Football Hosts Lutheran West on Friday in 1st Round of OHSAA D-III State Playoffs
The Central Catholic football team will begin its quest for a 3rd-straight state championship against Lutheran West on Friday, November 1 in the 1st round of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division III State Playoffs. The opening kick against the Longhorns (2-8, 1-4 Chagrin Valley Conference) is slated for 7 p.m. in Gallagher Stadium.
The Fighting Irish (9-1, 5-1 CHSL) are the No. 1 seed in Region 10, while LW is the No. 16 seed.
Tickets for Friday’s postseason contest MUST be pre-purchased online at OHSAA.org/tickets (Division III, Click Region 10, Locate Game, Click Get Tickets). Tickets will cost $5 for students and $11 for adults. Please note, no tickets will be available to purchase at the gate and all students MUST purchase a ticket to attend Friday’s game. Please click HERE for a complete list of Game Day Information, including directions and parking.
For those fans unable to attend Friday’s matchup, it can be heard live on The Ticket l 100.7 FM with the “Voice of the Irish” Bill Clark & Jim Oswald, starting at 6:30 p.m. or streamed online HERE.
CCHS, which ranked No. 2 in this week’s final Associated Press Division III state poll, will be making its 21st-straight playoff appearance under Head Coach Greg Dempsey and 26th overall in school history. Central Catholic has a 52-17 post-season record under Coach Dempsey with 5 state titles (2005, ‘12, ’14, ’22, ‘23) and a state runner-up finish (2015).
The 2-time reigning state champions wrapped up their regular season with a hard-fought 14-13 triumph vs. Mona Shores on Friday at Sailor Stadium. The Scarlet & Gray turned away the Sailors’ 2-point conversion with 1:35 left in regulation to secure the road victory.
Junior RB Anthony Sylvester paced the CCHS offense with 104 yards on the ground in Friday’s 1-point triumph. Sylvester tied a season high with 21 carries vs. the previously unbeaten Sailors, topping the century mark for the 2nd time this fall.
Senior QB Isaiah Fox also completed 7-of-14 passes for 72 yards through the air. Senior WR Levelle Stokes III, junior WR Sharard Vaughn III, and junior WR Jerome Davis V had 2 catches each.
After spotting the Sailors (8-1) a 7-0 lead at intermission, Central Catholic knotted the score on a 2-yard scamper by Sylvester in the 3rd period. Sylvester tallied his 9th TD run on the season on 4th down.
The Fighting Irish then took the lead for good, 14-7, on a 2-yard TD run from Fox with 8:43 left in regulation. The team captain and signal caller found pay dirt for his 1st score on the ground this fall on 4th down.
Mona Shores fought right back and registered a 6-yard TD run with 2:25 remaining in the contest. Instead of kicking the extra point, the Sailors tried a trick play but was unsuccessful to keep CCHS in front by a single point
The home team recovered the onside kick on the Fighting Irish 46-yard line to give themselves 1 final chance to get the win. Fortunately for Central Catholic, Mona Shores turned the ball over on downs with just a little over 1 minute left.
Overall this fall, Fox is 83-of-125 passing (66.4%) for 1,251 yards and 10 TDs, while senior RB Tyler Morgan has accumulated 1,014 yards on 183 carries (5.5 ypg) and 11 TDs. Through the air, 4 players have caught at least 20 passes. Junior Preston Fryzel leads the way with 28 receptions for 455 yards and 4 scores, followed closely by Vaughn, Stokes, and Davis with 24, 23, and 21 catches, respectively.
Lutheran West is under the direction of Head Coach John Parrella. The Longhorns enter postseason play on the heels of a 34-21 setback vs. Thomas W. Harvey in their regular-season finale.
Central Catholic and Lutheran West will meet on the gridiron for the 1st time.
Should the Fighting Irish advance to the 2nd round for the 14th-consecutive season, they would face either No. 8 seed Copley or No. 9 seed Revere on Friday, November 8 at 7 p.m. at home. CCHS is currently riding a 24-game home winning streak, dating back to the start of the 2021 campaign.
