By Brian Dzenis

bdzenis@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

Steubenville made its point clear. It was the end of the line for Ursuline.

The Mahoning Valley’s last active football team saw its season close in a decisive 28-0 defeat at the hands of the Big Red in the Division IV state semifinals. It was quite the run for a team that started the playoffs with a .500 recod and a No. 5 seed. Through that up-and-down regular season emerged a rugged squad that was a force in the postseason.

“Heart keeps you going through the rough moments,” said Ursuline senior offensive lineman Dante Cerimele. “When you join a Youngstown Ursuline football team, you don’t just join a football team. You join something that you know you’re joining for pain ... you’re going to go through adverse times. You’re going to go through ups and downs and it’s about how you respond.

“Irishmen respond a certain way and that’s what causes us to go far in our season as well as the postseason and I think it shows year in and year out no matter who we play. We’re always a dominant force in the Valley.”

Steubenville (13-0) proved to be too versatile on offense. The Big Red started the game in the spread and as the lead grew, switched over to a power running game. Running back Johnnie Blue put the Irish out of it with three first-half touchdowns and 134 rushing yards.

“I look at the game and we had some opportunities to do some things and it’s all about taking advantage when you have the opportunities,” Ursuline head coach Larry Kempe said. “They did nothing that we didn’t think we were going to do, whether it was their spread, their empty, their double-tight or four-man side. We knew that was coming and we had to adjust and make plays and we didn’t do it.”

A three-and-out plus a shanked punt to open the game gave Steubenville prime position to take the lead, which it did in two plays with Blue’s first touchdown. Ursuline (8-6) responded with a nearly eight-minute drive that put the Irish in the red zone, but they got stood up on third- and fourth-down plays as quarterback Jared Fabry was sacked twice.

Steubenville proved to be good at playing keep away as well, sandwiching an Ursuline three-and-out with two touchdown drives both ended on runs by Blue.

Following Blue’s third TD, the Irish gave the ball right back on the ensuing kickoff when an Irish player stuck his hand out at a squib kick and Steubenville recovered. The Ursuline defense forced a turnover on downs and the Irish were able to get the ball down to the Big Red 2, but running back Kimauni Johnson fumbled.

Steubenville decided to spice up the game in the fourth quarter with a trick play. Big Red QB Dimitri Collaros lined up in the shotgun alongside receiver Mandala Lawrence-Burke, but it was the wideout who got the snap and chucked it to Collaros for the final TD. Steubenville moves on to play Columbus Bishop Hartley in the state final.

“I’m very proud of our seniors,” Kempe said. “You look at what we do and the schedule we play. There’s a lot of people who thought we wouldn’t get here. When we were 1-2 people had us not even making the playoffs, let alone having a winning season.

“What our kids do is fight and compete and it’s something I’m very proud of.”