PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW Friday's games

DIVISION IVURSULINE vs. LIBERTY
Game time: 7:30 p.m. at Fitch Falcon Stadium
TV/Radio: WBBW-AM (1240); WNIO-AM (1390)
URSULINE (7-4)
34Boardman78Steubenville2423Poland1327Pittsburgh (Pa.) Perry1335St. Thomas2137Warren Harding2228Akron Hoban6114Columbus Watterson3127Mooney5539Erie Cathedral Prep33
Playoffs
21Akron Manchester3
Irish notebook: Ursuline, which has never played Liberty, won its 15th playoff game last Friday, while Liberty won its first. Senior running back Alex Allen, the first running back in Steel Valley Conference history to rush for 2,000 yards in the regular season, gained 156 yards on 24 carries -- 125 in the second half -- against Manchester. Allen has 2,446 yards in 11 games. Senior wideout Derrick Stewart caught TD passes of 50 and 75 yards from sophomore quarterback Scooter Hargate. Hargate has 847 yards passing with 10 TDs and eight interceptions. Stewart has 23 receptions for 599 yards and seven TDs. On defense, senior Brad Turnbull, a three-year starter, has 103 tackles and sophomore Matt Yarab has 101, including nine for loss. Junior Joe Underwood has eight tackles for loss and junior Jerome Jones, a 6-foot-7 linebacker, has four interceptions.
LIBERTY (10-1)
19Struthers1342Wilson147Chagrin Falls324Champion00Hubbard2138LaBrae024Lakeview715Newton Falls1428Brookfield738Girard23
Playoffs
36Orrville19
Liberty notebook: The Leopards have been without leading rusher Dania Gillam the past few weeks -- he's questionable for Friday -- but junior Chris Harden has stepped in nicely. Harden, who ran for 630 yards in the regular season, had 186 yards and two touchdowns against Orrville, while Marcellus Bowman -- a Boston College recruit -- added two rushing touchdowns. Bowman is also the team's leading receiver and Brian Cornwell is also a receiving threat. Quarterback Brian Jones, who had 711 yards passing, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions in the regular season, also ran for a TD against the Red Riders. Liberty has the speed to stay with the speedy Irish, but they'll have to gang-tackle Allen and keep pressure on Hargate if they want to stop the potent Ursuline offense.
MOONEY vs. CHAGRIN FALLS
Game time: 7:30 p.m. at Heacock Stadium, BeloitRadio: WKBN-AM (570)
If you go: Follow Ohio route 224 West to Ohio route 534. Go south on 534 to Ohio route 165. Follow 165 west into Beloit. The stadium is at West Branch High School.
MOONEY (8-2)
26East Liverpool024St. Thomas335E. Cleveland Shaw020Warren Harding2236Painesville Riverside725Cle. Benedictine4919Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary1355Ursuline2714Columbus Watterson10
Playoffs
42Garrettsville Garfield21
Cardinals notebook: Mooney, which has an area-best 18th playoff appearances and four state titles, improved to 26-13 in the postseason with last Friday's win. And, like most of Mooney's playoff wins, this one featured good defense and a good running game. The Cardinals had got interceptions from Desmond Morrow and Eric Mariotti (who returned his for a 27-yard touchdown) in Garfield's first two offensive series as Mooney took a 42-0 lead before pulling its starters. Quarterback Kyle McCarthy, who had 706 yards rushing in the regular season, ran for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Nate Burney -- who had 1,150 yards in the regular season -- added two rushing touchdowns and Mike Rich had one. Morrow has five interceptions.
CHAGRIN FALLS (9-2)
38Kenston2121University School273Liberty728Gates Mills Hawken1447Burton Berkshire2632Perry1542Orange716West Geauga1342Aurora3152Wickliffe20
Playoffs
26Tuslaw8
Tigers notebook: Chagrin Falls, which improved to 3-4 all-time in the playoffs, will rely on a balanced offense against the Cardinals, led by running back Josh Menendez and quarterback Mike Hermanson. Menendez has carried 221 times for 1,753 yards (7.93 per carry) and 14 touchdowns and averages 24 yards per kick return with one touchdown. Two other backs -- Nate Taylor and Drew Ward -- have over 200 yards rushing. Hermanson, who has 146 yards rushing, has completed 95-of-181 for 1,493 yards, 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions. His main target is Brian Robiskie, who has 40 receptions for 690 yards and 12 TDs. Also watch out for wideouts Will Hogan (21 receptions, 444 yards, five TDs) and Judd Harrold (20 catches, 236 yards, 1 TD). Quinn Canter (126 tackles, four sacks) and Zak Gebler (110 tackles, six interceptions) lead a Chagrin Falls defense giving up 230 yards per game.
DIVISION VILEETONIA vs. MONROEVILLE
Game time: 7:30 p.m. at Brunswick Judy Kirsch FieldIf you go: Take I-80 west to I-71 south and exit at Rt. 303 (exit 226). Turn right on Rt. 303 (Center Road). Stadium is on the north side of 303.
LEETONIA (9-2)
7Mineral Ridge2346Western Reserve714Jackson-Milton747Sebring049East Palestine1462Southern1316Lisbon76Crestview1940Columbiana1834United12
Playoffs
26Malvern12
Bears notebook: Senior Aaron Merrill was impressive once again last Friday, running for 210 yards and three touchdowns as the Bears scored 20 unanswered points to win their first playoff game in school history. Merrill, who holds 15 school records, has 197 carries for 1,455 yards and 24 touchdowns and also leads the team in receiving with 10 carries for 208 yards. Jamie Kegelmyer (111 carries, 920 yards, 11 TDs) and Jon Williams (76 carries, 566 yards, three TDs) are also running threats. Senior quarterback Cody Tittle is 26 of 57 this season with 408 yards, two TDs and four interceptions. Merrill also has a team-high 74 tackles, including 15 for a loss and two sacks. Junior Andrew Billet has 68 tackles and nine sacks, while Don Boyd (14 tackles for a loss) and Chris Hepler (10 tackles for a loss) can also disrupt things on defense.
MONROEVILLE (10-1)
42Keystone1246Milan Edison2142Seneca East2050Ashland Mapleton019Norwalk St. Paul614Ashland Crestview1635Greenwich South Central054New London613Collins Western Reserve1263Plymouth8
Playoffs
35Richmond Hts.8
Eagles notebook: Monroeville, which improved to 10-8 all-time in the playoffs, is outgaining opponents 430-240 this season and outscoring opponents 37.5-10. The Eagles' lone loss came against Ashland Crestview, which was a Div. V playoff team. Ryan Bores (137 attempts, 1,152 yards, 11 TDs), Clint Ryan (96 carries, 660 yards, 18 TDs) and Brad Pierce (59 carries, 513 yards, four TDs) lead a potent ground gain averaging 293 yards per game. Quarterback Kurt Leber has completed 68 of 135 passes for 1,088 yards, 14 TDs and five interceptions. His main targets are Derek Sitterly (34 catches, 720 yards, six TDs) and Matt Stang (16 catches, 226 yards, two TDs). T.J. Mahl leads the Eagle defense with 166 tackles, while Andy Dahm has 12 sacks and Stang has four interceptions.
Vindicator staff reports