OHSAA football playoffs scores | Archbishop Hoban vs. Walsh Jesuit live updates

Posted by Admin November 22, 2024 Football

TWINSBURG — It is Week 14 and Archbishop Hoban is meeting rival Walsh Jesuit on a cold, rainy, windy Friday night in an OHSAA Division II, Region 5 final at Twinsburg Tiger Stadium.

Hoban (11-2) is the No. 2 seed in Division, Region 5 and Walsh (13-0) is the No. 1 seed.

Hoban has playoff wins over Firestone, Lake and Nordonia the last two weeks. Walsh has playoff wins over Willoughby South, Hudson and Austintown Fitch.

Walsh snapped an 11-game losing streak in its series with Hoban by prevailing 19-14 on Oct. 4 at Conway Memorial Stadium.

Check back throughout the night for live updates and analysis.

On the second play from scrimmage, the Hoban defense forced Walsh quarterback Keller Moten to fumble. Senior defensive back Owen Turner recovered the fumble at the Walsh 5-yard line with 11:42 left in the first quarter.

Two plays later, Hoban running back Brayton Feister ran up the middle for a 2-yard rushing touchdown. Jeremy Hammel made the extra point, and the Knights took a 7-0 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

What time is the Archbishop Hoban vs. Walsh Jesuit football game today

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Twinsburg Tiger Stadium.

Walsh Jesuit won the pregame coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.

Walsh Jesuit football players to watch

Walsh senior QB Keller Moten rushed for the game-winning, 9-yard touchdown with 39.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter last month against Hoban.

Moten has completed 113-of-179 passes this season for 1,645 yards and 17 TDs with four interceptions and carried the ball 127 times for 1,209 yards (9.5 average) and 22 TDs.

Walsh junior wide receiver Milan Parris has 27 catches for 597 yards and nine TDs. Senior Aiden Henry has 41 catches for 565 yards and four TDs and threw a 26-yard TD pass on offense, 44 tackles (37 solos) as a safety on defense and has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.

Walsh also has three talented running backs in junior Marty Tobin (116 carries, 970 yards, nine TDs), senior Lucas Weaver (112 carries, 831 yards, nine TDs) and junior Carlos Smith (60 carries, 558 yards, eight TDs). Walsh’s offensive line is consistent with seniors Kodey Kish, Matthew DeSciscio and Luka Jeras and juniors Colton Crosley and Brayden Piersall.

The Warriors have gained more than 5,600 yards in 13 games, with over 4,000 of those yards on the ground.

Walsh’s defense features Henry, senior linemen Luka Jeras, Anthony Bernard and Jamir McCombs, sophomore lineman Dario Jeras, senior linebacker Declan Norton, junior linebacker Caden Carter, junior cornerback James Brewer, junior safety Grant Blascak, senior cornerback Dominic Romanini, junior cornerback Tommy Puletti and sophomore linebacker Caden Mariola.

Norton has 113.5 tackles (76 solos), six sacks and one forced fumble. Carter has 108.5 tackles (74 solos and 10 for loss), three sacks, two forced fumbles and one intercepton. Bernard has five sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. McCombs has 10 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Mariola has 10 tackles for loss.

Romanini and Blascak each have three interceptions and Brewer has two interceptions.

Walsh junior kicker Freddie Marcell has made a single-season school record 67 PATs in 69 attempts. He has also made 3-of-4 field goal attempts. Senior punter Jake Hassman averages 40 yards per boot.

Archbishop Hoban football players to watch

Hoban’s offense features sophomore running back Brayton Feister and blocking by senior linemen Joseph Burkeen and Nate Cross, junior linemen Sam Greer and Braylin Parker, sophomore lineman Rylee Pickering and senior tight end Tayte Crable. Feister has 235 carries for 1,673 yards and 22 TDs, and 11 receptions for 92 yards and one TD.

Junior Trent Hayden is Hoban’s primary quarterback after splitting snaps with senior Ethan Roksandich earlier in the season. Hayden, who played at Walsh as a freshman and sophomore, has completed 67 of 104 passes for 922 yards and nine TDs this season.

Roksandich has thrown a TD pass, caught a TD pass, totaled 57 carries for 399 yards and five TDs and has three sacks as a defensive end. Junior La’Near Folk has 56 carries for 438 yards and seven TDs.

Crable and sophomore John Johnson each have 17 catches and one TD, junior Jackson Callaway has 14 catches and four TDs and junior Elbert Hill IV has 14 catches and three TDs. Hill and senior Tylan Boykin are also threats in the backfield with two rushing TDs apiece.

Hoban’s defense is led by Ohio State recruit Eli Lee, a senior linebacker with over 110 tackles, 10 sacks, 35 tackles for loss, one TD and two forced fumbles. Knights senior linebacker Tanner Mintz also has over 110 tackles with four interceptions, two TDs, eight sacks and four fumble recoveries.

Hill has more than 60 tackles with five interceptions (two returned for TDs), two sacks, 26 pass breakups and two kickoff returns for a TD. Senior lineman Nick Crawford has over 70 tackles with 17 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, a TD and one blocked punt. Boykin has over 50 tackles with four interceptions (one returned for a TD), 26 pass breakups and two punt returns for a TD.

Hoban’s other top defenders are junior linemen Ace Brown (12 sacks, two forced fumbles, TD) and Patrick Kinsell (six sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery), junior cornerbacks Callaway and Payton Cook (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries), senior linebacker Owen Turner (two interceptions, eight sacks) and sophomore defensive backs Johnson, Jaiden Daniels and Lawrence Cherry.

Sophomore Jeremy Hammel is Hoban’s kicker and punter. He has made 56 of 67 PATs and 7 of 8 field goal attempts with a long of 41 yards.

What is Walsh Jesuit football’s OHSAA playoff history?

This is the 22nd Walsh football team to make the OHSAA playoffs: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2014, 2011, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2001, 1999 (1st), 1998 (2nd), 1997, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1989, 1986 and 1985.

Walsh has a 35-20 record in the playoffs. The Warriors won a state title in 1999 and were a state runner-up in 1998. The 1997, 1994 and 1993 teams each played in a state semifinal.

What is Archbishop Hoban football’s OHSAA playoff history?

This is the 20th Hoban football team to make the OHSAA playoffs: 2024, 2023 (2nd), 2022 (2nd), 2021 (2nd), 2020 (1st), 2019, 2018 (1st), 2017 (1st), 2016 (1st), 2015 (1st), 2009, 2008, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999 and 1998.

Hoban has a 60-14 record in the playoffs. The Knights were a state champion in 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 and a state runner-up 2023, 2022 and 2021. The 2008 and 2002 teams each played in a state semifinal.

Who are the Walsh and Hoban football coaches?

Nick Alexander is in his sixth season as Walsh’s head coach and Tim Tyrrell is in his 12th season as Hoban’s head coach.

Alexander has a 51-19 record as Walsh’s coach. Alexander was named the Warriors coach in December of 2018 after Scott Beigie led the program for four years. Beigie followed Gerry Rardin, who retired in December of 2014 after 35 years as Walsh football coach. Rardin guided Walsh to a state title in 1999 in Division II. Walsh advanced to the playoffs in 17 of Rardin’s 35 seasons and he compiled a record of 253-119-2.

Prior to Walsh, Alexander spent two seasons as the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at John Carroll University and five seasons as a high school assistant coach at Mentor (three seasons) and Lakewood St. Edward (two seasons).

Tyrrell has a 140-24 record as Hoban’s coach and a 205-75 record in his 23rd year overall. Tyrrell was hired as Hoban’s coach in January of 2013 and replaced former Knights coach Ralph Orsini. Orsini compiled a record of 131-83 in 19 seasons and guided Hoban to 10 playoff appearances. Orsini was an assistant coach in 2020 when Hoban won the Division II state campionship.

Hoban is in a regional final for the 10th year in a row under Tyrrell.

Tyrrell has led Hoban to five state championships (Division III in 2015 and 2016 and Division II in 2017, 2018 and 2020) and three state runner-up finishes (Division II in 2021, 2022 and 2023). Hoban was a state semifinalist in in 2002 and 2008 prior to his arrival.

Tyrrell was an assistant football coach at Ursuline in 1998, Youngstown State University in 1999 and 2000 and St. Thomas Aquinas in 2001 before embarking on his head coaching career. Tyrrell compiled a 26-33 record as the Aquinas coach from 2002-07 and went 39-18 as the Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School coach in Hollywood, Florida, from 2008-12.

Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.

Nate Ulrich can be reached by email at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @ByNateUlrich.