Canton CC eliminates Ursuline from playoff chase

By Ryan Buck

sports@vindy.com

Hartville

Despite being the first football team to score on a state-ranked power, the Ursuline High School football season came to a disappointing end Saturday.

Canton Central Catholic, the top-ranked team in the final regular-season Associated Press poll, defeated the Irish, 20-6, in a Division V regional final at Lake High School’s Alumni Field.

Ursuline (8-5) was the first team to register points against the Crusaders (13-0) in three playoff games. Last week, the Crusaders shut out Crestview, 45-0.

The Irish’s six points weren’t nearly enough as the Crusaders defense limited the powerful Irish running game, picked off two passes and converted seven offensive plays for more than 20 yards.

“We have been a team that has been very focused — in my time here — on being sound,” Ursuline head coach Larry Kempe said. “Gap sound and assignment sound.

“When you have a breakdown against a good football team — and [Central Catholic’s] good — you’re not going to win and that’s what happened.”

Crusaders quarterback Jake Boccuti, when not pressured by a formidable Ursuline defensive front, found space to run and especially throw in front of, between and behind Ursuline’s secondary.

A 13-play drive to begin the game, nearly derailed on a fumble on the opening kickoff, concluded with a 1-yard Boccuti sneak.

Short, quick passes to receiver Jimmy Russell complemented a well-designed 25-yard pass play to tight end Justin Ditty on fourth-and-2 at midfield.

As the first quarter came to a close, Ursuline receiver Marcus Mosley took a jet sweep 34 yards to the Crusaders’ 10-yard line.

From there, the Central Catholic defense corralled the backfield tandem of Vito Penza and Kimauni Johnson three straight times, forcing a John Hintz field goal with 11:19 left in the first half.

The Irish defensive front, led by Robbie Beardman, Jeff Marx, Jabbar Price and Giacomo Cappabianca, kept Boccuti in check for most of the first half and into the third.

Twice, the Crusaders drove inside the Irish 20 and came away empty-handed and John Martynyszyn intercepted Boccuti on the Crusaders’ opening drive of the second half.

On third-and-8 following the interception, Penza dropped back and led receiver Dakota Hobbs open down the middle of the field with only the end zone in front of him.

But the ball slipped through the speedy wideout’s hands as he crossed midfield and the Irish were forced to punt.

“We missed some opportunities not catching the football when we had guys open,” Kempe said. “We probably had close to eight drops and when you’re not successful running the football, you have to catch the football.”

Once more, the Irish could not take advantage of one of the Crusader’s few miscues. Beardman pounced on a fumble at the Central Catholic 24 yard line. An incomplete pass to the corner of the end zone preceded two unsuccessful attempts to run to the first down marker and Hintz cut Ursuline’s deficit to 7-6 with 3:26 left in the third quarter.

That was as close as they would get. A Boccuti pump fake froze the Irish defense as Carter Blakeney raced past them and into the path of Boccuti’s pass en route to a 41-yard touchdown with 10:43 left in the game.

John Colangelo intercepted Penza, setting up a clutch 44-yard field goal from Nick Boron with 5:36 left in the game.

Central Catholic made another defensive stand before John Colangelo’s 32-yard rush set up another Boron field goal.

“Our defense was incredible tonight,” said Central Catholic head coach Jeff Lindersmith. That’s the backbone of our team.”

“Our game plan was to crowd the box a little bit and make sure number three (Kimauni Johnson didn’t get loose,” Lindersmith said. “We played a real discipline defensive game.”