Preview: Division III state football playoffs

Zac Jackson, OhioHSsports.com, October 30, 2008 9:53 a.m.

Walsh Jesuit running back Armand Dehaney is a player to watch during the playoffs. - (File photo)

THE RACE IS ON

It’s a wide-open race for the Division III state title. Last year’s runner-up, Licking Valley, is back in the postseason and still has maybe the leading candidate for Mr. Football, Storm Klein. Walsh Jesuit has the horses to win it all, and Licking Valley is one of at least five teams in Region 11 that think they’re capable of hoisting the trophy as well. That list doesn’t include the top three teams in the final AP Poll – Thornville Sheridan, Avon and Logan Elm – or Aurora, a playoff-tested program that’s clicking at the right time.

THREE FAVORITES

Walsh Jesuit

They’re huge up front, loaded in the backfield and have playoff experience. It’s tough not to like the Warriors except that they probably shouldn’t have lost twice in the regular season and certainly shouldn’t have lost in the second round of last year’s playoffs. How good are the Warriors capable of being? They whipped Licking Valley, 48-14, in Week One at Licking Valley. The Panthers proceeded to go 9-1.

Dover

The 9-1 Tornadoes haven’t loss since Week One, when they fell to Canton South. But they pulled together in Week Two, scoring a huge upset at Avon Lake, and used that as a springboard – they haven’t played a close game since. They’re scoring points by the boatload and appear to be clicking heading into a potential round two rematch with South. QB Corey Lisowski has thrown for more than 3,000 yards.

Avon

The Eagles are scoring 44 points per game and have a smart, efficient quarterback in Ryan O’Rourke leading the way. The only negatives are a lack of playoff experience and a lack of familiarity with its potential regional opponents, but an early-season win over Aurora let this team know it belonged and its confidence has risen ever since.

THE DARKHORSE

Canton South

Mix a little playoff experience with a three-year quarterback (Matt Trissel), some skilled playmakers and a rugged regular season schedule that included three Div. III playoff teams and maybe the Div. II favorite in Louisville, and you have a dangerous Wildcat team. It’s a team that’s not even guaranteed to make it out of round one with Northwest looming, but it’s a confident bunch that figures to get more confident each week it can find a way to stay alive.

THREE KEY FIRST-ROUND GAMES

Tiffin Columbian at Bellevue

Well, last week was fun. Let’s do it again! Columbian kept its postseason hopes alive by beating host Bellevue last week, 26-14, and now must go back and do the same this week. Bellevue will look to get its offense going; the Redmen had averaged 50 points per game during a five-game win streak before. The Redmen also want to play a more disciplined game after giving up a score on a fumble and another on a 70-yard punt return.

Canal Fulton Northwest at Canton South

A rematch of a regular season game at the same stadium won 17-14 by Northwest on a late Dustin Miracle field goal. South rebounded from there and finished strong, losing only to Louisville in the second half of the season. Northwest has since battled problems with injuries and turnovers but has beaten South, its Northeastern Buckeye Conference rival, eight straight times; does that give the Indians a psychological edge going into this one?

Chagrin Falls at Youngstown Liberty

Liberty limped to the finish of the regular season, suffering its only two losses in the final two weeks of the season. Chagrin Falls is a perennial playoff team that also lost two of its last three but won’t go easy, though the Tigers will have to stop Liberty RB Fitzgerald Toussaint, a Michigan commit and one of the state’s leading rushers. The winner here will have reason to believe it can upset Walsh Jesuit in the regional semifinals.

GAME CHANGERS

Armand Dehaney, RB/DB/KR, Walsh Jesuit

The Ball State recruit is the Warriors’ do-it-all guy. He hides behind his huge offensive line while looking for running room and uses his speed to prevent big plays from his spot in the secondary. When Dehaney has the ball in his hands, he looks a little like Tyrell Sutton did in a Hoban uniform earlier this decade – and that might be bad news for potential Warrior opponents this month.

Thornville Sheridan’s defense

The Generals held eight of their opponents to 14 points or fewer and pitched a 7-0 shutout over New Lexington in a battle of undefeateds last week. Their formula of running the ball well and stopping the run has held up so far, and it will be up to the defense to push them through tight battles in November.

Storm Klein, Licking Valley

He’ll be an Ohio State Buckeye next fall, probably as a linebacker. He plays both offense and defense well for the Panthers and has scored 21 touchdowns on the season. He’ll need to be on his game if the Panthers hope to replicate last year’s Region 11 title; tough games with Poland, then either Dover, Canton South or Northwest loom large.

TOUGHEST REGION

Region 10 symbolizes the wide-open nature of Div. III as a whole. #2 Clyde’s only loss came to #4 Bellevue, who’s 8-2 after losing last week to its opponent this week, #5 Tiffin Columbian. #3 Tippecanoe’s only loss came to undefeated D2 playoff qualifier Tecumseh, but Tippecanoe has a very tough first-round draw in St. Mary’s Memorial. Avon is the region’s only undefeated team but probably didn’t play as tough a regular season schedule as its playoff rivals, but the Eagles get their chance to prove themselves the next three weeks.