Clark is leader of Irish attack

Led by Daryll Clark, Ursuline has the top offense in the conference.
& lt;a href=mailto:bassetti@vindy.com & gt;By JOHN BASSETTI & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Daryll Clark has been a starting quarterback through two coaches, two styles of offense, huddles and no-huddles.
No problem.
The Ursuline High senior operates a multiple-spread offense for coach Dan Murphy, now in his second year. It follows the Pro I days of coach Jim Vivo, who had a power passer and power running backs.
This season, Clark is the leading passer in the Steel Valley Conference with 1,276 yards and 12 touchdowns. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound signal-caller also has 311 yards rushing and five TDs.
He's helped the Irish to a 4-3 record with defending Division III state champion Columbus Watterson coming to Stambaugh Stadium Friday night.
Clark is the pilot of an offense that's produced the SVC's top per-game average of 366.6 yards. Ursuline's TD output of 24, however, is third to Warren Harding's 39 and Cardinal Mooney's 31.
Prefers drop-back style
Clark's passing preference is definitely drop-back.
"Some people say I need to run more, but that's not my type of game," he said. "I'm more of a pocket guy. I think pass before run and I think that's very important."
Field vision and accuracy are Clark's strengths. He is undecided on college, though he's leaning toward West Virginia and has been contacted by Syracuse.
His arm strength could improve.
"I don't have a weak arm, but it's no cannon, either," he said.
Of the 161 passes attempted by Clark, only four have been picked off. He's completed 95.
Until last year, Clark was familiar with a backfield of Terrence Graves and Delbert Ferguson, a big tight end in Louis Irizarry and a go-to guy in Isiah Poindexter.
Graves, Poindexter and Irizarry graduated while Ferguson transferred to Warren Harding.
Now, Clark's concentration is on running backs Terrell Washington and Alex Bell, and a receiving corps of Derrick Stewart, Walt Lacey, Jon Butler, Jimmy Hughes, Jerome Jones and Andrew Frasco.
"We call ourselves 'Batman and Robin,' " Clark said of identities given himself and Stewart by fullback Brad Turnbull. Nicknames Clark devised include "Tall and Lanky" for Jones and "The Silent Assassin" for Frasco.
Besides playing defense, Turnbull is usually a lead blocker in short-yardage situations. Occasionally, he may get the ball.
"We may give him a bone now and then," Clark said, "but he's a very important part of our puzzle. He's been very productive."
Junior John DeSantis, a defensive player, is also a receiver at times.
The front wall
Clark couldn't walk in the locker room and face his offensive linemen if he didn't mention center Juan Vega, right guard Andrew Edmonds, right tackle Mike Bartos, left guard Corey Maizel and left tackle Branndon Brown. Although Murphy installed the spread offense last season, adaptation to the no-huddle was slow until this year.
"Coach wanted it to get defenses tired," Clark said. "It's [designed] to wear teams down early so we could just tee off."
Clark showed a knack for moving his offense when the Irish rallied to beat Akron Hoban last week, 25-21. Trailing 14-0 at halftime, Clark's pass to Stewart covering 50 yards late in the game was the clincher.
Clark's most vivid career memory isn't a pleasant one, but there is consolation.
It was the final game of the 2002 season when Ursuline trailed Portsmouth West before losing in the Div. IV state semifinal. The Irish advanced from their own 20 to Portsmouth's red zone when, on the game's final play, Clark's pass to Poindexter was batted down.
"It was a heartbreaker," Clark said. "We were one play away from making it to the championship game. But we were 5-5 in the regular season and no one thought we'd make it that far."
& lt;a href=mailto:bassetti@vindy.com & gt;bassetti@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;