DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum High School Football State Championships

I was at the Mentor game. They got dominated by X. Their RB is just spectacular and their FB had a real nice game too. That line of theirs is just massive.

I think I'd be remiss if I didnt post this..off ESPN main page an article about this game....

CANTON, Ohio -- When Mentor looks back at the 2007 Ohio Division I state championship game, it won't remember the below-freezing temperatures, it won't remember the snow and freezing rain slowing down its high-powered spread offense.


One name will come to mind -- Darius Ashley.


The Louisville commit and No. 2-ranked running back in Ohio rushed for a Division I championship-record 271 yards and scored two touchdowns as St. Xavier, No. 2 in the ESPN HIGH Elite 25, defeated Mentor 27-0 to win its second state championship in three years.


The St. Xavier (15-0) victory was only the second shutout in Division I championship history.


"As a coach, what you hope to see is your game plan offensive and defensively come together," St. Xavier coach Steve Specht said. "And what we wanted to do offensively and defensively, we were able to do tonight and that was the difference in the game."


For Specht, in just his fourth season, his resume includes a 51-3 record and the two state championships.


But on this night, when inclement weather virtually eliminated the passing game, the 5-foot-9, 195-pound Ashley was a one-man force, outgaining the entire Mentor offense, 271-197.


"Anytime a running back ends up with that many yards, it's a result of great blocking, and anyone who was watching the game could see that the offensive line did exactly what they've been doing all year and they opened up huge holes. All I had to do was find them," Ashley said.


The Bombers finished with 371 rushing yards.


Mentor (11-3), led by senior quarterback Bart Tanski (179 yards), was making its second consecutive appearance in the title game. The Cardinals came in averaging 40 points a game.


But while the offensive unit of St. Xavier (411 totals yards) moved the ball with ease, the defense was just as good, if not better, as the Cardinals' offense was brought to a screeching halt.


"They were able to shut down our running game, which meant we had to throw it every play," Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno said. "We knew they were going to be good, and were hoping we could put some points on the board early."


Danny Milligan scored the game's first touchdown to give the Bombers an early 7-0 lead. Following an Ashley 27-yard touchdown, Milligan, who also doubles as the team's kicker, added two field goals to give St. Xavier a 20-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter.


Ashley capped a 10-play, 50-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to seal the win and St. Xavier's second state championship in school history.


"On the sideline, after his first score, I grabbed him and said 'let's get three tonight' and he came close," Specht said. "He's a talent. Darius does things you can't teach kids."


Division IV: No. 11 Cardinal Mooney vs. Coldwater


MASSILLON, Ohio -- For the entire season, the Coldwater Cavaliers have had a simple team motto:


"Go hard every play and never give up."

So when Coldwater found itself heading into the fourth quarter trailing Youngstown Cardinal Mooney 21-7, what better time for the team to start practicing what it preached?


After being outgained 368-176 in total yards through three quarters, coach John Reed and the Cavaliers went to trick plays, put up nearly 200 yards of offense and blocked a potential game-tying extra point to defeat Cardinal Mooney, No. 11 in the ESPN HIGH Elite 25, 28-27, in the Ohio Division IV state championship game.


It was the second championship in three years for Coldwater (14-1), both of which have come against Cardinal Mooney. For the Cardinals (14-1), their bid to win a second consecutive title and seventh overall came up short. The loss also snapped a 28-game winning streak for Cardinal Mooney.


"I'm extremely proud of our guys, they performed all year and played at such a high level and today was no different," Cardinal Mooney coach P.J. Fecko said. "They definitely battled hard and did some great things out there, unfortunately we came up on the short end of the scoreboard."


Cardinal Mooney jumped to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter behind a 1-yard touchdown run by ESPN 150 LB/FB and Penn State commit Michael Zordich Jr. and a 24-yard touchdown pass from Tim Marlowe to Mike Gemma.


Following a 16-yard touchdown run by Coldwater quarterback Cory Klenke, Cardinal Mooney, a run-first team (56 attempts), continued to move the ball on the ground behind another Penn State commit, ESPN 150 LB/RB Brandon Beachum (34 carries, 191 yards), and increased the lead to 21-7 following a Marlowe 8-yard touchdown run.


Dominating for the first 36 minutes, the Cardinals headed in the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead and it appeared to be a mere formality for a second state championship in as many years.


Enter Keith Wenning.


Lined up at wide receiver, the backup quarterback hooked up with Ryan Geier on a double reverse pass for an 80-yard touchdown.


On the next possession, Wenning, again lined up at receiver, hit Tony Harlamert for a 35-yard gain. Harlamert scored on a 1-yard run to tie it at 21.


On the ensuing drive by Cardinal Mooney, Marlowe fumbled to give the Cavaliers the ball at the 32-yard line. Three plays later, Geier scored on a 23-yard pass from Klenke.


"It's my job to make big plays," Geier said. "I told Cory that if you throw it, I'll catch it."


Cardinal Mooney had an opportunity to send the game to overtime after a Gemma touchdown reception, but senior Kurt Schlarman blocked Ed Reese's extra point to give Coldwater the improbable win.


"We came here to win," Reed said. "We played them two years ago and we were able to play them tough and we were confident that we'd play them tough this year. We didn't come here saying we were going to win, but we came here to win. There's a big difference."

I remeber saying the winner of Divison 1 would come down to the winner of saint x and coffman.