Federal League battle pits undefeated teams against each other
By Keno Sultan
Stark County Prep Press writer
www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com
PERRY TWP.--Four times Keith Wakefield faced a #1 ranked team in his long tenure as Perry High School's football coach.
Aside from a 35-7 playoff loss to a Massillon team that was on their way to the Division II state finals, the Panthers rose to the occasion three times by stopping Canton McKinley in 1999, 2017 and 2018 with the other two coming late in the regular season that not only stopped the Bulldogs from seizing the league title outright and going into Massillon week undefeated, it allowed the Panthers to qualify for the playoffs when they were a loss from elimination.
Perry head coach Spencer Leno knows what is is like to be ranked #1 in Ohio as the 2009 Massillon graduate and former standout linebacker was the defensive coordinator on the 2019 and 2023 Tigers squads that only gave up seven points all season with the 2023 team adding the cherry on top in the form of a state championship and a national publication ranking them as high as #2 in the nation, their highest rank since the 1996 season when Massillon was #1 in Ohio Division I and boasted powerful running back and highly touted Ohio State recruit Christian Morgan.
Leno doesn't want Wakefield to be the only Panthers head coach to subdue a top-ranked team in Ohio.
Friday night at Lake Blue Streak Stadium, the first-year Panthers general will get his chance. Lake arrives into the Federal League opener with an undefeated record like the Panthers are 3-0 but with one asset: for the first time in their program, the Blue Streaks are ranked #1 in the Ohio Division II AP poll, something that never happened under long tenured commander Jeff Durbin. While Lake head coach Dan DeGeorge may not acknowledge that ranking this early, it is a reflection of their work in wins over South Range, Youngstown Boardman, and Rocky River. And Leno made it a point to reference that.
"Coach DeGeorge has done a great job at Lake. His teams are well coached every year. But this team here is very athletic and got athletes that can go. We are looking forward to this game and this being the first Federal League game adds more incentive to that," Leno said. "This is a big game but every game is a big game and we have to play to the maximum every game. We want to get better each week and see what we have to do."
Perry obtained a quality victory last week as they dominated a Warren Harding team that was built on speed and power. Their first drive that nearly consumed the entire first quarter ended with a field goal and became a portent of things to arrive as they eventually led 25-0 before Harding posted two touchdowns near the expiration of the contest to make the result more feasible in a 25-15 decision.
Defensively, Perry has just yielded 29 points in their first three games. And to just allow 15 points to the Raiders definitely opened some eyebrows. It also helped their cause in getting off to a fast start, something Leno has inoculated into his horde of Panthers.
"Offensively, we wanted to get off to a fast start and we did that with a drive that consumed the clock. It was important to keep their offense off the field and hold them to three-and-outs and we were able to dominate time of possession," he said.
Last season it was the Panthers that were able to defend home turf in the form of a 17-7 victory at Wakefield Stadium. Leno believes that Lake's squad that was 7-5 is a better one than last year's team and are only just three years removed from winning a share of the league title and have title aspirations like the rest of the league. But he also pointed out as well that like the Blue Streaks, his team returns a lot from last year's 6-6 team.
Winning two on the road to open up the season has garnered momentum for Lake. This Blue Streaks team is capable of winning more than seven games and are a team that will not beat themselves with mistakes.
The winner of this game will have an early leg up in the standings meaning that the loser cannot afford another loss if they are to recognize their aspirations of a league title. Those incentives are what makes league competition saucy and something Leno relishes.
"Everybody knows each other and we know league play brings out the best of teams in Stark County," he said.
This is a game where points may become scarce in part to two hard nosed defenses. Any score Friday night will be a benefit to either squad. It will come down to who doesn't allow the big play and can avoid the dreaded turnovers and not suffer critical penalties. Leno knows there are times where things will not go the way of his team but how they adjust over the course of the 48-minute affair will determine who is sitting at a fourth win after the evening is over.
And with two undefeated schools facing off this early, it just may be a preview of a potential playoff contest assuming both are part of the 12 teams in the Region 5 bracket after the 10th week of the season, which is only six weeks away.
"We have to roll with the punches and start fast. We cannot have a slow start. We also must eliminate the big plays and win the line of scrimmage. Special teams will also be a factor and avoiding turnovers will be critical for us in order to be successful," Leno said.
Keith Wakefield defeated three #1 ranked teams in his long tenure as Perry head coach. Spencer Leno wants to add his name to that list in the Perry football family as well.
PREP PRESS PIECES
*Elder statesman: Dave Weber, who was a part of Massillon's 1982 Division I state finalist team who coached Leno in high school is one of two former Tigers assistants on the Perry staff with the other being Austin Kutscher, a former Tigers wide receiver and Ohio State receiver as well. "Dave is the jack of all trades in part to his experience when he was at Massillon. He also coaches our defensive line and is the special teams coordinator," Leno said. "With the coaches we have, I don't have to micromanage because everyone knows how to do their jobs."
*All in the family: As GlenOak prepares for their league opener against Canton McKinley, they are a team with family ties. DeMarlo Rozier Jr., the son of former McKinley running back and safety DeMarlo Sr. scored four touchdowns last week, three in a span of 3:07 as the Eagles obtained their first win of the season with a 50-6 win over Cleveland East Tech. Eagles wide receiver and cornerback R.J. Hairston recorded an interception in the victory. R.J.'s father, Rick, was the head track coach of the McKinley team that won the 1997 state championship and served also as the head basketball coach at McKinley for three years and before that was the longtime Timken floor general. The elder Hairston, a Mount Union College graduate and two-sport standout is the current Eagles basketball coach.
*Throwing around #1's: Lake is the first Federal League team since Canton McKinley to be ranked #1 in the Associated Press poll and are the first Division II school in Stark County since Massillon to hold the top ranking. Since going to Division II in 2013, the Tigers have started off ranked #1 three times, advancing to the state finals in 2019 and 2023.
*Speaking of #1's: Lakewood St. Edward, Massillon's opponent next week is currently ranked #1 in the Ohio Division I AP Poll. In 2022 and 2023, the Eagles were ranked #1 but fell on the road to Massillon. Eagles head coach Tom Lombardo appeared to be a lock for the Tigers opening when Jason Hall resigned before taking the St. Edward job after a successful stint at Medina Highland, which cleared the path for Nate Moore to arrive at Massillon. No high school in Ohio has wins over AP #1 ranked teams more than the Tigers.
Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.
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