STATE CHAMPION Lisbon

Coach: Jim Tsilimos
Season record: 14-0
Schedule:
Regular season
22South Range3
33Mathews0
20Wellsville6
33United9
34Columbiana0
24Crestview (OT)18
53Southern8
8East Palestine3
41Leetonia12
71Sebring0
Playoffs
21Steubenville Cath. Cent.12
17Monroe Central14
33Waynedale7
34Cin. Mariemont (2OT)31
Notable players: Quarterback Zach Williams (Kent State University), wide receiver Steve Rodgers, wide receiver Danton Hutton, tight end Todd Sinsley, running back Damien Powell, fullback/linebacker Mike Stockman, defensive tackle Ed Shuman, lineman Ryan Belaney (Mount Union), kicker Justin Tsilimos (walk-on at Bowling Green), Barry Long (Geneva), Harvey Price (Muskingum).
Notebook: Coach Tsilimos was an offensive tackle for the 1971 Warren Harding team that won the AP poll state championship The state playoffs began a year later. ... Lisbon has Columbiana County's only state title. Wellsville was a Division V runner-up in 1994. ... The 1995 Blue Devils survived two close calls against Tri-County opponents. At Crestview, the Devils were down two scores before rallying for an overtime win. Against East Palestine, Belaney picked off a second-half pass and returned it for the game-winning touchdown in an 8-3 victory. "If Belaney doesn't intercept that pass, the whole 14-0 dream was over," Williams said. ... In the title game, Shuman had two tackles for losses on back-to-back plays in the third quarter. Other stalwarts included: Sam Carpenter, two passes defensed; Rodgers, interception; Stockman, two tackles for losses; Dustin Tedrow and Belaney, half sack each; Hutton, pass defensed; and Sinsley, pass defensed.
-- Tom Williams