NOTEBOOK \ Ursuline vs. Marion Local


Neutralized: Marion Local’s backs helped neutralize Ursuline’s sophomore defensive end Jamel Turner. “We changed our blocking scheme a little bit, had our backs keying of him,” Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin said. “He’s got a great motor. That was a strange game. I don’t think either team thought they were in control of the line of scrimmage.” Ursuline coach Dan Reardon said, “This is the first game of the season that he did not have a sack, and that’s unheard of. They did an outstanding job containing him. They were putting an extra guy on him a lot, which is what you have to do.”
Back in lineup: Ursuline center Michael Paul Jenkins was back in the starting lineup after missing last week’s 28-6 win over Columbus Bishop Ready. Jenkins injured his right leg two weeks ago in the third quarter of the 31-7 win over South Range.
Area history: This was the third straight year two area teams made the state finals: Mooney and Warren JFK made it last year, while Canfield and Mooney made it in 2005. With Mooney playing for today’s Div. IV state title, it marks the second time two Steel Valley Conference teams were in the finals. Mooney and Boardman each made it in 1987. (Warren Western Reserve was not in the SVC when the Raiders played Mooney in the 1973 final). Ursuline’s loss means the Valley still has never had two teams win state championships in the same year. This was the seventh time two teams made it the same year.
MAC attack: Marion Local’s victory gave the Midwest Athletic Conference a state champion for the fifth straight year. The Flyers and St. Henry each won titles last year, while Coldwater and Delphos St. John’s won titles in 2005, St. Henry in 2004 and Versailles in 2003. The MAC has had a champion or a runner-up every year but three since 1989. Coldwater will play Mooney for the Div. IV state title in Massillon today at 3, a rematch of the 2005 game.
Rare feat: Marion Local became just the fourth team in Ohio history to win a state title in one division, then repeat in a higher division the next season. The others were Cincinnati Academy of Physical Education (1985-IV, 1986-III), Cleveland Benedictine (1980-III, 1981-II) and Versailles (1994-V, 1995-IV).
Tight game: The 20-14 victory was the Flyers’ closest game of the season by far. Marion Local had won every game this season by at least 21 points.
Area officials: Several officials with ties to the Valley were chosen to work this weekend’s state finals. Referee Anthony Montana, an Ursuline and YSU graduate who lives in Howland, worked the Ursuline-Marion Local game, as did back judge Anthony Stubbs, a Warren Western Reserve High graduate who lives in Warren. The other officials in the Div. V game were umpire Harold Dent (Mansfield), linesman Tom Gibbons (Toledo) and line judge Chris Steiner (Maumee). Other area officials working this weekend are Youngstown residents Jim Denunzio (Warren Harding) and Thomas Karabin (Fitch, YSU), Girard resident Patrick Montana (Ursuline, YSU), Niles’ Rick Walton (Niles, YSU) and Elyria’s Larry Dixon (YSU).
Game notes: Friday’s championship game started at 11:07 a.m. and ended at 1:39. The temperature was 34 degrees with sunny skies and seven MPH winds from the south. Attendance was not available.
No quit: “This loss is real tough,” Irish senior Ross Revella said. “This was one of the best teams we played all year. They came out and stuck it to us. Our defense did what it had to do, their defense was just as good. We didn’t get down.”

Pregame festivities: Ursuline senior Katie Olenick sang the national anthem prior to Friday’s game. Olenick, who is also captain of Ursuline’s varsity cheerleading squad, is the daughter of Charles and Faith Olenick of Youngstown.

Tom Williams, Joe Scalzo

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