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Ursuline readies for another run at a D5 title
By JOE SCALZO
Ursuline Vs. Coldwater
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Ursuline Vs. Liberty Benton
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Ursuline High School Coach Dan Reardon gets doused by player Allen Jones during final moments of State championship win 112/29/08 in Massilon. William D. Lewis / The Vindicator
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The Vindicator/Robert K. Yosay ----- Ursulines #26Akise Teague rambles and eludes Mooney defender #44 Mark Brandenstein - at Stambaugh Stadium
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FOOTBALL - (4) Paul Kempe of Ursuline breaks the tackle of (8) Jacob Danks and scores on a long run during their game Friday night in Austintown. - Special to The Vindicator/Nick Mays
YOUNGSTOWN
As defending champs, the Ursuline High football team played with a bulls-eye on its back last season.
After a second straight championship run, the target has only gotten bigger and brighter since then.
“I think our kids are used to that at this point,” said Irish coach Dan Reardon. “Our senior class, they’ve been part of three consecutive championship game appearances. They have a lot of football under their belt.
“I think that with their experience, they know they have to come every single week and bring their best game. Every team on our schedule is a serious contender every year.”
This year’s schedule isn’t any easier but, fortunately, it does involve a little less time on the bus.
Ursuline didn’t play a home game last fall until Week 7. This fall, they’ll be at home (either at YSU or at Mineral Ridge, a secondary home site) for six of its first seven games.
Although they lost some talented players to graduation, the Irish will enter this season favored to make it a three-peat, thanks to returning three-year starters such as quarterback Paul Kempe, running back/wideout Akise Teague and lineman Zach Conlan.
“We don’t have a very large senior class but it’s a good senior class,” said Reardon. “It’s small in numbers but all the kids are good football players.”
Kempe, who split time at the position two years ago before taking over full time last fall, said there is pressure to keep the state championship streak alive.
“You don’t want to be the senior class that doesn’t win a state title,” said Kempe. “The last two or three years, it was, ‘Get your senior class the state title.’ Now it’s your senior year and it’s like this is your last shot.
“I want to play 15 games. I don’t want 10 games. We’re going to have go hard every day, practice hard every day and play hard every week. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing because everyone’s going to give us their best shot.”
Ursuline became the first team in Mahoning Valley history to repeat as champions last fall. With six or seven starters back on both sides of the ball, the Irish could match Cardinal Mooney (2004-07) as the only Valley teams to advance to the state final four straight years.
Ursuline lost the championship game in 2007.
“We’ve got to have a couple young guys step up and fill the roles of the guys we lost to graduation,” said Kempe. “If we do that, we should be good.”