By Jim Manion
Record-Courier correspondent
NEW PHILADELPHIA - There are not many high school teams that can turn over the pigskin seven times in one game and expect to come out on the winning side.
Waterloo first-year head coach Mike Bohley will be the first to acknowledge that fact.
The Vikings (0-3) made a long trip to New Philadelphia even longer on the return bus ride after they suffered their third straight loss of the 2008 campaign.
Tuscarawas Central Catholic (1-2) took advantage of Viking miscues and came away with its first win of the season 26-14 Saturday afternoon on the Saints' field, which is only two years old.
The Waterloo offense put up 231 yards passing on the arm of quarterback Dylan Wartluft, while the defense held the Saints to 219 total yards however three fumbles, three interceptions and a blocked punt cost the Vikings all afternoon.
"(Tusky) Central Catholic is a much improved team over last year, and they have lost to some quality opponents just like us, but you can't win no matter who you play when you turnover the ball like we did," said Bohley, who has yet to win his first game as a head coach.
Saint quarterback Joe Lawless was 11-of-20 passing for 104 yards, hitting Jordan Neidig seven times from his slot position and twice for touchdowns.
Neidig's first touchdown came after Waterloo fumbled on the 10-yard line. Lawless hit Neidig with a five-yard out, and then came back with a five-yard slant across the middle of the end zone for a 6-0 lead at 4:51 of the first quarter.
Central Catholic's defense got on the board in the second quarter when Wartluft was hit from behind and the ball was snatched out of the air by linebacker Cruz Fondriest, who raced untouched for 46 yards to the end zone. Lawless hit Tyler Sunderlin for the 2-point conversion and a 14-0 advantage with 11:49 on the clock for the Saints.
Wartluft found tight end Jeff Long for a 21-yard touchdown with four minutes remaining in the half. The Vikings' defense stepped up led by Kenny Shircliff and Brandon Conner on the line and linebacker Cody Hall. Each had a sack in the final four minutes of the first half to keep the Saints off the board.
Saints' linebacker Ian Jinks set up another Neidig touchdown when he jumped a Viking route across the middle. The senior stepped in front of the Waterloo receiver for an interception and returned the ball to the Waterloo 26-yard line.
Two plays later Lawless hit Neidig with a 22-yard touchdown and a 20-6 lead.
Wartluft engineered a Viking drive and tossed a 48-yard pass to Tyler Seebach to close out the third quarter. However, the drive stalled and Waterloo punted into the Saints' end zone.
Gaining possession on the 20-yard line, Lawless went off tackle with halfback Tommy Sampsel, who cut to the right and broke into the Viking secondary untouched for an 80-yard score.
Wartluft tossed a three-yard touchdown to Seebach with eight minutes in the game to close out the scoring. Seebach was the leading receiver for the Vikings with five catches for 103 yards, while Tyler Wise pulled down four passes for 39 yards.