Football Secures 2nd-Straight State Title with 27-7 Victory vs. Columbus Bishop Watterson in OHSAA D-III Title Game
The Central Catholic football team secured a 2nd-consecutive state title with a 27-7 victory vs. Columbus Bishop Watterson on Friday in the OHSAA Division III Championship Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. With the neutral-field win in Canton, CCHS caps its memorable 2023 season with a perfect 16-0 record.
The Fighting Irish spotted the Eagles (14-2) an early 7-0 lead before reeling off 27-consecutive points to capture their 6th state title (1962, 2005, ’12, ’14, ‘22, ’23) in program history. It also marked CCHS’s 31st-straight triumph, dating back to Week 2 of the 2022 campaign.
Senior RB Marquan Braswell led the way for the Scarlet & Gray with 169 yards rushing on 22 carries and 2 TDs. A team captain, Braswell scored on runs of 6 and 7 yards, respectively. He topped the century mark for the 9th time this fall.
Senior QB Terry Collins, Jr. completed 7-of-11 passes for 71 yards and 1 TD. Collins was credited with a 6-yard TD pass to sophomore Sharard Vaughn III after Bishop Watterson muffed a punt return late in the 1st half.
As a team, Central Catholic finished with a 318-139 advantage in total yards, including a whopping 247- -6 edge on the ground.
Defensively, senior DB Marvon Greenlee posted a team-high 9 stops, while senior DL Michael Cannings II had a squad-best 2.5 tackles-for-loss. CCHS limited Bishop Watterson to 2-of-13 on 3rd down.
Central Catholic becomes the 1st school in Lucas County to win back-to-back state titles on the gridiron. Most recently, Rogers High School captured consecutive state crowns in girls’ basketball in 2018 and 2019.
Friday’s game marked the final contest for CCHS’s 20-member senior class – Nick Banaszak, Kendric Bankston, Jayden Barnes, Marquan Braswell, Michael Cannings II, Ronald Collins III, Terry Collins, Jr., Jayden Dick, Tyrell Green, Marvon Greenlee, Austin Hernandez, Christian Jackson, Leyton Marsh, Semaj Michael, Marc Nave, Jaylen Watson, Elijah Williams, John Williams, Emerson Willis, and Davonte’ Wright-Ward.
