Ursuline, L-B set for Saturday
Ursuline Vs. Liberty Union
By Joe Scalzo
Ursuline, L-B set for Saturday
Both teams have fallen short in their quest for a state title in recent years.
On Nov. 30, 2007, the Ursuline High football team lost to Maria Stein Marion Local, 20-14, in the Division V state final at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
And on Nov. 30, 2007, a group of juniors and sophomores from that team vowed through teary eyes that they would spend the next 12 months dedicating themselves to never again feeling the way they did at that moment.
“The very day we lost in the title game, our current seniors began talking about getting back,” said Irish coach Dan Reardon. “It has clearly been a goal of ours from that moment.”
Saturday the Irish get another chance. They’ll play a Findlay Liberty-Benton team that also used a loss as motivation to reach Week 15. Only in this case, it came two years ago when the Eagles fell to eventual state champion St. Henry in the Div. V state semifinals.
“Two years ago, this group of seniors were sophomores when we were fortunate enough to make it to Week 14,” said Liberty-Benton coach Tim Nichols. “Looking back then, getting to this point was something on their minds.”
There are a lot of differences between the Irish and the Eagles, but they share a few key traits.
First, neither team was afraid to dream big.
“We did have high expectations for this football team,” said Reardon. “Certainly, so many things have to come together to make a run at a state championship.
“It’s one thing to set a goal, it’s another to carry it out.”
“This has always been on the back of our minds,” added Nichols. “Until you make it there, you don’t know exactly what it takes to get there.”
Second, both teams got good leadership from its senior class which kept their teams hungry and focused.
“Hats off to our senior group,” said Nichols. “They led the team this year. They kind of took a thought and a conversation and turned it into reality.”
“The seniors did an outstanding job keeping us focused and humble and passionate about it [our goal],” said Reardon. “They did a great job, preparation-wise.”
Third, both teams passed key tests during the season.
Ursuline’s defining moment during the first part of the season came in Week 4 when it struggled in the first half against Massillon before rallying for a 23-13 victory.
“We did it by running the football and playing good defense, not by tricking anybody,” said Reardon. “We took a big step as a team that week.”
Five weeks later, the Irish passed another hurdle by beating Cardinal Mooney for the first time since 2001, 10-7. Then, in the regional final, they survived a scare against Kirtland before prevailing, 18-17.
Although Liberty-Benton hasn’t played a close game this fall — it’s won every game by at least 28 points — the Eagles had two big obstacles over the last two weeks: Hamler Patrick Henry, which had defeated them three of the last five years in the postseason; and Marion Local, which had won back-to-back state titles.
“Getting over that hurdle two weeks ago was big,” said Nichols. “That was definitely a benefit from a confidence-standpoint. Then last week, beating [Marion Local] was another boost for our confidence.”
Liberty-Benton has never played in a state final, while this is the third trip for the Irish. Ursuline won it all in 2000 and came up short last year.
Neither team wants to think about losing Saturday, but both teams know how special it is to have this chance.
“It’s one thing to do it once, but twice? Two years in a row? That’s a blessing from God,” said Irish junior Jamel Turner after last weekend’s state semifinal victory. “Our players are all geeked up about it.”
scalzo@vindy.com
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