CANTON – Coldwater quarterback Keith Wenning set a Division V state football finals record with 414 yards passing, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the record Youngstown Ursuline set. The Irish, playing in their third straight state championship, won their second straight title with a D-V finals record 55 points in a 55-25 win over the Cavaliers at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium. The team’s combined outputs of 80 points, 12 TDs, 49 pass completions and 982 yards were also D-V records.
Ursuline had too much speed (five TDs over 25 yards) for the Cavaliers who were attempting to win their third state title in five years for head coach John Reed who was diagnosed with esophageal cancer five weeks ago. Reed, who has postponed treatment for his sickness in order to lead the Cavs through the playoffs, will start chemotherapy on Monday. He’ll have surgery in February.
Wenning, headed to Ball State, did his best to lead Coldwater but his effort – 40-of-54 passing for 414 yards and three TDs (he also ran for a score) – wasn’t enough to overcome some untimely mistakes. Wenning threw one interception that was returned for a TD and three times the Cavs turned the ball over on downs in the Ursuline red zone, including once inside the 5-yardline.
Coldwater scored first on Wenning’s 6-yard pass to Kurt Schoenherr in the first quarter, but Ursuline responded with three straight scores in the second quarter and led 27-13 at half.
In the third quarter Ursuline scored on its first possession to take control. Coldwater got back to within 34-19 but got no closer.
Senior stalwart Allen Jones led the Irish attack, which piled up 508 total yards, by rushing for 155 yards and a TD on 21 carries. Junior Akise Teague added 112 yards and three TDs on 9 carries.
Irish quarterback Paul Krempke also had a solid game by completing 9-of-13 passes for 115 yards and a TD.
Coldwater had 474 total yards.
The championship is Ursuline’s third overall and second over Coldwater. The Irish also won 49-37 in 2000 D-IV final.
The state final match-up also pitted two of the state’s top football conferences in the Midwest Athletic Conference (Coldwater) and the Steel Valley Conference (Ursuline). With the Irish’s win, the MAC and SVC’s state championship game record against each other is 3-3.
