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CANTON, Ohio – In a rematch of the 2017 Division I State Final, the Mentor Cardinals and the Pickerington Central Tigers faced off on Friday (Nov. 29) night at Bob Commings Field at Canton GlenOak High School.
The Tigers took advantage of some missed Mentor opportunities and held off a late drive as Pickerington Central punched their ticket to the D1 State Final with a 28-21 win.
“I couldn’t be more proud of you guys. You battled your tails off,” Mentor head coach Steve Trivisonno told his players in his final postgame huddle. “I love you. I couldn’t be more proud of my opportunity to be here for all of these years here with you guys.”
Mentor opened the game with a seven play, 86 yard play drive as they drew first blood. Ian Kipp delivered a 29-yard touchdown pass to Luke Floriea three minutes into the game.
The Tigers answered back within two minutes as Lorenzo Styles Jr. broke free with a 48-yard touchdown run. After a Mentor punt, the Tigers added another touchdown as Demeatric Crenshaw found the end zone from three-yards out. Pickerington Central led 14-7, ninety seconds into the second quarter.
The Cardinals rallied to tie the game at 14 with a 15 play, 90-yard drive as Riley Coughlin bounced into the end zone on a one-yard TD run.
After the Tigers went three and out for the first time, Mentor attempted a fake punt on fourth down in Pickerington Central territory. The Tigers held the Cardinals at bay as they took over with four minutes left in the second quarter.
Nick Mosley put the Tigers up 21-14 on a four-yard touchdown run with 1:46 left in the first half.
Mentor had a scoring drive in the works before halftime but a costly penalty and missed field goal turned them away empty-handed. Kipp connected with Justin Luke on a 13-yard touchdown pass but a holding penalty erased the score. Three plays later, Andrew Smith missed a 40-yard field goal and Mentor trailed 21-14 at the halftime break.
Mentor head coach Steve Trivisonno had a trick up his sleeve after halftime as the Cardinals were kicking off. Smith took the opening kickoff and bounced it off a Pickerington Central player and into the hands of Marco Toth.
On the first play of the half, Kipp aired it out to Floriea on a 49-yard touchdown pass as Mentor tied the game at 21 just ten seconds into the quarter.
The Mentor defense held Pickerington Central’s offense to a three and out, following a holding penalty that stalled the drive.
Mentor drove down the field and was hurt by a missed 38-yard field goal that left the drive empty once again.
The Tigers could not capitalize on the second missed field goal but got a break following a three and out. Kipp was picked off by Dom Marasco on the next drive.
Pickerington Central took advantage of the short field. Crenshaw, who went for six touchdowns against Mentor two years ago, gave the Tigers the 28-21 lead with a nine-yard touchdown run. Pickerington Central led 28-21 with 1:02 left in the third quarter.
Mentor lost Kipp after he came up hurt on a quarterback keeper with five minutes to go on a first down run. The Cardinals could not convert the fourth down and turned the ball.
The Tigers went three-and-out, giving the ball back to the Cardinals with 2:45 left. Kipp came back in the game to a standing ovation by the Mentor fans. Clearly hobbling on a bum leg, the Tigers brought pressure and sacked Kipp twice. Kipp could not complete a fourth down conversion.
Mentor finished the game with 391 total yards as they compiled 202 rushing yards and 189 passing. Kipp completed nine passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns along with 101 rushing yards on 16 carries. Brian Trobel ran the ball 12 times for 48 yards while Coughlin had six rushes for 50 yards. Floriea caught six passes (two touchdowns) for 100 yards for Mentor.
Pickerington Central totaled 311 yards with 237 rushing and 74 passing yards. Crenshaw was six-of-eight for 74 yards passing as well as 116 rushing yards on 25 carries. Styles had four rushes for 62 yards and made three catches for 26 yards. Mosley added 17 carries for 60 yards.
Trivisonno ends his 23-year head coaching career with 209 wins at Mentor. Mentor finished the 2019 season with a 13-1 record.
“That hurt a little bit at the end,” Trivisonno said. “We lost Brian [Trobel] early a little bit and then Ian, but we had a touchdown called back and two missed field goals, so we had our chances right there to do it. It just didn’t go our way toward the end. But the kids battled and played hard.”
The Tigers are 13-1 and will play Cincinnati Elder next Friday (Dec. 6) night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at 8:00 PM.
