Louisville Beats Rival Hoover 21-7 in First Playoff Meeting for First Home Playoff Win Since 2008
#7 Louisville 21, #10 North Canton Hoover 14
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The #7 seed Louisville Leopards leaned on Lucas Neff and a defense/special teams that forced three turnovers to defeat the #10 seed North Canton Hoover Vikings 21-7 in their Division II, Region 7 first-round playoff game Friday night at Louisville Leopards Stadium.
Neff rushed 20 times for 146 yards and scored all three Louisville touchdowns. The Leopard defense recovered all three Hoover fumbles, recorded three sacks, held the Vikings to 81 rushing yards, and kept them scoreless throughout the second half.
Louisville improved to 9-2 and advanced in the postseason for the first time since winning at Poland in 2015. The victory was also the Leopards’ first at home in the playoffs since they defeated Columbus Independence in 2008.
The Vikings finished their season 5-6.
Game Stats | Scoring Summary | Team Stats | Individual Stats
Kee On Sports Game Highlights
Dougherty Fumble Recovery Leads to Neff’s 1st Touchdown
Haiden Reynolds returned the opening kickoff 14 yards to the Louisville 19. Cody Zahler completed a four-yard pass to Ryan Rush on the first snap before Neff broke loose for a 23-yard run. Zahler later connected with Caison Grimm for seven yards, but the drive stalled at the Hoover 46 and Hunter Fetrow punted the Vikings back to their own 19 after a fair catch.
A defensive pass-interference penalty moved Hoover to its 34 before Michael Lammlein ran for 13 yards and fumbled. Caden Kortis made the strip on the play and Colton Dougherty fell on the ball for Louisville at the Viking 47.
Zahler opened the possession with a five-yard completion to Neff. Neff followed with a two-yard run, and Zahler found Drake Wilson for 11 yards on 3rd-and-3. Neff added five yards before Zahler ran left for 16 yards to set up 1st-and-goal at the 8.
Neff scored on the next snap. He spun off of two would be tacklers, kept his balance, and powered his way into the end zone for the 8-yard touchdown run to finish off the six-play, 47-yard drive. Parker Daum’s extra point gave Louisville a 7-0 lead with 6:02 left in the first quarter.
Youngen Recovers Own Onside Kick
The Leopards immediately got the ball back when kicker Ryker Youngen recovered his own surprise onside kick for the second time this season. Once again, the Louisville drive started at the Hoover 47.
The Leopards were unable to capitalize a second time, going three-and-out before Fetrow’s 38-yard punt pushed Hoover back to its own 9. Nolan Bonner moved the Vikings out of danger with consecutive runs of six and seven yards and later completed an eight-yard pass to Michael Stader. Louisville stopped the drive near the Hoover 30 and forced another punt.
Louisville then advanced from its own 41 to the Hoover 33. Kortis carried four times during the possession for 11 yards, and Zahler converted a 3rd-and-2 getting just enough on a two-yard run. The Vikings ultimately took over on downs after a fourth-down pass fell incomplete on the next series.
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Bonner Caps 13-Play Drive to Tie Game
Hoover responded with its only scoring drive of the night. Bonner scrambled for 12 yards on 3rd-and-11, then connected with Stader for 20 yards to move the Vikings across midfield. Bonner later ran for seven yards on 3rd-and-6 and followed with a 13-yard carry that gave Hoover 1st-and-goal at the Louisville 2.
The Leopard defense stopped Bonner short twice from inside the 2, but an encroachment penalty helped Hoover remain on the doorstep. Bonner went into the shotgun, handled a high snap, and finally crossed the goal line from just inches away on 3rd-and-goal.
Joey Riedinger’s extra point completed the 13-play, 67-yard drive and tied the game at 7-7 with 4:49 remaining in the second quarter.
Neff Answers With Go-Ahead Touchdown
Louisville answered before halftime with a seven-play, 73-yard touchdown drive.
Rush returned the kickoff 15 yards to the Leopard 23, and Neff carried for six on the first play. Zahler then patiently waited behind his blockers on the next play looking to make something out of nothing. He found a seam and scampered through the middle then ran left past the line before going out of bounds on the left sideline for a 25-yard first down run into Hoover territory.
Zahler then found Wilson for a nine-yard completion. The drive appeared to stall after Hoover defensive tackle Jaxon Kantorik tackled Neff in the backfield for a two-yard loss and the next play resulted in an incomplete. However, Zahler threw deep down field to Wilson who drew a defensive pass interference flag on 4th-and-3. The Vikings committed a personal-foul penalty immediately after and the referees moved the ball all the way to the North Canton 12-yard line.
Zahler ran for five yards and then Neff covered the final seven on the next play. Neff ran right behind blocks by Dom Collier, Aden Norris, and Max Murari walking in seemingly untouched for his second touchdown on the evening. Daum’s kick put Louisville back in front 14-7 with 1:27 left before halftime.
Third Takeaway Denies Hoover at the Goal Line
Freshman Alex Lakota opened the second half with a 48-yard kickoff return to the Louisville 45, giving Hoover an immediate opportunity to pull even.
The Vikings overcame a false start when Bonner completed a 16-yard pass to Elijah Fryson on 3rd-and-9. Hoover then overcame a holding penalty via a controversial defensive pass-interference penalty and a 16-yard completion to Connor McCoy later moved Hoover inside the Louisville 10.
Bonner ran for two yards to the 5, but then fumbled on the next play after taking a big hit from Xavier Berdella. Norris fell on the ball at the Louisville 4-yard-line to give possession back to the Leopards.
A false start pushed the Leopards back to their own 2, but Neff immediately hurdled a tackle to break loose for a 36-yard run to escape the shadow of the end zone. Neff added nine yards on the next play, but Louisville was stopped for no gain on consecutive runs on the next two plays. After a delay of game penalty, Louisville punted.
The two teams exchanged punts on their next two possessions as Louisville remained ahead 14-7 deep into the third quarter.
Zahler-to-Wilson Strike Sets Up Neff’s Third Score
Louisville struck quickly after receiving a Hoover punt near midfield. Zahler found Wilson for a game-long 36-yard completion down the right side of the field on the final play of the third quarter. A holding penalty erased a Zahler touchdown and backed Louisville up to the 20, but Neff went the distance on the next snap, weaving and racing 20 yards for his third touchdown of the game and 12th of the season.
Daum’s third extra point finished the two-play, 46-yard drive and extended the lead to 21-7 with 11:44 remaining.
Leopard Defense Slams the Door
Hoover never seriously threatened again.
The Vikings began their next possession at their own 16, but Bonner was sacked for a nine-yard loss on second down by the c ombination of Zander McCrobie, Dougherty, and Trevor Burick. An incompletion followed, forcing Riedinger to punt on 4th-and-19 from his own 7.
Louisville’s next drive also stalled after a holding penalty and then a sack by Hoover linebacker Justin Oster on 3rd-and-18. Fetrow flipped the field with a 51-yard punt that again left Hoover at its own 16. Bonner responded by completing 3rd-and-2 pass for 3 yards to Lakota, back-to-back 14 and 11 yard first down completions to Stader, and another first down completion for 13 yards to Landon Evans as the Vikings reached the Louisville 32.
An encroachment penalty moved Hoover five yards closer, McCrobie bull rushed around the right side of the offensive line for an 11-yard sack of Bonner to bring up 4th-and-16. The Vikings then threw incomplete deep down the right sideline on fourth down, giving the Leopards possession at their own 38.
Neff moved the chains with runs of one and nine yards. Kortis added an eight-yard carry, and Zahler converted 3rd-and-2 with a four-yard run. Louisville continued to drain the clock on the ground before Fetrow’s final punt pinned Hoover at its own 15. It was his fourth punt inside the 20-yard line on the night.
The Vikings moved as far as their own 42 on the last possession before time expired and the Leopards celebrated a playoff win against their arch-rival.
Neff Leads 208-Yard Rushing Attack
Louisville out-gained Hoover 280-227 and controlled the game with 208 rushing yards on 38 attempts. The Leopards averaged 5.5 yards per carry while limiting the Vikings to 81 yards and 3.0 yards per attempt.
Neff averaged 7.3 yards per carry during his 146-yard, three-touchdown performance. Zahler added 37 yards on eight attempts, while Kortis carried 10 times for 25 yards.
Zahler completed 6 of 11 passes for 72 yards. Wilson caught three passes for 56 yards, including the 36-yard reception that set up Louisville’s final touchdown. Grimm added a seven-yard catch, Neff made one reception for five yards, and Rush caught one pass for four at the start of the game.
Bonner completed 15 of 30 passes for 146 yards and rushed 20 times for 52 yards and Hoover’s lone touchdown. Stader led the Vikings with five receptions for 69 yards. Fryson made four catches for 27 yards, Evans had two receptions for 29 yards, McCoy caught two passes for 15 yards, and Lakota added two catches for six yards.
Hoover held a 14-13 edge in first downs and converted 5 of 11 third downs, compared with Louisville’s 3-of-10 performance. The decisive difference came in turnovers: the Vikings lost all three of their fumbles, while Louisville did not commit a turnover. The Leopard defense also sacked Bonner three times for 27 yards.
Penalties were frequent on both sides. Louisville was flagged 12 times for 77 yards, while Hoover committed 10 penalties for 105 yards.
WHBC Saturday Morning Huddle
Louisville Ends Hoover’s 7-Game Rivalry Win Streak
Friday’s game was the 105th meeting between Louisville and North Canton, but the first postseason matchup in the longstanding rivalry.
The victory improved Louisville’s all-time record against Hoover to 57-43-5, including 32-18-3 at home and now 1-0 in the playoffs. It also snapped the Vikings’ all-time long seven-game winning streak in the series and gave the Leopards their first victory over Hoover since a 43-36 home victory in 2019.
Louisville avenged a 27-18 loss at Hoover during the regular season. The two meetings marked the first time the Leopards and Vikings played twice in the same season since 1924, when Louisville won 31-6 at home and 26-0 in North Canton three weeks later.
<<< Previous 2026 | Hoover All-Time Series
Four Home Wins in Four Weeks for First Time Since 1925
Friday marked the first time Louisville Football has won four home games in four consecutive weeks since 1925.
Louisville Football 4+ Game Home Stands in a Season
| Season | Length | Consecutive Home Games | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 5 | 10/9 Alliance Reserves, L 0–6; 10/16 McKinley Reserves, W 13–7; 10/24 North Canton, W 18–0; 10/30 Minerva, W 12–8; 11/6 Salineville, W 7–6 |
4–1 |
| 1928 | 4 | 9/29 Ravenna, W 19–13; 10/12 Lisbon, W 27–13; 10/19 Canal Fulton, W 44–0; 10/26 McKinley Reserves, W 13–7 |
4–0 |
| 1929 | 4 | 10/18 Massillon Reserves, W 20–13; 10/25 McKinley Reserves, L 0–7; 11/2 North Canton Hoover, W 27–0; 11/8 Minerva, T 6–6 |
2–1–1 |
| 1934 | 4 | 9/15 Brewster, L 0–14; 9/22 East Palestine, L 2–28; 9/29 Carrollton, L 7–19; 10/6 Lisbon, L 7–31 |
0–4 |
| 1935 | 5 | 10/12 North Canton Hoover, L 7–20; 10/19 Boardman, L 0–9; 10/24 Columbiana, T 6–6; 11/2 Leetonia, T 13–13; 11/11 Minerva, L 6–13 |
0–3–2 |
| 1967 | 4 | 10/20 Carrollton, W 12–6; 10/27 West Branch, W 14–8; 11/3 Perry, L 0–12; 11/10 Minerva, L 6–12 |
2–2 |
| 2018 | 4 | 9/28 Youngstown Ursuline, W 45–20; 10/5 Cardinal Mooney, W 31–21; 10/12 South Range, W 27–6; 10/19 Massillon, L 0–41 |
3–1 |
| 2020 | 4 | 10/2 Wooster, L 7–12; 10/9 Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, L 7–14; 10/23 Alliance, L 19–21; 10/30 Jackson, L 14–42 |
0–4 |
| 2026 | 4 | 10/9 Green, W 30–14; 10/16 GlenOak, W 35–21; 10/23 Linsly (WV), W 38–0; 10/30 North Canton Hoover, W 21–7 |
4–0 |
- The 1925 team actually has the record for consecutive home games played in a season with five sandwiched between two away games to start and end the season. They lost to the Alliance Reserves 6-0 before ripping of four straight wins over the McKinley Reserves, North Canton, Minerva, and Salineville.
- The 1938 team also played five straight home games in a seaspon, but went winless during that stretch (0-3-2).
- The 1928 team was the last team to win four consecutive home games in four straight games in a season. It was not in consecutive weeks though. They beat Ravenna, had a week off, and then came back to beat Lisbon, Canal Fulton, and the McKinley Reserves in consecutive weeks.
- The last time Louisville played four consecutive home games in a season was the pandemic year of 2020, they went 0-4 during that stretch and had a week off in the middle of that home stand.
- The last time Louisville played four straight home games in four consecutive weeks was during the 2018 season when they beat Ursuline, Mooney, and South Range before falling to Massillon.
- The last time Louisville won four straight home games in four games across multiple seasons was 1949-1950. Louisville beat East Palestine and Minerva to end the 1949 season before beginning the 1950 season with a 57-0 win over Columbiana and a 32-0 win over Sebring. All four were at home.
- Louisville also won six straight home games in six games in 1941-1942. The Blue Raiders beat Canton Township, Minerva, and East Palestine to end the 1941 campaign before defeating Canton St. John’s, Columbiana, and Sebring to start the 1942 season. All six victories came at home.
Louisville Wins First Playoff Game in Eleven Years
The win was the 15th postseason victory in program history, improving Louisville’s all-time playoff record to 15-18. The Leopards are now 14-12 in Division II playoff games and 1-6 in Division III. Louisville owns a 5-7 postseason record at home, a 3-1 record on the road, and a 7-10 mark at neutral sites.
It was Louisville’s first playoff victory since defeating Poland Seminary 42-7 on the road in 2015, ending a three-game postseason losing streak and an 11-year drought. The Leopards also earned their first home playoff win since beating Columbus Independence 60-24 in 2008, ending a four-game home postseason losing streak.
<<< 2025 At Westerville South | Football Playoff History
UP NEXT: The #7 Louisville Leopards will travel to face the #2 Sunbury Big Walnut Eagles in the Division II, Region 7 quarterfinals on Friday, November 6 at 7:00 PM.
Cover Photo By Rick Everhart Photography
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North Canton Hoover at Louisville Football Game Statistics
Scoring Summary
LEOPARDS 21, VIKINGS 7
Team 1-2-3-4–TOTAL
Hoover 0-7-0-0–07
Louisville 7-7-0-7–21
1st Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Lucas Neff 8-Yard Run (Parker Daum Kick) | LOUISVILLE 7, HOOVER 0, 6:02
6 Plays, 47 Yards
2nd Quarter
HOOVER – Nolan Bonner 1-Yard Run (Joey Riedinger Kick) | LOUISVILLE 7, HOOVER 7, 4:49
13 Plays, 67 Yards
LOUISVILLE – Lucas Neff 7-Yard Run (Parker Daum Kick) | LOUISVILLE 14, HOOVER 7, 1:27
7 Plays, 72 Yards
3rd Quarter
NO SCORING
4th Quarter
LOUISVILLE – Lucas Neff 20-Yard Run (Parker Daum Kick) | LOUISVILLE 21, HOOVER 7, 11:44
2 Plays, 46 Yards
Records: Louisville 9-2, Hoover 5-6
Team Stats
First Downs
Louisville: 13 (8 Rushing, 2 Passing, 3 Penalty)
Hoover: 14 (5 Rushing, 8 Passing, 1 Penalty)
Total Offense
Louisville: 49 Plays, 280 Yards (5.7 Yards Per Play)
Hoover: 57 Plays, 227 Yards (4.0 Yards Per Play)
Rushing
Louisville: 38 Carries, 208 Yards, 3 Touchdowns (5.5 Average)
Hoover: 27 Carries, 81 Yards, 1 Touchdown (3.0 Average)
Passing
Louisville: 6 of 11 for 72 Yards, 0 Touchdowns, 0 Interceptions
Hoover: 15 of 30 for 146 Yards, 0 Touchdowns, 0 Interceptions
Turnovers
Louisville: 0
Hoover: 3 (3 Fumbles)
Fumbles/Lost
Louisville: 1/0
Hoover: 3/3
Penalties/Yards
Louisville: 12 for 77 Yards
Hoover: 10 for 105 Yards
3rd Down Conversions
Louisville: 3 for 10 (30.0%)
Hoover: 5 for 11 (45.5%)
4th Down Conversions
Louisville: 0 for 3 (0%)
Hoover: 1 for 2 (50.0%)
Punt Yards
Louisville: 6 Punts, 202 Yards, 4 Inside 20 (33.7 Average)
Hoover: 4 Punts, 149 Yards (37.2 Average)
Kick Return Yards
Louisville: 2 Returns, 29 Yards (14.5 Average)
Hoover: 4 Returns, 65 Yards (16.3 Average)
Punt Return Yards
Louisville: 2 Returns, 13 Yards (6.5 Average)
Hoover: 1 Return, 0 Yards
Net Return Yards
Louisville: 42 Yards
Hoover: 65 Yards
Field Goals
Louisville: None Attempted
Hoover: None Attempted
Extra-Point Kicks
Louisville: 3 of 3
Hoover: 1 of 1
Sacks Against
Louisville: 1 for 11 Yards
Hoover: 3 for 27 Yards
Individual Stats
Rushing
Louisville
Lucas Neff: 20 Carries, 146 Yards, 3 Touchdowns, 34 Long
Cody Zahler: 8 Carries, 37 Yards, 25 Long
Caden Kortis: 10 Carries, 25 Yards, 8 Long
Hoover
Nolan Bonner: 20 Carries, 52 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 13 Long
Alex Lakota: 5 Carries, 15 Yards, 7 Long
Michael Lammlein: 1 Carry, 13 Yards
Elijah Fryson: 1 Carry, 1 Yard
Passing
Louisville
Cody Zahler: 6 of 11 for 72 Yards, 0 Touchdowns, 0 Interceptions, 36 Long
Hoover
Nolan Bonner: 15 of 30 for 146 Yards, 0 Touchdowns, 0 Interceptions, 20 Long
Receiving
Louisville
Drake Wilson: 3 Catches, 56 Yards, 36 Long
Caison Grimm: 1 Catch, 7 Yards
Lucas Neff: 1 Catch, 5 Yards
Ryan Rush: 1 Catch, 4 Yards
Hoover
Michael Stader: 5 Catches, 69 Yards, 20 Long
Elijah Fryson: 4 Catches, 27 Yards, 16 Long
Landon Evans: 2 Catches, 29 Yards, 16 Long
Connor McCoy: 2 Catches, 15 Yards, 16 Long
Alex Lakota: 2 Catches, 6 Yards, 3 Long
Kick Returns
Louisville
Ryan Rush: 1 Return, 15 Yards
Hunter Reynolds: 1 Return, 14 Yards
Hoover
Alex Lakota: 2 Returns, 65 Yards, 48 Long
Brayden Graber: 1 Return, 0 Yards
Team: 1 Return, 0 Yards
Punt Returns
Louisville
Drake Wilson: 2 Returns, 13 Yards, 11 Long (6.5 Average)
Hoover
Brady Hassen: 1 Return, 0 Yards
Punting
Louisville
Hunter Fetrow: 6 Punts, 202 Yards, 51 Long, 4 Inside 20 (33.7 Average)
Hoover
Joey Riedinger: 4 Punts, 149 Yards, 41 Long (37.2 Average)
Kicking
Louisville
Parker Daum: 3 for 3 Extra Points
Hoover
Joey Riedinger: 1 for 1 Extra Points
