Tuscarawas Central Catholic Athletics

Article written by: Dana Scarpino The TCC Saints went into this matchup with some momentum after a high scoring affair the week prior, but the East Canton Hornets took control and never looked back, as the Hornets shutout the Saints 42-0, dropping the Saints to 2-6 on the season. This game remained close through the 1st quarter as the Hornets only led 7-0, but the Hornets would start to extend their lead in the 2nd quarter, as East Canton took a 28-0 lead into the halftime break. The Hornets continued the scoring output in the 3rd quarter, leading 35-0 going into the 4th quarter. The Hornets would put up one more touchdown in the 4th quarter to wrap the game up fully. TCC was held in check for the entirety of the game by a stout East Canton defense, only amounting to 133 total yards in the game, and only 43 yards on the ground, which is a very low mark for the Saints rushing attack. As for those rushing numbers, Grady Stein and Joseph Moss both rushed for only 16 yards on the ground, while Nolan Pugh rushed for I0 yards. Cal Stewart was efficient through the air, going ¾ for 13 yards passing, with two of those completions going to Grady Stein, who had 11 yards receiving. Nolan Pugh was the other Saint on the receiving end of one of Stewarts' passes, as he hauled in a 2-yard reception. There were some bright spots defensively for the Saints, as Nick Civiello and Nolan Pugh both combined for three tackles for loss (Pugh with 2, Cievello with 1). Week 9 for the Saints doesn't get any easier, however, as the Saints will travel up route 800 to face off with the 5-3 Malvern Hornets. The Hornets are coming off a decimating 40-12 loss to the team sitting in the frontrunner spot for the IVC North, the Newcomerstown Trojans. Despite the loss, the Hornets rely on a bruising rushing attack, led by Senior Julius Gore, and some speedy weapons on the perimeter. For the Saints, it's another week where they will have their hands full with another solid IVC North opponent, where the Saints will continue to look for improvements in the home stretch of the season.