Howard is MVP of Federal League

No area high school football player in recent years carried a bigger target on his back than Erick Howard this season.

As the state’s reigning Mr. Football, the Hoover senior might as well have played with a huge state of Ohio on his jersey instead of his No. 5.

Play after play, game after game, he got everyone’s best shot. And Howard never stopped delivering his best, completing a record-setting career that made him a unanimous pick for his second straight Federal League Player of the Year award.

“Knowing that everybody’s coming at him and being able to still maintain his game, that says a lot about him,” Hoover head coach Don Hertler Jr. said. “There was a lot of pressure on him and our team. A lot of high expectations.”

Howard responded with his second straight 2,000-yard season. He broke Stark County’s career scoring and rushing records along the way, and led the Vikings to the playoffs a third straight year.

If that wasn’t enough, Howard embraced the role of two-way standout, anchoring the Viking defense. He had a hand in a team-high 102 total tackles, causing four fumbles.

“That’s what makes him a great, great high school football player,” Hertler said. “He’s an every-down guy.”

Averaging 30 carries a game — nearly all of them coming between the tackles — Howard took a pounding unlike anyone else in the area.

“His durability and his competitiveness and doing what we need him to do ... that’s what stands out to me about him,” Hertler said. “He’s fought through some bumps and bruises this year. He’s fought through everybody in the world trying to block and tackle him.”

Howard walked off the field as a Hoover Viking for the last time Saturday in Massillon. The Tigers beat the Vikings, 17-10, in the first round of the playoffs.

Howard finishes his career with 6,013 rushing yards, 79 touchdowns and 478 points — all ranked No. 1 all-time in Stark County. More importantly to him, the Vikings won 29 games in his three seasons as a starter, reaching the regional finals in 2007 and state semifinals in 2008.

Hertler is impressed with the way Howard handled all the attention he received off the field, too.

“He knows it’s a team game and knows without everyone else playing well, he can’t do his thing,” Hertler said. “Football is not a one-man game, for sure. He’s been a very good teammate throughout his career. He’s practiced hard and been very team oriented.

“It hasn’t been all about him. It hasn’t been like that at all. Winning is the most important thing to him, no matter how we do it. That’s not always the case with a guy that’s had a lot of publicity thrown at him.”

LEADING THE EAGLES

Federal League coaches voted GlenOak’s Scott Garcia the coach of the year after guiding the Golden Eagles to their first league title in 15 years. It was GlenOak’s first outright championship since 1982.

He also led the Eagles into the state playoffs for the third straight year, a first in school history. They play McKinley in a second-round game Saturday.

2009 All-Federal League football team

First team

Andrew Garman, GlenOak 6-0 205 Sr. LB  ... An anchor on the Golden Eagle defense the last three years, making 88 tackles this season.

Brandon Martin, GlenOak 5-10 165 Sr. DB ... Broke up eight passes, returned an interception 100 yards and started much of the season at quarterback.

Spyro Spondyl, GlenOak 5-8 190 Sr. LB ... Another three-year impact player. He made 80 tackles.

Collin Daniels-Mitchell, GlenOak 5-11 185 Sr. DB ... Made 51 tackles and rushed for 330 yards and four TDs.

Zach Rinehart, GlenOak 6-0 205 Sr. NG ... Led the Eagles with seven sacks and also made seven tackles for loss.

Rashad Pope, GlenOak 6-0 225 Sr. DE ... Made 54 tackles, including five for losses.

Brionte Dunn, GlenOak 6-1 201 So. RB ... Rushed for 1,132 yards and 10 TDs.

J.T. Moore, Boardman 6-3 230 Sr. DE ... Ohio State recruit returns to first team as leader of a defense that allowed 15.9 points per game.

Ryan Phillis, Boardman 6-3 225 Sr. LB ... Helped his team give up just 175.4 yards per game.

Chase Hammond, Boardman 6-5 210 Sr. WR ... Led the league with 55 catches and 983 receiving yards while scoring four TDs.

Kevin Johnson, Boardman 6-2 210 Sr. DE ... Helped the Spartans give up an average of just 56.1 rushing yards per game.

Rob Boyd, Boardman 6-2 205 Sr. QB ... Passed for 1,662 yards and nine TDs while also rushing for 316 yards and five scores.

Trevor Ragan, Boardman 6-0 185 Sr. K ... Kicked 15 field goals and made 32 PATs.

Erick Howard, Hoover 5-11 205 Sr. RB ... Rushed for 2,000-plus yards the last two years, leading the Vikings in tackles this fall to become the league’s two-time player of the year.

Mark Wiley, Hoover 5-11 195 Sr. G ... Opened holes for Howard the last two seasons and totaled 44 tackles this season.

Jordan Witt, Hoover 6-1 175 Sr. LB ... Totaled 87 tackles, recovered three fumbles, gained 631 all-purpose yards and scored three TDs.

Tyler Mann, Hoover 6-3 220 Sr. DL ... Led team with six sacks among his 48 total tackles and blocked two kicks.

Jewone Snow, McKinley 6-2 228 Sr. LB ... A rare four-year varsity player for the Bulldogs, made 200-plus tackles the last two seasons.

Jamaal McClain, McKinley 6-1 275 Sr. DL ... Led a tough defensive front line that helped the Bulldogs return to the playoffs.

Bryce Wilder, McKinley 5-9 167 Sr. RB ... Rushed for 1,307 yards and 10 TDs, twice eclipsing 280 yards in a game.

Jon Ballard, Fitch 6-3 210 Sr. QB ... Passed for 1,354 yards and 17 TDs while rushing for 869 yards and nine scores.

DeAndre Richardson, Fitch 6-1 180 Sr. WR ... Caught 43 passes, gained 871 all-purpose yards, intercepted three passes and made 33 tackles.

Jim Luther, Lake 6-1 178 Jr. RB ... Rushed for 1,320 yards and 20 TDs, gaining 1,692 yards all-purpose.

Ryan Christiansen, Lake 6-2 193 Sr. P ... Averaged 37.3 yards a punt, passed 1,032 yards, rushed for 396 and accounted for 12 TDs.

Caleb Laps, Perry 6-0 190 Sr. RB ... Ran for 1,000 yards for second straight season, gaining 1,028 and scoring nine TDs.

Casey Irwin, Jackson 5-9 175 Sr. DB ... A repeat pick for the first team, he also was among team’s rushing and receiving leaders.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR Erick Howard, Hoover.

COACH OF THE YEAR Scott Garcia, GlenOak.

Second team

Thomas Ross, GlenOak 6-0 205 Sr. LB

Jake Converse, GlenOak 6-0 250 Sr. OL

Trai Hearn, GlenOak 6-1 175 Sr. WR

Nick Buonavolonta, Boardman 5-9 170 Jr. RB

Dan Fernback, Boardman 6-1 195 Sr. LB

Noah Patoray, Boardman 5-10 220 Sr. DT

Carmen Taratino, Boardman 5-10 205 Jr. LB

Alex Steenrod, Hoover 5-10 250 Sr. OL

Mike Frascello, Hoover 5-11 215 Sr. DL

Brett Tulodzieski, Hoover 6-0 190 Sr. QB

Dan Nettleton, Hoover 5-11 175 Sr. DB

A.J. Sarbaugh, Hoover 6-0 185 Sr. K

Jamon McClain, McKinley 6-0 183 Sr. DB

Dakota Makowski, McKinley 6-0 228 Sr. OL

Angelo Powell, McKinley 6-0 165 Sr. WR

Steve Miller, McKinley 6-4 235 Jr. DE

James Forsythe, McKinley 6-3 170 Sr. P

Sam Mariano, Fitch 6-2 173 Sr. WR

Colby Jacobs, Fitch 5-11 264 Sr OL

Derek Sitzlar, Lake 6-0 160 Sr. WR

Brad Beachy, Lake 6-0 173 Sr. DB

Ryan Enlow, Lake 6-0 297 Sr. OT

Ben Karam, Perry 6-1 185 Sr. DE

Lepear Smith, Perry 5-9 170 Sr. DB

Will Logan, Jackson 5-8 163 Jr. RB

Matt Cochran, Jackson 6-2 225 Sr. OL

Honorable mention

GLENOAK Kyle Paul, Eric Osborne, Mark Helmick, Pat Julian.

BOARDMAN Tyler Blangero, Jabrill Garner, Ken Jones.

HOOVER Dan Leek, Jake Berkshire, Ben Gardner.

McKINLEY Ronald Gillom, Doug Fernandez, Elijah Farrakhan.

FITCH Bobby Matthews, Terry Terrigno, Tamron Smith, George Thomas, Ken Burns.

LAKE Andrew Franjesevic, Dan Reed, Logan Wartman.

PERRY Anthony Wise, Dan Oprisch, Trevor Riordan.

JACKSON Max Dehnke, Joel Sweitzer.