Buchtel upsets Northwest; Hudson, Highland, Hoban, STVM, Norton, Mogadore, Medina advance

Division IV, Region 13

Buchtel 31, Northwest 14

The slipper still fits for the 13th-seeded Griffins (7-4).

As a result of Friday's win, City Series champion Buchtel will play top-seeded West Branch (11-1) on Nov. 11 at site to be determined Sunday by the OHSAA.

Buchtel’s defense bottled up 1,500-yard rusher Kyler Miraglia, who was held to 50 yards on 14 carries.

That defense forced two fumbles and had two interceptions to help the cause.

Wiley Cheairs rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns to send Principals Athletic Conference champion Northwest (8-4) packing. Cheairs scored on runs of 12 yards and 13 yards

Stevie Diamond contributed a TD run, Demetrion Duvall added a 25-yard field goal and Zyaire Lewis returned an interception for a TD as Buchtel built a 31-2 lead with 5:19 to go in the fourth quarter. Tinell Edwards also grabbed an interception.

Division II, Region 5

Archbishop Hoban 41, Barberton 13

After Archbishop Hoban defeated archrival St. Vincent-St. Mary 28-14 on Oct. 7, some members of the Irish expressed hope for a rematch in the playoffs.

Their wish has been granted.

Top-seeded Hoban took care of business by prevailing over visiting eighth-seeded Barberton 41-13 in a Division II regional quarterfinal.

And the anticipation was palpable at Dowed Field when the public address announcer informed the crowd in the fourth quarter that STVM had defeated Austintown Fitch 21-14.

Hoban (11-1) and STVM (8-3) will square off at 7 p.m. Friday in a regional semifinal at a neutral site the Ohio High School Athletic Association will announce.

“We've just got to come to play,” Hoban senior running back Lamar Sperling said of meeting STVM again. “Games like this you can't take for granted, especially in the playoffs, knowing that you could lose at any point. You never know what could happen, but we've just got to treat this like another game.

“We can't get too hyped about this and over our heads. I think that's what happened last time. That's why we didn't play to our best ability. I feel like if we calm it down, tone it down and just do our jobs, we'll do good.”

Sperling rushed 28 times for 261 yards and four touchdowns against Barberton (7-5). His touchdown runs of 5 and 73 yards helped Hoban build a 34-7 cushion and cruise to victory.

Junior free safety Ty Campbell and senior outside linebacker Jayvian Crable each had an interception for Hoban in the second half. Crable also scored on a 43-yard, catch-and-run touchdown from junior quarterback JacQai Long with 1:19 left in the third quarter.

Hoban built a 20-7 halftime lead despite hampering itself with dropped passes and penalties.

“We've just got to clean the penalties up and little mistakes, both defense and offense,” Sperling said.

In the first half, Sperling rushed for two touchdowns ― 11 yards on fourth-and-1 with 9:35 left in the second quarter and 1 yard on fourth-and-goal with time expired in the first quarter.

Hoban captured a 7-0 lead with a defensive touchdown on the game's opening series. Junior linebacker Rickey Williams forced Barberton senior receiver Rylan Angeloff to fumble, and Knights junior defensive lineman Jordan Pritchard-Sewell picked up the ball and returned it 7 yards for a touchdown with 10:56 left in the first quarter.

“It feels great [to watch the defense score],” Sperling said. “It takes the load off me, and it gives me even more trust in them.”

Barberton cut its deficit to 14-7 with 5:48 left in the second quarter when junior quarterback Dominic Wilson connected with junior receiver Kenneth Larry for a 33-yard touchdown. Larry also threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to junior running back Xzavier Macon on a trick play in the fourth quarter.

Trailing 20-7, Barberton had a chance to make the game interesting when it completed a long pass on a fake punt for a first down in Hoban territory. However, the gain with 9:36 left in the third quarter was nullified by an illegal formation penalty against the Magics.

“We preached the whole David and Goliath [matchup against Hoban],” Barberton coach Tony Gotto said. “We preached play hard, physical football. We knew we had to execute. We run the fake punt. We get it, but we didn't execute. We gave them on the first drive a scoop and score. They're too good to do that.”

Hoban should become even more formidable next week because standout senior defensive tackle Jason Martin III said he expects to face STVM. An ankle injury he suffered in Hoban's Oct. 21 regular-season finale against Lakewood St. Edward forced him to rest and recover in the first two rounds of the postseason.

Division II, Region 5

Hudson 34, Walsh Jesuit 7

Junior running back Ian Ludewig and senior quarterback Jagger Pallay combined to score five touchdowns and led the third-seeded Explorers (12-0) to a win over the sixth-seeded Warriors (9-3) in a second-round playoff game.

Pallay ran for 246 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries and Ludewig ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries. Hudson senior kicker DJ Ashe made 4 of 4 extra points.

Hudson erased a 7-6 deficit in the second quarter with 28 unanswered points. The Explorers scored one touchdown apiece in the opening three quarters and reached the end zone twice in the fourth quarter.

Ludewig scored touchdowns of 1 and 3 yards. Pallay scored his touchdowns on runs of 26 yards and 18 yards. Pallay also had a 68-yard run to the Walsh 1-yard line in the fourth quarter to set up Ludewig’s final TD.

Walsh running back Justin Bremner totaled 37 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Warriors quarterback Ryan Kerscher completed 12 of 29 passes for 192 yards.

Hudson finished with 494 yards of offense and 32 first downs. Walsh had 241 yards of offense and 14 first downs.

The Explorers will play second-seeded Painesville Riverside (11-1) next week.

Division II, Region 5

St. Vincent-St. Mary 21, Austintown Fitch 14

Senior Santino Harper scored on a 7-yard run with 32 seconds left to lift the fifth-seeded Irish (8-3) over the host and fourth-seeded Falcons (10-2). Harper finished with 88 yards on 15 carries.

STVM senior D’Anthony Kelker ran for a game-high 178 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns. Bryson Getz paced the Irish defense with nine tackles and Ali Haynes had eight tackles.

STVM gained 392 yards and Fitch totaled 273 yards.

Division II, Region 6

Highland 49, North Olmsted 7

With one hiccup just before halftime, second-seeded Highland (12-0) scored a prototypical win.

The Hornets ground out 449 rushing yards against the Eagles and shut down a North Olmsted offense that came in averaging more than 42 points a game.

Lukas Stiles anchored the Hornets, rushing for 180 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries. Backfield mate Noah Robinson added 107 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just eight carries.

Seventh-seeded North Olmsted had one good drive. Quarterback Xavier Balson hit wide receiver Collin Willard with a 23-yard touchdown pass with 1:13 left in the first quarter, cutting the lead to 21-7 at the half.

Beyond that, North Olmsted's offense was neutralized. Jared Kelley — the Great Lakes Conference Offensive Player of the Year — was held to just 24 yards rushing.

Highland quarterback Andrew Lurtz completed 7 of 10 passes for 77 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown pass to Matt Ciryak at the the end of the third quarter.

Highland will face third-seeded Toledo Central Catholic (11-1) in a Division II, Region 6 semifinal on Nov. 11.

Division II, Region 7

Lake 13, Columbus St. Francis DeSales 7

Matthew Sollberger ran for a 58-yard touchdown and Cale Jarvis completed a 58-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Snyder to lead the host and second-seeded Blue Streaks (11-1) past the seventh-seeded Stallions (7-5).

Division III, Region 10

Norton 28, Clyde 13

Toby Tatka and Luke Dobbins ran for one touchdown apiece to help the visiting and sixth-seeded Panthers (10-2) win over the third-seeded Fliers (8-4).

Norton’s Noah Willig scored on an 18-yard pass from Tatka and Thomas Hoffman closed out the scoring with a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown to help Norton win its first regional quarterfinal game in program history.

The Panthers move on to play Parma Padua (7-5) in Week 13.

Division III, Region 9

Youngstown Ursuline 45, Tallmadge 28

Sixth-seeded Tallmadge (9-3) built a 14-0 lead with two touchdown runs by Jackson Dougherty, but third-seeded Ursuline (10-2) rallied with six touchdowns and one safety at Youngstown State University.

Ursuline quarteback Jack Ericson threw two touchdown passes — one apiece to Will Burney and Marc Manning. Burney also returned a punt for a TD and Manning rushed for a TD. Ursuline’s Christian Lynch and DC Ferrell also had rushing TDs.

Tallmadge’s Ty Hurst threw touchdown pass to Collin Dixon and Zander Hopkins added a TD run.

Hurst completed 30 of 34 passes for 293 yards. Dixon had 15 receptions for 156 yards.

Division I, Region 1

Medina 49, Wadsworth 35

In a game that had 900 yards of offense, a defensive play keyed the win for second-seeded Medina.

With the Bees leading 42-35, Joe Jones tipped a pass from Wadsworth quarterback Luke Fischer (28-of-41 passing, 290 yards, three interceptions) that was intercepted by Brennen Schramm on the Medina 40-yard line and returned to the Wadsworth 11.

After a penalty, quarterback Danny Stoddard ran it in from 5 yards for the final points and the second-seeded Bees (11-1) picked up a hard-earned win.

Up next is a regional semifinal against third-seeded Mentor (8-3).

The Cardinals scored a touchdown with 12 seconds left to beat sixth-seeded Canton McKinley 19-14.

The last time Medina and Mentor played, the Bees won (52-38, Sept. 30).

Stoddard (23-of-40 passing, 380 yards, 4 TDs, 16 carries, 26 yards, 3 TDs) accounted for every Medina touchdown but he had help.

Jack Wojciak (11 catches, 120 yards, 2 TDs), Schramm (3, 74, 2) and Austin Knowles (4, 97) proved why they were 1,000-yard receivers.

“This offense is so much fun,” Stoddard said. “Just knowing that whatever you do, they will try their best to make the play. They’re always going to make it, too. You just have to get the ball to them.”

That’s not to say seventh-seeded Wadsworth, which outgained Medina 477-423, didn’t make things interesting.

Kyle Figuray (33 carries, 189 yards, 4 TDs) was a menace on the ground and Will Stack caught 17 passes for 147 yards.

Division VI, Region 21

Mogadore 19, Canton Central Catholic 14

The second-seeded Wildcats (11-0) have never lost in 25 home playoff games and it stayed that way against the seventh-seeded Crusaders (7-5).

Mason Williams ran for 183 yards on 28 carries and scored twice, including the game-winner with 9:13 left.

Collin Lehner rushed for 65 yards on 16 carries and Mogadore finished with 275 yards on the ground.

Central Catholic quarterback Jack Talkington rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown and threw for 128 yards.

Mogadore will play sixth-seeded Cuyahoga Heights (9-2) in Week 13.

— Compiled by Jeff Deckerd, Brad Bournival, Michael Leonard, Michael Beaven, Michael Popovich, Nate Ulrich and Don Coughlin

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Buchtel, Hudson, Highland, Mogadore, Hoban, Medina, STVM earn wins