Hoover Vikings at Louisville Leopards 2001 Football Highlights
North Canton Hoover 28, Louisville 13
In a battle of 2-0 football teams, the Louisville Leopards fell to the visiting North Canton Hoover Vikings 28-13 on September 7, 2001.
The Vikings took a 14-0 lead with 4:07 remaining in the second quarter on the first of two Jim Pope touchdown runs. Quarterback Brad Reifsnyder hooked up with Curt Lukens for a 15 yard touchdown strike for the only score of the first quarter.
Trailing by two touchdowns, Mike Batdorff returned the ensuring kickoff 25 yards to the Leopards 42 yard line. Runningback Curtis Elsass accounted for 34 yards on 3 plays during the drive to march Louisville to the Hoover 15 yard line. Elsass was then used as a decoy in a play-action fake on the next play. The North Canton defense bit leaving Tight End Jacob Burkhart wide open in the left side of the endzone. Quarterback Gary Whaley delivered the touchdown strike to Burkhart and Kicker Brian Potts added the extra point to chop the Hoover lead in half with 1:23 left in the second quarter.
The two teams exchanged touchdowns early on in the third quarter. An interception on defense setup the Vikings with great field position on their opening drive of the second half. Pope scored from 5 yards out to put North Canton ahead 21-7 with 10:10 to play. Louisville answered a few minutes later when Elsass scored on a 3 yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 21-13 with 7:02 left in the third quarter.
Hoover looked to extend their lead late in the third after a 40 yard completion set them up inside the Leopards 30. But the Vikings drive ended when Mike Demos recovered a fumble for the Leopards on the Louisville 18 yard line.
The Leopards mounted a 16 play, 62 yard drive in response that took the contest into the fourth quarter. LHS converted on multiple fourth downs during the drive and found themselves facing a 4th-and-13 on the North Canton 20. Hoover Defensive End Scott Malik sacked Whaley ending Louisville’s hopes of tying the game with 8:31 left to play.
The Vikings put the game away with a backbreaking 11 play, 70 yard drive following their big defensive stop. Brek Gerber ran to the left for an 18 yard game-clinching touchdown run with 1:47 left in the contest.
Gerber would finish as Hoover’s leading rusher with 8 carries for 47 yards. Reifsnyder also completed 13 of 20 passes for 156 yards and connected on all 4 of his extra point kicks.
This was the Vikings third consecutive win at Louisville Stadium after victories over the host Leopards in 1997 and 1999. This is the only time in the history of the rivalry that North Canton won three straight series games at Louisville. They would also win the 2003 contest at Louisville Stadium 38-7.
2001 Louisville Leopards Football Season
Scoring Summary
VIKINGS 28, LEOPARDS 13
Team 1-2-3-4–TOTAL
Hoover 7-7-7-7–28
Louisville 0-7-6-0–13
1st Quarter
North Canton – Curt Lukens 15 Yard Pass from Brad Reifsnyder (Brad Reifsnyder Kick) | LHS 0, NCHS 7
2nd Quarter
North Canton – Jim Pope 1 Yard Run (Brad Reifsnyder Kick) | LHS 0, NCHS 14, 4:07
Louisville – Jacob Burkhart 15 Yard Pass from Gary Whaley (Brian Potts Kick) | LHS 7, NCHS 14, 1:23
3rd Quarter
North Canton – Jim Pope 5 Yard Run (Brad Reifsnyder Kick) | LHS 7, NCHS 21, 10:10
Louisville – Curtis Elsass 3 Yard Run (Kick Failed) | LHS 13, NCHS 21, 7:02
4th Quarter
North Canton – Brek Gerber 18 run (Brad Reifsnyder Kick) | LHS 13, NCHS 28, 1:47
Records: North Canton 3-0, Louisville 2-1
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Team Stats
First Downs:
Louisville: 17
Hoover: 19
Rushing:
Louisville: 26 Carries, 147 Yards
Hoover: 33 Carries, 184 Yards
Passing:
Louisville: 11 of 21 for 98 Yards, 1 Interception
Hoover: 13 of 20 for 151 Yards
Fumbles/Lost:
Louisville: 1-0
Hoover: 1-1
Individual Stats
Rushing
Hoover: Brek Gerber 8 Carries, 47 Yards, TD
Passing
Hoover: Brad Reifsnyder 13 for 20 for 156 Yards
