Published Tuesday, Aug. 26, 1997
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1997 season preview
Hubbard wants to make 1 more step: playoffs
Hubbard High School head football coach Jeff Bayuk is hoping his Eagles will not become a victim of their own success.
Last year, Hubbard finished with a school-record 9-1 ledger, but that lone loss to Trumbull Athletic Conference power Lakeview cost it a Division III playoff berth. Thrust into the Cleveland-area region with Mentor Lake Catholic, Benedictine, the eventual Division III state champion, and Olmstead Falls, Hubbard was not able to garner enough computer points to qualify.
But Bayuk, buoyed by the return of 13 letterwinners _ including eight defensive starters and the school's all-time ground gainer, Frank Harris _ also is hopeful Hubbard can garner the school's initial playoff berth.
``I think we should have a good defense versus the run,'' Bayuk began. ``Our secondary's gotta step up and learn a lot quickly. I think people will have to attack us through the air in order to have success against us. But I'd be surprised and disappointed if people run on us at will, because of the strength we have up front.''
Although YSU-bound Lance Linden has graduated, Bayuk's 4-4 alignment will be bolstered by tackles Mike Witt, Glenn Silvidi and Bruce Brent; ends Julian Jennings and Jack Kline; inside linebackers Tony Neri and Matt Karlovic, and outside 'backers Carmen Tanferno and Ray Hull. The corners will be Harris and John Schiraldi, while Eric Oltmann will roam at free safety. Karlovic registered a team-leading 106 tackles a year ago.
The Eagles' pro-I attack will feature Harris, the school's single-season (1,426) and career (2,660) rushing leader who was a Heralded 22 selection as a junior.
``He's in pretty good company,'' Bayuk said, noting Harris and Youngstown-East's Preston Mayes both were mentioned in Ohio Recruiting News among the state's top backs. Harris _ ``built like a high school version of Emmett Smith,'' Bayuk said _ has been clocked at 4.5 in the 40 and has drawn every Big Ten schools' interest.
``He's a very quiet, unassuming, humble kid; he doesn't say too much, he just really loves to play,'' Bayuk said. ``He's just one of the guys and he knows a lot of his success is due to the hard work up front the last two years and having a quarterback (YSU recruit Steve Valley) who was able to throw for 1,000 yards and take the heat off him. But Frank knows it's a team effort and we're pretty pleased with the way everybody's working.
``We're fortunate to be able to coach the kids we have over here,'' Bayuk praised. ``They're good kids; not only good players, but good people.''
Todd McKinney and Matt Kanetsky are vying for the starting quarterback slot, ``another place we have to make some strides,'' Bayuk said. McKinney served as Valley's backup last year.
Tentatively, the other offensive starters will be: Tanferno, fullback; Schiraldi, flanker; Oltmann, split end; Jennings, tight end; Silvidi and Joe Shepherd, tackles; Karlovic and Bill Colletta, guards, and Mike Roth, center.
``I don't think we're as big as last year, but I think we're as strong. We don't have any 6-5, 300-pound tackles (like Walsh recruit Marty Yaniglos). They're all the same size, but pretty strong. They worked really hard in the offseason. But depth could be a problem if we have any key injuries, so we're trying to bring along the young kids (including offensive linemen Mark Eckard and Don Smida) quickly. ... I don't think you can go through a whole year without the offensive line getting banged up a little, especially because we run the ball so much. And we have a lot of guys going both ways, which is gonna be a factor. We have to get some other guys ready so we're not wearing ourselves out by halftime.''
Regarding the Eagles' prospects, Bayuk summarized:
``There's an awful lot of pressure on our kids to improve on last year. A lot of people are expecting us to do better, which is pretty hard going into a season trying to better 9-1, no matter how good you are. The kids feel the pressure; but by the same token, they're looking forward to it as a challenge.
``Our long-range goal is to win the league championship,'' Bayuk, mindful of Lakeview's TAC-8 stronghold, said. ``And Champion and Liberty both look good to me.
``I am really excited, but at the same time a little bit concerned for them. The thing that we've based the entire program on is having fun, and I don't want it to be a pressure-type thing where they're not having fun anymore. This is high school football.''
Bayuk led Hubbard to back-to-back 8-2 campaigns in '91 and '92 (and the '91 TAC-8 crown) and is 37-23 in six seasons at Hubbard.
Including five seasons at Canfield, Bayuk has a 62-49 scholastic mark.
Jack Arvin, Mickey Sikora, Steve Hunt, Frank O'Brien, Ron DeJulia and Rod Greenamyer will assist Bayuk.
