Mighty mite Chris Collins plays huge role in Irish triumph

By John Bassetti

CANTON — As he was getting on the bus following a prayer at the shrine behind Ursuline High School on Bryson Street in Youngstown, Chris Collins heard a yell from the distance.

He turned to see someone in the parking lot give him the thumbs-up sign.

That late Friday morning encouragement was prophetic as the 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior had a major role in his school’s 55-25 victory over Coldwater in the Division V state championship football game at Fawcett Stadium.

Collins caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from Paul Kempe to snap a 7-7 tie, then picked off Coldwater quarterback Keith Wenning and returned the interception 41 yards for another score just 1:38 later.

“It was a post route,” Collins said of the catch after he ran downfield then looked back and enveloped the pass in his gut.

Collins spoke of his interception, just the 12th for Wenning, who had more than 3,200 yards passing all season.

“I was reading the quarterback, Coach [Rollen] Smith told me to read all my keys right,” he said. “That’s what I did and great things came out of that.”

But he was impressed with the Cavaliers, saying, “Without a doubt, they’re one of the best that we’ve played.”

Collins said he didn’t go to sleep until Friday at 2 a.m.

“It wasn’t easy [getting to sleep], but I did it and I was here and I played hard,” Collins said.

On his cheeks in eyeblack were the numbers 20 and 21.

The represented Collins’ brothers who played on Ursuline’s 2008 state championship team.

Kempe said that the post route pass to Collins was something he tried to convince Coach Dan Reardon to try.

“I told coach that once we got the turnover, we wanted to come out and take a shot and it worked out for us,” Kempe said. “It was a great catch.”

bassetti@vindy.com