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Best Bets: Week 16

Winton Woods quarterback Buddy Ellery (photo by: James Bates /TriStateFootball.com)

The first 16-game season in Ohio high school football history draws to a close this weekend. We take a look at the last four teams from Southwest Ohio still standing and their championship game foes in this week’s Best Bets. All games will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton

ST. EDWARD (14-1) VS. SPRINGFIELD (13-1)
Division I State Championship – Friday, Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m.

Two different schools in so many ways yet they both got to this spot doing the same thing very, very well – playing defense. This could be one of the hardest hitting finals in years.

There are two common denominators for these squads – St. Ignatius and Moeller. Springfield beat St. Ignatius, 24-20 to open the season and Moeller by one point, 22-21, last week. St. Edward knocked off St. I’s, 24-19, and lost in overtime to Moeller, 28-12. The 28 points were the most that the Eagles have allowed in a game this season.

The St. Edward defense is giving up just 11.8 points per game. They are paced by linemen Michael Kilbane, Wyatt Gedeon, linebacker Zyion Freer-Brown and defensive back Joel Castleberry. Running back Danny Enovitch and quarterback Christian Ramos are capable of carrying the Eagles in any game.

Springfield is led by GWOC Co-Defensive Player of the Year Tywan January, Jokell Brown, Jaivian Norman and Delian Bradley. Norman has a team high 10 sacks. Bradley has five interceptions and 16 for his career.

The Springfield offense is fueled by quarterback Te’Sean Smoot, the OPSWA Division I Southwest District Offensive Player of the Year. The senior has amassed 3,617 yards of total offense (2,657 pass, 960 rush) and accounted for 42 touchdowns (20 pass, 22 rush). Juniors Daylen Bradley, Anthony Brown (a Minnesota commit) and Shawn Thigpen are a load for opposing secondaries to handle.

St. Edward is looking for its fifth state title (2018, 2015, 2014 & 2010). This is the Eagles’ eighth appearance in the championship game (2018, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2003, 1986 & 1975). This is the first championship game appearance for Springfield.

AKRON HOBAN (11-3) VS. WINTON WOODS (12-3)
Division II State Championship – Thursday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m.

It’s a rematch of the 2017 finals in which Hoban bested the Warriors, 42-14. Not a lick of that matters to the kids suiting up on Thursday night. Expect some eye-popping plays in this affair as these two athletic squads get to showcase their talents

Hoban played a killer schedule and should be well prepared for this moment. The Knights have five victories over schools that won at least 10 games.

Hoban has found its offensive mojo in the playoffs averaging 42.4 points per contest. That’s 14.3 points more than they did in the regular season. The electric Lamar Sperling fuels the offense. The junior running back is coming off a 270-yard rushing performance versus Avon. Linemen Drew Holt and Keshawn Haynes have opened up some big holes for Sperling.

On defense, the Knights have some gifted talent with linemen James Martin III, Jordan Pritchard-Sewell and secondary member Markim McKinnie.

Chad Murphy is the third different head coach to lead Winton Woods to the finals in the last 12 years (Troy Everhart in 2009;  Andre Parker in 2017). His Warriors have done it with an opportunistic defense. Winton Woods has 42.0 sacks, 14.0 of them are from OPSWA Division II Southwest District Defensive Player of the Year Jay’Ron Gibson.

Running back TyRek Spikes has been the go-to guy for the Warriors offense. The senior is averaging 204.0 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns in five playoff games. on fire. Spikes has games of 252, 240, 230 and 170 yards in the postseason.

Winton Woods is looking for its second state title (2009). This is the Warriors’ third appearance in the championship game. Hoban is in the championship game for the sixth time. The Knights have won all five of their previous trips in the finals (2020, 2018, 2017, 2016 & 2015).

CHARDON (15-0) VS. BADIN (14-0)
Division III State Championship – Friday, Dec. 3, 3 p.m.

It is hard to believe that a 14-0 team could be an underdog but that’s just what Badin is heading into this finale. Unbeaten and winners of 27 in a row, reigning Division III state champion, Chardon is looking to become the first team in Ohio History to win 16 games in a season. On the flip side, the Hilltoppers could become the first team in state history to win 15 games and not be crowned state champs.

This game is destined to be a defensive battle. Chardon has only given up more than 14 points once all year (27 to Youngstown Ursuline). The Hilltoppers have held 11 of their 15 opponents to seven points or fewer, including five shutouts. They are allowing only 7.0 points per contests. Junior defensive lineman Alex Kisley is a stud who is coming off a three-sack game. 

Linebackers Josh Grambo along with defensive backs Nathanel Sulka, Ryan Moskal and Trey Liebhardt were First Team All-District selections. On offense, quarterback Alex Henry, running back Sean Carr and lineman Aidan Ischay garnered the same honors. Henry and Carr are the backbone of the offense.

Badin has been just as good as Chadron on defense. The Rams are allowing just 7.8 points per game on the season and just 3.8 with three shutouts in the playoffs. Linemen Hunter Harrison and Logan Neu are the foundation up front. Defensive backs Carson Cheek and Braedyn Moore each have seven interceptions and a pair of pick-sixes.

On offense, Badin will rely heavily on running back Jack Walsh with star quarterback Landyn Vidourek (a Cincinnati commit for baseball) being injured. Walsh has posted 100-plus yards on the ground in seven of his last eight starts. He is averaging 147.6 yards per game on the ground in the playoffs. The senior has 1,815 yards and 18 touchdowns rushing. Sophomore Alex Ritzie made his first varsity start at quarterback last week against Bloom-Carroll.

Badin is looking for its second state title (1990). This is the Rams’ third appearance in the championship game (1990 & 1980). Chardon is looking for its third state title (2020 & 1998). This is the Hilltoppers fourth appearance in the championship game (2020, 1998 & 1994).

YOUNGSTOWN URSULINE (11-3) VS. CLINTON-MASSIE (13-1)
Division IV State Championship – Friday, Dec. 3, 10:30 a.m.

Take the points and the over, in this affair. This is a battle between two squads that can light up the scoreboard and they do it with totally different styles of play. Ursuline loves to spread wealth through the air and on the ground. Clinton-Massie is bringing its smash-mouth rushing attack.

Last week against Port Clinton, Ursuline broke a streak of seven straight games scoring 42 points or more. The Fighting Irish are averaging 43.6 points per contest. The defense has been a different story, giving up 35 points or more eight times. They are allowing 32.5 points per game.

Ursuline churns out 462.8 yards of total offense per game (269.8 rush, 193.1 pass). They are led on this side of the ball by seniors, running back DeMarcus McElroy, quarterback Brady Shannon, receiver Dean Boyd. A pair of excellent juniors Brian Frasco and Isaac Lucas anchor the offensive line. McElroy set the school single-season record with 41 rushing touchdowns. He has 2,191 yards on the ground. Shannon has amassed 3,451 yards of total offense (2,647 pass, 804 rush) and accounted for 35 touchdowns (27 pass, eight rush). Boyd is the team’s top pass catcher with 50 receptions for 916 yards and nine scores.

The Fighting Irish defense is relatively young which bodes well for the future. Sophomore Ty’Rek Donlow is a rising star. He has more than 100 total tackles, 17.0 tackles for losses, nine-and-a-half sacks, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Clinton-Massie has won 13 games in a row, the last two by a grand total of four points. The Falcons are averaging 43.7 points per game. During one 11-game span this season they scored 42 points or more nine times.

The offense is a well-oiled machine at this point of the season. Clinton-Massie is averaging 360.3 yards per game with 78 touchdowns on the ground. Senior Carter Frank with 965 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground is 35 yards away from being the third Falcon to rush for more than 1,000 yards this season. Classmate Carson Vanhoose leads the team with 1,848 yards and 27 touchdowns rushing. Since the beginning of 2020 Vanhoose has 57 rushing touchdowns in 24 games. Senior classmate Colton Trampler is second on the team with 1,085 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Quarterback and safety Kody Zantene has thrown for 592 yards, ran for 547 yards and accounted for 16 touchdowns (11 rush, five pass). He has completed just two passes (2-8) the last four weeks.

Clinton-Massie is looking for its third state title (2013 & 2012). This is the Falcons’ fourth appearance in the championship game (2017, 2013 & 2012). Ursuline is looking for its fifth state title (2010, 2009, 2008 & 2000). The Fighting Irish find themselves in the finals for a sixth time in program history (2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 & 2000).

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GAME OF THE WEEK
Make sure to check out the COMPLETE PREVIEW for this week’s Blitz 5 Game of the Week, Mayfield at Beechwood 

 

 

 

 

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