game with a separated shoulder, the Hilltoppers avoided major injuries all season long. They also stayed away from COVID-19. Not one of the Toppers players or coaches contracted COVID-19 or was forced to miss a game due to contact tracing. This team, which displayed
a business-like demeanor all season long, had one goal, and they accomplished it in the most breathtaking fashion imaginable. Following a dominating regular season win on the road at Riverside and a home win against Mayfield, Chardon looked like state title contenders. Running-clock wins at home throughout the playoffs, including a 38-6 win over Canfield, revealed this team had the potential to end the school’s 26-year title drought. “I wish I had more words,” Hewitt said. “This is special group.” Their determination to be the best was on display in the offseason, when the police called Hewitt one summer morning at 6 a.m., telling him 25 of his players were practicing at a park when all Ohioans were supposed to be at home due to state health directives. They wanted to get better. “We are always pushing each other,” said Nick Fay. “All the 6 a.m.’s, all the workouts, that’s why we had the outcome we had tonight.”
SANDY WARD/KMG
Mitch Hewitt and Athletic Director Doug Snyder, right, hug after Chardon beats Columbian to advance to the Div. III state championship.
Starting the fourth quarter, it appeared the physical Chardon team was not going wear down the Stallions like they had all of their other opponents. However, as the quarter progressed, the players wearing
purple began to show signs of fatigue. It was evident in the closing minutes of the game and in overtime that the punishing, physical play of the Hilltoppers was See Game • Page 6
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from page 4 paying off. Perhaps all those running clock games early on in the season, when the starters only played one half or three quarters, had helped to keep them fresh this late in the season. A senior laden team, this group of leaders showed up each day to practice, ready to battle and in shape to finish the game. Their work ethic is testament to the players, their parents and the coaching staff. The players wanted to be coached; they listened and learned. And their parents offered all the support necessary to ensure their Hilltoppers could be the best. Considering all that has happened this year, the Toppers coaching staff did a remarkable job. “They don’t get enough credit,” said Hewitt of his staff. “They deserve all the praise and credit in the world.” Last year, Hewitt and his coaches turned around an earlystruggling team into an Elite Eight one. This year, they upped their game and took the team from being in the top eight to being the best in the state. Coaches and players alike spoke about the special bond, the brotherhood, they had this season.
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Nathan Taggert looks on as his 33-yard field goal sails through the uprights in the second overtime in the Hilltoppers 31-28 win over Columbus St. Francis DeSales. Taggert converted all 66 of his PAT attempts this season, and the junior expects to make an impact next year as Chardon’s kicker.
Make no mistake, such a bond goes a long way in creating a state champion. “They’re my best friends in the world and I love them all to death,” Fetchik said about his fellow seniors. “I think we’re so special because of how tight we are,” said Nick Fay. “Since our freshman year, I think we’ve only lost one or two kids from this team. We have a special bond.” The addition of guys who did not play football the last few years was key as well. Blake Barker and Matt Kloski proved to be the missing playmakers needed to make a championship run. Perhaps the only downside of the season was the fact most Chardon fans could not see the
team in person due to COVID-19 ticket sales restrictions. Despite fewer fans in the stands for most of the season, this team played for the entire community. “It’s about heart, and we had a community behind us who is crazy about us,” said Pettyjohn. The move of the championship game from the Columbus area to Paul Brown Massillon Tiger Stadium, due to COVID-19, allowed for more Chardon fans to watch their team in person than at any point of the season. Prior to the game, several fans pointed out the 1994 state championship game was played at this same historic venue and hoped the evening would end the exact same way. As Evan Ash tied the game
with just over two minutes left, maybe those same fans even thought back to Eric Ash, who scored two touchdowns in the 1994 title game, and who was in attendance Saturday as Evan’s proud dad. Regardless of their knowledge of Topper football history, the large Hilltopper fan contingent was loud and turned the neutral site into a home game, providing the players an extra boost of energy. As the Stallion field goal went wide to end the game, players and fans were indeed able to celebrate in a way similar to 1994. After all, what better way is there to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Wing-T offense in Chardon than with a state title?
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WEEK 1: NORTH 7 - CHARDON 42
Home Hilltoppers Start in Style By Mason Cole The Chardon Hilltoppers left their home opener celebrating a 42-7 victory over the Eastlake North Rangers. The stands of Chardon Memorial Field were not able to be at full capacity due to the coronavirus, and those who were in attendance were soaked from rain by the end of the game. But many were pleased simply by the fact they were able to be at a high school football game enjoying the atmosphere of the Friday night lights. One person who was especially happy with how the night unfolded was Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt. “It’s so special,” Hewitt said, “despite the fact that we didn’t have our crazies here, the band just adds so much excitement to a Friday night, and the lights, and despite the (poor) weather, these kids couldn’t be happier.” Chardon came into the game with a certain level of confidence already in their minds after a victorious scrimmage over Mentor a week prior. But the Hilltoppers coaching staff was careful when handling their team’s confidence levels. “Last week, the tune-up against Mentor gave us a little bit of confidence; sometimes it can give you too much confidence,” Hewitt said, talking about the importance of starting strong. Chardon wasted little time putting points on the scoreboard. Senior running back James Pettyjohn scored the game’s first touchdown, giving Chardon a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter, and junior running back Sean Carr scored another
TORREY MCNEAL/KMG
James Pettyjohn had 179 yards rushing and three touchdowns as the Hilltoppers Wing-T offense did what it does best: led the team to a 42-7 with almost 500 yards on the ground.
touchdown on the ground late in the first quarter to extend his team’s lead to 14-0. Chardon’s victory did not come without adversity. North Senior Chris Molica scored his team’s first touchdown on a 78yard run play to make the score 21-7 with 5:52 left in the third quarter. Then, on the ensuing possession, Chardon’s offense was driving down the field towards the end zone before committing a fumble which the defense of North would ultimately recover. But the Hilltoppers were
able to overcome that adversity. Chardon scored three more touchdowns on the night, giving itself a comfortable 42-7 lead as the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard. Chardon football is now 1-0 to start the 2020 season. One of the Hilltoppers’ keys to victory, and a theme that the team will need to pursue in the coming weeks, is resiliency. “This is a group that’s trained for uncertainty and they’re resilient,” Hewitt said, “and they’ve overcome so much to even be at this point. There
are teams in the past that I would be nervous about. This is not one of those teams.” So far they’ve fought through the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus, they fought through the rainy and windy weather of this night, and they were able to start their season with a strong victory. This is only the beginning of what will hopefully be a long season for the Hilltoppers. But as coach Hewitt alluded too, no matter what happens, his team will be resilient.
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WEEK 2: SOUTH 0 - CHARDON 50
Hilltoppers Happy to Play in 50-0 Statement to South
By Jamie Ward
Chardon extended its winning streak over WilloughbySouth to six straight, a remarkable feat given South’s larger size and former dominance. The Hilltoppers took the week’s distractions and used them as motivation. The first day of school during the coronavirus outbreak. A school district divided on board policy. And a large gathering on Chardon Square due to a student’s flying of a flag. “It was a long week,” head coach Mitch Hewitt said. All that is to say, Chardon just wanted to play football. And in their eagerness to get back on the field, they hardly let South play at all, punishing the Rebels 50-0 in the most dominant defense performance Chardon may have had under Hewitt, starting his 10th season leading the team. “It was a very very ugly first half for our offense,” Hewitt said. Chardon led just 7-0 at halftime. “The second half is a totally different story, so I’m extremely proud of our kids. I was more shocked by our sluggishness in the first half, but it was a long week.” South had -71 yards rushing in the game, only seven yards passing, and almost 40 yards in penalties. It also had just three total first downs under two sophomore quarterbacks. “That defense is vicious,” Hewitt said. “There’s no other word to describe it. I was standing over here on the sideline when the play came out of bounds, and I was scared. And I
BILL FUGATE/KMG
Brady Toth’s interception in the third quarter turned into a Pick-6 that helped Chardon put away Willoughby-South 50-0 at Memorial Field. The Hilltoppers defense held South to -64 total offensive yards in the one-sided performance.
don’t even have to worry about getting hit. And I used to play a little bit.” Chardon returns dominant starters in the secondary, linebacking core and, in particular, the defensive line, where Chardon’s athleticism put the Hilltoppers in the backfield play after play. Senior Vince Ferrante is one of those defensive leaders as the middle linebacker. “Hard-nosed football right there,” Ferrante said of the team’s first-half grind and getting over 75 penalty yards itself. “I’m trying to have the biggest leadership, motivate everyone,” Ferrante said. “If we’re down, it’s next play, next play. Everyone rallied together. “Going out there, we all rally to the ball. If one person misses or grabs a leg, we’ve got three
or four guys coming in and just smacking them.” “The speed that they have, and the violence that they play with, is exactly what you want to see with a championship caliber defense,” Hewitt said. Chardon’s offense, led by senior QB Drew Fetchik, found its place in the second half, running for 189 yards and throwing for 61 passing yards. Fetchik ran for 59 yards, threw for 61, and found James Pettyjohn for the offense’s biggest touchdown, a 39-yard strike. Charlie Brosch added a 45yard rushing touchdown to cap off the night. There were plenty of things to take Chardon’s focus away from football before the game, and Hewitt addressed that afterward.
“I’m just grateful that the game took place,” Hewitt said. “These young men got to play a game that they didn’t know they were going to be able to play at all this year because of the uncertainty. The band got to perform, cheerleaders got to cheer, and parents got a chance to see their kids do what kids should be doing. “And yet the irony of all of this is that it doesn’t happen without our law enforcement. So this game doesn’t take place without those folks, and the beauty of what they do is, no matter the criticism, whenever you call, they show up. And that’s what they did tonight. And we’re grateful for that as a community. Because no school, unfortunately, has had the relationship with first responders like Chardon has.”
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WEEK 3: CHARDON 37 - KENSTON 6
Hilltoppers Roll Again in 3-0 Start By Jamie Ward Chardon continues to start slow and then dominate the second half. It happened again in Week 3 as Chardon rolled to a 37-6 win against rival Kenston. Chardon had 309 yards rushing, including a breakout performance by senior RB James Pettyjohn, whose 133 rushing yards and three touchdowns broke down a young Bombers defense. “He’s a freak,” said Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt. “He’s a dude. He’s a fun kid. He reminds me of Joe Connick a little bit. He’s a likeable kid, and I’m glad he’s on our team.” “First half was a little rough,” Pettyjohn said. “Coming out we knew Kenston was going to be a tough team. We just have to get a little better. I can’t do it without the front lineman. Credit to them.” It’s been a strange season for all seniors across Northeast Ohio, with the threat of the coronavirus threatening all sports. But Pettyjohn loves being at Chardon to go through it. “I love being here,” he said. “I’m giving back. This is how I give back.”
TORREY MCNEAL/KMG
James Pettyjohn broke out in Week 3 against Kenston with 133 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Chardon is now 3-0 heading into Riverside after the 37-6 win against the Bombers.
Pettyjohn said the Chardon defense is the best in the state of Ohio. But it was the Bombers that scored first on a defensive touchdown when Braden Krupp scooped up a fumble and went 39 yards for the score. “It’s frustrating,” said Hewitt. “We can’t afford the way we have the last two weeks. We had a bad snap, and these are self inflicted. It’s not because
they are creating it. We are doing it ourselves.” Chardon’s defense was again stole the show, allowing no offensive points, and holding Kenston to 161 yards and seven first downs. “They’ve pitched essentially three shutouts,” Hewitt said. “Our defense is good.” With seniors like Myles Mendeszoon, who is 6-4, 210 pounds, if Chardon keeps up
the defense they should expect to play multiple playoff games come October. “We have a lot of seniors, and we’ve connected really well,” Mendeszoon said. “It’s something we special we have here.” Mendeszoon communication is key on defense. “Everyone loves working together — just like a family, I guess you could call it,” he said.
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WEEK 4: CHARDON 35 - RIVERSIDE 7
Toppers Deliver Victory on Coach’s Birthday By Matt Jaworski The Chardon Hilltoppers gave head coach Mitch Hewitt a great birthday present by defeating conference rival Riverside, 35-7. On Hewitt’s 40th birthday, the Topper defense recorded three interceptions en route to another dominating performance. “We dropped two (interceptions), but three is pretty good,” said Hewitt. The turnovers made it a long night for Riverside (3-1), who had some success passing the ball but struggled to run it. Stopping the run has been the mark of the Topper defense this year. “We have the best linebackers in the state of Ohio,” Hewitt said. “Our front seven, collectively, is really tough, and we have such range in the secondary.” The lone Beaver score came well after the starters were enjoying the remaining minutes from the sideline. Both teams entered the game undefeated, with their defenses displaying impressive showings in their previous three games. However, the Beavers defense struggled against Chardon’s Wing-T offense. The Hilltoppers (4-0) took a 7-0 lead into the locker room at halftime thanks to a two-yard touchdown run by James Pettyjohn. It appeared the Beavers would answer the score just before halftime, but Chardon’s defense buckled down once Riverside entered the red zone. Instead of potentially tying the game, Riverside settled for
BILL FUGATE/KMG
In his 10th season as varsity head coach, Mitch Hewitt has returned the Hilltoppers program to perennial success. A 1999 graduate, Mitch was runner up for Mr. Ohio as the state’s best football player his senior year. Hewitt’s record is 80-27 as head coach.
a field goal attempt. The field goal was wide, and the Beavers lost all momentum. “We need to be in that position more often because the (playoff) region came out and our region’s loaded,” Hewitt said. “They didn’t do us any favors as far as that goes, and we need to get used to being in that position.” Despite the stand at the end of the first half, Hewitt was not happy with all the mistakes his team made, but had strong praise for his quarterback. “This first half was disappointing,” he said. “We’re turning the ball over and we’ll that fixed, but Drew (Fetchik) really showed up tonight. I got after him a little bit tonight, which I haven’t done in a while, and he responded. He grew up tonight.” Like they have all season,
the Toppers simply bludgeoned their opponent in the third quarter. To start the third, Fetchik hit Blake Barker, in the game as a running back, on a screen pass. Barker took the pass 69-yards for a touchdown, and the Toppers were in control. Hewitt admitted Chardon needs to Barker the ball more often. “We have to start giving Blake more touches,” Hewitt. “His speed is unbelievable.” On their ensuring possession, the Hilltoppers increased the lead to 21-0 when Pettyjohn punched it in from four yards outs. Chardon capped off their 21-point third quarter with a 12yard touchdown run by Fetchik. Not to be outdone by the offense, the defense also made its
mark in the third quarter. Trey Liebhardt and Nathaniel Sulka each recorded interceptions. The fourth quarter began with another defensive highlight when Brady Toth picked off Riverside quarterback Dom Lulow. “I read the quarterback’s eyes, dropped back and looked, and saw a guy wide open,” Toth said. “I don’t know why he was wide open, but I ran across the field and got there in time and picked it off.” After the Toth pick, fullback Sean Carr found pay dirt with a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 35-0 and start the running clock. For Chardon, it was the fourth straight game with a running clock. The victory puts the Hilltoppers in the driver’s seat to claim the conference title.
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WEEK 5: MAYFIELD 14 - CHARDON 35
Toppers Take Conference Crown With Win Over Mayfield By Matt Jaworski As the Hilltoppers gathered on their side of the field to listen to their coaches address them following a 35-14 win over Mayfield, Chardon Offensive Coordinator Don Navatsyk told the team to smile, after all, they had just won the Western Reserve Conference title. A brief cheer went up among the players, as many finally smiled and allowed the moment sink in. However one thing is clear with this group, the Topper football team has only begun to cross items off their to-do list. Up next on their list is to finish the regular season undefeated, as they travel to Lyndhurst to take on Brush in the regular season finale on Friday. Against Mayfield, the Toppers received their biggest test of the year – and passed. Chardon took the opening kickoff and less than three minutes into the game, senior James Pettyjohn got to the outside edge and ripped off a 66yard touchdown run. The score was the first of three for the Toppers’ running back, who finished the night with 190 yards. On their next possession, the Toppers were moving the football until they fumbled near midfield. Chardon’s defense forced the Wildcats to punt and with just over two minutes to play in the first quarter, Pettyjohn made them pay, again. This time, he busted off a 72-yard touchdown run to put the Hilltoppers up 14-0.
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The undefeated Chardon Hilltoppers are the 2020 Western Reserve Conference champions.
Having struggled in the first quarter in their four other games, Chardon’s offense picked it up against the Wildcats and gave their defense a big lead to protect. “Getting off to a fast start is great,” said Chardon senior cornerback Kevin Doyle. “It helped set the momentum for the rest of the game.” The Toppers kept the momentum going in the second quarter. A 1-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Drew Fetchik with 8:53 to go before halftime upped the score to 21-0. While the Wildcats had minor success moving the football, they struggled putting a drive together.
Following Fetchik’s score, Mayfield began to move the ball, but the Topper’s defense stepped up and came up with a big stop on fourth down. It was the first of three fourth down stops by the Chardon defense and seemed to give the defense a boost of confidence. Chardon was forced to punt on their ensuing possession, but the ball bounced off the leg of the Mayfield returner, and senior Cade McDevitt recovered the ball near midfield. The Topper offense made them pay, as Fetchik connected with senior split end Brady Toth for a big gain deep inside Mayfield territory. Blake Barker capped off the short drive, as senior running
back Blake Barker scored on a 10-yard touchdown run to make it 28-0 with 2:05 left to play before halftime. The Wildcat offense roared to life though and managed to drive down the field and score with 0:13 left before halftime. The touchdown snapped a streak of 15 consecutive scoreless quarters by the Toppers first team defense. Chardon Coach Mitch Hewitt was glad the streak finally ended. “It’s players and fans who come to expect perfection,” he said. “It’s not realistic when you’re playing against good teams, it’s inevitable.” Mayfield appeared to have See Week 5 • Page 18
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from page 16 some momentum following halftime. They took the kickoff to start the third quarter and drove down the field. Just when it appeared the Wildcats were about to cut the lead in half, they fumbled the ball on the goal line and senior defensive lineman Gavin Slife recovered the ball in the endzone. “I heard someone yell fumble, felt the ball under my legs, scooped it up and held onto it,” said Slife. Hewitt called the fumble recovery a game-changing play. “If they score there, who knows what the outcome is,” Hewitt said. “We believe in defense, we believe in our kids and I’ve never seen a team that is 5-0, conference champs, a bye week in week one [of the play-
Visit www.youtube.com/GeaugaMapleLeaf to see the videos. offs] so upset. You know you have great kids who demand perfection.” In the fourth quarter, both teams traded touchdowns. Pettyjohn capped off his stellar night with a 4-yard touchdown run, while Mayfield senior running back Joey Dostal scored on a 6-yard run. “We have to get tougher up front,” said Hewitt. “I was disappointed with our second half. We’ve been a second half team most of the year.”
For Chardon’s defense, Mayfield presented the best test of the season. “We were tested this game and I’m glad we were,” said Slife. “It’ll help us in the long run.” While one may think the Toppers defense, which has played almost flawlessly during the first four games of the year, did not need a confidence boost. Slife said the stops on fourth down gave the Chardon defense just that – a confidence boost
against a good quarterback, who was having success with short out routes and scrambles across the middle of the field. Unlike prior games where the Chardon defense was simply dominating, the Toppers defense displayed a bend, but don’t break attitude. “Michael Huss is a great quarterback,” said Doyle. “We did a pretty good job stopping him today.” “We stress just play the next play. We know they may have a 20-yard play, but we have to play the next play and that’s what we did tonight,” he added. At the end of the night, Chardon had a reason to smile. The Toppers may briefly enjoy the moment, but they know the real goal still lies ahead. “We need to get ready for Brush and prepare to make a deep playoff run,” said Doyle. “It feels great, but we have to keep going,” Slife added.
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WEEK 6: CHARDON 55 - BRUSH 7
Chardon Bludgeons Brush, Finishes 6-0 By Matt Jaworski The Hilltoppers finished the regular season undefeated after drubbing Brush 55-7. Chardon played a crisp first quarter, but the second quarter was sloppy, filled with turnovers and mistakes. The miscues were enough to cause Hilltopper head coach Mitch Hewitt to make his team run during halftime. “There were too many turnovers in the first half and we can’t put the ball on the ground and do what we want to do,” Hewitt said. “I’ve never ran a team at halftime before, so that was a first,” he added. Despite the sloppy play, Chardon is riding high heading into the post season following a breakout game from junior tight end Alex McDonald. Making just his sixth varsity start, McDonald had a career night with two touchdowns receptions and nearly scored on a third, but was tackled at the goal line. “He had a highlight type game tonight. He’s a weapon who has evolved,” said Hewitt. “He’s a kid we think very highly of and think he can play at the next level. Tonight was the start for him.” “I owe all of it to my offensive line for blocking well on the pass plays and to my quarterback, who has been working his butt off in practice, for making great throws,” said McDonald. He admitted he has been waiting for the opportunity to have a breakout game. “I had a couple of shots in week one, but dropped the ball,” McDonald said “I fixed that.” McDonald was the beneficiary of great throws by senior quarterback Drew Fetchik.
BILL FUGATE/KMG
Sophomore Faith Kilfoyle during halftime as a member of the Hilltoppers majorette team. “I think that at the start of every football season, you have to head into it telling yourself that you are going to give it your all, and the final goal is to make it to the state championships,” she said. “We lived through every week with gratitude and hope that the season would continue. With the help of our community, we were able to safely make it through the season, and the pandemic didn’t stop Chardon from winning the state title.”
Entering the night, Fetchik had thrown four touchdown passes. Against Brush, he threw for four touchdown passes in the first half. “Drew is coming into his own,” said Hewitt. “We haven’t had a quarterback at Chardon with a kid who possess the combination of him running the right play, his skills running the ball and his arm.” Fetchik’s arm got the Toppers on the board midway through the first quarter on a swing pass to Blake Barker. Three minutes later, McDonald hauled in his first touchdown reception on a 23-yard play. Then, as time expired at the end of the first quarter, fullback Sean Carr made a fingertip catch, stayed on his feet, made a couple of nice moves to avoid several Arcs and outraced them to the endzone for a 56 yard score.
Up 21-0 after one quarter, the route was on. In the second quarter, Fetchik and McDonald connected again, this time on a 29-yard score. About four minutes later, James Pettyjohn ripped off a 41yard touchdown run around the end to make it 34-0. The only Brush score came on the ensuing Chardon possession, as the Toppers fumbled the ball right into the hands of Jaylen Richardson, who took it 80-yards to the house. Just before halftime, it looked like McDonald was about to record his third touchdown catch of the half, but he was upended on his way toward the endzone and hit the ground just shy of the goal line. Fetchik then capped off the short drive with a 1-yard run to make it 41-7
For the fifth time in six games, the Hilltoppers had a running clock. In the second half, scores by Charlie Brosch and T.J. Altman made it 55-7. Following the game, Chardon turned its attention to the playoffs. On Oct. 1, the Ohio High School Athletic Association released the playoff brackets and Chardon earned the top seed in Division III, Region 9. As the top seed, the Hilltoppers received bye in the first round of the playoffs. They will host the winner of Akron Butchel and Warren Howland at home on Oct. 16. According to the OHSAA, for each game through at least the regional semifinals, the higher seeded team will have the first opportunity to host the game. This means Chardon, if they continue to advance throughout the playoffs, will play host though at least Oct. 30. Hewitt said he team is ready for the playoff, but believes they need to get better if they want to make a long playoff run. “It starts with taking care of the football,” he added. McDonald cited ball handling as the one area the team needs to work on in the bye week and pointed to the extra work at halftime as the starting point. “I feel it was very appropriate for coach Hewitt to make us run during halftime for our fumbles,” he said. For the Hilltoppers, the next week will involve a lot of film, practice and working on getting healthy as they await to learn who their next opponent will be. “The kids are hungry and healthy and that’s where we need to be right now,” said Hewitt.
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ROUND 1 PLAYOFFS: HOWLAND 14 - CHARDON 49
Chardon Overwhelms Howland To Advance in Playoffs
By Matt Jaworski
The Hilltoppers scored early and often as they dominated in all aspects of their 49-14 playoff victory over Warren Howland. Chardon’s first playoff game of the season played out like many of its regular season games – a dominating defensive performance, a solid offensive performance, and a running clock in the second half. “The down side of being the one seed is you’re the one seed,” said Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt. “The positive side of being the one seed is when the 17 seed comes in, they already have a level of doubt. It’s our job to be sure we wanted that seed, and they’re only going to play with us as long as we wanted them to.” The top-ranked seed in the region wasted no time in defending their home turf and showed the Tigers why they are the top seed. The Hilltoppers got on the scoreboard about a minute and half into the contest when senior Charlie Brosch blocked a Tiger punt and Rocco Perrico recovered it in the endzone for a touchdown. Howland’s next possession ended when the Toppers stopped the Tigers on a fake punt near midfield. On Chardon’s first offensive possession of the game, senior running back James Pettyjohn took a handoff and ran 48 yards into the endzone for a touchdown to make it 14-0. Pettyjohn carried the ball four times on the night for 121 yards and one touchdown. “He is a special player, an
PASTOR PHOTOGRAPHY
Nathanael Sulka, right, caught a 21-yard TD early in the second quarter from QB Drew Fetchik that helped the Hilltoppers win its first playoff game 49-14 against Warren Howland.
ankle breaker,” said Hewitt of his running back. “He’s got vision, speed, and he’s tough.” Eric Babinchak, the heavily recruited Howland running back, ripped off a 70-yard run to put the Tigers on the Chardon 3 yard line and in position to respond to the Toppers touchdown. Outside of that big run, the Toppers held Babinchak in check, as they limited his big runs and kept him out of the endzone. “We had a great game plan coach Landies drew up,” said linebacker Cade McDevitt. “We stacked the box and watched their lineman, and when they pull, they’re going that way. We had a great game plan.” On fourth and goal, Howland head coach Steve Boyle decided to go for it, but his team could not covert and turned the ball over on downs. “That goal line stand doesn’t take place if Blake Barker doesn’t
sprint as fast as he can to tackle him down on the 3 yard line,” added Hewitt. “That’ll be talked about in our program for years and years. We teach effort, never quitting on a play and that epitomizes everything we teach.” McDevitt said the Toppers run peruse drills every day at practice and knew once Barker made the stop, it would allow the defense to regroup to make a stand. The decision by Howland to go for the touchdown on fourth down backfired, though, as quarterback Drew Fetchik led Chardon down the field after the turnover. Following a 47-yard pass to tight end Alex McDonald to the 1, Fetchik finished the drive with a single-yard score. By the end of the first quarter, the Hilltoppers were up 21-0. The onslaught continued in the second quarter. Fetchik connected with split end Nathaniel Sulka for a 21-yard
touchdown reception early in the second quarter. About five minutes later, fullback Sean Carr punched it from four yards out to make it 35-0. Then, late in the second quarter, senior Evan Ash scored on a seven-yard run to extend the lead to 42-0 at halftime. A Ryan Petersen 21-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter accounted for Chardon’s final score. On the night, seven different Toppers found the endzone. “We’ve got a lot of weapons, and I think we’re doing a good job this year of getting our weapons the ball,” Hewitt said. Like a number of the Hilltopper games, the second half featured a running clock as the Topper’s second unit kept pace with the Howland first team It was an overall dominate performance by Chardon, who had a bye in week seven. Hewitt was concerned the layoff would hurt his team, but the time actually allowed his team to heal from injuries and re-focus. “When you’re playing as well as we were, then you take a week off, you don’t know what that’s going to produce,” Hewitt said. In fact the outcome was their first complete game of the season, although the players had some jitters. “There’s always playoff jitters, especially for the seniors, but we were ready, we were prepared,” McDevitt added. Chardon advances to the regional quarterfinals of the Division III Region 9 quarterfinals against Geneva, whose head coach is former Hilltopper assistant coach Chip Sorber.
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PLAYOFFS WEEK 2: GENEVA 13 - CHARDON 57
BILL FUGATE/KMG
Chardon scored 57 points in its win over Geneva, staying undefeated at 8-0. The Hilltoppers had touchdowns, from left, highlighted by Nathanael Sulka, Evan Ash and Drew Fetchik.
Hilltoppers on High: Chardon Stays Undefeated, Unchallenged
By Matt Jaworski Another playoff game meant another running clock for Chardon as the Hilltoppers pounded Geneva 57-13. The contest was originally supposed to take place Friday night, but lightning postponed the game until noon on Saturday. For some teams, the 15-hour difference in kickoff times could cause a program. But Chardon coach Mitch Hewitt was confident his team would show up ready to play. “I know the level of kids we have,” he said. “Like special forces guys, they get called upon at random times. There’s no set time; sometimes they never get called upon. Our kids are prepared whether it’s at noon, 7 p.m. or 3 a.m. I think our kids are always ready to go.” Chardon quarterback Drew Fetchik said the noon start re-
minded him of playing at the junior varsity level. “We knew we had to keep the intensity high,” he added. And as predicted, pushing back the kickoff mattered little to Chardon, which jumped out to a quick lead and did not give the Eagles any breathing room. In a battle of Wing-T offenses, Chardon simply had too much speed, was too big and physical, and made the least number of mistakes. Chardon jumped on the board quickly. They took the opening kickoff and drove down the field. Fetchik scored the Hilltoppers’ first touchdown of the game as he took the snap, ran straight ahead and made a great read of the field to cut to the center. Fetchik outraced the Eagles on the way to the endzone. “Drew’s style is unique,” said Hewitt. “He’s got a great arm, too, so we are trying to use
the talents God gave him.” Fetchik credited his run to his teammates. “It’s the line and the blocking backs who opened up the hole for me,” he added. Geneva had to punt the ball on their first possession, and Cade McDevitt, who plays linebacker, returned the kick 45 yards to the house. It was Chardon’s first punt return touchdown of the year, and for the second straight week, the Toppers special teams scored a touchdown. Last week against Howland, Chardon recovered a blocked punt in the endzone for a touchdown. McDevitt’s punt return gave Chardon a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Not quite four minutes later, the Hilltoppers found the endzone again as Even Ash ripped off a 10-yard touchdown run to make it 21-0.
The Eagles, whose head coach Chip Sorber was a former assistant Chardon coach and brought the Wing-T offense to Geneva, had no answer to stop Chardon on offense or defense. Even the trick plays they tried did not work. “We just have to stay disciplined,” said linebacker Vince Ferrante. “Trick plays, you know they’re going to come out because they have nothing to lose. If we stay disciplined, we can stop them.” Six seconds into the second quarter, the Toppers struck again. This time, it was James Pettyjohn. The senior running back took a handoff around the end and ripped off a 32-yard touchdown run. Chardon went for the two-point conversion and Fetchik, who is the holder, ran it right up the middle to make it 29-0. Late in the second quarter,
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Fetchik capped off a Chardon drive with a one-yard run to make it 36-0. For Fetchik, playing against Sorber brought back memories. “I remember doing quarterback camps with him when I was in the b’s and c’s in youth,” Fetchik said. Geneva finally answered back on their final drive of the half, as they spread the ball out through the air. Quarterback Ben Scibona’s six-yard touchdown pass got the Eagles on the scoreboard and temporarily prevented a running clock to start the third quarter. “When they scored that touchdown, it just killed us,” said Ferrante. Scibona’s touchdown was only the fourth allowed all season by the starting defensive unit. On their first possession of the third quarter, Geneva went three-and-out, and it appeared
they were going to punt the ball. Instead, they ran a fake; Chardon was ready for it and stopped the ball carrier well short of the line of scrimmage. The Toppers made quick work of the short field as Fetchik hit Nathaniel Sulka for a nine-yard touchdown pass to up the lead to 43-7 and begin the running clock. Late in the third, Sean Carr scored on a six-yard run to make it 49-7. Senior Charlie Brosch, who blocked the punt that resulted in the touchdown last week, scored Chardon’s final touchdown, running it in from nine yards out with 4:35 left in the game. Overall, Chardon put up 403 yards of total offense. Pettyjohn led the way with 147 yards rushing and his one score. He now has rushed for 1,012 yards on the year – an average of 13.7 yards per carry. Geneva gained 192 yards of
offense, but most of that was in the fourth quarter, with the game already out of reach and against Chardon’s second team defense. The Toppers appear to be peaking at the right time. “We’re playing as good of football as we can at the right time,” Hewitt said. “We’re going to need to do it next week because the teams just get harder and harder from here.” For Chardon, this game was a unique opportunity to play against a team who runs a similar offense. “It’s two programs who pride themselves on a style of offense that is unique,” said Hewitt. “I think there’s always a level of respect for that. We know some of their play calls, and they know some of our play calls. ” Hewitt admits playing another Wing-T made practice a little bit easier: “It’s easier than a typical spread offense.”
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Perhaps overlooked in this game was the performance of Chardon’s defense, which limited Geneva’s potent running attack. As they have been all year long, the Topper defense was suffocating. “They deserve to be talked about,” Hewitt said. “It’s the preparation, it’s the mentality, it’s kids who get upset when they give up a touchdown at the end of the half. They’re playing well and they’re coached really hard. “We’re going to need all 11 be flying to the football this upcoming Friday.” Ferrante admitted getting to the ball is one of the defense’s strengths. He said they have a few big players, but from a size standpoint, the rest of the defense is not huge. “It’s the strength of our defense, everyone flying to the ball, being violent and going all out,” he added.
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PLAYOFFS WEEK 3: NEW PHILADELPHIA 0 - CHARDON 31
Toppers Blank Quakers
By Matt Jaworski Facing their toughest test to date, the Hilltoppers passed with flying colors, blanking New Philadelphia 31-0 in the regional quarterfinals. With the win, Chardon will host third seeded Canfield in the Division III Region 9 regional finals on Nov. 6. The Toppers were simply too much for the Quakers, putting up 406 yards of total offense. Running back James Pettyjohn had 177 yards rushing, becoming the Hilltoppers all-time rushing leader in the postseason. He broke the record held by Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt. In pitching the shutout, the Hilltoppers limited a potent New Philadelphia offense to 158 total yards. From the opening kickoff, Chardon showed the visitors why there are the top ranked team in the Region 9. The Hilltoppers took the opening kickoff and drove down the field, with fullback Sean Carr capping off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. “Anyone can score like that,” said Carr. “The blocking of the line is amazing, Evan’s blocking is amazing and Drew’s leadership is amazing.” The Quakers saw a steady dose of Carr and halfback Evan Ash on the opening drive. “Evan is like Thor’s hammer,” said Hewitt. “He struggled in year’s past with ball security, but he’s worked incredibly hard at fixing that. He cares as much as any kid we ever coached. “He probably 170 pounds soaking wet and he throws ev-
TORREY MCNEAL/KMG
Running back James Pettyjohn had 177 yards rushing, becoming the Hilltoppers all-time rushing leader in the postseason. He broke the record held by Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt.
ery once into his blocking, so he’s special. With defenses keying in on James, he’s going to get more touches,” added Hewitt. The effort of Carr, the other battering ram on Chardon’s offense, has also not gone unnoticed. “It’s a selfless position,” Hewitt said. “The fullback, when I played many moons ago, I got the ball every other play. Nowadays in our offense, the fullback is primarily a blocking back. Once the middle opens up because of Jet, then the ISO is there.” “I play my role on the team and go as hard as I can on every play,” Carr added. For Carr, the first score was important. “That’s huge. It punches them in the mouth and shows we’re as physical as we can be on the first possession, let them know there in for a long game
and tap out,” said Carr. New Philadelphia responded with an impressive drive of their own. The Quakers took to the air and marched right down the field. Quarterback Caden O’Neil and receiver Caden Richmond hooked up on several passes. A passing interference penalty on Topper cornerback Kevin Doyle gave New Philadelphia the ball inside the redzone. On the next play, Doyle atoned for his penalty on the previous play by picking off O’Neil’s pass on the 1-yardline. “Coach always stresses playing the next play. I had a pass interference penalty on the play before, but you just have to have a short memory,” said Doyle. Doyle, who was playing in Cover 3, followed O’Neil’s eyes and made a play for the ball. He picked off the pass and thought he had a chance for a big return. “I picked it on the one and
tried to get around the edge. Trey gave me a great block, but I didn’t make it,” he added. The interception stopped the Quaker’s best scoring opportunity of the night. After their opening drive, New Philadelphia learned firsthand just how good the Chardon can be on a given night. “Our goal is to win a state championship and that’s what our standards should be,” said Doyle. “Our defensive coordinator puts in a good position and we just have to execute.” Not only did the Chardon defense execute their game plan, but so did the Toppers offense and special teams. Midway through the second quarter, Topper quarterback Drew Fetchik ripped off a 10-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0. Nathan Tager, who had not attempted a field goal in weeks, connected on a 37-yarder with 2:36 to go in the first half.
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“He was a huge addition,” said Hewitt. “Matt Kloski, Blake Barker and Tager were three key additions to the football team, who were walking the halls this time last year. This year, they are making memories to last them a lifetime.” “He’s amazing because in the offseason we didn’t have a kicker and he stepped up and has worked hard every day,” added Carr. On their opening possession of the third quarter, New Philadelphia had a chance to get on the scoreboard, but could not connect on a 43-yard field goal. The Toppers responded and marched down the field. Carr picked up his second touchdown of the night with a 7-yard run. Chardon earned their fourth straight running clock when Fetchik found paydirt with about 8 minutes to play. Up 31-0 at that point, the Toppers defense made sure the
Chardon’s varsity cheerleaders
goose egg on the scoreboard would stand. When the clock hit zero, the vaunted Chardon defense had recorded their second shutout of the season. Through nine games, the Hilltopper defense has allowed 68 total points, which averages out to about 7.5 points per game. The defense will have to continue to play at this high level if they want to defeat Canfield. In 2017, Canfield came to
Chardon and defeated the Toppers 31-14. The following year, Canfield defended their home turf against the Hilltoppers with a 35-13 victory. They’re one of the teams that actually beat us. That’s going to be the focus this week,” Hewitt said. “They’re tough. They’re hard-nosed. They like to run the football. It is going to be a heavyweight fight at Chardon Memorial Stadium.” Against New Philadelphia,
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the Hilltoppers exceeded their coaches expectations and it began with practice. “We had a great week of practice and were as focused as can be,” said Carr. The key to winning is a great week of practice.” Chardon will need another exceptional week of practice and in-game performance to claim the regional title and continue on their quest to seek their ultimate goal. “They know their goal, they know where they want to be and they know what they have to do to achieve it. I’m very pleased with these guys and I wish we didn’t have the COVID-19 fear, the contact tracing and all the other stuff that goes with it. We have to find a way to protect these kids and isolate them because this is a special moment in their lives and I hope either ends because we’ve been defeated by a better team or we win the whole thing,” said Hewitt.
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PLAYOFFS WEEK 4: CANFIELD 6 - CHARDON 38
BILL FUGATE/KMG
After losses in 2018 and 2019 the Chardon Hilltoppers exacted revenge on the Canfield Cardinals with a 38-6 home win to advance to the Div. III Final Four for the seventh time in school history.
Chardon Advances to Final Four
By Matt Jaworski
In a battles of heavyweights, Chardon landed a couple of early punches to knock out Canfield and claim the Division III Regional 9 regional championship with an impressive 38-6 victory. With a trip to the Final Four on the line, the Hilltoppers came out with an energy they have not showed this year. “It’s defending the hill, which has been our motto the last few weeks because we have been blessed to host these games the last few weeks,” said Chardon coach Mitch Hewitt. “We think this is a pretty special place to play when you’re 47-6. It’s a hard place for opponents to win, and one of the teams to beat us more recently is Canfield.
“Our seniors played with a chip on their shoulder and, despite the number one billing, we get our kids to play like we are the underdogs.” “We knew this was the biggest game we had at home this year,” said Vince Ferrante. “We haven’t won the regional finals since 2003, and we came out and played like we wanted to win the game.” Chardon was 0-3 against Canfield, including losses in 2017 and 2018 that motivated the seniors. “That was big,” said James Pettyjohn. “We talked about it all week. Our freshman year, they beat us here, and we needed to defend the hill one more time.” The Hilltoppers seized the energy and controlled the game. After taking the opening
kickoff, Chardon (10-0) caught Canfield (9-1) by surprise with their first play – a bubble screen to split end Nathaniel Sulka, who made the catch and raced down the sideline to be tackled at the Canfield 13 yard line. Several plays later, Pettyjohn scored a one-yard touchdown run to give the Toppers an early 7-0 lead. On their opening series, the Cardinals turned the ball over, as Vince Ferrante picked off a pass in Canfield territory and returned it to the 17. Evan Ash made the Cardinals pay with a one-yard scoring run to up the lead to 14-0 three minutes into the game. Hewitt called the early big plays critical. “We’ve got big-time players making big-time plays in big-time games, and that is ul-
timately why we are one of the four teams left standing in the state,” Hewitt said. “We had the momentum when that happened,” said Blake Barker, “and I think we just built off of it.” The Cardinals looked shellshocked, but regained their composure to limit the damage. Early in the second quarter, Canfield put together a drive and was marching down the field. Quarterback Broc Lowry, who entered the contest with more than 1,000 yards passing and more than 1,000 yards rushing, was having success running the football, and it appeared the Cardinals were about to enter the Topper red zone. Lowry, though, fumbled, and Sulka picked up the loose football and ran down the sideline for an 87-yard touchdown
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return to make it 21-0. Playing in coverage, Sulka did not see the ball come loose, but he saw it in time to pick it up. “I saw it take a bounce right into my bread basket and just took off,” Sulka said. “I was running as hard as I could.” At this point, the Toppers were not only winning the turnover battle, but they were turning the turnovers into points. Chardon’s defense would strike once more before halftime, and Sulka once again made the big play. This time, he intercepted a Lowry pass deep inside Chardon territory and returned it to the Hilltopper 45-yard line. With two seconds left before halftime, the Toppers turned the pick into points as Nathan Tager connected on a 25-yard field goal. Sulka was a one-man wrecking crew in the first half. “He’s the only kid in my decade here who started as a freshman,” Hewitt said. “He’s a Division I football player who is going to get multiple offers.” His play also motivated his fellow defenders. “We saw Sulka getting all these turnovers,” Barker said, “and we all wanted one, too.” Entering the game, Chardon’s defense had forced 20 turnovers, and they were happy to add three more to the total. “The more turnovers you get in a game, the better chances you have to win,” said Ferrante. Trailing 24-0 at halftime, Canfield began the third quarter on a mission. The Cardinals took the kickoff to begin the quarter and marched down the field for a touchdown.
During the drive, Sulka was injured and did not return to the game. Both he and Hewitt are hopeful he will be able to play next week. The Cardinals may have landed a punch with their touchdown, but it was not enough to stop Chardon. Hewitt credited his team with not hanging their heads, and fighting back. The Topper offense responded with a time-consuming drive that saw them go 95 yards down the field. With 32 seconds left to go in the third quarter, quarterback Drew Fetchik punched in a four-yard touchdown run to give Chardon a 31-6 advantage. “It was an incredible drive,” Hewitt said. “We were reeling a little bit after getting punched. Our kids put together a 90-yard drive when we needed it the most.” Midway through the fourth quarter, Chardon started the running clock when Pettyjohn scored on a fourth-and-goal play to give Chardon a 32-point lead. It was the ninth time in 10 games that the Toppers played with a running clock in the second half. On the night, Pettyjohn ran for 130 yards on 17 carries to go along with his two scores. Sean Carr added 58 rushing yards. Pettyjohn’s score was the knockout blow in a bout that did not live up to the hype. “Coming out, we knew it was going to be a physical game, and whoever could play four quarters of smash-mouth football would own it,” said Ferrante. “It was a violent game, and they were a tough team,” added Sulka.
The Cardinals out-gained Chardon 307 to 289 and controlled the time of possession, but Chardon was the better team. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the players began to embrace one another. For the seniors, the game marked their final time playing at Chardon Memorial Stadium — and the end result would be a trip to the Final Four. As Hewitt hoisted the regional championship trophy in the air, his players began to celebrate and enjoy the hard work they had put in throughout the year. “I would argue this is the most important game we ever hosted on our field,” said Hewitt. “The number one team in the state and the number three team in the state, and our kids came out fired up. I can’t be more proud of their success.”
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Following the game, the realization of what his team had just accomplished began to set in for Barker. “The Final Four — it’s crazy,” he said. “We worked hard all season, and to come out and play as physical as we did was just great.” This Friday, Chardon will take on the Tiffin Columbian Tornadoes for the opportunity to play in the state title game. Tiffin defeated Holy Name 17-14 to claim the Division III Region 10 championship. For the fourth time this season, the Toppers will board a bus and travel away from the friendly confines of Chardon Memorial. The trip, though, will be worth it. “It’s gonna be a good bus ride, and the seniors are ready,” said Pettyjohn. “We just have to put the work in this week.”
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PLAYOFFS WEEK 5: COLUMBIAN 7 - CHARDON 37
Chardon to Play for a State Title By Mason Cole In what has become typical fashion, Chardon overwhelmed another playoff opponent and will play for the OHSAA Division III state championship after crushing Tiffin Columbian 47-7. Chardon (11-0) is set to take on the St. Francis DeSales Stallions (9-1) on Saturday at 7 p.m. within Fortress Obetz, a multipurpose sports complex located in Obetz on the southeast side of Columbus. St. Francis DeSales defeated Kettering Alter 23-13 and will be making their ninth state title appearance, looking for their fourth championship. The Toppers enter the contest as the top-ranked team in Division III according to the final Associated Press poll of the season, while the Stallions, who are essentially playing a home game, check in as the eighth ranked team. The 1994 Hilltoppers won the school’s lone football state title by defeating Buckeye Local 17-6, capturing the Division II championship in front of 10,000 fans at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Chardon relied on a stonewall defense and two touchdowns by Eric Ash to down the Panthers. Now, 26 years later, Eric’s son Evan and his teammates are looking for title of their own. Chardon last appeared in the state finals in 1998, when the Hilltoppers fell to Lebanon in the Division II championship by a 27-21 count. Tied at 21-21 with less than a minute to go in the game, the Warriors used a hook-and-ladder
PASTOR PHOTOGRAPHY
Drew Fetchik helped lead his offense to 222 points in the playoffs. Opponents scored just 40.
play to score the game-winning touchdown. Since that fateful night, Chardon has been waiting for the opportunity to redeem itself and win the school’s second state football championship. That chance came after a thrashing of the Tornadoes. For Chardon, this year’s playoff run has appeared easy, with the Hilltoppers earning a running clock in every postseason game they have played. As has been the case throughout the playoffs, the Hilltoppers received the opening kickoff and simply dominated their opponent. On the third play of the game, James Pettyjohn took a handoff and went through a wide hole on his way to a 69yard touchdown run. “Early in the game, we knew that they were flying the jet,” Pettyjohn said, “and we knew that they were always blitzing one linebacker, and we would
just counter out of it. Once we were doing that, we were pretty much rolling, and you pretty much can’t stop us.” The score was one of four touchdowns on the night for Pettyjohn, who finished with 240 yards rushing. Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt was not surprised by the performance of Pettyjohn. “James is a talented kid,” Hewitt said. “He could be a Player of the Year type player. Certainly in Northeast Ohio, he’s a special kid, and he’s an easy-toroot-for kid. So that makes it all the easier to see him have success.” “(Pettyjohn) is a special player,” QB Drew Fetchik said. “He’s special, and that set up fakes for me to score and for Sean (Carr) to score.” Overall, Chardon tallied 455 yards of total offense, with 448 coming on the running game. Following the Pettyjohn score, Kevin Doyle picked off
a Tiffin Columbian pass to give Chardon the ball on their own 38 yard line. On the ensuing play, Fetchik was intercepted, giving the Tornadoes the ball near midfield. The Fetchik pick was one of three Chardon turnovers on the night, to go along with two other fumbles the Topper offense was able to recover. Tiffin Columbian’s possession was short-lived, though, as Gavin Slife recovered a fumble on the Tornado 38 yard line to give Chardon the ball back. About a minute and a half later, Pettyjohn ripped off a 35yard touchdown run to make it 14-0. Less than five minutes into the game, the senior running back had more than 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Chardon’s defense then forced a-three-and-out, and a 15yard TC punt gave the Hilltoppers the ball near the Tornado 20.
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PASTOR PHOTOGRAPHY
The Hilltoppers Wing-T offense, in its 40th year, continues to dominate opponents as Chardon dispatched Columbian-Tiffin early 47-7. Chardon cheerleaders hold the sign above as the team came onto the field.
A couple plays later, Fetchik found an opening and ran it in from 15 yards out to make it 21-0. Following the score, both teams again traded turnovers. A Topper fumble was followed up by Cade McDevitt picking off a tipped pass with 15 seconds left in the first quarter. Less than a minute into the second quarter, Chardon turned the pick into a field goal, with Nathan Tager connecting from 33 yards out. On the ensuing kickoff, TC was hit with a holding penalty, giving them the ball at their own five. An intentional grounding call in the endzone resulted in the Hilltopper defense picking up Chardon’s first safety of the season and upping the lead to 26-0. Pettyjohn found paydirt later in the quarter on a four-yard touchdown run to make it 33-0. Chardon would fumble their final possession of the first half, as TC found some success through the air. The result was 15-yard touchdown reception that cut the lead to 33-7. In the third quarter, Fetchik scored his second touchdown of the night – this time, a 19-yard run — and the running clock was invoked. Pettyjohn scored the game’s final touchdown with a 68-yard run. For most teams, the path to
the state title game should not be so easy, but the 2020 Hilltoppers are not most teams. Chardon has outscored its playoff opponents 222 to 40. Its defense allowed 155 yards of total offense, including 143 yards passing and 12 yards rushing. “As good as our offense looks from the scoreboard standpoint, we turned the ball over three times in the first half, and that’s just not going to get it done next week,” Hewitt said. “But our defense has been rock solid all year. I mean, they’re really hard to score on.” And for the second straight game, the Hilltoppers forced three turnovers. Now a date with destiny awaits as Chardon looks to complete a mission it began during training camp: a state title. “Going into this game, coach tells us don’t be too high, don’t be too low,” Pettyjohn said. “Monday through Thursday we’ve got to have a great week of practice, and if we do that, we’ll play our game, and I don’t think anyone in front of us could beat us.” Fetchik exuded the same confidence: “We’re rolling, our offense is clicking. … We’re confident, we’re confident as a team, and we’re ready to go make Chardon proud.” Reporter Matt Jaworski contributed to this story
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: ST. FRANCIS DESALES 31 - CHARDON 28 (DOUBLE OVERTIME)
CHAMPIONS!
Toppers Down Stallions in Double Overtime By Matt Jaworski Down 14 points midway through the fourth quarter, the Hilltoppers mounted a comeback for the ages to defeat Columbus DeSales in double overtime 31-28 to win the Div. III state championship. Behind a masterful performance by quarterback Drew Fetchik, who threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 87 yards and one touchdown, the Toppers battled back to claim Chardon’s first state title since 1994. The victory capped a perfect season for the Hilltoppers, who finished the year 12-0 and ranked as the No. 1 team in the state, according to the Associated Press, all season long. “An instant classic,” said Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt minutes after getting showered with water. “That’s a pretty remarkable game on the biggest stage. I’m glad that our community, for a few hours, were able to put away all the things that have gone on for the past nine months.” “It doesn’t feel real,” Fetchik said. “I’m speechless to go out like this. What a way to end it.” James Pettyjohn also used that word: speechless. “It feels amazing,” he said. “It’s that little butterfly in your stomach. This is what I’ve dreamed of my whole life, and for it to finally happen is a blessing.” “We’ve been working since kindergarten for this moment,” said Jesse Decipeda, “and it almost doesn’t feel real — but we did it.” The Toppers dominated
SANDY WARD/KMG
There was plenty of pacing and wide eyes on the sidelines of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon as Chardon beat St. Francis DeSales 31-28 in double overtime. The back and forth game led to many highs and lows for the Hilltoppers, like seen above, after a Hilltoppers touchdown.
their opponents for the first 11 games of the year. DeSales (9-2), though, was the fastest, most athletic team they faced all season, and gave Chardon trouble. Thanks to a clutch defensive effort in the fourth quarter and some timely offense, the Hilltoppers were able to outscore the Stallions 17-0 in the final frame and in two overtimes. A 36-yard touchdown pass from Fetchik to Blake Barker, and an Evan Ash nine-yard touchdown run, tied the game at 28 late in the fourth quarter. An interception by Nathaniel Sulka near midfield gave the Toppers a chance to win the game, but a 49-yard field goal attempt by Nathan Tager went wide with
a minute to go in regulation. In the first overtime, the Stallions started out with the ball, but were forced to kick a field goal. Trey Liebhart timed the snap perfectly and blocked the 25-yard attempt. Chardon then had a chance to win the game on its own possession, but DeSales blocked the 35-yard field goal attempt by Tager. In the second overtime, Chardon started with the ball and nearly scored a touchdown. James Pettyjohn ran a swing route near the front right corner pylon, but could not hang onto a Fetchik pass in the endzone. Tager was called upon, and
the junior kicker made the biggest kick of his life, a 33-yard field goal, to give the Toppers a 3-point lead. On the Stallions possession, Chardon bottled up Quinn and forced a field goal attempt. As JJ Baughman lined up for the 37-yard attempt, some of the Chardon players on the sideline kneeled down in anticipation. “We were all on our knees holding hands and praying to God that it wouldn’t go in,” said Decipeda. “It was so nerve wracking.” As the ball left Baughman’s foot, it sailed wide and the Chardon players began to celebrate their title. See State • Page 34
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State
from page 32 The game began with a big play by Quinn, who on the second play of the game got around the corner and busted off a 74yard touchdown run. Chardon eventually answered the score late in the first quarter. Fetchik engineered an eightplay, 80-yard scoring drive and capped it off with a one-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7. But with a minute to go before halftime, DeSales took the lead 14-7 on a 15-yard touchdown run by Quinn. By halftime, Quinn had outgained the entire Chardon offense 122 to 112, and the Stallions converted four of six third opportunities. Not to be deterred, Chardon went back to the air in the third quarter as Fetchik and Barker connected on a 63-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 14. The Hilltoppers forced a punt, then went deep into the playbook for a trick play. Pettyjohn took a handoff and threw the ball down the field into double coverage, where it was picked off. Less than 15 seconds later, Quinn ripped off a 40-yard touchdown run to break the tie. DeSales found the endzone for the final time in the game with just over two minutes to play in the third, as Jordan Johnson made an athletic catch from Whit Hobgood for a touchdown. Up 28-14, the Stallions had all the momentum — and for the first time this year, Chardon was facing adversity in the fourth quarter. Hewitt, though, said this adversity was nothing compared to what they were battling all year long. “We’ve faced adversity for the last nine months,” he said.
“We’ve been shut in our rooms, denied the school, we’ve been denied friendships. Families have been broken apart, people have lost their lives, people have been sick. “This is a football game. We’re used to adversity.” Added Pettyjohn: “We knew it was going to be a fourth quarter fight and just kept chipping away. We saw Quinn (who also is one of the Stallions starting linebackers) getting up slower and knew if we kept going at him, we would come out on top.” Down two scores, Chardon continued going to the air, and it paid off. In the biggest game of the season, the Wing-T Hilltopper offense had 249 passing yards and just 158 rushing yards. The added dimension worked, as DeSales was not expecting Fetchik to throw as much as he did. The senior connected on nine of 14 attempts and, as he had all year long, displayed an accurate arm while staying calm. “He’s the MVP,” Hewitt said of Fetchik. “We knew this year, to win the whole thing, we were going to have to do other things beside jet and ISO. Coach Navatsyk and Coach Hall put together the scheme.” “It’s not so much me, but the coaches,” said Fetchik of his huge performance. Early in the season, Hewitt told the team they could beat 85 percent of teams they play using a running attack, but needed a passing game to beat the other 15 percent. Hewitt’s prediction came true, as Fetchik recorded what might be the greatest passing performance by a Chardon quarterback in the last 40 years. “This whole year we’ve been emphasizing our passing game and running game,” said Decipeda. “Especially this week, See Final • Page 35
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Final
from page 34 we’ve put in a lot of passing plays. It ended up working out.” Fetchik also credited his offensive line for giving him the extra two or three seconds he needed to complete the passes. Coming into the game, the Hilltoppers knew DeSales was going to key on Pettyjohn, so they put together a game plan that limited the explosive back to 28 yards on 13 carries. Pettyjohn, though, was happy to see his teammates step up, being that the Stallions kept him bottled up. “There’s some dudes out there,” said Pettyjohn. “I’m proud of Evan Ash and Sean Carr.” “I knew Sean and Evan would not back down,” Fetchik added. On the night, Ash ran for 26 yards, including a touchdown. Carr added 8 carries for 22 yards.
Blake Barker caught two passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Brady Toth had two receptions for 57 yards, Pettyjohn caught three passes for 36 yards, and Alex McDonald
hauled in a 34-yard reception. Vince Ferrante led the defensive effort with six tackles, including one tackle for a loss. Myles Mendeszoon made 5.5 tackles and had two TFLs. Chris-
tian Hall added five stops and 1.5 TFLs, while Barker made 4.5 tackles, including 2.5 TFLs. Overall, Chardon outgained DeSales 407 to 397 and led time of possession 24:52 to 23:08.
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EXTRA POINTS
From the Sidelines of the State Championship By Jamie Ward There was plenty of pacing and wide eyes on the sidelines of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon as a St. Francis DeSales field goal attempt in the second overtime went left and the Chardon Hilltoppers became the 2020 Div. III state champions, a 12-0 season in the time of the coronavirus. Some thoughts from the sidelines: • Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt said he thought the spread between the Hilltoppers and the Stallions would be three points. Final score: Chardon 31-28. • Chardon QB Drew Fetchik had one passing attempt in the first half and zero yards. He finished with 249 passing yards. Scott Neill, the Chardon QB of the winning 1994 state championship team: “I was 0 for 4 in that game.” • Evan “The Hammer” Ash had six carries for 29 yards. But Evan’s 9-yard TD with 2:19 left in the game was the night’s biggest score. His dad, Eric, the lead back for the 1994 team, had two touchdowns in that state championship game. • When DeSales scored on the game’s second play from scrimmage, it was the second time in more than 40 quarters Chardon had trailed at any time in the season. They fell behind to Kenston in the first quarter of Week 3. • Nathanael Sulka played with an injured shoulder, leaving the game in the second half in obvious pain. He returned for the overtime periods, and had an interception in the game. • Chardon had two touchdowns called back in the game, one due to a holding penalty.
SANDY WARD/KMG
Chardon fans celebrate during the team’s 31-28 double overtime win over St. Francis DeSales at Paul Brown Stadium in Massillon. It was the Hilltoppers second state title in Massillon.
Another on video replay in the fourth quarter. Both drives stalled yet Chardon persevered. • One of the reversed touchdowns was on fourth down. Chardon ran the “hook and ladder” and scored, but it was ruled the first receiver’s knee had touched the ground prior to the lateral. In 1998, Mitch Hewitt’s senior year, Chardon lost to Lebanon in the state title game’s closing seconds on the same play, 27-21. • Hottest ticket in town. The crowd on Chardon’s sidelines and stands featured many familiar faces, like former coach Bob Doyle, Chardon Municipal Court Judge Terri Stupica and alumni, local business owners, teachers, coaches and more. • Former Chardon High School Principal Andy Fetchik is QB Drew’s dad. Andy hired Mitch Hewitt as head coach 10 years ago. See Sidelines • Page 38
Geauga County Maple Leaf
The
1994 Hilltoppers
The
2020 Hilltoppers
WELCOME TO
theSTATE CHAMPIONS CLUB
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Ash’sMayfield Mayfield Ash’s Window Cleaning Co. Window440.477.4791 Cleaning Co. 440.477.4791 (440) 477-4791
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Sidelines from page 36
• Athletic Director Doug Snyder last cut his hair March 14. “I told the kids I wouldn’t get it cut until either we win a state championship or Covid ends, whichever comes first,” Snyder texted the morning after. “I have an appointment Tuesday.” • Time of possession, thought to be a key indicator with two running teams, was won by Chardon 24:52 to 23:08. Chardon won yards from scrimmage 407 to 397. • Chardon sophomore Trey Liebhart blocked DeSales field goal attempt in the first overtime. It was one of the night’s biggest plays. • Junior kicker Nathan Tager is a perfect 66-for-66 on PATs, and was 4-of-5 on FGA before his winning kick in the second overtime. Coincidentally,
Geauga County Maple Leaf
his field goal distance average is 33 yards, which matched the game winner. • James Pettyjohn was keyed on all night. Despite just 28 yards rushing, Pettyjohn ran for almost 1,600 yards in 12 games, averaging more than 12 yards per carry. • Vince Ferrante led the team with six tackles on the night. Ferrante finished the year with 98 tackles to lead the team. • DeSales RB Quintell Quinn set the tone early with a 74-yard TD run, and the Ohio University recruit finished with 216 rushing yards and three touchdowns. But the defense also held Quinn in check in the second half. Chardon was down 28-14 before its comeback. • The game was moved from Obetz, outside of Columbus, to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium just 48 hours before kickoff. See Football • Page 40
SANDY WARD/KMG
Fans at Paul Brown Stadium in Massillon during Chardon’s win against St. Francis DeSales in the Div. III state championship game. Attendance was limited to 15 percent for the season due to the coronavirus.
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Football from page 38
For Chardon alumni and fans like Kyle Martin, who lives on North Street, it marks the third time he watched Chardon play in a state title game in that stadium. • The game lasted two hours and 50 minutes, and was dry at 45 degrees with no wind. • Chardon’s Blake Barker had a kickoff return for a TD called back due to a holding penalty. But the senior did not let that story define his championship night. When he was needed most, Barker caught a screen from Fetchik and took it down the sidelines 63 yards for the score to start the second half. • Chardon podiatrist Mark Mendeszoon completed his 26th season as team doctor. He was on the field after the game with his son, Myles, who had
PASTOR PHOTOGRAPHY
The 2020 Chardon football coaching staff. “The head coach gets too much credit during seasons like we just had,” said head coach Mitch Hewitt. “Without these dedicated, high football IQ, relationship-first assistant coaches we don’t win the whole thing.”
5.5 tackles, a linebacker committed to playing at Iowa State next season. • Get the gold. As Chardon collected its first-place golden trophy after the game, it was Gail Hewitt’s bright gold jacket in the stands that first indicated it would be a special night. • Chardon is one of two schools in Geauga County — also Kenston in 2018 — to win
a state title. And now the only team with two. Chagrin Falls has made two state title appearances. • It was St. Francis DeSales’ ninth state championship game appearance, with the last win in 1998. The Stallions are now 3-6 in title games. • Massillon is part of the cradle of professional football. From 1903 to 1906 and 1915 to
1919, the greatest rivalry in the game was the Massillon Tigers and the neighboring Canton Bulldogs. This rivalry predates the NFL. • Massillon Washington High School claims 24 state titles in school history, yet all but one were voted on by the Associated Press, and only the title in 1970 resembled the state’s current playoff system.
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No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 1* MYSYK, MATTHEW SE/DB 5’9” 165 SR 2** SLIFE, GAVIN OL/DL 6’1” 230 SR 3 TYMINSKI, ELLLIOTT RB/DB 6’1” 185 SR 4* GARDNER, EVAN RB/DL 6’ 200 SR 5** FERRANTE, VINCE RB/LB 5’11” 195 SR 6 SULLIVAN, SKYLAR TE/DL 6’ 180 SR 7** MCDEVITT, CADE RB/LB 6’ 195 SR 8** MENDESZOON, MYLES TE/DE 6’4” 210 SR 9** TOTH, BRADY SE/DB 6’5” 185 SR 10* FERRANTE, ANGELO SE/DB 5’ 11” 1 75 SR 11* VUJAKLIJA, ZORAN QB/DB 6’ 170 JR 12** FETCHIK, DREW QB/DB 6’1” 185 SR 13** SULKA, NATHANAEL SE-QB/DB 6’4” 205 JR 14* DOYLE, KEVIN RB/DB 6’ 180 SR 16* MCDONALD, ALEX TE/DE 6’3” 205 JR 15 LIEBHARDT, TREY RB/DB 5’11” 165 SO 17 GASPAR, ETHAN SE/DB 6’ 180 JR 18 GOERSS, JEREMY TE/DE 6’4” 185 SR 19* WASHINGTON, MICHAEL RB/LB 6’1” 190 JR
Geauga County Maple Leaf
20* PETERSEN, RYAN RB/LB 6’4” 185 JR 21 PERRICO, ROCCO RB/DB 5’11” 180 JR 22 DOTSON, BRODY RB/LB 5’11” 160 JR 23 DEUTSCH, CORY RB/DB 5’8” 155 SR 24 FETCHIK, HEATH RB/LB 5’11” 185 SO 25** BROSCH, CHARLIE RB/LB 6’ 185 SR 26 HALL, CHRISTIAN FB/LB 6’ 205 JR 27** PETTYJOHN, JAMES RB / DB 5’11” 170 SR 28 DAWSON, CADEN SE/DB 6’1” 160 JR 29 MARDULA, DEREK SE/DB 6’ 164 JR 30 FELGER, COOPER TE/LB 5’11” 200 SO 31 KIRSH, NOLAN SE/DB 6’ 175 SO 32** ASH, EVAN RB/LB 6’1” 185 SR 33 FAY, ZACH RB/LB 6’ 190 SO 34 PETTYJOHN, DANIEL RB/LB 5’11” 175 SO 35 HENRY, ALEX QB/DB 6’2” 185 SO 36 BARKER, BLAKE RB/LB 6’2” 205 SR 38 KESSLER, PETE RB/DB 5’9” 155 SO 39* BUZOGANY, MAX SE/DB 5’10” 175 SR 40 COLUCCI, PHILLIP SE/DL 5’2” 115 SO
41* CARR, SEAN FB /LB 5’11” 190 JR 44 KISLEY, ALEX OL/DL 6’2” 185 SO 45 TAGER, NATHAN K 6’1” 175 JR 46 MUELLER, ZACH K 5’10” 170 SR 50 FLETCHER, JAMES OL/DL 5’8” 165 SO 51 ISCHAY, AIDAN OL/DL 6’1” 220 JR 52 JACKSON, ADAM OL/DL 5’11” 215 JR 55 FLETCHER, JEFFERY OL/DL 6’2” 200 SR 57* LESZYNSKI, BRANDON OL/DL 6’2” 250 SR 58 VUNDERINK, ROBERT OL/DL 5’9” 185 SO 59 NIKSICK, KEVIN OL/DL 6’3” 235 SO 60 ALTMAN, T.J. OL/DL 5’11” 215 JR 65** FRIEND, DYLAN OL/DL 5’10” 285 SR 67 ORGANISCAK, MATTHEW OL/DL 5’10” 200 JR 68** DECIPEDA, JESSE OL/DL 6’1” 290 SR 73** FAY, NICK OL / DL 6’ 260 SR. 75* RODRIGUEZ, SIMON OL/DL 6’ 250 JR 76** LEMASTER, GEORGE OL/DL 6’ 5” 265 SR 77 KLOSKI, MATT OL/DL 6’3” 285 SR 78 JENKINS, DYLAN OL/DL 6’ 245 SO *Returning Letterman
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Geauga County Maple Leaf 2020 State Champion Chardon Football: Final Individual Stats 11/26/2020 G. Parrish
Chardon Defense 2020: Tackling Player
Vince Ferrante
Cade McDevitt
Nathanael Sulka Christian Hall Myles Mendeszoon Blake Barker
Evan Gardner Brady Toth Gavin Slife
Kevin Doyle
Trey Liebhardt Alex Henry
Brody Dotson
Charlie Brosch
Mike Washington Sean Carr Evan Ash
Jeremy Goerss
Angelo Ferrante Cooper Felger Nick Fay
Zach Fay
TJ Altman
Max Buzogany Rocco Perrico
Alex McDonald Zoran Vujaklija
Caden Dawson Ethan Gaspar
Dan Pettyjohn
Elliot Tyminski
Ryan Petersen Total
Tackles
Solo
Assist
Sack
TFL
FF
FR
82
49
33
1
13
3
4
104
74
60
30
41
60
5
19
39
28 2
21
7
21
60
34
26
6
23
59
36
23
1
10
43
29
14
3
13
44
22
43
22
18
32
25
25
7
22
24
9
7
7
1
5
2
1
3
2
1
7
7 5
4
5 3
1
1 1
1
2
2
2
1
2
2
1
1
2
3
2
2
8
8
1
3
3
7
8
1
1
7
1
2
1
5
17
10
5
5
14
18
1
1
10
3
19
19
2
25
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
748
1
500
248
26
138
7
11
Chardon Pass Defense 2020 Player
Trey Liebhardt Kevin Doyle
Vince Ferrante Blake Barker
Nathanael Sulka Brady Toth Alex Henry
Christian Hall
Cade McDevitt
Angelo Ferrante Caden Dawson Max Buzogany
Myles Mendeszoon Ryan Petersen
Charlie Brosch
PBU
INT
Return Yds
12
3
34
13 8 6 5
2
23
2 3
5
3
4 2 1
Solo
32
25
25
25
104
129
60
59
66
2
1
Tackles
82
1
1
1 1 0
1
Sack
5 1
14 5
21
7
0
2
33
7 1
0 1
60
34
26
18
17
1
1
22
23
39
1
3
1
19
49
7
7
41 19
60
3
30
29
24
Assist
74 36
43
65
22
1
6
Chardon scored 5 defensive TDs this year including a pick-six by Vince Ferrante, fumble recoveries / returns by Cade McDevitt, Nathanael Sulka, and TJ Altman, and a blocked punt recovery by Rocco Perrico.
Chardon 2020 Offense: Rushing Player
James Pettyjohn Drew Fetchik Sean Carr Evan Ash
Elliot Tyminski
Charlie Brosch
Nathanael Sulka Ryan Petersen Alex Henry
Rocco Perrico
Cade McDevitt Blake Barker
Zoran Vujaklija
Daniel Pettyjohn Brody Dotson Total
Yards
Attempts
Average
TD
2pt
Total Pts
750
147
5.10
14
1
86
1589 420 262 132 99 75 55
141 79 36 16 12 10 4
11.27 5.32 7.28 8.25
13.75
1
32
3
10.67
5
5.00
25 25 22 14
3600
5
4.23
2
120 42 24
1
14 12 6
5.00
1
6
5.00
1
6
1
22.00
483
7.45
2
4 2
7.50
13 9
7
8.25
55 45
20
7.00
52
2
316
Geauga County Maple Leaf Chardon 2020 Offense: Passing Player
Drew Fetchik
Comp
Att.
0
1
53
Brady Toth
James Pettyjohn
0
Pct.
Yards
Avg. Yds
TD
INT
0.00%
0
0
0
0
93
56.99%
1
0.00%
1089
20.55
0
0
12 0
Chardon 2020 Offense: Receiving Player
James Pettyjohn
Receptions
Yards
9
217
12
Brady Toth
Blake Barker
7
Alex McDonald
6
Sean Carr
Nathanael Sulka Angelo Ferrante
5
Matthew Mysyk
1
Evan Gardner
1
29.14
122 27
1
24.11
204 125
6
TD
15.83
198
6
Avg.
190
5 1
33.00 20.83
20.33 5.40
1
Attempts
Nathan Tager
66
Made 66
24
2
12
1
6
3
18
5.00 1.00
Pct.
100.00%
Points 66
Chardon 2020 Kicking: FG Player
Nathan Tager
Attempts 8
Made 5
Pct.
62.50%
6 6
4
Chardon 2020 Kicking: PAT Player
Points
Points 15
3 1
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2020 CHARDON HILLTOPPERS Conference: Western Reserve Conference Enrollment: 342 Boys Superintendent: Dr. Michael Hanlon, Jr. Principal: Doug Murray, ‘96 Athletic Director: Doug Snyder Head Coach: Mitch Hewitt ‘99 (Bowling Green) Varsity Assistant Coaches: Bill Overton, Bob Francis, Frank Hall, Brian Landies, Marty Mackar, Connor Krouse, Don Navatsyk, John Yuha, Rob Vujaklija, Rick Mysyk, Brett Weidig, J.J. Laseak, Nick Iacampo Freshmen Assistant Coaches: Dave Toaddy, Mark McNellie, Doug Carr, & John Paglio Middle School Assistant Coaches: Dan Dinko, Eric Bartley, Chris Aurand, Ray Fatur, John Prince Cheerleading Coaches: Kasey Eichele, Shae Eichele Varsity Cheerleaders: Madi Arganti, Madison Clague, Bryanna Evans, Abby Frania, Mackenzie Flores, Emma Gittins, McKenna Haack, Gabby Hallar, Gabbie Jeschelnig, Kristina Pason, McKenna Robie, Brinley Szalay, Sam Zarzour, Jillian Ziegenfuss, Ashley Zmarzly Athletic Trainer: Nick Outrich & Lindsey Williamson Team Doctors: Dr. Louis Leone, Dr. Mark Mendeszoon Statisticians: Jim Tyminski, Tim Semler, Mark Purchase Video Crew: Nick Miller, Chris Rensi, Andy Fetchik
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