RAVENNA- You know it's cold when Ursuline Head Coach Dan Reardon dons anything other than his signature shorts. Friday night in Ravenna, in the driving rain and temperatures in the low 40's, the Irish leader opted for a more traditional getup for the conditions. His team came prepared to play in the adverse weather as well, relying on the run and punishing the Gilmour Academy Lancers along the way to the tune of a 54-0 shutout.
The scoring started early when the Irish went 80 yards in only 7 plays, all but one coming on the ground. It was QB DC Ferrell doing the bulk of the work, going 62 yards on 4 carries, capping the drive off with a 31 sprint up the middle to pay dirt to get the scoring started. The Irish were successful on the two point try giving them an 8-0 advantage with 10:24 remaining in the opening frame.
A 34-yard field goal attempt by the Irish later in the quarter was the only other scoring opportunity for either side through the first 12 minutes. As the clock flipped to the 2nd quarter, it was Joe Balog time.
Balog, the Senior Running Back for the Irish, put together quite a nice opening quarter, going for 57 yards on 10 attempts. The 2nd quarter seen him kick it into a high gear, gashing the Lancer defense for 80 yards and 3 scores. The scoring runs came from 9, 8 and 2 respectively, paving the way for the Irish halftime lead of 41-0.
Additional scoring plays for the Irish in the 2nd quarter were a 7-yard pitch and catch from Ferrell to Junior wide out Devonte Taylor and the cherry on top was a 1-yard run from Sophomore Vinnie Fecko.
It was a rough go of it all evening for the Lancers, led by Senior QB Cooper Panteck. The Irish defense swarmed, and the unrelenting mix of rain, wind and precipitation made moving the ball through the air impossible. Panteck was 2-7 on the evening for 4 yards. His night was cut short when he suffered an injury on a strip sack in the 2nd quarter.
With a running clock after halftime and a demanding lead, Coach Reardon opted to give some of his reserves an opportunity to play in the regional championship bout. Among those who took advantage of the opportunity were George Camuso, a Freshman QB who galloped 42 yards for the rushing touchdown to make it 48-0. In the 4th quarter, it was fellow Freshman Dale Peterman with a scoop and score following a Lancer fumble to finish off the scoring.
The Irish advance to the Division 3 State Semi-Finals next week to take on Toledo Central Catholic at a site to be determined.
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