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Yappi.com writer CANTON--He wasn't coaching Canton McKinley to victory but this much can be said. The old dog was up to his tricks again as his team was doing what he embraces a great deal: running hard and wearing down a team late in the ball game and finally putting them away. And by the way, please don't tell East head coach Brian Cross that this was Canton McKinley-Massillon part III. Cross and his East team forced the West into four turnovers and kept them out of the end zone and the result was a well-earned 14-3 triumph in The Repository's 17th Annual East-West All-Star football game Saturday night at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium. Cross became the second head coach at Canton McKinley to lead the East to a win with John Miller being the first going back to the 2002 season, a 19-13 overtime win over the West. Canton McKinley head coaches are now 2-1 coaching in The Repository East-West All-Star game. The only loss came from former Bulldogs head coach and now Warren Harding mentor Thom McDaniels, back in 1991, the second year of this contest. The play of the game that secured the win for the East was GlenOak's Dave DeMarco's 37-yard interception return for a touchdown midway through the third quarter. West quarterback Shawn Weisend dropped back to throw and the ball went off the hands of his intended receiver into the waiting hands of DeMarco and there was nothing but green. "That score was huge because the West was playing defense very well and DeMarco's touchdown gave us a little breathing room," Cross said. "I was very happy with our defensive play. To keep them out of the end zone and hold them to three points, that is a testament of our defense." The East also won the game by using a battery of running backs to control the game too. Dave Helmick, Mike Kirksey, Drew Kuhn, and Tim Cox all averaged 3.5 yards a carry as they ran for the East's 130 yards. That also contributed to them winning the time possession battle 29:05 compared to the West's 18:55. "We talked about running hard and wearing them down all week. We went out there and we did that," Cross said, cracking a rare smile. West head coach Tom Stacy experienced an all-too familiar ending to his third appearance at Fawcett Stadium. After 12 quarters, 180 minutes, and 28 points, he might be getting tired of coaching in this facility. After all, his Massillon teams were victims of losses to Canton McKinley and Cincinnati St. Xavier in 2005. With a loss to the East, Stacy became the third straight Massillon coach to fall in The Repository's East-West All-Star game. Along with Lee Owens and Jack Rose losing in this game, Massillon head coaches are 0-3 in this game. And it did not take the 47-year-old father of four long to pinpoint where this game went. "We sputtered all night on offense. We had too many turnovers and it's an unfortunate shame. We were totally outmanned tonight," he said. "Defensively, I thought we played well." After a feeling out first quarter between the two, the East got on the scoreboard first as Cox scored on a block from the right tackle and dove into the end zone to start the second quarter. Kuhn's extra-point made the score 7-0 with 11:51 to play in the second quarter. The West answered on their fifth possession of the first half as they were led by the running of running back Tony DiCicco and the accurate passing of Shawn Weisend. Even though the drive stalled at the East 29-yard line, West kicker Cam McCreary kicked a successful 46-yard field goal to trim the West deficit to four before halftime. But it would be the final time they would score. Both teams traded turnovers to start the third quarter. East quarterback Josh Nettleton missed his receiver and the pass was intercepted by cornerback Troy Ellis. Weisend then tried to give the West their first lead of the game but ended up having his pass intercepted in the end zone as he forced too much, missing his receiver in the end zone. The second possession didn't fare better for the West. They only drove 17 yards after starting out at the 20 and then Weisend threw a ball that was tipped and intercepted by DeMarco. It was the first of two interceptions DeMarco would have in the game. "DeMarco's interception was the decisive finality of this one," Stacy lamented. "It goes back the other way for a touchdown. Again, the turnovers decided the outcome of this game." That allowed the East to line up and play the football that Cross embraces a great deal as a native of Warren: smash-mouth football. "Our kids played well and anytime you win a game like this, you are happy no matter what kind of game it is," Cross said. "To be the second McKinley coach to win this game is even a greater reward." The old dog was up to his tricks again. |
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