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Ursuline quarterback Paul Kempe

By John Bassetti

bassetti@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Best offensive line.

Mr. Football.

What more could Paul Kempe want?

Nothing, except another Division V state title.

The Ursuline quarterback started the second game of his sophomore season against Bethlehem Catholic and hasn’t missed a beat in leading Irish to another early December dance, metaphorically speaking, that is.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-hander recounted his progression.

“My role as a sophomore was to control the game and get the ball to Allen Jones and Al Mason. I didn’t have too much put on me because I was young, but I had quality skill players around me who got me to where I am now.”

Last year, Ursuline spread its offense and Kempe got more control because the Irish threw the ball a good amount.

“I got the decision-making to check other plays as the year went on,” he said. “Again, I was surrounded by a good line and skill.”

This year, Ursuline’s offense has been dominant through 14 weeks.

“To me, we have the best offensive line in the state and we have the best football player in the state of Ohio,” he said of Akise Teague. “So with that surrounding cast on offense, I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

He got a bit more specific about the evolution of the offense.

“As a sophomore, we were a two-back, I-back team. Last year, we spread out a little more with the shotgun and two-by-two receivers. This year we’re in the spread again, but we also have the ability to go into a power formation: I-back and stack-I.”

While developing, Kempe learned when to keep the ball and run and when not to.

“My decision-making ability has gotten so much better and I’ve become a runner over the past two seasons,” he said. “Now, there isn’t a coverage I haven’t seen or a blitz I haven’t seen,” he said of instruction from quarterback coaches Dan Reardon and John DeSantis.

“They’ve taught me everything about reading coverages and blitzes and how to stay in the pocket or get out of it or carry out my fakes when it’s a run.”

This will be Kempe’s second Div. V state title game against Coldwater.

“We know what they do and they know what we do, so there’s familiarity,” he said. “They like to throw the ball and they’re sound tacklers on defense.”

Kempe differed with the assertion that 2010 has had no close calls, such as a one-point win over Kirtland in 2008.

“The Mentor Lake Catholic game was close and last week it was close at halftime against Lima Central Catholic,” he said. “But we showed a lot of poise. We know there’s going to be a lot of adversity because of the bulls-eye on our back. From Week 1 to now, every team gave us their best shot. So far, we’ve handled it well. We’ve got a couple more days to handle it.”

Paul’s dad, Larry, is Ursuline’s defensive coordinator, although his son doesn’t play much, if any, defense.

“If there’s ever a question about a coverage or blitz, he’ll take me through it,” Paul said. “He and his staff do a phenomenal job. It’s a thrill being around him. There are very few kids who, not only get to have a dad coach them, but to coach them in four straight state final games.”

Paul Kempe noted the oddity of being a lefty.

“Since I’ve been here, there have been about three or four of us left-handed quarterbacks,” he said. “Coach [Reardon] said he’s never seen anything like that. I like being left-handed. It makes me look different than most others, but it’s not a handicap at all.”

One of those was Dwaylon Harper, whom Kempe split time with his sophomore year. The left-handed Harper is now at Toledo.