NORTH CANTON — The Battle for the Rail trophy is back in North Canton. And Brian Baum doesn’t have to take any more grief from his oldest son, BT.
“I told the players, ‘I’m just glad we won the Rail back because I’m tired of my 11-year-old giving me a hard time about it,'” the Hoover High School football coach said. “It’s back where it belongs, in our weight room.”
The Vikings did the heavy lifting in the second half and pulled away from rival Jackson for a 35-14 win at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Oct. 24.
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Hoover scored touchdowns in all three phases and got 229 yards from scrimmage from star Jack Andes as it finished the regular season at 8-2 overall and 4-2 in the Federal League. The Vikings will host a first-round playoff game in Division II, Region 7 next week.
Jackson falls for the second straight week after last week’s 40-9 home loss to Canton McKinley and finishes the regular season at 5-5, 3-3. The Polar Bears will host a first-round playoff game next week in Division I, Region 1.
Andes was spectacular as usual, running 14 times for 126 yards and a touchdown — a 50-yarder with 4:21 left to put the exclamation point on this game.
He had a 9-yard run on a fake punt to sustain a third-quarter drive that resulted in his 27-yard TD catch, which ended with him dragging multiple defenders into the end zone.
Andes finished with six receptions for 103 yards and the one score.
“He’s just a ballplayer,” Baum said with a shake of his head. “Between him, John Collins, Carter Lukens, Chase Lukens, this senior class, these guys are just ballplayers. They did an outstanding job tonight. They wanted to win the rail back.”
Hoover, which lost 23-20 at Jackson last year, now holds a 66-29 advantage in the series against the Polar Bears.
Collins completed 14 of 21 passes for 186 yards, one TD and no interceptions. He ran for a 2-yard touchdown on the final play of the first half to get Hoover on the board. Jackson’s Max Cowles blocked the PAT kick to preserve a 7-6 Jackson lead.
That lead was gone 13 seconds into the second half.
Senior Brycen Beyer took the second-half kickoff back 95 yards up the right sideline for a touchdown. Collins scored on a 2-point conversion run and Hoover led 14-7.
“We knew we had to make a big play, and it was that kickoff,” Beyer said. “It always starts with special teams. Special teams wins us games. We harp on that a lot.”
Beyer did the same thing against Louisville in Week 5, taking the second-half kick 88 yards to break a tie in in an eventual 31-13 Hoover win.
Friday night, Baum and his staff figured Jackson would kick away from Andes, so they set up the return for Beyer.
“When we came out of the locker room, we were saying, ‘We’re going to score here,'” Baum said. “We were really confident we were going to get that wedge, and we got it.”
Hoover’s defense allowed a touchdown on the opening drive of the night and then controlled the game from there.
Carter Lukens returned an interception 40 yards for a score in the second half as Hoover pulled away.
That was one of three Hoover interceptions, with Nathan Sikora and Carson Morris getting the others.
Hoover looked a little disjointed offensively in the first half with costly penalties killing drives.
“We just stopped shooting ourselves in the foot,” Baum said. “We knew we were doing some good things offensively and we kind of had to settle in defensively and see what they were doing. You can’t emulate what their running back does. You have to see and get a feel for it.”
That running back, the shifty Corey Jacobs, ran six times for 41 yards on that opening drive, setting up a 23-yard Rocco Norch TD catch from Lucas Ecrement.
Jacobs finished with 82 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries to surpass 1,000 yards for the season.
Ecrement completed 10 of 23 passes for 120 yards, one TD and the three picks.
“They played well and we didn’t. They made plays and we didn’t,” Jackson coach Jay Rohr said. “… Our defense fought tooth and nail and those guys continue to battle week in and week out. That was probably our best performance and the scoreboard doesn’t show it because you give up a fake punt, a kickoff return and pick-six.”
Here’s how the game unfolded through our live updates.
The Vikings dominate the second half to move to 8-2 on the season. The Polar Bears drop their second straight game and fall to 5-5.
Hoover picks off Jackson for a third time
Carson Morris gets it this time.
Jack Andes again for Hoover
Trying to run clock, Andes decides to break one and runs 50 yards for another TD. David Wadley adds the PAT. Hoover leads Jackson 35-14 with 3:28 left.
Jackson answers back
Corey Jacobs scores on an 11-yard TD run. Cooper Mizeur adds the PAT. Jackson cuts Hoover’s lead to 28-14 with 4:21 left in the fourth quarter.
Hoover’s Carter Lukens with potential knockout below
Carter Lukens snags an interception of Lucas Ecrement and returns it 40 yards for a TD. A 2-point pass fails. Hoover leads Jackson 28-7 with 6:02 left.
Hoover leads Jackson 22-7 after three quarters
The Polar Bears will have second-and-8 at their 48 when the fourth quarter begins.
Hoover gets tricky to extend drive and score
It looked like Hoover and Jackson were going to continue to trade punts when Jack Andes converted a fourth-and-6 with an 8-yard gain on a fake. Andes later caught a short pass, cut it up field and ended up dragging defenders into the end zone on a 27-yard TD. Hoover then converts a 2-point pass to make it 22-7 Vikings with 2:43 left in the third quarter.
Hoover’s Brycen Beyer starts the second half with a bang
Beyer returned the second-half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown straight up the right sideline like he was shot out of a cannon. Hoover goes for 2 and John Collins gets it on a scramble. Hoover leads Jackson 14-7 13 seconds into the half.
Hoover and Jackson halftime stats
The Vikings have 13 first downs to Jackson’s six and are outgaining the Polar Bears 186-109. Hoover’s John Collins is 12-of-17 passing for 102 yards. Jack Andes has caught four passes for 34 yards and carried nine times for 61 yards. Drake Cooper also has four catches for 34 yards for the Vikings. Jackson hasn’t done much offensively since the game-opening drive. Lucas Ecrement is 3-of-4 passing for 36 yards, one TD and one interception. He’s also carried four times for 32 yards. Corey Jacobs has 11 carries for 41 yards.
Halftime: Jackson 7, Hoover 6
The Vikings score on the final play of the first half, with John Collins barreling in for a 2-yard touchdown run. Jackson’s Max Cowles blocks the PAT kick, preserving a 7-6 lead for the Polar Bears. That was a 12-play, 88-yard scoring drive in 1:45 to get Hoover on the board. Hoover will get the second-half kickoff.
Hoover comes up empty in Jackson territory again
Three times the Vikings have been in Jackson territory and they still don’t have anything to show for it. Jackson still leads 7-0 with 4:17 left in the second quarter. Hoover had a 28-yard Jack Andes TD run called back because of a penalty.
Jackson leads Hoover 7-0 after one quarter
The Vikings have a fourth-and-16 coming up from Jackson’s 29 after Nathan Sikora picked off a Lucas Ecrement pass.
Promising drives goes awry for Hoover
The Vikings raced down to Jackson’s 18, then started going backwards with two holding penalties. Jackson will start on its 14 after a Hoover punt.
Jackson strikes first, leads Hoover
Lucas Ecrement hits Rocco Norch for a 23-yard touchdown pass. Cooper Mizeur adds the PAT. Jackson leads Hoover 7-0 with 8:03 left in the first quarter. There was a lot of Corey Jacobs on that drive.
Hoover and Jackson are underway in Week 10
The Polar Bears receive the opening kickoff and will start on their 23.
Tonight’s captains for Hoover and Jackson football
John Collins, Jack Ziarko, Carter Lukens, Aidan Kish and Jack Andes are the captains for the Vikings. Reese Myers, Zack Mendell, Max Cowles, Keegan Stanley and Lucas Ecrement are the captains for the Polar Bears.
The Jackson-North Canton football rivalry
The Polar Bears beat Hoover 23-20 last year to snap a four-game losing streak in the rivalry. That win also clinched Jackson a share of last year’s Federal League title with McKinley. Hoover leads the all-time series 65-29.
OHSAA football playoff picture for Hoover and Jackson football
The Polar Bears (5-4, 3-2) already have a first-round home game locked up for next week in Division I, Region 1. The Vikings (7-2, 3-2) have a playoff berth clinched and likely would make it a home game next week in Division II, Region 7 by beating Jackson. A loss and Hoover might be going on the road in Round 1.
Hoover football offense vs. Jackson defense
The Vikings are led by the quarterback-receiver combo of seniors John Collins and Jack Andes. Collins has thrown for 1,241 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions while adding eight TDs rushing. Andes has 37 receptions for 637 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 17 TDs overall are the most in Stark County. Miami University recruit Jack Ziarko anchors the Hoover offensive line. Junior lineman Reese Myers leads the Jackson defense in tackles (85), TFLs (seven) and sacks (five). Junior DL Luke Mazon adds four sacks and five TFLs.
Jackson football offense vs. Hoover defense
Senior RB Corey Jacobs leads the Polar Bears on offense. His 967 rushing yards are second in the Federal League and third overall in the county. His 16 overall touchdowns trail only Andes in the county. QB Lucas Ecrement has thrown for 782 yards, seven TDs and five interceptions in an injury-plagued senior season. The Hoover defense is built around senior LB Carter Lukens. He has a team-high 135 tackles, 18 TFLs and two interceptions. His 18 TFLs are tied for the most in Greater Canton. Senior LB Chase Lukens (no relation) adds 92 tackles, seven of them for loss. DLs David Tully and Owen Williams combine for 29 TFLs and 11 sacks, while DB Carson Morris has a team-high four interceptions.
North Canton Hoover Vikings football scores, schedule
- Fri., Aug. 22, Buchtel | WIN 30-0 | Recap
- Fri., Aug. 29, Medina | WIN 42-17 | Recap
- Fri., Sept. 5, Akron North | WIN 65-0
- Fri., Sept. 12, at Green | WIN 27-21 | Recap
- Fri., Sept. 19, at Louisville | Loss 31-13 | Story
- Fri., Sept. 26, at GlenOak | WIN 28-21 | Recap
- Fri., Oct. 3, Canton McKinley | Loss 21-20 | Story
- Fri., Oct. 10, Perry | WIN 35-21 | Story
- Fri., Oct. 17, at Lake | Loss 20-14 | Story
- Fri., Oct. 24, Jackson
Jackson Polar Bears football scores, schedule
- Fri., Aug. 22, Chardon | WIN 35-13 | Recap | Story
- Fri., Aug. 29, at Fitch | Loss 41-3 | Recap
- Fri., Sept. 5, St. Francis (N.Y.) | Loss 42-35 | Recap
- Fri., Sept. 12, Mayfield | WIN 33-6 | Recap
- Fri., Sept. 19, Green | WIN 38-35 | Recap
- Fri., Sept. 26, Perry | Loss 21-19 | Story
- Fri., Oct. 3, at Lake | WIN 40-37 | Story
- Fri., Oct. 10, at GlenOak | WIN 21-10 | Recap
- Fri., Oct. 17, McKinley | Loss 40-9 | Story
- Fri., Oct. 24, at Hoover
- *Canton McKinley 8-1, 6-0
- Hoover 7-2, 3-2
- Lake 7-2, 3-2
- Jackson 5-4, 3-2
- Green 4-5, 2-3
- Perry 4-5, 1-4
- GlenOak 2-7, 0-5
- *McKinley has clinched outright league championship
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