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Photo by: The Vindicator (Youngstown) L1

Michael Zappa

Ursuline Vs. Coldwater

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Photo by: Robert K. Yosay

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Ursuline High senior Mike Zappa (57) comes into help on a play during the Irish’s victory over Cardinal Mooney this season. Zappa has been a backup player for Ursuline until this season, and is one of the team’s mainstays on the off ensive and defensive lines.

Ursuline and Mooney vie for regional football championships on Saturday

By John Bassetti

bassetti@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Michael Zappa has been on the field for Ursuline’s last three state championship game appearances.

As a freshman in 2007, he dressed only when the Irish lost on a sunny day to Maria Stein Marion Local at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, 20-14.

As a sophomore — again at Massillon on a sunny but cold day — he was on the field when Ursuline beat Findlay Liberty Benton, 21-0.

As a junior, Zappa was on special teams and played near the end of Ursuline’s 55-25 win over Coldwater on a sunny, but cold afternoon at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.

As an elementary school student in 2000, Zappa was in the bleachers at Fawcett when Ursuline beat Coldwater, 49-37, for its first-ever state crown on a snowy and gloomy afternoon.

Now Zappa is a senior on both the offensive and defensive units.

Seat and sideline views are fine, but he might like a title he could sink his teeth into from the line of scrimmage.

As left guard on offense and a down lineman on defense, Zappa labors in the trenches for an Ursuline team that continues to be the epicenter of Division V football.

Offensively, he plays alongside left tackle Zach Conlan and center Pete Wearsch, as well as right guard Troy Vasquez-Atkins and right tackle Ty Vasquez-Atkins.

In the defensive interior, Zappa joins Corbin Adams and Craig Ulicny.

The three switch off, depending on the game plan and the front the coaches are looking for that week.

He’s also interchangeable with ends Jordan Markota and Keil’n Thurston.

“If they need a break, I could jump in their position,” Zappa said.

Subs are Ron Green and Khallied Pierce, both sophomores.

Most recently, in a 42-0 win over Norwayne in a Region 17 semifinal, Zappa played a key role when he stopped quarterback Adam Wallace after a short gain, then batted down a pass.

In Norwayne’s longest drive of the game in the third quarter, Zappa, Ulicny, Jesse Curry and Trevor Smith were instrumental in halting the march just yards from Ursuline’s goal line to preserve the shutout.

Another big play was short-circuited after Smith blocked a punt before halftime.

“Jesse [Curry] sort of stole my moment of glory because I was about to pick up the fumble, but it got kicked out of the way,” Zappa said.

Playing with 250- and 300-pounders like Wearsch and Conlan and the Vasquez-Atkins twins, the 6-1, 210 Zappa may seem undersized. But this year, he thinks he’s comparable in two areas.

“When you’re playing with bigger guys and I’m 210 on a good day, you got to be good at something. I think I’m fairly strong, but people say I’m also pretty quick for a lineman.”

Zappa said his job is made easier when blocking for Akise Teague, Smith or Tramain Thigpen, or quarterback Paul Kempe.

“When you’ve got those guys in the backfield, you don’t always have to have your best block for them to spring a big run.”

Zappa said that Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary had a very good defensive line.

“They were tough, but, so far, not too many teams have been able to stop both our offensive line and running backs in the same game. When either [line or running backs] has a bad game, it seems like the other one steps up to the plate.”

Zappa believes that Ursuline’s defensive line had one of its better games against Mentor Lake Catholic.

“It might not show in the stats, but we went up against a good team and I had to line up against a player who is committed to Florida. Even though I didn’t make all the plays, I handled my own and, as a team, we neutralized [their running back] Richie Sanders to 49 yards on 20-some carries. I took that as a personal achievement because of what our group did.”

Zappa is one of 10 seniors, along with Conlan, Kempe, Thurston, Teague, Adams, Wearsch, Markota and Frank Dundee and Jeff Podolsky.

“My class has always been pretty small since my freshman year, but that makes it a tighter group.”