Green Outlasts Hoover 21-19 in Instant Classic

North Canton, OH- The game looked wrapped up when the Hoover Vikings (2-2) got that ball back with about a minute to go. QB John Collins orchestrated a perfect drive and plowed into the end zone, but was stuffed at the line on the two-point conversion attempt and the Green Bulldogs (3-1) held on for a 21-19 victory. Junior quarterback Tyson Hunka led the way for the Bulldogs going 14-22 for 249 yards and three touchdowns through the air and added another 31 yards on the ground.

Both squads traded punts on their opening drives, and Green began its second backed up deep in their territory at the 12. A big completion from Hunka to Kaden Gregory flipped the field for the Bulldogs. Facing a fourth and five, Hunka found Antonio Martin streaking down the left hash for a 34-yard touchdown to put Green up 7-0 in the first.

The Vikings would put together a nice drive of their own by pounding the rock, eventually working down to the Green 17-yard line.  Senior kicker Paul Koskovich nailed a 35-yard field goal to draw Hoover closer at 7-3 three seconds into the second quarter. The Bulldogs would drive the length of the field but fumbled the ball, which Hoover junior Nolan McKendry recovered.

Starting on their 32-yard line, the Vikings would put together an 11-play drive that was capped off by a three-yard run from Collins to give Hoover a 10-7 lead late in the second. The Vikings would get another chance to score late in the half, but Anthony McMichael III burst through the line and blocked the 42-yard field goal attempt, keeping the score at 10-7 at halftime.

Hoover’s offense came out of the half and put together a nice drive, working their way down to the Green 39. As Collins attempted to throw a screen pass, junior Evan Georgiou made a diving interception to halt the drive. Just two plays later, Hunka found running back Evan Reed wide-open over the middle for a 53-yard touchdown, putting the Bulldogs back on top at 14-10.

After the defense forced a three-and-out, Green would find the end zone again on a 48-yard completion from Hunka to Anthony Fortunato to stretch the lead to 21-10 midway through the third.

Unfortunately for the Vikings, their next drive stalled out deep in Bulldog territory. That’s when their defense came up big, forcing a fumble and setting the offense up on the 31-yard line. They picked up one first down, but would get on the scoreboard with a 32-yard field goal from Koskovich to draw things closer at 21-18 minutes into the fourth quarter.

With about three minutes remaining, Hoover would get another shot, starting their drive near midfield. Unfortunately for the Vikings, Fortunato picked off Collins on a diving catch. With 1:47 on the clock, the Bulldogs recovered their own fumble and for some reason, the clock stopped. It took quite a bit of yelling from the Green sideline for referees to notice the error and, after a conference, they decided to take ten seconds off the clock and start the next play on the snap, essentially giving Hoover a free timeout.

Following a punt, the Vikings would start their last drive on their 28-yard line with just about a minute left. Quarterback John Collins orchestrated a perfect drive, completing three passes and doing the rest with his legs, plowing into the end zone from six yards out to make the score 21-19. He called his own number on the two-point conversion but was stopped short of the goal line.

Hoover would recover the ensuing onside kick and got one last play from near midfield. Collins moved up in the pocket and was brought down, sealing a thrilling 21-19 victory for the Green Bulldogs.

Keys to the Game

This one felt like an old-fashioned, Federal League slugfest and was exciting from start to finish. Quarterback Tyson Hunka did it all for the Bulldogs with 249 yards, three touchdowns through the air, and 31 yards rushing. Despite battling early-season injuries, senior Antonio Martin turned in an impressive performance with six catches for 62 yards and a score, drawing the attention of the defense every time he went in motion.

While the passing statistics don’t look great, John Collins kept the Vikings in the game all the way until the final whistle. He ran for 73 yards and two touchdowns and had a receiver drop a wide-open ball in the end zone late in the third quarter.

Next Week

After kicking off their Federal League schedule with a win, Green (3-1) will return home next Friday night when they host league foe Jackson (2-2). The Polar Bears got a 21-19 victory over Mayfield in Week 4.

Hoover (2-2) will look to get back into the win column next Friday night when they host Louisville. The Leopards are coming off a 38-13 victory over Marlington in Week 4.

Top Performers

Green Bulldogs

Tyson Hunka: 14-22 249 yards 3 TD INT   12 carries 31 yards

Evan Reed: 8 carries 28 yards   1 catch 53 yards TD

Antonio Martin: 6 catches 62 yards TD

Hoover Vikings

John Collins: 20 carries 73 yards 2 TD   5-14 41 yards 2 INT

AJ Dolph: 25 carries 134 yards

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter

Green 4:04- Tyson Hunka to Antonio Martin, 34 yards (kick good)

2nd Quarter

Hoover 12:57- Paul Koskovich 35-yard field goal

Hoover 3:19- John Collins, 3-yard run (kick good)

3rd Quarter

Green 8:42- Tyson Hunka to Evan Reed, 53 yards (kick good)

Green 6:07- Tyson Hunka to Anthony Fortunato, 48 yards (kick good)

4th Quarter

Hoover 7:59- Paul Koskovich 32-yard field goal

Hoover 0:05- John Collins, 6-yard run (2 pt. No good)