Padua at Archbishop Hoban football preview

Plain Dealer staff, November 07, 2009 1:11 a.m.

Kickoff: Division III regional quarterfinal, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dowed Field, Inman Avenue, Akron. Call 330-773-9107.

Records: Both teams are 7-3.

What to watch: It's not too often that teams from the same league meet in a first-round playoff game, but that's what we have here as two evenly matched North Coast League teams meet for the second time in three weeks in what should be another defensive struggle. Hoban won the first meeting, 10-6, in a monsoon when defensive end LaTroy Lewis intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown and Zach Christensen kicked the PAT and a 40-yard field goal. Lawrence Wynn has rushed for 1,341 yards and WR Ben Coudriet has caught 33 passes but the Knights have had stretches where they've had trouble translating that into points. Still, the defense has held opponents to a little more than two scores a game. Padua is more diversified offensively with RB Mark Spehar (961 yards, 15 touchdowns, 215 carries), QB James Flowers (120 of 206, 1,484 yards, 12 TDs) and Nico Sidari (39 receptions, 479 yards, 5 TDs).

PD pick: Padua.