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Strong running game, tough defense earn school first berth; Walsh Jesuit awaits
By Nate Ulrich and David Lee Morgan Jr. Beacon Journal sportswriters
Published on Thursday, Nov 01, 2007
It took Matt Furino more than 20 years to help the Field football team make its first playoff appearance.
Now he wants to hang on as long as possible.
Field (9-1, 6-1 in the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division) earned its first postseason berth in school history. The Falcons will visit Walsh Jesuit (8-1) in a Division III regional quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
''It's amazing because when I went to school there, Field always had a reputation that it couldn't win,'' said Furino, who played for the Falcons and graduated from Field in 1987. ''We've had kids leave and go to Walsh, go to Hoban and go to Mogadore. It seems like we're always a couple of players away from having a season like this. It's nice to finally do it and prove we're good enough to make the playoffs.''
The Falcons used their strong running game and stellar defense to become a success.
Field senior running back Seth Koosed, the school's all-time leading rusher, had 197 carries for 1,337 yards and 26 touchdowns in the regular season. Senior inside linebackers Zack Miller and Anthony Palumbo had more than 90 tackles apiece.
In Week 10, Coventry threatened Field's playoff hopes.
The Falcons trailed 13-9 late in the game, but senior quarterback Nathan Clark scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with three seconds left to lift Field to a 16-13 win that it needed to qualify for the postseason.
The Falcons are flying high, but they are aware that Walsh is a tough opponent. The Warriors are making their 14th playoff appearance.
''We really don't know what to expect,'' Koosed said. ''The coaches have never been to a
state playoff game, so it's a new experience for everyone around here. That could help us, though, because we may not have anything to lose. We can pull off a big upset and make a name for ourselves.''
Co-champs collide
The Wayne County Athletic League co-champs will face off for the second time this season when Northwestern (9-1, 6-1) visits Waynedale (8-2, 6-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
The two rivals met in Week 4, and Waynedale won 28-13 on the road. Northwestern, however, has not lost since.
''It's exciting for all of the Wayne County Athletic League and the people of Wayne County,'' Waynedale coach Matt Zuercher said. ''I think it's going to be a great atmosphere and a great challenge for us.''
Both teams are led by star running backs and have tough defenses.
Waynedale junior running back Thad Nofsinger has had 208 carries for 1,647 yards and 22 touchdowns. Junior linebacker James Rutt leads the Golden Bears with 106 tackles.
Northwestern senior running back Travis Morris has had 224 carries for 1,072 yards and 14 touchdowns. Senior linebacker Matt Redick leads the Huskies with 111 tackles.
NBC and numbers
Because of sheer numbers, the Northeastern Buckeye Conference will have a good shot at having its teams advance in the playoffs this weekend.
The NBC has four teams in the postseason: Northwest (10-0), Louisville (8-2), West Branch (8-2) and Canton South (6-4), and all but Canton South are hosting their games.
Northwest (10-0), which finished the regular season as the Associated Press Division III poll champion, will host Poland Seminary (7-3). The Indians won the rugged NBC with a 7-0 record but had to battle throughout the conference schedule.
Louisville, which will host Lake in a Division II matchup, finished second with a 6-1 record, and its only loss was 34-33 to Northwest.
West Branch will host New Concord John Glenn in a Division III first-round matchup. The Warriors finished 5-2 in the conference, with losses to Louisville (23-13) and Northwest (38-22). And West Branch had a tough time with Canton South, winning 14-11.
Canton South has been a competitive team all year. The Wildcats, despite their four losses, qualified for the Division III playoffs and will play at Dover (7-3). It will be a rematch of Week 1, when Canton South prevailed 28-21.
All this says a lot about the NBC and its level of competition.
Fantastic four
Four teams from the Federal League qualified for the playoffs: league champion North Canton Hoover (8-2), Boardman (7-3), Lake (7-3) and GlenOak (6-4).
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nateulrich2007@yahoo.com and David Lee Morgan Jr. can be reached at dlmorgan@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/
It took Matt Furino more than 20 years to help the Field football team make its first playoff appearance.
Get the full article here.
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