Delay of game penalties proved costly for East High School last Friday night, as the Boardman Spartans claimed their first win of the season last Friday night, 27-7.
      Midway through the third quarter, down 14-7, East’s Jamez Brooks recovered a Terrence Thomas fumble to give the Golden Bears the ball 16 yards from paydirt.
      After Marco Stilliana and Luke Huzicka halted a Frank Harris 5-yard run, East was called on three, straight plays for too much time, backing them up 26 yards from the goal line.
      Yet another flag was thrown for a fourth straight delay infraction, pushing East back behind the 30 yard line.
      Keyed by a Sean’O’Horo pass break-up; and a quarterback pressure on a fourth down play by Boardman’s Blaine Strines and Cortland Love, the Spartans took over and marched 61 yards in six plays to take a 20-7 command in the contest at the end of three quarters of play. Thomas capped the drive rushing for a TD from 8 yards out, and he also picked-up 28 yards on a third down run to keep the drive alive.
      Boardman put the first score of the game on the board at the 9:08 mark of the opening stanza when Thomas lofted a touchdown pass to Huzicka on a third and 14 play. Carson Essad added the PAT.
      East was thwarted on their next possession when Nick Winsen fell on a fumble on a second down play.
      Late in the first quarter, Boardman took advantage of a 9-yard East punt to get the ball back on the 35 yard line.
      Thomas darted 30 yards on a second down play, and a face mask penalty on East moved the Spartans to a first and goal at the 2 yard line.
      But East defenders Anthony West, Mikel Barnette and Cam Atwood broke through the Spartan offensive front to drop Thomas on first down for a loss.
      Thomas answered on the next play, connecting with Kejaun Robinson to lift Boardman to a 14-0 lead.
      The Golden Bears got their only score of the game at the 1:25 mark of the second quarter. It came after a Willie Jones 52-yard kick return to the Boardman 44 yard line, and ended when Arwood ran 39 yards to cross the goal line.
      Boardman capped the scoring in the game when O’Horo crossed the goal line in the fourth quarter.
      Thomas led the Boardman offense, rushing for 175 yards in 13 attempts. He also hit on 4 of 15 passes, good for 52 yards and the pair of touchdowns.
      O’Horo, who was limited to six yards in Boardman’s opener against Austintown, picked-up 50 yards on the ground in a dozen carries against East.
      “It was a good team win. Our kids got better. We hit two goals: win at home and win on senior night.,” said Boardman Head Coach Joe Ignazio.
      The Spartan mentor said that “Defensively, Jake Powell, Sean O’Horo, and Stephen Conti all had good games. Nick Winsen had a fumble recovery and Anthony Hightower had an interception
      “Jahiem Johnson stepped-in and had two big tackles in critical situations. One was a touchdown saving tackle that kept East out of the end zone.”
      Boardman gets back into action with a home game this Friday night at 7:00 p.m. against the Ursuline Irish.
      The Irish opened the season with a 29-6 win over Chaney, and lost last week in a 56-28 drubbing at the hands of Austintown Fitch.
      They are a good football team with talented players,” Coach Ignazio said about the Irish, noting his opponents have good players at the skill positions, including quarterback Brady Shannon .
      “You knew after last year that Ursuline was not as bad as their record. They had key pieces in place to turn things around,” he added.