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By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

During Dan Reardon’s eight-year tenure as Ursuline’s football coach, he’s played teams from all over Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

Irish fans ain’t seen nothing yet.

Ursuline has signed a contract for a Week 1 home game against Red Lion Christian Academy of Bear, Del., and the Irish have a verbal agreement to play St. Peter’s Prep in the Ohio vs. New Jersey challenge in Week 7.

The latter game would take place at either West Point or Rutgers, according to multiple Internet reports.

Red Lion is best known for its quarterback, David Sills, who accepted a scholarship offer from USC in February 2010 when he was in the seventh grade. Sills will be a freshman next fall.

“They’re a team that, obviously, we don’t have a lot of familiarity with,” said Reardon. “I know they play teams up and down the coast and from what we can gather, they just go out and try to play the best opposition they can.

“We know they’re very talented athletically and, obviously, their quarterback is the most well-known.”

Reardon said he talked to the players in his secondary and they’re excited about the challenge.

“It’s going to be a very fun opening night,” he said. “It’s a non-traditional situation and we’re playing a very high-caliber opponent.”

The two teams would give Ursuline nine games next fall and the school is in preliminary talks with an Ohio school to fill the final open date, in Week 4.

Ursuline’s other games will be against Mentor (Division I), Mentor Lake Catholic (II), Steubenville (III), Lakewood St. Edward (last year’s Division I state champion), Cleveland East Tech (II), Mooney (III) and Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (III).

The Irish have won the last three Division V state titles but lose 10 seniors from last year’s undefeated team, including Mr. Football Akise Teague.

“We’re certainly going to miss them, but when you only have 10 seniors, a lot of underclassmen get a chance to play,” Reardon said. “We have a very quality core of players coming back.

“We did lose a lot, but the cupboard is not bare.”