by Ravenna, OH – With a lot on the line coming into Week 14 and a spot in the Final Four and a Regional Championship on the line, the Fighting Irish of Ursuline High School came away with the massive W by a score of 54-0 behind the run game that couldn’t be touched in the wet conditions.
The game started off with a bang as QB #0 Dc Ferrell kept multiple QB keepers as they ran their way down the field at will and paid it off with an early TD run just a minute and half in from Ferrell himself from 25 yds out to put the score at 8-0 early after a 2-pt try was successful.
The Lancers were looking to get the same result as the Irish but came up short on 3rd down and looked to punt. On 4th and manageable they faked the punt and ran it inside for a first down by a yard or so. The drive would stall a couple plays later and they’d punt anyways.
The Fighting Irish implemented the RB #2 Joe Balog into the run game this drive as he ran one for 20 yds and got them down inside the redzone. A costly fumble cost the Irish and they had to settle to a FG attempt that would end up short and it would stay 8-0.
Gilmour Academy wouldn’t do much on the next drive and would punt the football away.
Ursuline has good starting field position close to the 50 and continues to run the ball between Ferrell and Balog rounding out the 1st Quarter.
End of 1st: Ursuline 8, Gilmour Academy 0
After flipping sides of the field, the Irish went right back to work and plowed in their 2nd rush TD of the night from 8 yds out to take a 14-0 lead early in the 2nd.
The Lancers would again go 3 and out the following drive and have to punt following little offensive spark.
The punt and the weather conditions combined to give the Irish another good starting point on offense. They would run another one in with Balog to make it 21-0 not quite at the halfway mark of the 2nd quarter.
When it looked like everything was going right for the Irish, they tested the theory and went with a surprise onside kick that would be controversial but successful to get the offense right back on the field and it would end up leading to another TD, this time a pass to #10 Jy’Quise Liason for 30 yds.
Another Lancers drive stalls in a punt with little going right. After punting the ball away though, the very next play they would pick off Ferrell and get the ball right back and hoping to spark some momentum. Unfortunately the hype was short lived as the Irish brought the blitz and got a sack fumble that would give them the ball back on the very next play. Crazy sequence.
Looking to Balog again, the Fighting Irish push their lead further following a 3-yd TD to make it 34-0 with still 3:43 to go before half.
A lancer 3 and out followed by another mild punt and allowed the Irish to go down and score another rush TD, this time by RB #7 Vinnie Fecko to stretch it to 41-0.
Halftime: Ursuline 41, Gilmour Academy 0
With the running clock starting in the second half there weren’t many drives to speak of. The Lancers would again go three and out to start off the half. The Irish would then chew clock and eat up a lot of the 3rd quarter before QB #15 George Camuso broke one 43 yds to the left side and made the game 48-0.
End of 3rd: Ursuline 48, Gilmour Academy 0
Ursuline for the first time of the night was stopped on a fourth down attempt and the Lancers defense got the ball for their offense.
Following that turnover on downs, the offense tried to throw the ball and after a successful completion the Irish defense flew to the ball, made a huge hit that lodged the ball free, and the Fighting Irish scooped and scored to put them over the 50-point mark and an exclamation point on the contest.
Final: Ursuline 54, Gilmour Academy 0
The Fighting Irish move onto the final four and Gilmour Academy goes home with a lot to be proud of this season.
