Football Battles Medina Highland on Friday in Region 6 Semifinals of State Playoffs
The Central Catholic football team will battle Medina Highland on Friday, Nov. 12 in the third round of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division II State Playoffs. The opening kick against the Hornets is slated for 7 pm at First National Bank Field at Bellevue High School. Friday’s post-season matchup will be streamed LIVE on the BCSN NOW APP at bcsnapp.com/watch.
The Fighting Irish (10-2) are the No. 4 seed in Region 6, while Medina Highland (11-1) is the No. 1 seed.
CCHS advanced to the regional semifinals for a 10th-consecutive season with an impressive 54-0 shutout victory against arch-rival St. John’s Jesuit on Friday at Gallagher Stadium. Through the opening two rounds of the postseason, the Fighting Irish have outscored their opponents by a staggering 102-0.
The Scarlet & Gray finished with a staggering 374-79 advantage in total offense, including minus-21 yards for the Titans (5-6) on the ground. The Fighting Irish also recorded eight sacks for losses totaling 40 yards to help them tally their second-straight shutout and fifth overall this fall.
Junior DB Braden Awls spearheaded the CCHS defense with a pair of interceptions, both of which he returned for TDs. Awls was credited with a 39-yard pick six in the opening quarter and a 45-yard INT for a score in the second period.
Offensively, junior QB Ty’Waun Clark was 8-of-14 passing for 80 yards and rushed 10 times for 64 yards. Junior RB Chris Edmonds added 73 yards on 13 carries and sophomore RB Marquan Braswell tallied a game-high 79 yards on eight rushes. Both Edmonds and Braswell scored two TDs each on the ground to spark the offense.
A member of the Suburban League, Medina Highland enters Friday’s post-season matchup having its last seven games, including a 38-14 home triumph vs. No. 8 seed Anthony Wayne (9-3). Under the leadership of Head Coach Mike Gibbons, the Hornets are making their second-straight appearance in the state playoffs and 11th overall.
Central Catholic and Medina Highland will meet on the gridiron for the first time. The Fighting Irish will battle a team from the Suburban League for the first time since 2012 when they defeated Aurora, 20-13, in the state semifinals.
Central Catholic is making its 18th-straight playoff appearance under Head Coach Greg Dempsey and 23rd overall in school history. CCHS has a 39-16 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 Region 6 Finals, they would face either No. 2 seed Avon (10-2) or No. 6 seed Olmsted Falls (10-2) on Friday, Nov. 19 at 7 pm at a neutral site.
