Coach Dan Reardon talks about preparation for his team’s fourth-straight title game

By John Bassetti

bassetti@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Ursuline’s football team has the opportunity to finish 15-0 for the season by winning its 15th straight playoff game.

That’s what beating Coldwater in the Division V state championship today would do.

Even though this will be Dan Reardon’s fourth straight championship game, the veteran coach said there’s no comfort zone.

“I don’t know if the pressure has changed at all, but when you get to this point, you want to perform at a high level and I think all the coaches in our program put a lot of pressure on themselves to do their best and get the most out of the kids,” he said. “So, we do put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make sure we’re performing at the highest level.”

The hype that accompanies the 15th game is also thrown in the mix.

“There’s always a lot of work involved from a game-planning perspective and with all the distractions that go along with a game of this magnitude,” Reardon said. “You always have that stuff when you’re playing in such a big game.”

First time or fourth time, there’s little room for relaxation.

Ursuline’s defense has to prepare for a team with a 2-to-1 throw-to-run ratio.

The Irish haven’t played any team with an offense similar to Coldwater’s.

“They’re a spread offense and we didn’t really face any other opponent similar to them,” Reardon said. “But we certainly have a lot of familiarity and history with them. Everybody has their own flavor, but they are very similar to what they’ve been in years past.”

The Cavaliers will turn up the heat on Ursuline’s defense.

“They run the ball effectively, but they do pass a lot,” said Reardon. “Again, they’ve always done a real good job of spreading the field, getting the receivers open in space and putting pressure on a defense that way.”

Reardon expects Coldwater to be more unchanged than his own team.

“They’re probably more similar to last year’s team than we are,” he said. “From year to year, we evolve a little more than most programs, based on who our personnel is. Last year, we were entirely a spread team and this year we are not.

“Coldwater’s offense, except for some new faces, is very similar to what they did last year, predominately doing a lot of the same things,” said Reardon.

And the other side of the ball?

“Defensively, they’ve always done a real good job of mixing up what they do. We saw that last year and we’ll see it again this year.”