Team

Ursuline

Record	Div.	Conf.
2/8	Div. IV	Independents

Ursuline vs St. Charles

Gallery

Ursuline vs St. Charles

Mentor vs Ursuline

Gallery

Mentor vs Ursuline

2010 Ursuline 50 - Bethlehem Catholic 14

Gallery

2010 Ursuline 50 - Bethlehem Catholic (PA) 14

By Tom Williams

williams@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Coming off their second straight Division V state championship, the Ursuline High football team knew its hoping of repeating again depended on replacing key starters on the offensive line.

“We lost a lot of good players [from] last year, but we’ve had some young guys who have stepped up this offseason, really hit the weight room, took everything seriously,” said senior left tackle Zach Conlan (6-foot-1, 297 pounds). “We’re looking good this year.”

As Week 8 approaches, many Mahoning Valley teams are winding down their seasons. The Irish (7-0) are hoping they haven’t yet hit the halfway mark.

Up next is tonight’s huge challenge at Div. III Steubenville (6-1), which is coming off a 28-7 loss to Div. I Massillon.

“I’m not going to lie, this is probably the biggest game of everyone’s lives right now,” said senior center Pete Wearsch (6-2, 237), the other returning starter who played right guard in 2009. “The stadium down there is like the Coliseum. You’re going to war and we have to be prepared for it.”

Wait a minute, what about arch-rival Mooney in Week 9?

“Next week, they’ll be the most important,” Wearsch said with a smile.

After going 15-0 in 2008, the Irish went 12-3 in 2009 to become the first Valley team to repeat. Among the players who graduated were center David Rossi, left guard Joe Wess and right guard Greg DeMario.

“They were smaller, quicker guys,” Ursuline coach Dan Reardon said.

Replacing them are senior right guard Mike Zappa (6-0, 214), junior left guard Troy Vasquez-Atkins (6-1, 318) and junior left tackle Ty Vasquez-Atkins (6-5, 327). Also getting playing time is sophomore Ronald Green (6-0, 280).

“You have to credit our offensive line because without them, we aren’t doing anything,” senior quarterback Paul Kempe said.

The Irish are averaging almost 42 points per game. They are ranked as the top team in the Associated Press poll of Ohio’s Div. V teams and have the top seed in the Region 17 computer playoff ratings.

After blowing out Div. II Columbus St. Charles 49-20 last Friday, Reardon said, “Our kids did a good job of coming out and establishing the run.

“Obviously, that’s what we try to do every week,” Reardon said. “When we’re most successful, when we are at our best is when we can run the ball.”

Conlan and Wearsch said they don’t mind that others get the spotlight.

“To see Akise [Teague], Jessie [Curry], Trevor [Smith] or Paul score, that’s our reward,” Wearsch said.

Conlan said, “I like having the other guys [get credit but] I know that if they score a touchdown that it was our doing, that we did the work.”

Zappa said facing Big Red on their home turf is a huge task, but “we know that we can play with pretty much anyone. We’ve just got to get our minds right and go out and perform.”

Wearsch said, “I think we’ve picked up right where we left off last year. We had good senior leadership up front last year, but Zappa is just doing an outstanding job. He’s one of our good senior leaders on this team.”

As for the twins, Wearsch said they have no trouble telling them apart.

“The two giants over on the right side, you can’t complain about those two,” Wearsch said. “And Ronald’s doing a great job for only being a sophomore. They’re working in just fine.”

Asked how they distinguish Troy from Ty (despite the obvious height difference), Wearsch said, “It’s Big Twin [Ty], Little Twin [Troy].”

Conlan said the sextet began to bond during offseason workouts.

“We really came together,” Conlan said. “We knew that if we were going to win state again, we had to really hunker down and be a unit, not be a bunch of individuals.

“We need to be nasty to get the job down for our team.”

Wearsch called their unit “just a group of brothers [who are] all going to battle every play. When I snap the ball, we have five people coming off the line together.“

Asked which lineman dominates at the table, one answer was surprising.

“Hey, I might be the smallest but I think I’ve got one of the biggest stomachs,” Zappa said.

“That’s a tough call,” Conlan said. “I think everybody’s a big eater. We go to buffets all the time and it’s something to see when we all sit down and eat.”

Positioned in the middle of the line, Wearsch took a moderate approach.

“It’s definitely not me, “Wearsch said. “It could be a tie between Zach and Zappa.”

The seniors are looking forward to their four straight trip to the state championship game. During their freshmen year, the Irish were state runners-up after losing 20-14 to Maria Stein Marion Local.

“We’re right where we need to be,” Conlan said of their unbeaten start. “We have to keep focusing on the week we’re on, not look ahead.”

Acknowledging all their high school seasons have ended in Week 15, Zappa said, “We’ve all had great success. This year, we’ve just got to hold on that.

“Coach said with that responsibility comes a lot of hard work. So we just have to live up to what is expected of us,” Zappa said.

“So far, we’re doing a pretty good job but we have to keep at it, we can’t ever let up,” Zappa said.