No. 2 Walsh Jesuit knocked rival Archbishop Hoban out of the playoffs for the second straight season Friday night, beating the No. 10 Knights 20-7 at home in Cuyahoga Falls in a Division II, Region 5 regional quarterfinal. The final was reported by the Akron Beacon Journal and confirmed on the Beacon Journal’s Akron-area scoreboard and the MaxPreps Ohio scoreboard. Walsh improved to 8-2, and Hoban’s season ended at 4-7.
The win was a reversal of the teams’ regular-season meeting, when Hoban shut out Walsh 30-0 on Sept. 25 in a game in which Walsh committed six turnovers, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. On Friday, Walsh flipped that script completely: Nathan Allen, Ben Biel, Xavier Steele and Drew Wollschleger each intercepted Hoban quarterback Major Cribbs, the Beacon Journal reported. “It means everything. That’s our rival. It’s Hoban. It’s always good to beat them,” Biel told the Akron Beacon Journal. “This is a big momentum swing that can carry us in the playoffs.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Walsh built a 17-0 halftime lead, according to the Akron Beacon Journal’s live updates. Dom Courtad scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter and added a second touchdown with 2:09 left in the half after Wollschleger’s interception, and Oliver Nonno kicked a 44-yard field goal as the half expired. Courtad finished with 99 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries, the Beacon Journal reported. “Coach told us if we win the turnover battle, we win the game. We flipped the script on them,” Courtad told the Akron Beacon Journal. “Our defense was unreal. Big props to them.”
Nonno’s 28-yard field goal in the third quarter made it 20-0. Hoban’s only score came with 5:55 left, when Cribbs threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to John Johnson, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Cribbs finished 10-for-26 for 130 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions, the Beacon Journal reported. Walsh quarterback Kinzy Shea was 9-for-12 for 119 yards, and Cam Brunson caught five passes for 82 yards.
Hoban’s late chances died the way so much of its night had gone. The Knights turned the ball over on downs from the Walsh 10-yard line with 8:45 left, and Steele’s interception with 3:08 remaining sealed the result, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. For the second year in a row, and the third time in four seasons, the rivals split their two meetings, with Walsh winning the one that ended Hoban’s season, the Beacon Journal reported. Walsh leads the all-time series 32-27.
The matchup paired two of Ohio’s most decorated programs. Hoban was making its 22nd playoff appearance, with state titles in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Walsh was in the playoffs for the 24th time, with a state title in 1999. Walsh freshman quarterback Kinzy Shea, who took over as the starter in Week 7, helped guide the Warriors through the rematch.
What happens next: Walsh Jesuit hosts No. 3 Nordonia in a Division II, Region 5 semifinal on Friday, Nov. 13. Nordonia (10-1) beat Eastlake North 37-21 on Friday. Walsh beat Nordonia 49-18 in the second round of last year’s playoffs, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Photo: Mxn, CC BY-SA 4.0