Chardon Football Championship 2021 - a publication of the Geauga County Maple Leaf

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Thursday, January 13, 2022

Thursday, January 13, 2022

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A New Golden Era of Hilltopper Football

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

In winning Chardon’s second consecutive state football championship, the Hilltoppers officially created a new golden age of football in Chardon.

The 2020 and 2021 teams did something no other teams in Chardon’s history have done — win and then repeat as state champs.

Considering some of the great teams that have worn Hilltopper uniforms, that statement really says something.

The ride to the school’s third state title was memorable, to say the least.

“It’s going to take weeks to digest what these kids did,” said Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt.

On the surface, the answer appears simple. The Hilltoppers showed they had the defense to win a state championship early, and as the season progressed, they found a formula on offense that worked.

Week in and week out, defensive coordinator Brian Landies put his unit in a position to be dominate. We’re not talking about being successful, but actually pounding opposing offensives into submission.

Nearly every week, Chardon’s opponents had no answers for the Topper defense.

Often times, opponents left frustrated and sore.

The defensive line featuring Alex McDonald, Michael Washington, Cooper Felger and Alex Kisley gave opposing quarterbacks nightmares. Not only did they do a great job opening up holes for linebackers Christian Hall, Heath Fetchik and Brody Dotson, they also got in the backfield, where they picked up tackle for losses and sacks at an amazing rate.

Not to be outdone, Char-

don’s linebackers proved they belong among the school’s alltime great units as well. When the defensive line opened up holes, it was the linebackers who came in and shut down opposing running backs.

When quarterbacks dared to throw against Chardon, they faced a secondary Hewitt called one of the best during his time as head coach. With starters like Trey Liebhardt, Leo Columbi, AJ Bruce and Nathaniel Sulka, opposing quarterbacks had a tough time throwing the ball.

Sulka, who started 46 games during his career, didn’t get the run some of the other defenders did, but his impact was immeasurable. The senior had a team-leading 88 tackles entering the championship game, and his toughness was an inspiration for all his teammates.

“His shoulder is shot; it popped out last week,” said Hewitt. “There are guys who you worry about and wonder if they will play in the state title game. There was never a doubt with him. He’s the ultimate competitor, and his legacy at Chardon will forever be told. I’m going to miss him.”

Prior to the playoffs starting, Hewitt noted the one thing that separated last year’s defense, which he said was one of the all-time greats at Chardon: the lack of a ring.

The debate can now begin as to which was the greatest defense now that both the 2020 and 2021 defenses have had rings.

On the other side of the football, Sean Carr carried the load early, as Alex Henry, who had never started as quarterback, learned and then began to hone his craft.

“We don’t win without Sean Carr,” said Sulka. “We’re not in the state championship without

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Senior Adam Jackson with the championship trophy.

Sean Carr.”

After seven weeks of play, it was clear the Hilltoppers had the defense to make a run at another state title, but something was missing offensively.

A decision was made prior to the start of week eight to add Bruce into the offensive mix, and the move might have changed the entire postseason for Chardon. Bruce’s speed allowed him to get to the outside on jet sweeps, which opened up the middle for Carr and Henry.

Add in Nathan Tager, who capped off a sensational career as one of the school’s all-time great kickers, and this Hilltopper team was stacked at most positions.

Looking back, this Topper team had the entire package, but at the beginning of the season, few people were thinking about another state title.

Graduation hit the Hilltoppers hard, and few starters returned in 2021.

“I underestimated our kids this year, and they sensed that with me,” Hewitt admitted.

From the start, this team had a chip on its shoulder because many people doubted that a bunch of kids who didn’t start a game last year could make a run at a state title.

After the championship game, Sulka was happy to remind them they were wrong.

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Mitch Hewitt looks toward the Chardon sidelines as his team pulled ahead 21-14 in the state title game. Hewitt, a 1999 Chardon graduate, has started a new golden era of Hilltoppers’ football in his 11 seasons.

“The feeling was a little bit better,” he said of this year’s win compared to last year’s.

“There were a lot of people who doubted us this year. They didn’t think we could do it. They didn’t think we’d be here, but we proved everyone wrong. It was an amazing moment.”

Sulka also recalled some-

thing Brady Toth told him last year, which he took to heart.

“Last year Brady Toth said to me the best thing you can do for your senior year is to go out with a smile,” Sulka said. “There’s only a small percentage of seniors who get to do that, and we went out with a smile.”

Not only did the Hilltoppers

create a new golden age of football in Chardon, but they inspired the youngsters who look up to them as heroes.

As the team was clapped out of Chardon in its buses, Hewitt and his players recalled the looks of the young students, some of whom likely have dreams of winning a state title themselves.

“It’s really special. It’s made more special by what you see going on in the world,” Hewitt said. “You can see all the kids smiling. You can see it in the community. It’s the beauty of sports, it’s what unifies people.

Chardon is a football town, and we are blessed and fortunate.”

“It was amazing going through the square and seeing all those little kids who dream to be in our shoes,” said Henry.

“The whole city of Chardon has been behind us.”

Perhaps there has never been a better time to be on the Topper train.

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In the past two years, Chardon has won 28 straight games and two state titles.

All year long, Chardon Memorial was a loud, rocking stadium. During the playoff run, it stayed the same, and transferred all the way out to the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium as well.

Asked whether he ever turned around to look at the crowd, Carr said, “I took it in a couple of times today. It was awesome.”

Much like Carr took in the sights and sounds at the title game, we hope you, the fans, have enjoyed the ride.

For a public school not named Kirtland, such success doesn’t happen too often.

Both Bruce and Henry believe enough talent will be on the roster to make a third straight title appearance next year — and after what we witnessed this year, it would be unwise to bet against them.

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PASTOR PHOTOGRAPHY

From left, Bob Francis, Frank Hall, Dean Carlo, Bill Overton, Marty Mackar, Connor Kruse, Rick Mysyk, Brett Weidig, Nick Iacampo, Brian Landies, Don Navatsyk, John Paglio, Cam Niehus, Rob Vujaklija, Dave Toaddy, Mitch Hewitt and J.J. Lasek

Chardon Coaching Staff: The Perfect Band

By Jason Baxter sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

The Rolling Stones. The Beatles. The Chardon Football Coaching Staff.

Following Chardon’s 21-14 win over Hamilton Badin to win the Division III State Championship, Chardon Head Coach Mitch Hewitt compared his staff to a hall-of-fame band.

“Everyone is playing their part and instrument. Not a lot of egos,” Hewitt said. “That’s rare with football coaching. I let these guys coach because I’m smart enough to know they’re smarter than me.”

Following back-to-back state championships and a 28-game winning streak, Hewitt’s comparison put his coaching staff in the highest regard.

Chardon’s program has been led by Hewitt for the past 11 years. Beyond back-to-back state titles, his teams have amassed 96 wins and eight playoff appearances.

But most importantly, Hewitt has worked to assemble a coaching staff of 27, ranging from varsity to junior high — a group made up of veterans and young coaches just getting their start.

Many alumni have come back to work under Hewitt.

When talking about his coaching staff, Hewitt said, “I

get too much credit; they deserve more credit.”

Asked what type of credit the assistant coaches should get, he listed game planning and preparation, then quickly added, “If you say we have 16 varsity coaches, each one brings something different to the table. There is a unique part of each coach that makes up for someone else’s deficiency.”

Assistant Coach Frank Hall has been part of the Chardon program for six years, returning after a head coaching stint at Ashtabula Lakeside. He was quick to give credit to Hewitt for not only building but also retaining a strong coaching staff.

“First and foremost, it’s Coach Hewitt and the culture and expectations he has set,” Hall said. “Most importantly, it’s not about Xs and Os, it’s about the young men in our program, that we love them and care about them. He demands we take care of them first.

“His culture of building young men is what makes the difference at Chardon.”

Bob Francis has been a part of the coaching staff at Chardon for more than three decades. He spoke of the staff all pulling in the same direction toward success.

“It’s consistency, and everyone has their thing,” Fran-

cis said. “When you put all the pieces together, it makes one complete whole, whether it’s Coach V (Vujaklija), who is our strength and conditioning guy, I bring something to the table, Coach Landies has a brilliant defensive mind. I could look at every coach and they bring something unique to the staff.”

It seems the key to successful coaching has been continuity, though Hewitt believes he has many coaches capable of being a head coach and many young coaches who are destined to become head coaches.

“Two coordinators are Chardon grads: Don Navatsyk and (Brian) Landies,” Hewitt said.

“They could be anywhere coaching football; they choose to raise their families here and coach football here. Coach Overton has been at Chardon since the ‘70s and has as much passion and connection with his kids as ever before.

“That’s a testament to a program, when you lose young guys to go be head coaches. We have been fortunate to keep the nucleus together. It’s an honor when our staff goes and takes other jobs; Frank left (for Lakeside) and Chip Sorber went to Geneva. We have a bunch of head coaches on this staff.”

Hewitt has also welcomed

young coaches from successful programs, including Nick Iacampo and Connor Krouse, both West Geauga graduates. JJ Laseak, a 2008 Mentor graduate, went onto a successful career at Baldwin-Wallace.

Quarterback guru Brett Weidig, Cameron Niehus, Landies and Navatsyk are all Chardon alumni. Marty Mackar, like Overton and Francis, has been a longtime member of the coaching staff, keeping a watchful eye on Hilltopper specialists for many years.

Chardon has only had three head coaches in 40 years, and all the veterans have personal experience with this fact.

Hewitt illustrated this perfectly with a laugh, saying that Coach Francis was his middle school math teacher.

Furthermore, many coaches on staff, including Hall, Francis, Rick Mysyk, Mackar and Vujaklija, were able to coach their sons within the program. Many were seen posing for pictures with their sons following the title game — none prouder than Hall, whose son Christian finished the game with 11 tackles.

While the band is likely to change in the coming years, one thing is for sure: a legacy of greatness has been imprinted on this program forever.

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WEEK 1: GLENVILLE 14 – CHARDON 28

Chardon Overcomes Mistakes in Win Over Glenville

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

Chardon opened defense of last season’s Div. III state championship in typical Hilltopper fashion, with a 28-14 grind-it-out victory over a young and inexperienced Glenville Tarblooder squad.

The physicality of the Toppers wore down Glenville, which was playing its first game in nearly two years.

Last year, Glenville, along with a number of teams in Cuyahoga County, did not field a football team due to COVID-19 safety precautions.

The lost year caused Glenville to lose a year of growth and experience. For the seniors, the contest marked the first time they played in a high school football game since they were sophomores.

Chardon entered the game with questions of their own, as well. Coming off the state championship, the Toppers lost a lot of talent and experience to graduation. This contest provided the opportunity to see who would step up.

Following the game, a number of questions were answered, but neither head coach was satisfied with the play of his team.

While the Tarblooders kept things close in the first half, the second half belonged to Chardon.

Up 7-6 early in the third quarter, Glenville’s Bryce West returned a Topper punt 69 yards to the end zone. The touchdown and ensuing two-point conversion gave Glenville a 14-6 lead, which turned out to be the final highlight of the night for the Tarblooders.

The Hilltoppers were not fazed by the quick score. They responded and moved the ball

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Alex Henry, center, made his first varsity start at QB in the team’s 28-14 grind-it-out win against Glenville in a game played at Riverside High School. Henry and Trey Liebhardt, both juniors, will be key as weapons on offense, among other Hilltoppers, as the team retools in 2021.

down the field.

“You can’t let yourself get too high or too low,” said junior running back and cornerback Trey Liebhardt. “It didn’t affect us. We just went back to work.”

Lead by junior quarterback Alex Henry and Liebhardt, Chardon began to run around the left end and pick up some yards.

The 11-play, 68-yard drive was capped off by an eight-yard touchdown pass from Henry to Liebhardt.

The score was the first varsity touchdown for Liebhardt, who only had a handful of varsity touches entering this game.

Later in the third quarter, Henry found more success through the air.

The junior connected with senior wide receiver Nathaniel Sulka for a 28-yard touchdown

pass to give the Toppers a 2013 lead.

By the time the third quarter ended, it was clear the lost season had an impact on Glenville. The Tarblooders began to show fatigue, as the Chardon run game delivered punishing, physical blows.

“That was part of our plan,” said Chardon Coach Mitch Hewitt. “We knew we could get them in the fourth quarter. We felt confident in our kids and their ability.”

In the fourth quarter, Liebhardt may have answered the question as to who would take over for James Pettyjohn, who graduated last year. Liebhardt took a handoff, found an opening in the line, made one cut and was off to the races for a 45yard score.

“He’s a talented kid and

we identified him throughout camp as a kid who clearly needs touches. You can’t have a kid that talented playing only one way,” Hewitt said. “We have a stable of backs who are serviceable, but going into this season, my number one concern was we need home run hitters. I think he can be that guy.”

Liebhardt credited the offensive line for holding their own against a talented Glenville defensive line.

“They stayed the course and Glenville got tired,” he said.

“They just kept blocking their hearts out and were finally able to open up some holes and I found them.”

The two-point conversion run by Zoran Vujaklija upped the lead to 28-14.

Glenville attempted to answer back. Head coach Ted Ginn

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put sophomore Damarion Witten into the game at quarterback in the fourth quarter, and Witten showed flashes of Cardale Jones.

The strong-armed sophomore rifled the ball down the field and nearly connected with Sidney Little for a long touchdown pass.

Fortunately for Chardon, Sulka was able to jump up and get a couple of fingers on the ball, just enough to redirect its trajectory away from Little.

While Witten was able to move the Tarblooders down the field, he could not get them into the endzone.

On this night, the Topper defense was too good — especially in the third quarter when they held Glenville to two three and out possessions. In the third quarter, Chardon dominated the clock, holding onto the ball for nearly 10 minutes.

Henry showed potential against a Tarblooder defense that features players who will

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likely get looks from Div. I colleges.

“He’s a tough kid. It’s hard to get any kind of significant runs against a team with that much speed and defensive line like that,” added Hewitt.

For Hewitt, the biggest concern to come from the game was the play of his special teams.

In addition to the punt return touchdown they gave up, Chardon had a tough time kicking the ball. The Toppers were 0-2 on field goals and 2-3 on PATs. Hewitt called the special teams play deplorable.

“There’s no excuse for it.

It’s 100 percent my fault and it’s all going to be cleaned up this week,” Hewitt said. “We got to spend more time on it and get some goal posts. The protection wasn’t good. We had two guys wrap up their punter and we should have blocked another punt.”

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WEEK 2: CHARDON 42- BUCHTEL 0

Toppers Route Buchtel, Ursuline Up Next

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

The Hilltoppers were too much for Akron Buchtel, as Chardon cruised to a 42-0 nonconference victory.

The Griffins likely had no clue what was hotter – the temperature, which was a balmy 88 degrees at kickoff, or the Chardon defense, which collected nine sacks and made three interceptions in pitching the shutout.

The standout defensive performance allowed the defenders to watch the Hilltopper offense wear down Buchtel.

Chardon (2-0) got on the scoreboard with a 15-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Alex Henry.

“All week long, our coaches were telling us to drink gallons of water,” said Henry. “In the end, it paid off.”

Up 7-0, the defense got in the scoring act when senior Nathaniel Sulka picked off Griffin quarterback Pruter and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.

Sulka’s pick-six was one of two the Hilltoppers defense recorded on the day. The other belonged to sophomore safety Leo Columbi.

With just over a minute to go in the first half, it appeared the Toppers would take their twotouchdown lead into the locker room at halftime. A couple nice runs by Chardon gave them the ball at Buchtel’s 25. Henry hit Sulka for what appeared to be a 25-yard touchdown, but the officials ruled Sulka down at the 1. With 36 seconds left, Henry capped off the drive with a single-yard touchdown run to stake Chardon to a 21-0 lead.

Down by three scores, Buchtel (1-1) had no answer to stop the

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Leo Colombi with one of his seven interceptions this season, the best on the team as a sophomore.

Colombi had 161 return yards on those picks, including a 75-yard TD return against Buchtel in Week 2.

He also had 15 pass break-ups.

Chardon defense, which allowed a total of zero first half yards.

“Our defense picked up where it left off last year,” said head coach Mitch Hewitt. “We have a lot of talented kids.”

The dominating defensive performance allowed Henry and the offense some breathing room, and they took full advantage of it in the third quarter.

Similar to last week’s game, the Toppers wore down their opponent in the third.

Senior fullback Sean Carr, who spent the better part of the day working down on Griffins with punishing blocks, scored his first touchdown of the year on a 21-yard touchdown run.

On the ensuing Buchtel possession, Columbi made a highlight reel 75-yard interception touchdown return.

“I was in the right place at the right time,” Columbi said.

“He threw it right into my hands,

and I had some good blocking.”

After making the pick, he did not think he would be able to take it to the house.

“I didn’t think I was that fast; I thought I would get tackled,” he added.

Hewitt said Columbi has endured a baptism by fire the first two games of the season, but felt he has a lot of room for improvement.

Chardon’s defensive line spent much of the day in the Buchtel backfield, pressuring the three Griffin quarterbacks and recording nine sacks.

Defensive linemen Michael Washington and Cooper Felger had no trouble applying pressure and making tackles.

“We have some goons, some guys who like to get after the quarterback,” Hewitt said of his defensive line.

He described Washington and Felger as weight room

junkies who are pretty violent with their hands.

On the day, Chardon tallied 236 yards of total offense, with 199 coming on the ground.

They picked up 13 first downs.

Henry rushed for 61 yards and two scores, while Carr added 50 yards and one touchdown.

Henry believes he is becoming more comfortable running the offense with each passing game. He credited the offensive line for opening up holes he could run through.

Buchtel was limited to 80 total yards of offense, including -29 rushing yards.

The victory snapped a threegame skid against the Griffins, who had defeated Chardon in three playoff games.

“It was brought up a lot this week,” said Columbi of the 0-3 mark against Buchtel. “We just wanted to avenge those losses and end that streak.”

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WEEK 3: URSULINE 27 – CHARDON 36

Strong 1st Half Propels Chardon to Home Opener Win

By Mason Cole sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

The Chardon Hilltoppers defeated the Ursuline Fighting Irish 36-27 on Sept. 3 at Chardon Memorial Field. The game was a tale of two halves for the Hilltoppers. Chardon, in control of the first half, led 33-13 at the end of the second quarter, but Ursuline roared back after halftime, battling to within six points of the Hilltoppers before simply running out of time.

Chardon received the opening kickoff and showed its dominance early.

Sophomore Andrew Bruce returned the kick to Ursuline’s 20-yard line. A few plays later, junior quarterback Alex Henry rushed across the goal line for Chardon’s first touchdown of the game, giving his team a 7-0 lead less than one minute in.

Chardon did not slow down.

After quickly stopping Ursuline’s first offensive drive, Henry ran for another touchdown to extend the Hilltoppers lead to 13-0.

Chardon’s offense was unstoppable in the first quarter.

Henry credits that to preparation.

“I felt like, as coach was saying every single day this week, we’ve got to come out hard,” Henry said. “I feel like we came out hard, and they were not expecting that.”

Henry was the star of Chardon’s offense early in the game.

The Hilltoppers quarterback scored three rushing touchdowns in the first quarter. Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt is encouraged by what he is seeing from his young quarterback.

“He’s just a pup,” Hewitt said. “He’s a kid who’s only

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Chardon’s Sean Carr runs for the touchdown in his Hilltoppers 36-27 Week 3 home win against Youngstown-Ursuline at Memorial Field. Chardon has not lost a home game since Nov. 2, 2018. This win extends the current home winning streak at Memorial to 20 straight games.

got three starts under his belt against three really good teams, so he’s only going to get better.

The sky’s the limit for him.”

While Henry was adding to the Hilltoppers lead on offense, Chardon’s defense had playmakers stepping up as well. In the middle of the first quarter, after Henry had scored his second touchdown, Chardon quenched another Ursuline drive by way of an interception from senior linebacker Ryan Petersen.

Petersen’s interception set the Hilltoppers up with great field position and ultimately led to a touchdown run by senior fullback Sean Carr.

Petersen was prepared for the moment when the ball was thrown his way.

“We were going over film all week, and we saw that whenever they run that bunch formation I need to line up, head-up

on it, and get through on it,” Petersen said. “So I just saw it, I got through it, and then I got the (interception).”

With a mix of powerful offense and highlight plays on defense, Chardon entered halftime with a 20-point lead over Ursuline.

The first half was a surprise for the Hilltoppers. Ursuline had scored 112 points in two games before its matchup with Chardon. Game preparation led Hewitt to believe that his team may have found itself in a halftime deficit against the Fighting Irish, but that was not the case.

“I think I ill-prepared them for that type of first half,” Hewitt said of his team. “You try to visualize being down, you try to visualize adversity, and it was a unique way of seeing momentum change at the end of

the first half that I had failed to prepare them for.”

Ursuline struggled in the first half while Chardon shined.

But those roles were reversed at the start of the third quarter.

Early in the second half, Marc Manning ran in a touchdown for the Fighting Irish to cut Chardon’s lead to 33-20.

Ursuline quickly found the end zone again with running back Demarcus McElroy to cut the Hilltoppers lead to 33-27 entering the fourth.

Henry believes his team let its guard down in the second half.

“Honestly, we were up (3313) at halftime and we were all laughing on the sideline,” Henry said. “That cannot happen.”

The fourth quarter was a battle between the high-flying offense of Ursuline and the gritty defense of Chardon. With

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their speed and size, the Fighting Irish continued to move the ball down the field. But in key moments, the Hilltoppers defense stepped up.

Midway through the quarter, Chardon senior Michael Washington had a sack that forced a fourth-and-long for Ursuline that they could not convert. Later in the quarter, junior Trey Leibhardt and sophomore Leo Colombi both had crucial interceptions for the Hilltoppers.

Chardon’s biggest play of the fourth quarter came on special teams. After the Hilltoppers offense was stopped

by Ursuline, the Hilltoppers put faith in their kicker, Nathan Tager. With momentum still in the hands of Ursuline, Tager stepped up and calmly nailed a 39-yard field goal to extend Chardon’s lead to 36-27.

Hewitt was impressed with the poise of his kicker.

“It was huge,” Hewitt said of

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Tager’s kick. “It was a big field goal no matter what the circumstances.”

When big plays were needed, the Hilltoppers found a way to get the job done. Chardon stopped Ursuline’s second-half surge and walked away with a 36-27 victory.

Camaraderie saved the Hilltoppers when adversity struck, Petersen said.

“We just came together. It’s a brotherhood,” Petersen said.

“We’ve been playing with each other all our lives…this is what we do. We just came together, we put our feet in the ground.

This is our home field, first game back. We couldn’t let it slip away.”

Chardon was unsure if it would play at Memorial Field in Week 3 due to delays in the replacement of the field turf.

With the win, Chardon improved to 3-0 and is set to play Riverside at home this Friday.

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WEEK 4: RIVERSIDE 7 – CHARDON 28

Defense, Special Teams Key Chardon Win

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

A 90-yard kick-off return and impressive, physical defensive effort propelled Chardon to a 28-7 victory over Western Reserve Conference foe Riverside at Memorial Field in Week 4.

The Beavers generally have given the Hilltoppers fits — and opening the conference schedule against them was no picnic for the home team.

The game began with a bang for Chardon (4-0, 1-0 WRC), as Riverside (2-2, 0-1 WRC) kicked the ball to Trey Liebhardt, who returned it straight down the opposing sideline for a touchdown.

Early in the season, teams were burned by kicking the ball to A.J. Bruce, but Riverside found out Liebhardt is just as dangerous.

“You can’t really hide,” said Liebhardt. “You can’t hide me or A.J., either of us will score.”

The 90-yard kickoff return gave the Toppers a 7-0 lead and got the crowd of roughly 6,000 fired up, but it did not provide a spark for the Chardon offense.

For the remainder of the first half, the Hilltoppers offense struggled to move the ball.

A gutsy performance by the Beavers defense created two first half turnovers, as they kept the Toppers off the scoreboard.

For as well as the Riverside defense played, the Toppers defense was just as good and the score remained 7-0 going into the locker room at halftime.

With 4:32 to play in the third quarter, Bruce, Chardon’s sophomore cornerback, picked up a lateral pass and ran into the end zone for a touchdown.

The touchdown upped the lead to 14-0 and gave the Toppers

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Aidan Ischay, center, in his first season as the varsity starting center, helped anchor an offense that rushed for 4,402 yards this season. Ischay led his fellow lineman with a All-Ohio Third Team selection for his efforts.

some momentum.

“It was a backward pass and I didn’t even know if it was a fumble or not and I just ran it in,” said Bruce.

On the ensuing Beaver possession, Bruce made another big play. This time, the sophomore jumped a route and picked off the ball.

“I read it. My guy redirected, and I saw the quarterback scrambling and jumped it,” Bruce added.

“A.J. is growing up — leaps and bounds,” said Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt. “He’s got four games under his belt.”

Chardon though, could not capitalize on the turnover.

When the Hilltoppers got the ball back, junior quarterback Alex Henry busted off a 50-yard touchdown run to put the game out of reach at 21-0 with just under nine minutes to play in the game.

About 12 seconds after the Henry touchdown, Mario Tolo, a sophomore defensive back, picked off a Riverside pass at the Beavers 19.

As the fourth quarter progressed, the Toppers punishing defensive play finally wore down the Riverside offense.

“We were missing a few guys and some guys had to do double duty. You could tell we were wearing down,” said Riverside Head Coach Dave Bors.

With 6:40 to play, senior fullback Sean Carr capped off the scoring for Chardon with a oneyard touchdown run.

Hewitt was happy with the defense’s performance and credited the tough non-conference schedule they played to get them to play at this level.

“It’s nice when you go through the non-conference schedule we saw because compared to last week, everything was in slow motion tonight,” said Hewitt.

For the second week in the row, the defense was able to get turnovers, which both coaches felt made a difference.

“It’s the name the name of the game. Other than the score, the next most important statis-

tic is turnovers. If you win that battle, you’ll probably win the game,” Hewitt said.

Coming into the season, there were questions surrounding the defense after the loss of numerous starters to graduation.

Four games into the season and Bruce feels the defense is becoming more cohesive and has a chance to be special.

“Last year we had a powerhouse defense and I think our defense is just as good as last year’s. We’re proving it too in our games,” he said.

While the defense played well, Hewitt was not happy with the performance of his offense, as the Toppers continually lost the line of scrimmage “Riverside had some players out, but they battled,” said Hewitt. “My hats off to Coach Bors and Coach Ishmael. Defensively, they beat our faces in up front. Our offensive line has to get a lot better and I’m disappointed in that. We threw another pick in the red zone.”

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WEEK 5: CHARDON 41 – MAYFIELD 7

Henry Has Breakout Game Against Wildcats

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

The Hilltoppers pounded Mayfield 41-7 in a Western Reserve Conference matchup behind a breakout performance by junior quarterback Alex Henry.

Down two starting offensive lineman, the Toppers opened up holes for Henry to run through, as the quarterback ran for 86 yards and three touchdowns, plus he threw for 49 yards and one score.

Chardon Head Coach Mitch Hewitt was happy with his signal caller’s play and effort by the offensive line.

“We were pleased with his [Henry’s] performance. We were essentially down two offensive lineman, so that was the part I was really pleased with,” said Hewitt In the first quarter, Chardon (5-0, 2-0 WRC) twice started with the ball near midfield and both times, Henry scored on touchdown runs.

Five minutes into the game, he used a nice stiff arm against a Wildcat to take it into the endzone from 10 yards out.

Henry followed up his first touchdown run with a 13-yard touchdown run with just under two minutes left in the first quarter.

Up 13-0 midway through the second quarter, Mayfield (0-5, 0-2 WRC) got on the scoreboard with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Devin Sperling to Mason Arth.

The momentum was short lived, as the Hilltoppers responded quickly.

Less than three minutes later, Henry capped off a short drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver

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Daniel Pettyjohn had 561 rushing yards this season on 95 carries for almost 6 yards per carry average and two touchdowns, including this one, scored in Week 5 against Mayfield.

Nathanael Sulka to up the lead to 20-7.

“It was an awful throw, but he’s 6-4, an absolute athlete, he’ll catch it,” said Henry.

Chardon received the ball to begin the third quarter, and the Hilltoppers struck quickly.

Two minutes into the half, Henry ripped off a 40-yard touchdown run to make it 27-7.

While he showed glimpses of his game-changing speed in the first four games, Henry’s running ability was on full display against Mayfield.

His performance came after the Toppers offense struggled a week earlier against Riverside.

“Our offense was awful last week and Coach Hewitt was mad all week, so we knew we had to perform this week,” said Henry.

He credited his breakout game to the team’s preparation for the Wildcats.

“I felt our preparation was

really good this week. We had a lineman out, but Ayden Smith stepped up,” he added.

One minute after the junior’s long run, the Chardon defense got into the scoring mix, as senior cornerback Trey Liebhardt picked up a loose ball on the five-yard line and raced in for a touchdown.

While the offense stole the headlines, the defense once again played tough.

Chardon knocked Sperling out of the game and early in the third quarter, the Wildcats were down to their third string quarterback.

“I wouldn’t want to be playing quarterback against our defense and I wouldn’t want to be the kid coming in off the bench to play quarterback,” Hewitt added. “They’re violent, fast, well-coached and we have really good cornerbacks.”

Up 34-7, the Toppers were not done.

With 27 seconds left to play in the third quarter, Daniel Pettyjohn added a 10-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 41-7.

While not the slasher and speedster his older brother James is, Daniel is wants to make contact with would-be tacklers and run through them or knock them down. The more reps he gets, the better he feels.

“This is my first year playing on varsity and each week I’m feeling more comfortable,” he said. “I’m seeing the holes better each week,” he added.

Chardon finished the night with 381 yards of total offense, including 334 on the ground.

They racked up 16 first downs.

The only blemish on the night for Chardon was penalties. The Hilltoppers committed 12 penalties for 130 yards.

Mayfield was held to 96 total yards of offense and seven first downs.

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Pettyjohn lead the way with 96 rushing yards and the touchdown, followed by senior fullback Sean Carr, who tallied 91 yards.

Hewitt was pleased with his offense’s performance.

“We moved the ball, but still need to work on our pass protection. We’ll never be famous for it, but we need to give the quarterback some time to throw the ball. We’ve got people open.

Ultimately, we’re going to have to throw the ball to beat some of these teams,” he said.

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On paper, the contest appeared to be a trap game for Chardon against the winless Wildcats, with a showdown with 5-0 Kenston next week.

“Our coaches rode us real hard this week because they knew Mayfield was a dangerous 0-4 team,” said Pettyjohn.

“I was not an easy person to be around this week and I don’t like games like this because I respect Mayfield’s coaching staff, they have enough talent at times to be dangerous,” added Hewitt.

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Thursday, January 13, 2022

WEEK 6: KENSTON 0 – CHARDON 49

Chardon Bombs Kenston, Routs Rival at Home

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

In the span of one minute within the second quarter, the Hilltoppers blew open a close game and knocked Kenston from the ranks of the undefeated with a 49-0 Western Reserve Conference victory.

Chardon (6-0, 2-0 WRC) played its most complete game of the season against their Geauga County rival, scoring a touchdown in all three facets of the game — offense, defense and special teams.

Playing against a banged up Bombers squad, the Toppers dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football.

With two of their top playmakers out — quarterback Nikko Georgiou and tight end Ryan Miller — it was a rough night for the Kenston offense.

Filling in for Georgiou, J.P. Germano was under duress all night. The smash mouth, physical style of play by the Toppers limited Kenston (5-1, 1-1 WRC) to 58 yards of total offense, including 47 yards rushing.

Throughout the night, Chardon was getting into the backfield and putting pressure on Germano, which in turn, led to five Bomber turnovers.

“It’s our defensive line being a bunch of dogs down there,” senior linebacker Heath Fetchik said. “It’s also good coaching, a lot of stunts down there, and the line executed them.”

With Germano in at quarterback, the Bomber’s offense was essentially one-dimensional and focused on the run.

“It helped us,” said senior linebacker Ryan Peterson of being able to focus on stopping the

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Chardon’s defense, led here by Rocco Perrico, left, smothered QB J.P. Germano and the Kenston offense, 49-0, at Memorial Field. Thanks to the defense, Chardon scored three times in 59 seconds in the second quarter to stay undefeated at 6-0. Chardon has now beaten their Western Reserve Conference rivals seven of the last eight games.

Kenston running game. “Our defense was locked in tonight.

I think we might be better than last year’s defense.”

Fetchik felt the Bomber’s offense played into Chardon’s strength.

“We have a great secondary, and I think a lot of teams would be scared to throw against them,” Fetchik said.

“That’s a dangerous team when they have all their weapons,” Chardon coach Mitch Hewitt added.

Chardon’s Sean Carr felt the Hilltoppers physical style was the difference in line play.

“We’re a physical team, and people can watch our film, but they don’t know how physical until they’re going toe-to-toe with us for four quarters,” Carr said.

For those who questioned

if Chardon should be the topranked team in Division III, this game showed the 2021 Toppers have the talent to make a deep playoff run.

“I’m proud of our kids,” said Hewitt. “It’s a rivalry game, and we did a good job this week keeping them focused. There’s something special about defending the hill.”

The Hilltoppers got on the board first, as junior quarterback Alex Henry threw a perfect pass to senior wide receiver Nathanael Sulka for a 49-yard touchdown reception. Sulka ran a good route and was able to gain some separation from the defender, as Henry hit him in stride.

As time expired at the end of the first quarter, Fetchik returned a punt 63 yards down the left side to make it 14-0.

“It was a line drive kick, I got some great blocks and I found a crease in the middle and tried to bounce it out,” said Fetchik.

With his return, the Toppers have now had three different special team players score on returns — A.J. Bruce and Trey Liebhardt on kickoffs and Fetchik on a punt.

“We put a lot of pride in our special teams. Nobody takes a game off. Everybody blocks,” said Fetchik.

Hewitt took it a step further and called it the best game played by his special teams’ unit this year.

“We won the kicking game tonight, which we hadn’t completely done up to this point,” he said.

The Toppers scored on their first possession of the second quarter, as fullback Sean Carr

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capped off a drive with a 3-yard touchdown run with 8:59 to play in the half.

Carr’s score would be the first of three Hilltoppers touchdowns within the next minute of the game.

With 8:14 to go, Brody Dotson scooped up a loose lateral and ran it into the end zone for a score.

The Bomber’s ensuing possession nearly ended in another Hilltopper score, as Rocco Perrico picked up a fumble and took in down to the Kenston 2-yard line.

As the clock struck 8 minutes, Carr found pay-dirt to up the score to 35-0.

In the span of just under a minute, a two-score game turned into a blowout thanks to the Chardon defense forcing turnovers and capitalizing on them.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Peterson of the

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quick scores. “It was kind of crazy and boosted our mood.”

Late in the second quarter, Alex Henry, the Chardon QB, got in the scoring act with a 15yard scoring run.

The game’s final touchdown came in the fourth quarter, as Zoran Vujaklija finished off a long drive with a 1-yard run.

For as good as the Hilltoppers defense played, their offense was just as good. While the numbers were not eye-popping, Chardon accumulated 286 yards of total offense, with 230 thanks to the running game.

The low total yardage was due in part to the Toppers starting with a short field on multiple possessions.

Henry rushed for 49 yards and one touchdown, while also throwing for 56 yards and another score.

Carr added 63 yards and two touchdowns.

Perhaps lost in the final score was the performance of the Chardon offensive line, who dominated the line of scrimmage.

“They’re getting better and better every single week,” Peterson added.

“Going into this year, the line had all new starters, but we knew how good they are,” said Carr. “I love running behind them.”

For Kenston the mistakes piled up quickly and made it difficult from which to recover.

“I’m upset about the mistakes,” said Kenston head coach Jeff Grubich. “I don’t think we gave ourselves a chance. That’s not who we are, and that’s my fault. I have to do a better job getting these guys ready.”

Grubich said he team will need to practice with a sense of urgency this week.

“We have to understand that

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we got to get those problems fixed,” he said. “It’s going to be a hard week for us. We need to get to that level. We’re not there yet.”

The loud and boisterous home crowd of at least 6,500 provided some extra energy for Chardon, a year after capacity was limited at Chardon Memorial Field due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Now, with the restrictions lifted, the home fans are making a difference.

The Chardon coach knows that.

“It’s a great place to play.,” he said.”I can’t, for the life of me understand why you’re not buying a ticket to come here on Friday night with beautiful weather. You’re missing out.

And it doesn’t matter what the score is. There is something beautiful about this — the band, the cheerleaders — it’s the environment.”

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Thursday, January 13, 2022

WEEK 7: CHARDON 21 - NEW PHILADELPHIA 0

Toppers Win Ugly in New Philly

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

Thanks to a staunch defensive effort, the Hilltoppers survived a rough second half by the offense and pulled out a 21-0 victory against the Quakers.

Behind three Sean Carr touchdown runs, Chardon jumped out to a 21-0 first half lead. Carr scored on runs of two, two and one yard to cap off drives.

“In the first half, the line was blocking great and opened up some big holes for me to run through,” said Carr.

While the Hilltoppers controlled the game in the first half, New Philadelphia limited Chardon’s offense in the second half.

The Toppers struggled to move the ball, the offensive line struggled to make blocks, and New Philadelphia took away the corners. Other than runs by Carr, Chardon’s offense had little success moving the football.

“Sean’s a good kid and a tough player,” said Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt.

“We need to find compliments to him. Tonight’s a night he could have got every carry, but we’ve got to get better at other things.”

Interceptions by Alex Henry ended several drives, but the Hilltopper defense stepped up and, for the second week in a row, pitched a shutout.

“It takes a lot of effort to

put up a shutout,” said Chardon defensive lineman Cooper Felger. “Every week we have a great week of practice and our defense is psychotic – just all over the board, and giving 110 percent on every play.”

The final score should actually have been 35-0, but penalties wiped out scores, including what would have been a 50-yard touchdown run by Henry and a pick six by Rocco Perrico.

Chardon tallied 211 total yards of offense, including 194 on the ground. The team was paced by Carr with 92 yards.

The vast majority of the Quakers’ 116 total yards came in the second half.

With Madison coming to

town next for homecoming, issues that arose this week against New Philadelphia should be addressed in time for the showdown in two weeks against an injured-riddled Willoughby South team — one that will likely determine the Western Reserve Conference champion.

“We came out soft in the second half,” Carr said. “We’ve got to fix it. I’m glad it happened because now we’ve got to work really hard this week to get back to that state championship level.”

“We need this adversity to show us where are faults and weaknesses are so we can get it fixed by next week,” added Felger.

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WEEK 8: MADISON 0 - CHARDON 48

Chardon Pounds Madison

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

The Hilltoppers simply overwhelmed Madison en route to a 48-0 lightning shortened contest.

The win, combined with a 3-0 Kenston victory over Willoughby South, leaves Chardon all alone at the top of the Western Reserve Conference.

Chardon (8-0, 4-0 WRC), the top-ranked team in the state in Division III, will next travel to South (7-1, 3-1 WRC). A win will give the Toppers a share of the WRC title.

On homecoming night, the team had no problems taking care of winless Madison (0-8, 0-5 WRC).

The Blue Streaks struggled against the Wing-T offense as Chardon amassed 437 yards of total offense.

A week after the Toppers had some difficulty moving the ball in the second half against New Philadelphia, Sean Carr, Alex Henry and a slew of running backs had no issues.

Chardon scored early and often against Madison.

Carr capped off a quick sixplay drive to start the game with a 25-yard touchdown run less than two minutes in.

Late in the first quarter, he finished another drive with an eight-yard scoring run.

He picked up the hat trick with a 38-yard touchdown run early in the second to give Chardon a 21-0 lead.

At that point, going back to the prior week’s game, Carr had scored the Toppers’ last six touchdowns.

A.J. Bruce interrupted the Carr scoring binge with a 55-

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Chardon overwhelmed Madison 48-0 in a lightning-shortened game at Chardon Memorial Field. The Hilltoppers are now all alone atop of the WRC, controlling their own destiny in a Week 9 matchup at South and a Week 10 matchup against North.

yard end-around. The score was reminiscent of many of Blake Barker’s touchdowns from last season.

The use of Bruce added a much-needed element of speed to the Chardon offense which, up to this point in the season, was content running over, rather than past, the defense.

With 5:30 to go in the second quarter, Carr once again found pay dirt on an eight-yard run.

Ryan Petersen got in the scoring act with a 14-yard rushing touchdown with about two minutes left before halftime to make it 42-0.

The second half was played under a running clock.

Chardon’s final score of the night came from Zoran Vujaklija, who finished a drive with an

eight-yard run in the midst of a monsoon.

Kicker Nathan Tager was crowned homecoming king prior to kickoff and celebrated by going 6-7 on extra point attempts.

His lone miss came late in the third quarter and was not his fault, as the driving wind and rain affected the snap and holder Will Francis was forced to throw the ball up for grabs in the end zone.

On the night, Carr rushed for 117 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught one pass for 14 yards.

Henry picked up 65 yards on the ground and threw for 102 yards and one touchdown.

Bruce added a 55-yard touchdown run, Vujaklija ran for

32 yards and a score, and Petersen chipped in with 40 rushing yards and one touchdown.

Not to be outdone by the offense, the Hilltopper defense posted its second consecutive shutout as well, limiting the Blue Streaks to 118 yards of total offense, including 90 passing yards.

Madison picked up just four first downs.

The game was finally called due to lightning with 10:04 to go in the fourth quarter.

Despite the win, Chardon will likely fall to second in Division III, Region 9 in the Harbin computer point rankings. According to joeeitel.com, Dover passed Chardon with its win over Marietta. But a win over South would likely put Chardon back on top.

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CHARDON FOOTBALL VARSITY CHEERLEADERS Back row, from left: Hailey Green, Alexis Fink, Lauren Rosipko, Brinley Szalay, McKenna Robie, Emma Federico Middle, from left: Samantha Zarzour, Maggie Slack, Jillian Ziegenfuss, Hollie Straka, Cadence Paul Front, from left: Avery Wynn, Bryanna Evan, Madison Clague, Kristina Pason Coaches: Kasey Eichele, Kaylee O’Donnell

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WEEK 9: CHARDON 59 - SOUTH 13

Chardon Clinches Title in Rout of South

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

The Toppers dominated South in all facets of the game this week to earn a 59-13 victory.

With the win, Chardon clinched at least a share of the Western Reserve Conference title. The Toppers can win the conference outright by defeating North in Week 10.

From the first Rebels (7-2, 4-2 WRC) possession, Chardon (9-0, 5-0 WRC) proved it was the better team.

Senior Zoran Vujaklija blocked South’s first punt of the game, which was recovered at the Rebel 1.

Senior Sean Carr then made South pay for the mistake by cashing it in on a one-yard touchdown run to put Chardon up 7-0.

The scores kept on coming from there.

On his team’s first offensive possession, junior quarterback Alex Henry led Chardon down the field and punched it in from 13 yards out.

The Rebels turned the ball over on their next possession as junior Trey Liebhart picked off Collin Quinlan, who was making his first start in two games after injuring his ankle.

Chardon, though, was not able to capitalize on the pick and eventually punted the ball.

With under four minutes to go in the first quarter, Rebel backup quarterback Gabe Hanslik busted off a 30-yard run but fumbled the ball. Hanslik was playing in place of Quinlan, who re-injured the ankle that had kept him out of the previous two games.

Senior Christian Hall recov-

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Trey Liebhardt’s all around play this season was a big reason the Hilltoppers repeated as state champions.”

ered the Hanslik fumble and a 30-yard touchdown run by Henry, making it 21-0 with 2:53 to play in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, senior Nathan Tager connected on a 22-yard field goal up the lead to 24-0.

A pick six by sophomore Leo Colombi upped the score to 31-0, and the route appeared to be on.

However, after the interception, South settled down and made some big plays.

Hanslik connected with Carson VonSegern for a 66-yard touchdown reception.

The Rebels missed the point-after attempt, but had already managed to do something no Chardon opponent had done in the last four games: the score

snapped a streak of 14 straight scoreless quarters against the Chardon defense.

After Henry fumbled the ball on the Hilltoppers next possession, Hanslik connected with Josh Owens on a 14-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead down to 31-13.

With 5:18 left to play before halftime, it appeared South had the momentum and was prepared to make a comeback.

But Chardon’s defense stepped up late. An interception by senior Nathaniel Sulka ended a South scoring threat as time expired.

Coming out of the locker room at halftime, Chardon make quick work of South to reestablish momentum.

A 16-yard touchdown run by

Henry made it 38-13 less than two minutes into the third quarter.

About five minutes later, sophomore A.J. Bruce showed off his explosive speed, taking a jet sweep 10 yards for the touchdown to start the running clock at 45-13.

For Bruce, it was the second touchdown he had scored in as many games.

His presence on the field pulled defenders away from the middle and allowed Henry to have some big runs between the tackles.

As the postseason nears, the addition of Bruce to the offense could prove to be the key for a long postseason run.

In the fourth quarter, a 17yard touchdown run by junior

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Daniel Pettyjohn pushed the score to 52-13.

Chardon’s final score came with 6:54 left to play when sophomore Drago Vujaklija busted off a 43-yard touchdown run.

The game was called with 2:56 to play due to lightning — the second lightning-shortened game in a row for Chardon.

On the night, the Toppers piled up 395 total yards of offense. All were rushing yards, despite the fact that most drives started on the South side of the field.

Henry had one of his best nights as a Topper, posting 165 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Carr added 57 yards and a score, while Bruce chipped in 75 yards rushing and one touchdown.

The Hilltopper defense limited South to 164 total yards, including 113 through the air.

Chardon recorded four turn-

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BILL FUGATE/KMG

Homecoming Queen Sierra Feller

overs and a blocked punt.

In addition to clinching a tie of the conference title, the victory propelled Chardon back into the top spot in Division III, Region 9. The Toppers lead Dover by about three points heading into the final week.

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WEEK 10: NORTH 0 – CHARDON 38

Chardon Finishes Back-to-Back Undefeated Regular Seasons

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

On Senior Night, the Hilltoppers dominated conference foe Eastlake North 38-0 to outright win the Western Reserve Conference title for the second consecutive year.

The win marks the fifth shutout of the year for Chardon, which also earned the number one playoff seed in Division III Region 9.

The Toppers defense closed out the regular season by posting shutouts in four of its last five games. The only blemish to the second half of the season came last week, when South scored 13 points in the second quarter.

Throughout the entire regular season, Chardon’s defense gave up just 68 points, an average of less than one touchdown per game.

On the year, Chardon outscored its opponents 390-68, which equates to an average score of 39-6.8 per game.

Facing a North squad that earned its biggest win of the season in Week 9 against Brush, the Toppers defense was up to the task and held the Rangers to a total 100 yards.

Senior linebacker Brody Dotson credited the effort by his teammates throughout the season to hard practices and tough, physical play.

While the Hilltoppers defense frustrated North all night, the offense and special teams reminded potential playoff opponents just how tough they will be to stop this year.

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The Chardon Crazies pride themselves on being one of the biggest, loudest and most creative student body cheering sections in the area. With signs, face paint, themes and chants, the Crazies gave Chardon an advantage, especially at home in the north endzone.

The Toppers were playing without senior fullback Sean Carr, who was given the night off after carrying the offense for a significant portion of the season. According to Chardon Head Coach Mitch Hewitt, the move was to ensure Carr is healthy for a long playoff run.

Despite keeping Carr in their garage, the Chardon offense found plenty of other ways to get around the field.

The Toppers took the opening kickoff and immediately drove down the field, with junior quarterback Alex Henry finishing off the drive with a five-yard touchdown run.

Henry sliced through the Rangers in the first half, run-

ning for 69 yards and two touchdowns.

On their second possession, a holding penalty wiped out a big run, but Henry hit senior Trey Liebhardt in stride for an 80-yard touchdown reception to increase the lead to 14-0 with just over four minutes to play in the first quarter.

With the offense putting up points, the defense was able to focus on what they do best – hit people.

Dotson said the Topper defense plays better when it sees the Chardon offense moving the ball and putting up points.

Against North, it had no trouble penetrating the backfield and stopping the run.

More importantly, it did it while staying healthy for the playoff run.

Following the second Ranger punt of the night, the Hilltoppers offense went back to work, with Henry engineering a quick drive. He finished it off with a 17-yard touchdown run to up the score to 21-0.

Over the course of the season, Henry has made some big strides as quarterback, gaining the confidence he needs to pilot the Wing-T. “It’s not easy running the Wing-T,” said Henry. “You just need the reps. I feel it’s gotten a lot easier for me.”

Upon getting the ball back, Chardon methodically moved

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down the field with a drive that lasted over seven minutes. This time, senior Zoran Vujaklija, who was filling in for Carr at fullback, plowed straight ahead for a five-yard score with 1:38 remaining in the half.

Prior to the game, Hewitt described Vujaklija as a Swiss army knife, and the senior lived up to the moniker. Vujaklija started the game at fullback, filled in for Henry at quarterback for several plays in the first half when Henry’s helmet came off, then slid right back into fullback. In the third quarter, with a running clock, he played quarterback for an entire drive as well. This is in addition to the time he spent at linebacker and special teams play.

For some players, the switch between positions could be a bit much, but not for Vujaklija.

“I’ve been running this offense for as long as I can remember, and going from one

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position to another is not that difficult,” he said. “It’s easy to stay focused when you know the team needs you.”

Following the Vujaklija score, barring anything catastrophic, North was in a spot to take a knee, let time expire in the first half, and go into the locker room down 28-0.

It was at that point, the catastrophic event took place.

Senior Nathan Tager’s kickoff landed at the 10 and appeared to be headed toward the end zone for a touchback. The Ranger’s nearest return man, who was standing near the goal line, took his eyes off the ball and began to walk toward his sideline.

Instead of rolling into the end zone, the ball came to a stop on the two, where senior Zach Kalis recovered the kick.

Junior Zach Fay then punched it in to put Chardon on top 35-0 and create a running

clock in the second half.

Nathan Tager, who had a busy first half with field goals and kickoffs, accounted for the game’s final score midway through the fourth quarter with a 32-yard field goal.

On the night, Chardon outgained its opponent 310 to 100 yards. The Toppers ran for 235 yards and threw for a total of 75 yards.

Vujaklija ran for 69 yards and one touchdown.

He thinks the offense, which has struggled at times this season, is tying things up.

“Everything’s coming together,” said Vujaklija. “We need to get rid of the penalties, all the stupid stuff.”

The Rangers were held to 91 rushing yards and nine yards passing.

Under the new OHSAA playoff format, seven of Chardon’s 10 opponents this season earned playoff berths; only Akron Bu-

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chtel, Mayfield and Madison did not earn enough Harbin computer points to qualify for the playoffs.

“It was a big statement game, and we wanted to finish the season off on a high note,” said Henry. “Every practice, every play is preparing us for the playoffs, and we’re starting to click right now.”

The win marks the completion of the Chardon program’s second straight undefeated regular season, as well as the first time in school history the program has avoided losses in consecutive regular seasons.

While the majority of Chardon fans could not enjoy the run last year by attending games due to COVID-19 restrictions, they have played a big part in the team’s success this year.

“I love hearing the fans, love hearing the Crazies cheer for us,” said Dotson. “I think they do make a difference for us.”

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Thursday, January 13, 2022

ROUND 1 PLAYOFFS: EAST 7 – CHARDON 38

Chardon Tops Akron East in 1st Round of Playoffs 23-Game Win Streak is a New School Record

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

Chardon advanced to the second round of the playoffs after handily defeating Akron East 38-7 in the first round of the Div. III Region 9 playoffs.

The Dragons proved to be better than a 16 seed, but could only muster one touchdown — on their first possession of the game — an 11-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Justin Cox to senior wideout Eric Holley, a Boston College recruit.

The early score by East put Chardon in unfamiliar territory.

The Toppers had not trailed in a game since the third quarter of their week one game against Glenville.

For some teams, this might be looked at as adversity and cause them to play tighter.

Chardon however, is not most teams.

“There was no talk on our sidelines,” said Chardon coach Mitch Hewitt about going down early. “This is a football team that has been through a lot and has seen a lot of good football played. At this point, you do not get to 10-0 and start doubting after one score. You trust in your kids and your system.”

“We haven’t faced adversity a lot this season, so it was good for us because we’re not going to roll every team we play,” said senior tight end and defensive lineman Alex McDonald.

After giving up the score, the defending state champions simply marched down the field

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Chardon’s Trey Liebhardt, left, and Leo Colombi bring down an Akron East receiver in the Hilltoppers 38-7 win in the second round of the high school football playoffs. Colombi’s interception in the first quarter helped seal the team’s 23-game winning streak, a school record.

and tied the game up.

On their next possession, East marched down the field and appeared set to retake the lead. However, sophomore defensive back Leo Colombi picked off Cox in the endzone and returned it to the Chardon 41-yardline.

Chardon moved the ball down into the redzone, but stalled out short of the endzone.

Nathan Tager, the senior kicker, connected on a 23-yard field goal attempt to give Chardon a lead they would not relinquish.

Following a kickoff return to the Chardon 44, the Topper defense buckled down and got a turnover on down.

The stop was key, as junior quarterback Alex Henry con-

nected with senior running back Trey Liebhardt for a 53-yard touchdown pass to give the Toppers a 10-point lead with 1:42 to go before halftime.

“I went out on an arrow and as soon as I saw the guy come up and I knew I had him,” said Liebhardt. “Henry threw me a great ball and I scored.”

Liebhardt, who had a great game in week 1, has been sparingly used on offense this year, due in large part to his value on the defense. However, when he is in the game, he has the ability to make big plays. While he is not the tallest receiver, he has developed some good chemistry with Henry.

“He’s like my best friend,” said Liebhardt. “We played catch freshman year and we play

catch every day after practice.”

Hewitt called Henry’s performance his best all-around game of the year. Henry ran for only 42 yards, but threw for 142 and two touchdowns.

East, who would receive the ball to start the third quarter, tried to mount a late drive instead of running out the clock at the end of the first half.

The decision proved costly, as Cox attempted to avoid a sack by throwing the ball toward the line of scrimmage. Senior linebacker Heath Fetchik saw Cox throw all the ball and dove toward it, intercepting the throw before it hit the ground.

“The play was flowing that way and I was working over there” said Fetchik. “I’m not sure who on the defensive line

Thursday, January 13, 2022

was getting to him, but he got it off and I saw it and dove and made the catch.

“I wasn’t expecting him to throw the ball, so I was shocked,” he added.

Chardon appeared poised to find the endzone again following the pick, but settled for Tager’s second field goal of the night, this one from 24 yards out, as the clock struck zero.

With less than two minutes to go in the half, the Toppers turned a three point lead into a 20-7 advantage.

Fetchik credited the turnaround to his team’s composure.

“When you keep your composure, stuff like that can happen,” he said. “It changed the momentum of the game.”

Early in the third, the Hilltoppers put together a quick drive capped off by McDonald’s score. After catching the

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short pass from Henry, the Youngstown State recruit rumbled into the endzone for his first touchdown catch of the year.

“I heard the play called and got real excited because I thought they were finally going to throw me the ball,” he said. “I was wide open because their safety was coming down all night. The only thing I was worried about getting hit by that defensive end off the line.”

“He’s an all-time Hilltopper and that’s a powerful statement to say,” Hewitt said about McDonald. “I’m extremely proud of him.”

A successful two-point conversion made the score 28-7 and Chardon was in full control.

Tager’s third field goal of the night with 1:11 to play in the third quarter upped the score to 31-7.

The final score of the night,

which started the running clock, came from senior quarterback Zoran Vujakilja, who ran it in from five yards out.

Chardon finished the night with 337 yards of total offense, including 195 on the ground and 142 through the air.

On a night when the offense left some points on the board, McDonald said the Toppers offense played against one of the most physical defensive lines they have seen all year.

That being said, the physical play of Chardon bothered the Dragons, as they were called for a number of penalties all night.

“It helps a bunch when you pick up a first down and don’t have to run a play,” McDonald added.

“Our team plays physical and as the game went on, and they got worn out,” Fetchik said.

East was able to pick up yardage throughout the night,

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but for the most part, could not put points on the board. The Dragons totaled 319 total yards of offense, with 165 coming from the running game.

Freshman running back Zaire Stevens accounted for 126 rushing yards and ripped off a number of big runs throughout the game.

As much as the state is trying to make a lot of money off of 16 teams, that’s the reason16 teams deserve to be in it,” said Hewitt. “That’s not a 16 seed team. That’s a really talented football team that I would put somewhere in the top eight.”

With the win, Chardon will host Streetsboro in the sectional quarterfinals. This will be Chardon’s final home game of the year at Chardon Memorial Field, as any games played after week 12 will be played at a neutral site.

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Thursday, January 13, 2022

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Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, January 13, 2022

PLAYOFFS WEEK 2: STREETSBORO 7 – CHARDON 63

Rockets’ Offense Fails to Launch Against Chardon Hilltoppers Advance to Round of 16

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

The Hilltoppers pounded Streetsboro 63-7 in the second round of the Division III, Region 9 high school football playoffs.

On paper, the Rockets had a prolific offense.

Streetsboro, like nearly every other team on the Toppers schedule, found out Chardon’s defense is one of the best in the state, capable of making any offense look bad.

It was the case on Friday night at Chardon Memorial Stadium, with the seniors playing their final home game of the year in front of packed home bleachers.

“This senior class is as motivated as any class I’ve ever seen,” said Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt.

According to Hewitt, the seniors played with a chip on their shoulder because they felt disrespected.

“They kept hearing they weren’t going to be able to compete, they weren’t going to be as good as last year. They channeled that into a really nice season,” he added.

Before the game, Hewitt told the senior it was the last time they would ever have a meeting in the home locker room and the lights won’t be on for a meaningful Friday night game until 2022.

The seniors took it to heart, and then took it to the Rockets.

Early on in the game, the fans were loud, providing energy as the Toppers defended The Hill one final time.

“It’s nice having the fans

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Chardon’s A.J. Bruce held high by offensive lineman Simon Rodriguez on the Hilltoppers first touchdown in the 63-7 win over Streetsboro in the second round of the Div. III, Region 9 playoffs. The Hilltoppers would score 42 points in the second quarter and the 63 total was a school record. The defense held an offense that averaged 40 plus points per game to just seven.

back this year and the atmosphere back,” Hewitt said.

The Rockets opened the game with the ball and slowly began to move the ball downfield chewing up nearly six minutes on the clock and converting on two fourth downs.

The third time was the charm for the Hilltoppers defense, who forced a turnover on downs to get the ball on their own 38-yard line.

The Hilltoppers quickly moved down the field and capi-

talized when sophomore A.J. Bruce ran it in from 19 yards out.

Up 14-0 following an Alex Henry touchdown, five seconds into the second quarter, the Chardon special teams made their mark on the game.

Senior Rocco Perrico blocked a punt and less than a minute later, senior Ryan Petersen cashed it in to increase the lead to 21-0.

“It was a low snap and I jumped and it was there,” said

Perrico of the blocked punt. “It was a huge momentum swing.”

The ensuring kickoff was a drop kick picked up by sophomore Will Francis and 23 seconds later, senior Sean Carr ripped off a 19-yard touchdown run.

Things went from bad to worse for Streetsboro, as the Rockets fumbled the ball on the return.

Junior quarterback Alex Henry found paydirt on the next play with a 26-yard touchdown

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run. The score made it 35-0 “It’s a third of the game,” Hewitt said about his team’s special teams play. “Coach Landies put that drop kick in to recover. It’s film study, knowing your opponent, believing in your kids and putting them in a position to make plays.”

“It was huge of them to make those plays,” said senior Nathiel Sulka. “They’ve been waiting their time to get minutes. I’m proud of them.”

Thanks to the special teams play, the multidimensional Rocket offense was in trouble.

Any chance they had to get back into the game would be through the air.

“If you make a team onedimensional, they’re easier to defend,” said senior defensive lineman Michael Washington.

“That series of special teams play demoralized them,” he added.

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The Toppers were not done though.

Chardon added a 19-yard touchdown run by Carr and a 10 touchdown run by Henry to make it 49-0 a minute before halftime.

In the span of one quarter, the Hilltoppers turned a close game into a blowout with a 42-point quarter.

In the second half, touchdown runs by Zoran Vujiklija and Charlie Clark capped the scoring.

“Our schedule has prepared us for these moments,” said Hewitt. “That’s a weight room victory.”

When the dust had settled, Chardon racked up 526 yards of total offense – their biggest output of the season – with 480 coming via the run game.

Lost among the gaudy stats was a great deep ball thrown by Henry to Sulka.

Throughout the season, the duo has worked to get in sync. With the running game beginning to pile up some big numbers, Sulka and his fellow receivers stand to benefit.

“He’s starting to find me,” said Sulka.

The Rockets could only muster 123 yards, including 89 on the ground.

Streetsboro came into the contest having scored at least 40 points in 80 percent of their games.

Chardon’s defense was not impressed.

“My mindset was that if we contain eight, they won’t be able to move the ball on us,” said Washington. “That first drive they started to move the ball, but we buckled down and we got them.”

Chardon picked up 24 first downs and limited Streetsboro to 7 first downs.

Henry finished the night

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with 132 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He also threw for 46 yards.

Carr added 116 yards and two scores, while Fay chipped in with 103 yards – all in the third quarter.

For the seniors, the game could not have turned out better.

“It’s sad for us as seniors to play our final game here,” said Perrico.

The good news for the seniors is they have at least one more game to play.

The Hilltoppers will face Canfield on Friday night in Girard, with the winner advancing to the Division III, Region 9 regional finals.

“Next week is gonna be a fistfight,” Hewitt said of the week 13 matchup with Canfield.

“Two similar programs, similar kids who were raised in the weightroom. It’ll be a lot of collisions for sure.”

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Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, January 13, 2022

PLAYOFFS WEEK 3: CHARDON 27 – CANFIELD 14

Déjà Vu: Chardon Knocks Canfield Out of Playoffs for 2nd Straight Year

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

Behind great running performances by senior fullback Sean Carr and junior quarterback Alex Henry, Chardon beat Canfield 27-14 in the Division III Region 9 Regional Semifinals.

With the win, the Toppers (13-0) will face Dover (13-0) at Portage Community Bank Stadium in Ravenna on Nov. 19 as they bid for a second straight regional title.

“We do it with homegrown kids and work ethic,” said Chardon Head Coach Mitch Hewitt.

“I couldn’t be more proud, specifically of this class.”

The Cardinals (11-2) were likely feeling a bit of déjà vu Nov. 12 leaving Arrowhead Stadium after Chardon eliminated them from the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

In the week leading up to the game, Canfield coaches and players told their local media they were focused on revenge following their 38-7 loss to Chardon in the 2020 Regional Finals.

While the Cardinals were plotting to avenge a loss, the Toppers were busy preparing for the contest, albeit with a chip on their shoulder. The reigning state champions, who are ranked first in the region based on the Harbin Computer Points System, felt slighted by the location of the game.

Supposedly at a neutral site, Arrowhead Stadium in Girard was a roughly 20 minute drive from Canfield, while a one-way trip from Chardon was well over an hour.

“We used it as added fuel,”

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Nathan Tager made 74 PATs this season and seven field goals to score 95 points on the season. His 46 touchbacks put the Hilltoppers defense in a good spot much of the season.

Carr said. “We like having the odds stacked against us.”

“It was a big motivational factor,” said Henry. “We didn’t want to go home in tears on an hour-long bus ride.”

Fortunately for the Toppers, their fans made the long trek out to Trumbull County to support their beloved team. With cowbells clanging, the Topper fans made their presence felt, and Chardon gave them reasons to cheer.

“Hilltopper Nation traveled, and it was fun to see,” Hewitt added.

The Hilltoppers owned the time of possession in the game, but especially in the first quarter, when they controlled the ball for about 11 minutes.

Canfield’s only possession of the quarter resulted in a three-

and-out. Chardon’s Wing-T was keeping Broc Lowry, the Cardinal’s dual threat quarterback, and his offense off the field.

In the second quarter, Chardon’s run game finally struck gold.

Carr opened up the scoring with a five-yard touchdown run five seconds into the second quarter.

Then, with 1:44 to go before halftime, Carr ripped off a 19yard touchdown run down the left side to up the score to 14-0.

Throughout the first half, both Carr and Henry were able to pick up four or five yards on a run.

Junior Daniel Pettyjohn, who earlier in the season was searching for confidence, showed he has definitely found it. Pettyjohn was able to get to

the outside on multiple runs, helping to open up the inside for Carr and Henry.

Carr finished the night with 144 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Henry added 96 rushing yards, and Pettyjohn chipped in 55 yards.

Both Carr and Henry credited the offensive line for opening up huge holes.

“We played awesome as an offense, and we have to keep playing like that,” said Carr, who also credited Pettyjohn and senior running back Ryan Petersen, who blocks on most of their plays, for helping open up holes. “I love Daniel. He’s grown up a ton this year.”

On a night when the wind made it difficult to pass the ball, the Hilltoppers were content to run the ball the entire game.

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Henry made great decisions and showed toughness after being hit more than any other game this season. “They are one of the hardest-hitting teams we faced this year,” he said.

Of his quarterback, Hewitt said, “He’s 13-0 as a starter.

What more can you say? He’s a kid who gets us in the right play even when we’re not in the right play.”

Down two scores, Canfield came out of the gate blistering to start the third quarter.

For the first time in the game, Lowry was turned loose on the ground.

Multiple runs by the junior quarterback allowed the Cardinals to move the ball down the field.

While Lowry’s legs got them in position to score, his arm would do the final bit of work, as he threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Oliver Kovass to cut the Chardon lead down to 14-7.

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The Hilltoppers were held to a three-and-out and forced to punt.

Then it appeared all the momentum was with Canfield, as the Cardinals went back to work and were moving the ball down the field.

However, the Hilltopper defense stepped up and made the game’s biggest play by stripping the ball from Lowry during a run.

Senior safety Nathanael Sulka picked up the loose ball and, all of the sudden, momentum was back on Chardon’s side.

“That was huge,” said Henry. “It gave us a boost of energy.

The offense was getting ready to look at the film, and somebody yelled fumble and we were headed back out on the field.”

The Hilltoppers capitalized on the turnover as Carr picked up the hat trick 36 seconds into the fourth quarter with a threeyard touchdown run.

Instead of a tie game, the Toppers had a 13-point lead.

Backs against the wall, Canfield decided to open its bag of tricks, which backfired as the Cardinals got pinned inside their own five yard line.

“The fumble and trick play were game-changers,” said Hewitt.

“We felt the momentum shift and we knew we had to take advantage of it,” Carr added.

After Canfield was forced to punt, the Hilltoppers drove right back down the field.

Then Carr found the end zone again – this time on a fiveyard run.

“He’s a warrior and epitomizes Hilltopper effort and is the hardest worker who cares the most,” said Hewitt of his fullback. “He eats and breathes Chardon football.”

The Cardinals responded as Lowry drove his team down the field and scored on a one-yard touchdown run with just under

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four minutes to play.

Leading 27-14, Chardon was unable to run out the clock.

However, the defense stepped up once again. This time, senior Christian Hall intercepted a Lowry pass to end Canfield’s season.

In total, Chardon ran for 310 yards and did not attempt a pass, which made sense considering the wind.

Canfield was limited to 242 yards of offense, including 31 on the ground and 211 through the air.

Henry felt the Toppers wore Canfield down in the second half. “Our offense just kept coming at them and it showed,” he said.

“We grounded and pounded and executed our play,” said Hewitt. “We got beat up a little bit, too, but we came out of here healthy and victorious and we know there are still areas we can get better at.”

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Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, January 13, 2022

PLAYOFFS WEEK 4: CHARDON 31 – DOVER 3

Toppers Claim 2nd Straight Regional Crown

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

Chardon advanced to the state semifinals with a convincing 31-3 victory over Dover at Ravenna High.

With the win, the Hilltoppers (14-0) claimed their second straight regional championship, and will take on the Millersburg West Holmes Knights Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. at Tiger Stadium in Twinsburg.

“It feels incredible,” said senior Nathaniel Sulka. “We knew all along we’d be back here again.”

Sulka, one of the few returning starters from last year’s state championship team, felt this regional title meant a little bit more to him.

“It’s a lot different because these (current teammates) are the kids I grew up with,” he said. “It’s a different feeling, a better feeling.”

The Knights (14-0) defeated Holy Name 31-21 to earn a spot in the final four.

Against Dover (12-1), the Hilltoppers played one of their most complete games of the season.

Tornado fans left Gilchrist Field at Portage Community Bank Stadium seeing blue – and not just because blue is the color of the stadium’s turf.

Chardon dominated Dover on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball so, early in the fourth quarter, their fans began to leave the stadium to start that long drive back home.

The Toppers outgained Dover 274 to 186 yards. Chardon racked up 255 rushing yards, while holding the Tornadoes to 65 yards on the ground.

However, despite gaining

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Chardon’s defense allowed just three points in the team’s 31-3 win over Dover. Nathanael Sulka, left, and Brody Dotson and teammates have allowed opponents just 6.2 points per game.

nearly 200 yards, Dover never really mounted a threat – even with its dual quarterback system of T.C. Molk and Ayden Hall.

Chardon Head Coach Mitch Hewitt said both Molk and Hall are good enough to start for any other school and credited his defense with limiting the Tornado air attack.

It had been tough to prepare for both quarterbacks, said junior defensive lineman Alex Kisley, who credited Chardon’s scout team for getting them ready.

Dover appeared to have momentum early as Connor McGarry ripped off a 35 yard-run on the first play of the game.

But even as the Tornadoes eventually moved into field goal range, Chardon’s defense stepped up and limited Dover to just three points, which came as a field goal to start the game.

The Tornado offense featured multiple big-time playmakers who just weren’t allowed to

make any big plays.

Chardon’s corners did a great job holding their opponents’ tall and fast receivers in check. “(Joey) Farthing is a dude and real fast without the ball,” said sophomore cornerback AJ Bruce.

“He ran some real good routes, but I was just stuck on him.”

Trailing 3-0, senior Trey Liebhardt took the kickoff and returned it back to the Dover 27.

On its first possession of the game, the Hilltoppers offense went straight to work and marched down the short field.

When junior quarterback Alex Henry put his team on top with a 10-yard touchdown run, the pressure was on the Tornadoes.

Dover’s next series ended with a big Chardon play as sophomore Leo Colombi picked off a Tornado pass on the Chardon 32.

Henry went back to work and made a couple of nice runs.

Fullback Sean Carr did the same and, four minutes later,

the Toppers were sitting at the Dover 19.

Bruce then capped off the drive with a jet sweep to the right side to make it 14-3 with 2:04 in the first quarter.

Bruce, who began the season as solely a defensive player, has become an invaluable cog on the offensive side.

“Deep down, I was always an offensive player,” said Bruce.

“It started with the Madison game when Coach Hewitt told me I better be ready to run jet and go score.”

One of the few players who goes both ways, Bruce said he is able to do so because of his selective use on offense. He’s not on the field for every offensive play, only for certain sets.

Senior Nathan Tager added a 32-yard field goal three seconds before halftime.

Heading into the locker room, Chardon had a 17-3 lead.

The field goal was pivotal, as Dover, a team who prefers to

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run the ball, was forced to throw more in the second half than it liked.

Both teams had a tough time putting drives together in the third quarter; the defenses did their job.

On one Dover possession, junior defensive lineman Ales Kisley recorded three sacks within four plays, including a sack on fourth down.

“We knew they were going to pass,” said Kisley. “That was a problem all game. We just worked in sets and made some adjustments at halftime.”

Late in the third quarter, Carr found the end zone on a three-yard run to make it 24-3.

He added a two-yard touchdown run with 4:14 left in the game to end the scoring.

Senior Ethan Gaspar put the exclamation point on the game when he picked off an overthrown Tornado pass at the Chardon 2 with under two

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Athletic Director Doug Snyder celebrates a TD. Snyder has dealt with the uncertainty of the coronavirus for two years.

minutes to play.

Henry led all runners with 129 yards and one touchdown.

Carr ran for 60 yards and two scores, while Bruce added 49 yards and a touchdown.

Chardon did not turn the ball over, but did commit four penalties for 50 yards.

Hewitt said his team has not peaked.

“Last week we ran ‘em,” he acknowledged. “It was a brutal film session for being undefeated. The calls don’t matter if we don’t have motors running full speed toward the football.”

But one week later, the mo-

tors were running in a physical game.

“There were helmet chips flying around out there; it was good to see,” Hewitt said.

Kisley also spoke on the Toppers momentum against Dover.

“As the game went on,” he said, “they started having that doubt in their head — what Coach calls a seed planted in their head, and we kept watering it all game. By the time the fourth quarter came around, they were done.”

“We played near perfection offensively, scoring on most drives,” Hewitt said. “We won collisions. That’s the thing about football, we still have areas to improve.”

And that might not be good news for the Knights this week.

“A lot of people have doubted us,” said Sulka. “We haven’t won anything yet, but we’re making a pretty good run. We have two more games to win.”

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Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, January 13, 2022

PLAYOFFS WEEK 5: CHARDON 41 - WEST HOLMES 7

Hilltoppers Set to Defend State Title

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

With a 41-7 drubbing of the Millersburg West Holmes Knights, Chardon has earned the opportunity to play for a second consecutive state championship.

The Hilltoppers (15-0) will defend their 2020 state title against Hamilton Badin (14-0) Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

At the start of the year, there were many unknowns in Chardon, as graduation took its toll on the state championship team. Expectations were not as high, except for those the players and coaches had for themselves.

But the team took this to heart, used it as motivation, and are now preparing to write their legacy among the school’s alltime great.

“This year was a little sweeter because last year we were the favorites and this year no one thought we’d be there,” said senior fullback Sean Carr.

“Now we get to prove everyone wrong.”

“We practiced hard all week for this game because we wanted to punch our ticket and make history,” said senior tight end and defensive end Alex McDonald. “This feels amazing because we now have the chance to make history and win two state championships in a row.”

In Twinsburg, the Knights (14-1) had no answer for the Topper’s Wing T offense. Meanwhile, Chardon shut down West Holmes sophomore running back Sam Williams-Dixon, who entered the contest with 36 touchdowns and more than 2,000 yards rushing on the sea-

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Chardon assistant coach Rob Vujaklija, right, prepares senior Joshua Bruce (10) and the Hilltoppers before they take the field against undefeated West Holmes. Chardon went on to win 41-7 and now defends its Div. III state title.

son.

It was a tough night for West Holmes, which runs its offense through Williams-Dixon, as the Hilltoppers piled up 386 yards of total offense, including 354 rushing.

The defensive game plan was simple: shut down WilliamsDixon and Chardon’s defense did just that. As they have nearly all season long, Chardon played a tough, physical and violent defense. They limited Williams-Dixon to 23 yards on eight carries, 21 yards receiving and no scores.

McDonald said it was Chardon’s strategy to take him out of the game and credited the scout team with a good week of preparation.

“We had designated scout guys wearing 24 (Williams-Dixon’s number),” he added.

As the game progressed, the Toppers once again wore down their opponent.

“Our coaches were preaching to us all week we need to

make them feel our hits, and we tried to bring that physicality on every play,” said junior linebacker Heath Fetchik.

Overall, West Holmes picked up 218 yards of offense, with 213 yards earned through the air. But a good chunk of the passing yards came in the second half, when the game was essentially out of reach.

Chardon dominated the contest from the opening kickoff, which was muffed by West Holmes and ended with the Knights starting at their own 7.

Their brief opening drive ended with an interception by sophomore Leo Colombi.

“It was really fun tonight,” Colombi said. “Balls were coming my way, and I was in the right spot at the right time. It was a post route, and AJ tipped it right into my hands.”

“He was a kid who we didn’t know where he was going to fit in this summer,” said Chardon Head Coach Mitch Hewitt about Colombi. “He’s playing like an

All-Ohio safety as a sophomore.”

The interception led to an eight-yard touchdown run by Carr to put the Toppers up 6-0.

While Williams-Dixon may have gotten the media’s attention this week thanks to his gaudy stats, the work Carr has done this season cannot be overlooked.

“I can’t speak enough about him,” said Hewitt of Carr. “He’s the epitome of a Hilltopper. If you look up Hilltopper in the dictionary, there’s a picture of him.”

On the ensuing Knights possession, senior Trey Liebhardt picked up a fumble and took it back to the house for a 12-0 lead.

For Chardon, the start could not have been much better. Midway through the first quarter, all the pressure was on West Holmes.

On their next possession, it appeared the Knights finally had an answer to the Topper offense.

But on a fourth-and-seven play

Thursday, January 13, 2022

from the West Holmes 31, Chardon deviated from the run game.

Junior quarterback Alex Henry dropped back to pass and threw to senior wide receiver Nathaniel Sulka, who made a great adjustment and caught the ball in the end zone. The 31-yard touchdown pass put the Hilltoppers up 19-0, and it appeared a route was eminent.

A four-yard touchdown run

by Carr upped the lead to 26-0 with just under two minutes left in the half.

After that, the Knights showed some fight and ran their two-minute offense to perfection, ending with an eight-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to 26-7.

This, however, would be as close as the Knights would get.

A slow, methodical drive

by Chardon to start the third quarter ended with a Sean Carr touchdown run. The ensuing two-point conversion run by the senior was good, and the Hilltoppers were in control 34-7.

“Those long drives are demoralizing, and that’s what we do best,” added Carr.

With their running game shut down by arguably the best defense in Division III, West Holmes was forced throw the ball. Senior quarterback Noah

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Clarke moved his team down the field and put them in position to score.

Colombi ended the Knight drive with 5:36 to go in the third when he out-leaped WilliamsDixon in the end zone. It was Colombi’s team-leading seventh interception.

“It was a fade route to Williams-Dixon,” he recalled. “I saw it and just went up, high-pointed it and ripped it out of the air.”

The turnover made the Toppers +22 on the turnover battle this year. Their tough defense, combined with time-consuming drives, has made it difficult for opponents to overcome their mistakes.

“It’s a byproduct of us executing on offense,” Hewitt said. “What we do offensively does not create many negative plays. Defensively our guys are in place because of coach (Brian) Landies, who spends about 800 hours a week getting us into position. You should see these guys on Sunday night. They’re in there for eight hours. They come out and their eyes are bloodshot.”

Three seconds into the fourth quarter, Carr found the end zone for the final time. The touchdown run made it 41-7 — and started the running clock.

Carr finished the night with 116 yards rushing, four touchdowns and the two-point conversion. Henry added 67 yards rushing; Pettyjohn had 65.

It was a night to remember for Carr, especially, as the senior became the all-time leader in postseason points scored with 104. He began the night tied with James Pettyjohn with 78 points.

He credited offensive coordinator Don Navatsyk with trusting him with the ball near the goal line, and thanked his blockers.

“It’s so awesome to hold that title in such a great program with so many great players in the past,” Carr said. “The offensive line is amazing. They are all first-year players who block their butts off every play.

Ryan Petersen and Daniel Pettyjohn block hard every play. ” Senior kicker Nathan Tager, who had a rough start on a slick Tiger Stadium field, also moved past Pettyjohn. Tager’s three PATs gave him 79 playoff points and sole possession of second place.

The win extends Chardon’s win streak to 27 games and gives this senior class a chance to go down in school history as the greatest senior class to date.

Although only several start-

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ers returned from last season’s championship team, Hewitt has no concerns about the lack of playoff experience entering the title game.

“At this point, they’ve got 14 games under their belt and have seen it all,” he said. “They’ve been in the environment – whether they played last year or not – so they’ve been conditioned. We prep them all week long. We practice the National Anthem, for crying out loud, and try to put these kids in every scenario possible.”

This would be the toughest week of the season for coaches and players alike as they look to extend their streak to 28 wins and bring home a second consecutive state title.

On how the preparation would compare to a normal week, Hewitt said: “Probably a lot more caffeine.

“These guys love it. They’re used to it. They’re riding the adrenaline right now.”

“I’ve been playing with these guys all my life,” Carr said, “and it’s so fun to be out there with them. We’ve got one more week to prove everybody wrong.”

Added Fetchik, “We’ve got to finish one more game and get the win.”

Geauga County Maple Leaf

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Thursday, January 13, 2022

CHAMPIONSHIP: CHARDON 21 - HAMILTON BADIN 14

Title Defended, Legacy Left Hilltoppers win back-to-back state championships

By Matt Jaworski sports@geaugamapleleaf.com

Thanks to a sensational defensive effort and some timely offense, Chardon claimed its second consecutive Div. III state title with a 21-14 victory over Hamilton Badin at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

The Toppers not only defended last year’s state title, but also extended their school record winning streak to 28 games.

Overall, the program has now won three state championships (1994, 2020 and 2021).

Tied at 14 with just over four minutes left in the game, Chardon’s defense kicked its intensity up a notch to a caliber not before seen this season – and that is saying a lot. Hilltopper defense on average this year allowed only one touchdown per game.

“We were encouraging one another to play faster, to play more violent,” said senior safety Nathaniel Sulka. “We set a goal to not let them pass the 40, and we achieved that goal.”

Not only did the Toppers keep the Rams from getting to the 40, they actually moved the Rams backwards.

Following an intentional grounding call on Badin sophomore quarterback Alex Ritzie, the Rams faced a third-and-26 from their own 3 yard line. An incomplete pass and a 26-yard punt gave Chardon the ball back with 3:05 to play from the Badin 29 yard.

A jet sweep to the right side

BILL FUGATE/KMG

by sophomore running back AJ Bruce netted 18 yards.

At this point, offensive coordinator Don Navatsyk turned to his most trusted weapon: senior fullback Sean Carr.

Having been in a similar spot last year in their state championship game against Columbus DeSales, the starters knew they could not panic or try to force something, Carr said.

“For the couple of us who played last year, me and (Alex) McDonald in the huddle were calm the whole time, and we knew if we kept working, it would fall into place,” he said.

“Being in that situation last year helped us a ton.”

From the 11, the Hilltoppers did what they do best – run the Wing-T offense and pick up yards, as Carr ran forward, initiated contact and plowed his way ahead.

With 1:05 to go, Carr took a handoff and ran two yards to the

left, into the end zone, for the game winning score.

“We were confident going into that play,” said Carr. “The line blocked amazing.”

The Rams’ next possession ended when junior linebacker Heath Fetchik picked off Ritzie to end the game.

After junior quarterback Alex Henry took a knee, the Toppers celebrated a perfect season and the school’s second title in two years.

With the victory, Chardon also became the first team in the history of the Ohio High School Athletic Association to win 16 games in a season.

The Hilltoppers outgained Badin 233 to 143 in total yards and 192 to 81 in rushing yards.

They also controlled the time of possession, 26:21 to 21:39.

“We knew Badin’s front seven was good, and our offensive line played well,” said Henry.

The game began with the Toppers defense posting a threeand-out, forcing the Rams to punt.

The Hilltoppers got on the board on their first drive, when Henry hit senior Nathaniel Sulka for a 36-yard touchdown reception less than three minutes into the game.

With the safety drawn in thinking run, Sulka got behind the defenders and hauled in Henry’s throw, giving his team a 7-0 lead.

After the touchdown, both defenses settled in and delivered punishing blow after punishing blow.

The contest featured two fast, hard-hitting defenses, and both defensives lived up to the hype.

Late in the second quarter, Badin put together a nine-play, 53-yard scoring drive capped off by a two-yard touchdown run by senior running back Jack Walsh.

At halftime, the Rams had outgained Chardon 43 to 35

Thursday, January 13, 2022

in rushing yards and 81 to 76 yards in total yards, and held an advantage in the time of possession, 13:37 to 10:23.

Hewitt challenged this offense to do better at the half.

“When we were in the locker room at halftime, I looked at the stat sheet and we had 35 yards rushing,” Hewitt said. “I challenged our kids and told them we would not win the championship with that performance.”

The Hilltoppers unleashed the jet to start the third quarter, and it paid off in a big way.

Bruce did not carry the ball in the first half, but that changed on his team’s first possession of the second half.

The speedy sophomore getting to the outside opened up the inside game for Carr and Henry.

A 27-yard jet sweep to the right by Bruce gave Chardon the lead, 14-7.

Badin responded when they got the ball back, as they embarked on a six-play, 71-yard scoring drive. Junior running back

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Carter Russo scored from six yards out to tie the game with 6:33 to go in the third.

For roughly the next 12 minutes, the teams traded field position. However, Chardon was able to pick up chunks of yardage thanks to Bruce and the jet sweeps.

Bruce finished the game as Chardon’s leading rusher with 88 yards on seven carries.

“AJ’s a talented kid,” said Hewitt. “He needs the ball in his hands. As the year increased, his load increased as well.”

“I just stepped in and they knew I would get the ball,” Bruce said, “and when I didn’t get the ball, I was running a jet fake and taking three defenders with me.”

Besides the 88 yards from Bruce, Henry ran for 70 yards, Carr added 34, and junior running back Daniel Pettyjohn chipped in 12 rushing yards.

The strong defenses forced both teams to punt the ball, with each punting eight times.

“I knew there would be a ton of punts,” Hewitt said, “and it’s important to remind your kids: punting is not the worst thing in the world when you’re playing two really good defenses.”

For senior punter Alex McDonald, it was a busy afternoon.

Entering the game, the Toppers had punted the ball three times in five postseason games and five times in the past eight games. Overall, McDonald had punted just 14 times prior to the state title game.

Badin’s tough defense forced him to punt eight times for an average of 31.6 yards.

While both teams punted a number of times in the second half, Chardon made the adjustments they needed to make on both sides of the ball.

Chardon held onto the ball for 15:58 and picked up 157 rushing yards, while holding the run-heavy Rams to 38 rushing yards — three yards less than they had in the first half.

Just as they had all year long,

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the Topper defense stepped up and made big stops time after time.

“They were amazing,” said Carr on the defense. “So many times they’ve put the team on their back and made stops and turnovers.”

The game was a perfect ending to the seniors’ high school gridiron career.

“We’re all so close as a group,” said Carr of his senior class. “We banded together over the unique situation. We were all forgotten about, but at the same time, were the bullseye for every team. We really needed to stick together, and we loved playing together.

“It was awesome to win it last year, but to win it with the guys whom you grew up with, we were so close. You can’t ask for anything better.”

“A lot of the seniors didn’t play last year, so this was their first year playing, and they had something to prove,” Sulka said.

“We only had one year to create our legacy and make history.”

Striving to create a unified public spirit within the community while

Promoting  Protecting  Serving the general business interests of the City of Chardon and surrounding area

Proud Sponsor of our Back to Back Champs Congratulations Hilltoppers!

213 Main Street, Suite D  Chardon, OH 44024 p. 440.285.9050  e. info@chardonchamber.com www.chardonchamber.com

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No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 1 BRUCE, ANDREW RB/DB 5’11” 165 SO 2** PETERSEN, RYAN RB/LB 6’4” 190 SR 3* GASPAR, ETHAN SE/DB 6’ 180 SR 4 FRIIHAUF, KENNY SE/DB 6’3” 175 SO 5* LIEBHARDT, TREY RB/DB 6’ 175 JR 6* HENRY, ALEX QB/DB 6’3” 195 JR 7 FETCHIK, HEATH RB/LB 6’ 190 JR 8** WASHINGTON, MICHAEL TE/DL 6’1” 215 SR 9* FELGER, COOPER TE/DL 6’ 230 JR 10 BRUCE, JOSHUA SE/DB 6’3” 165 SR 11** VUJAKLIJA, ZORAN QB/DB 6’ 195 SR 12* DAWSON, CADEN SE/DB 6’1” 170 SR 13*** SULKA, NATHANAEL SE-QB/DB 6’4” 205 SR 14 COLUCCI, PHILLIP SE/DL 5’2” 120 JR 15 FRANCIS, WILL RB-QB/DB 5’8” 150 SO 16** MCDONALD, ALEX TE/DE 6’3” 230 SR 17 STERNAGLE, AUSTIN SE/DB 5’11” 150 JR 18 HOENIGMAN, ZACH SE/DB 5’9” 145 SO 19 CIANCIBELLOW, MADDEX RB/LB 5’8” 170 SO 20 VUJAKLIJA, DRAGO RB/LB 5’8” 160 SO 21* PERRICO, ROCCO RB/LB 5’11” 190 SR 22* DOTSON, BRODY RB/LB 5’11” 180 SR 23 MARUNA, BRADEN RB/LB 5”11” 160 SO 24 COLOMBI, LEO SE-QB/DB 6’3” 175 SO

Geauga County Maple Leaf

25 CLARK, CHARLIE 26 TOLO, MARIO 27 PETTYJOHN, DANIEL 28 SCHUETZMAN, CALEB 29* MARDULA, DEREK 30 BORDEN, RILEY 31 EVANS, TIM 32 HARDESTY, AUSTIN 33 FAY, ZACH 34 SCHMAUDER, BRADEN 35 LESZYNSKI, AUSTIN 36 BARKER, JAKE 37 GANDOLF, JESSE 38 GREEN, AUSTIN 39 BROCK, CHARLIE 40 PETRELLA, BENN 41** CARR, SEAN 42 SNYDER, NICK 43 BUZOGANY, DILLON 44 SEMLER, HAYDEN 45* TAGER, NATHAN 46 MALLOY, TYLER 47 PETERSON, CADEN 49 GALINAC, DEREK 50 FLETCHER, JAMES

SE/DB RB/DB RB/DB RB/DL SE/LB FB/DL SE/DB TE/DL RB/LB SE/DB QB/LB SE/LB SE/DB RB/DB TE/LB RB/LB FB/LB SE/DB SE/DB OL/DL K RB/LB SE/DB SE/DB OL/DL

5’11” 155 6’2” 175 5’11” 185 6’ 180 6’ 180 5’11” 180 5’9” 150 5’11” 170 6’ 193 5’8” 125 6’3” 180 6’3” 210 5’10” 155 5’10” 160 5’10” 170 5’9” 170 5’11” 190 5’8” 135 5’8” 145 6’ 185 6’1” 175 5’7” 165 6’ 155 5’9” 145 5’10” 165

Thursday, January 13, 2022

SO SO JR SO SR SO SO SO JR SO SO JR SO SO SO SO SR SO SO SR SR SO SO SO JR

51 SMITH, AYDEN 52* JACKSON, ADAM 53 KISLEY, ALEX 54 HOLLOWELL, JACK 55 PAGLIO, JARET 56 FRANCEY, TERRANCE 57* HALL, CHRISTIAN 58 VUNDERINK, ROBERT 59 YOST, NATE 60* ALTMAN, T.J. 62 KALIS, ZACH 63 ZABJEK, HUNTER 66 KISLEY, KYLE 67* ORGANISCAK, MATT 68 RAINES, ANTHONY 70 KLINE, JEFFREY 73 BRYANT, LOGAN 74 YOUDATH, COLIN 75** RODRIGUEZ, SIMON 76 HENRY, AMIR 77* ISCHAY, AIDAN 78 JENKINS, DYLAN 79 HALL, MARK *Returning Lettermen

OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB RB/LB RB/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL RB/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL

6’ 205 5’11” 230 6’2” 205 6’3” 230 5’10” 150 5’6” 175 6’1” 205 5’10” 195 5’9” 175 5’11” 215 6’3” 195 5’10” 200 6’1” 180 5’10” 220 5’11” 185 5’11” 180 6’ 245 6’ 215 6’ 240 5’11” 215 6’1” 250 6’1” 265 6’1” 210

JR SR JR SR SO SO SR JR SO SR SR SO SO SR SO SO SO SO SR SO SR JR FR

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, January 13, 2022

2021 Chardon Hilltoppers Nickname: Hilltoppers Colors: Red & Black 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) Coach’s years at school: 11 Varsity Assistant Coaches: Bill Overton, Bob Francis, Frank Hall, Brian Landies, Marty Mackar, Connor Krouse, Don Navatsyk, Rob Vujaklija, Rick Mysyk, Brett Weidig, J.J. Laseak, Nick Iacampo

Chardon Fire Station

Freshmen Assistant Coaches: Dave Toaddy, Mark McNellie, John Prince, & Jon Paglio Middle School Assistant Coaches: Dan Dinko, Eric Bartley, Scott Platz, Kent Hardesty, & Ben Deszyciewicz Athletic Trainer: Lindsay Williamson & Nick Outrich Team Doctors: Dr. Louis Leone, Dr. Mark Mendeszoon Statisticians: Mark Purchase, Tim Semler Video Crew: Nick Miller, Andy Fetchik, Mike Toth, Chris Rensi 2020 Div. III & 1994 Div. II State Champions 1998 Div. II State Runner-Up

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Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Chardon Football Stat Update: 2021 FINAL Chardon 2021 Football Stats G. Parrish 12-08-21

Defense Team Defense:

Opponent: Season Per Game

Rush Yards 1226 76.6

Pass Yards 1631 101.9

Total Offense 2857 178.6

Points 120 7.50

Turnovers 35 2.19

Individual Stat Leaders- Pass Defense & Takeaways:

Name PBU INT FR Return Yds Points Trey Liebhardt 18* 3 2^ 74 12^ Leo Colombi 15 7* 161* 12^ Nathanael Sulka 14 2 1 90 6 Andrew Bruce 11 2 2^ 35 6 Rocco Perrico 6 1 1 17 Michael Washington 4 Brody Dotson 2 1 11 6 Will Francis 2 Christian Hall 1 3 2^ 34 Heath Fetchik 1 2 5 Alex Kisley 1 1 Austin Green 1 Cooper Felger 1 Kenny Friihauf 1 Ryan Petersen 2 13 Ethan Gaspar 1 15 Zach Fay 1 Zoran Vujaklija 1 TOTAL 78 24 11 455 42 *= Leads Category; ^ = Tied for Lead, PBU = Pass Break Up, FR = Fumble Recovery

Individual Stat Leaders, Tackling:

Name Tackles Solo Assist Sack TFL FF FR Christian Hall 101* 48 53* 4 15 1 2^ Brody Dotson 98 72* 26 2.5 16.5 1 1 Heath Fetchik 95 64 31 6 13.5 5* Nathanael Sulka 93 60 33 5 1 Rocco Perrico 74 50 24 5.5 13 1 1 Alex Kisley 66 43 23 12* 32.5* 2 Michael Washington 54 23 31 6 9.5 < DEFENSE CONTINUED NEXT PAGE > Leo Colombi 50 30 20 Cooper Felger 50 20 30 5 14.5 Trey Liebhardt 34 30 4 2 2^ Alex McDonald 33 19 14 6.5 12.5 1 Andrew Bruce 32 24 8 3.5 2^ Zach Fay 28 18 10 1 4 1 Zoran Vujaklija 2020-2021 23State Champion 14 9 1 Chardon Football - Final Statistics, 12-08-2021 1 Ryan Petersen 13 9 4 1 Drago Vujaklija 13 9 4 Zach Kalis 11 10 1 3 Daniel Pettyjohn 10 8 2 Caden Dawson 8 7 1 Sean Carr 8 7 1 Tyler Malloy 8 5 3 Will Francis 7 7 1 Robert Vunderink 7 6 1 2 Hayden Semler 6 5 1 1 Ethan Gaspar 4 3 1 Charlie Brock 4 2 2 Jaret Paglio 3 3 1 1 Kenny Friihauf 3 3 Zach Hoenigman 2 2 1 Mario Tolo 2 2 Derek Galinac 2 1 1 Maddex Ciancibellow 1 1 1 1 Amir Henry 1 1 Braden Maruna 1 1 Jake Barker 1 1 Kyle Kisely 1 1 Riley Borden 1 1 T.J. Altman 1 1 Name Tackles Solo Assist Sack TFL FF FR TOTAL 949 610 339 50.5 153.5 11 11 *= Leads Category; ^ = Tied for Lead, TFL = Tackle for Loss, FF = Forced Fumble, FR = Fumble Recovery

< OFFENSE NEXT PAGE >

2020-2021 State Champion Chardon Football - Final Statistics, 12-08-2021

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Thursday, January 13, 2022 Offense Team Offense:

1st Down 268 16.75

Rush Yards Pass Yards Total Offense Points Season 4402 820 5222 611** Per Game 275.1 51.3 326.4 38.2 **= 555 offensive points (34.7 avg.), 42 defensive points, 14 special team points

Individual Stat Leaders, Rushing:

Name Rush Yards Alex Henry 1326* Sean Carr 1166 Daniel Pettyjohn 561 Andrew Bruce 386 Trey Liebhardt 206 Zoran Vujaklija 198 Ryan Petersen 180 Zach Fay 146 Drago Vujaklija 75 Austin Leszynski 56 Rocco Perrico 36 Charlie Clark 21 Braden Maruna 17 Brody Dotson 14 Will Francis 8 Maddex Ciancibellow 5 Benn Petrella 4 Caleb Hewitt 0 "Team" Rush -3 TOTAL 4402 *= Leads Category; ^ = Tied for Lead

Att. 226* 188 95 29 20 29 34 18 8 12 7 5 3 2 7 3 1 1 4 692

Individual Stat Leaders, Passing: Name Alex Henry Zoran Vujaklija TOTAL

Pass Yards 820 0 820

Att. 89 1 90

Individual Stat Leaders, Receiving: Name Nathanael Sulka Sean Carr Trey Liebhardt Alex McDonald Caden Dawson Ryan Petersen TOTAL *= Leads Category

Receptions 14* 9 6 6 3 2 40

Average 5.87 6.20 5.91 13.31* 10.30 6.83 5.29 8.11 9.38 4.67 5.14 4.20 5.67 7.00 1.14 1.67 4.00 0.00 -0.75 6.36

Comp 40 0 40

Fumble 4* 1

1

2pt

Points 120 170* 12 30 6 38 14 6 6

1^

1^ 1^

1

1 7

6

67

Comp % 44.94% 0.00% 44.44%

Rec Yards 328* 68 164 138 105 17 820

TD 20 28* 2 5 1 6 2 1 1

INT 6 0 6

3

408

Yards / Comp 20.5

TD 9 0 9

20.5

Yards / Rec. 23.43 7.56 27.33 23.00 35.00* 8.50 20.50

TD 5*

Points 30*

3 1

18 6

9

54

Special Teams: 2020-2021 State Champion Individual Stat Leaders, Kicking:Chardon Football - Final Statistics, 12-08-2021 Name Nathan Tager

Individual Stat Leaders, Punting: Name Alex McDonald Nathan Tager

FG 7

Punt Yards 718 299

Individual Stat Leaders, Kick Return: Name Trey Liebhardt Andrew Bruce Caleb Hewitt Rocco Perrico Sean Carr Brody Dotson Daniel Pettyjohn TOTAL *= Leads Category

PAT 74

Rtn Yards 321* 123 39 29 23 23 19 577

Individual Stat Leaders, Punt Return:

Name Ret Yards Heath Fetchik 198* Trey Liebhardt 12 Rocco Perrico 12 Zoran Vujaklija 10 "Team" Return -4 TOTAL 228 *= Leads Category; ^ = Tied for Lead

Points 95

Attempts 22 9

Attempts 9* 4 2 2 1 2 2 22

Att. 18* 1 1 1 1 22

Touchbacks 46

Average 32.64 33.22

Average 35.67* 30.75 19.50 14.50 23.00 11.50 9.50 26.23

Average 11.00 12.00^ 12.00^ 10.00 -4.00 10.36

TD 1*

Points 6*

1

6

TD 1*

Points 6*

1

6

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SUBMITTED

State Senator Jerry Cirino meets with Chardon Hilltoppers Dec. 2.

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Geauga County Maple Leaf

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