WILLIAMS: Girard could snap 19-year drought

In 1999, the Poland High School football team defeated Columbus Bishop Watterson 20-13 to win the Division III state crown and become the first team in Ohio to win 15 games in one season. Before that season, there were only four rounds in the postseason.

The game was played at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon. Talking to Poland head coach Paul Hulea and his players was fun. The atmosphere was festive.

Anytime you get to cover a state champion, it’s special. One of the reasons this championship was memorable didn’t surface until years had passed.

In my first seven seasons in the sports department, Poland was the third public school to win a state football championship. In 1994, West Branch (sportswriter Rob Todor’s alma mater) defeated Clyde 28-12 for the Division III crown.

A year later, Lisbon (my alma mater) needed double overtime to defeat Cincinnati Mariemont 34-31 to capture the Div. V crown at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

In 1997, Chaney played for the Div. III state title, losing to Columbus DeSales, 17-14.

Two years later, Poland was state champ and it almost felt like Oprah was in charge (you get a state championship, you get a state championship, you get to play for a state championship).

But in the past 18 seasons, the Mahoning Valley has captured multiple state championships, but they were all won by parochial schools.

In 2000, Ursuline led by Jim Vivo won the Div. IV title, defeating Coldwater 49-37, prompting sports editor Todor and sportswriter John Bassetti to create this classic headline:

Ursuline shuts down Coldwater at Fawcett.

In that span, Cardinal Mooney won four championships (2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011) and played for three other titles. Ursuline won three more (2008, 2009 and 2010) and lost in the final in 2007. Warren JFK played for a title in 2006 and won in 2016.

In that span, only two Valley public schools have advanced to title games. In 2002, Warren Harding lost to Cincinnati Elder, 21-19, in the Div. I final.

And in 2005, Canfield (with standout running back and linebacker Sean Baker) lost to Toledo Central Catholic, 31-29, in the Div. III finale.

Much has changed since Poland was the last Valley public school to win. Many public schools now embrace open enrollment. The dominance of private schools led the OHSAA to create a competitive balance formula that remains fluid and might be tweaked soon thanks to a court challenge.

Tonight, for the first time in 13 years, a Valley public school is playing for a championship as Girard (13-1) faces undefeated Cincinnati Wyoming in the Div. IV championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Both teams have incredible offenses. The Indians are led by the throwing arm and legs of quarterback Mark Waid, who is fourth in passing yards in state history.

Wyoming quarterback Evan Prater has similar skills (1,500 yards passing, 2,000 running). Somehow, the media picked Prater over Waid as Ohio’s Div. IV offensive player of the year.

The defense that figures out how to stop one of them will produce a huge advantage.

If you believe in omens, here’s one to ponder (after all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year). In last week’s 53-48 win over Licking Valley, the Indians faced fourth-and-15 late trailing by a point. Waid hit Nick Malito for a 22-yard touchdown for the game-winning points.

Twenty-three years ago in St. Clairsville on an extremely muddy, sloppy field, Lisbon trailed Monroe Central 14-9 late in the state quarterfinal game. The Blue Devils faced fourth-and-24 on their final possession.

Quarterback Zach Williams found tight end Todd Sinsley unguarded and he gained 32 yards to the Monroe Central 14 yard line. Four plays later, Williams hit Steve Rodgers for an 8-yard gain on fourth-and-7, setting up Damien Powell’s game-winning touchdown run.

Fourth down magic could be what snaps the Valley’s public school drought. Enough time has passed since Poland won it all. This streak needs snapped.

Tom Williams is a sportswriter at The Vindicator. Write him at williams@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @Williams_Vindy.