Football Clashes with Avon on Friday in Region 6 Finals of State Playoffs
The Central Catholic football team will clash with seventh-ranked Avon on Friday, Nov. 19 in the Region 6 Finals of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division II State Playoffs. The opening kick against the Eagles is slated for 7 pm at Cedar Point Stadium at Sandusky High School (75 Orlando Pace Drive, Sandusky, 44870). Friday’s post-season matchup will be streamed LIVE on the BCSN NOW APP at bcsnapp.com/watch.
The Fighting Irish (11-2) are the No. 4 seed in Region 6, while Avon (11-2) is the No. 2 seed. With a neutral-site victory against the Eagles on Friday, CCHS would advance to the state “Final Four” for the seventh time in the last 10 years and ninth overall in program history.
CCHS moved on to the regional finals following a thrilling 23-20 come-from-behind victory against No. 1 seed Medina Highland (11-2) last Friday at First National Bank Field at Bellevue High School.
The Scarlet & Gray trailed the fourth-ranked Hornets 20-6 with less than seven minutes remaining in regulation before rallying for 17 points to win on senior PK Cole Tishler’s 28-yard field goal on the contest’s final play.
Offensively, junior QB Ty’Waun Clark was 12-of-22 passing for 189 yards with two TDs and rushed 10 times for 58 yards. Junior RB Chris Edmonds carried the ball 20 times for 92 yards with one score, and senior Sam Lee hauled in five catches for a game-high 109 yards. Lee was also credited with both of Clark’s TD passes, covering 4 yards in the second period and 51 yards in the fourth, respectively.
Following Lee’s second-TD reception, Medina Highland moved the ball to the CCHS 28-yard line in the waning moments of regulation when a pass from Hornets QB Aaron Filips was intercepted by senior DE Dylan Fisher. A two-time first-team All-TRAC selection, Fisher returned the interception near midfield before fumbling it out of bounds at the Medina Highland 31-yard line, setting the stage for Tishler’s game-winning field goal.
A member of the Southwestern Conference, Avon enters Friday’s post-season matchup having its last nine games, including a 49-21 neutral-field triumph vs. No. 6 seed Olmsted Falls (10-3). Under the leadership of Head Coach Mike Elder, the Eagles are making their 13th-straight appearance in the state playoffs and 15th overall. Avon is looking to secure its fifth-consecutive trip to the state “Final Four.”
Central Catholic and Avon will meet on the gridiron for the second time in the last four years. The Fighting Irish suffered a 37-22 neutral-site setback against the Eagles in the third round of the 2018 playoffs at Clyde Bishop Stadium.
The squads also clashed during the 2011 and 2012 playoffs, with each team claiming one neutral-site victory. CCHS registered a 42-14 triumph during its state championship run in 2012, while Avon secured a 49-28 win in 2011.
The Fighting Irish and Eagles shared two common opponents this fall: TRAC members St. Francis de Sales and Fremont Ross. CCHS defeated both the Knights, 49-7, and the Little Giants, 34-15, during the regular season, while Avon also emerged victorious against both teams in the playoffs, 63-28 and 52-26, respectively.
Central Catholic is making its 18th-straight playoff appearance under Head Coach Greg Dempsey and 23rd overall in school history. CCHS has a 40-16 post-season record under Dempsey with three state championships (2005, ‘12, ‘14) and a state runner-up finish (2015).
Tickets for Friday’s post-season contest MUST be pre-purchased online at OHSAA.org/tickets (Division II, Region 6). Reminder, no tickets will be available to purchase at the gate. All playoff tickets are General Admission. Presale tickets will cost $10, while game day seats will be $12 after 4 pm.
For those fans unable to attend the neutral-site game, it can be heard live on The Ticket l 100.7 FM with the “Voice of the Irish” Bill Clark & Jim Oswald, starting at 6 pm or streamed online HERE.
Should the Fighting Irish advance to the state semifinals, they would face either Piqua (12-0) or Cincinnati Winton Woods (10-3) on Friday, Nov. 26 at 7 pm at a neutral site.
