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Ohio Playoffs: State Championships


OdbCle

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Championship week kicks off this Thursday with D2, followed by D1, 3, and 5 on Friday, and 4, 6 and 7 on Saturday. Matchups as follows:
 
Division I – Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Lakewood St. Edward (14-1) vs. Springfield (13-1)
 
Division II – Thursday, 7 p.m.
Akron Archbishop Hoban (14-1) vs. Toledo Central Catholic (14-1)
 
Division III – Friday, 3 p.m.
Canfield (13-1) vs. Carroll Bloom-Carroll (14-1)
 
Division IV – Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Cincinnati Wyoming (15-0) vs. Cleveland Glenville (14-0)
 
Division V – Friday, 10:30 a.m.
Ironton (15-0) vs. Canfield South Range (15-0)
 
Division VI – Saturday, 10:30 a.m.
Maria Stein Marion Local (15-0) vs. Kirtland (15-0)
 
Division VII – Saturday, 3 p.m.
New Bremen (12-3) vs. Warren John F. Kennedy (13-1)
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Ed's v. Springfield: This game presents a matchup of two contrasting styles. The Eagles will want to grind out yards and clock on the ground, while Springfield will want to air it out to their bevy of talented receivers. It's a nearly identical scenario as last years final, which saw the Eagles go for nearly 300 on the legs of Enovitch and Ramos, winning the time of possession battle and ultimately the game. Springfield did rack up 350 through the air on 44 pass attempts, but Ed's was able to keep the receivers in front of them and limit them to one passing TD. All of Springfield's leading receivers are back this year, and the transfer Schondelmyer is a better pocket passer than the duel-threat Smoot from last year. Back for Ed's are the state's best pass rushing combination in Kilbane and Gedeon who have combined for over 30 sacks on the year. I think the pressure these two will bring should limit Springfield's opportunities to go deep with regularity. The Ed's defensive backfield, while still prone to giving up yards through the air, has done a much better job as of late in not surrendering the big play. This will be their biggest test yet as Springfield has a trio of guys in Brown, Bradley, and Thigpen that they will have to account for. I expect to see mostly zone coverage, dropping the linebackers into the middle of the field and trying to disrupt the passing lanes. Pappas will still dial up his blitzes at the right moments, but I think the hope is that the front four can generate enough pressure. There is less a concern of Schondelmyer escaping the pocket for big gains like Smoot could. I would not be surprised to see this game play out like last year, with Ed's punishing ground game eating up clock and forcing some desperation throws from Springfield that result in a turnover or two. Ed's ground game is even better than last year, and Bullock is operating very efficiently though the air. Should be a great game. 

Hoban v. TCC: No surprise seeing these two in the final. I felt it was always going to be some combination of Hoban/Massillon/TCC/Winton Woods in the final. Kings had a hell of a run and nearly pulled the upset in a shootout with TCC in what was the most exciting semi-final game. The Kings receivers continually got behind the Irish secondary, and on the other side, Ty'Waun Clark continually evaded the Kings pass rushers and extended drives with his legs. In the other semi-final, Hoban was pretty dominant against a very good Massillon team. The Tigers sold out to stop the run early, and got burned several times on deep passes. Once they adjusted to respect the pass game, Hoban and Sperling bullied them on the ground. The Knights have been playing dominant football since the loss to Ed's. TCC will present them with the best combination of size and skill they have seen since that Ed's game, but I like the way Hoban is playing right now. Clark will have to be the equalizer and have a special game for TCC to win this one.  

 

I don't have much commentary to offer on the lower division games as I have only seen one or two of them play this year. The big story is Glenville making it back to the finals for the first time since 2013, their first year after dropping from D1 down to D2. Many expected the Tarblooders to be a dominant force in the lower divisions, but the program fell off the map when Ginn Sr. got ill. Not only did the football program falter, but the schools enrollment continued to slide over the next decade. With a healthy Ginn now back at the helm, Glenville saw a number of talented players find their way back into the program again. Not only that, but they are all the way down in D4 right now playing many rural community schools that are lucky to have one D1 college prospect, let alone the double digit prospects Glenville has. They will be the favorite against an undefeated Wyoming team looking to play spoiler. The DVI game should also be a good one with small school powers Maria Stein and Kirtland squaring off. These two schools have combined for 18 state championships and a number of runners-up. Two of the absolute best small school programs in the country. 

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15 minutes ago, hardhit1 said:

He committed to Buffalo in the Mac early this year so not sure he has any better offers

they list him at 5’10” 190 . He has a very strong legs that never seem to stop

The 190 is accurate. 5’10”, not so much. That’s primarily the reason only Buffalo came calling. Many schools making a mistake not offering this kid simply because of measurables. I’m sure he’ll cap off a fantastic high school career with another outstanding game tonight. 

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3 minutes ago, OdbCle said:

The 190 is accurate. 5’10”, not so much. That’s primarily the reason only Buffalo came calling. Many schools making a mistake not offering this kid simply because of measurables. I’m sure he’ll cap off a fantastic high school career with another outstanding game tonight. 

Yeah when they say 5’10” is it really 5’9” or 8 ? I get that part. 
 

 

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6 minutes ago, OdbCle said:

The 190 is accurate. 5’10”, not so much. That’s primarily the reason only Buffalo came calling. Many schools making a mistake not offering this kid simply because of measurables. I’m sure he’ll cap off a fantastic high school career with another outstanding game tonight. 

How fast is the kid?  40 time?

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1 minute ago, hardhit1 said:

Yeah when they say 5’10” is it really 5’9” or 8 ? I get that part. 
 

 

He and Bell are almost identical in their builds. Sperling probably a little thicker in the legs. But neither are their listed height. Probably both 5’8 in cleats. 

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6 minutes ago, World Citizen said:

How fast is the kid?  40 time?

Not sure. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s in the mid 4.5 to 4.6 range. Not a burner by any means, but he does hit the hole very fast and runs away from guys on film. His balance and power in that short, thick frame is what makes him a menace to get to the ground. He seems to pin ball off defenders. 

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