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Ursuline’s football champs bring honor to team, Valley
Ursuline Vs. Liberty Benton
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Talent, teamwork, tenacity and tradition all played critical roles in Youngstown Ursuline High School’s 2008 Division V state football championship.
The Fighting Irish won their second Ohio football title of the decade Saturday at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium with superlative play, handily shutting out Findlay Liberty-Benton 21-0 to cap a perfect 15-0 season.
That championship season brings honor to team members themselves, to their school and to their community. We congratulate Ursuline for proving to the other 120 schools in Division V that the scrappy Youngstown diocesan high school ranks as the undisputed No. 1 football force in the state.
To many, the team’s stellar standing comes as no surprise. The luck of the Irish had nothing to do with it. At the start of the 2008 season, many observers predicted Coach Dan Reardon and his players would be title-bound, based on the squad’s well-honed mix of championship attributes. Prime among them: talent.
The team’s play against Findlay before 5,997 attentive fans Saturday typified Ursuline’s talent throughout its 15-week season. The Irish recorded the first shutout of an opponent at the state title game in 23 years. And Findlay had outscored its opponents this season 649-36 in 10 shutouts.
Irish tailback Allen Jones’ magnificently maneuvered 59-yard touchdown early in the third quarter paved the way for Ursuline’s win. Fourth-quarter interceptions by Dale Peterman and LaVance Turnage sealed the deal.
A win for all
But this championship is not the product of any one- or two-man wonders. Throughout the title game as throughout the season, the Irish collectively assembled a defensive powerhouse that usually worked to keep their opponents at bay.
Spunk and tenacity also fueled the victory. The team resembled the Energizer Bunny in its consistent strong play. As a deservedly proud coach Reardon said, “Our kids kept playing and playing and playing, and they did a tremendous job.”
“Tremendous” is no stranger to the lexicon of Ursuline High School. On the field, as in the classroom, the North Side Youngstown school can rightfully boast a tradition of excellence. Ursuline won the state Division IV title in 2000, beating Coldwater 49-37. The Irish also played in the state championship game in 2007 but fell to Marion Local 20-14.
According to several players, that state runner-up status left “a bad taste” in their mouths. Players, coaches, fans and alumni united in their commitment to avenge that loss. At season’s end, even the most staunch Valley rivals of the Irish stood together to cheer the team onto its most celebrated win in Ursuline’s 103-year history.
The Irish came through wonderfully for all of them. They also came through honorably for Youngstown and the entire Mahoning Valley community.
Hail to the Ursuline High Irish, 2008 Ohio Division V football champs.