Football Pitches 42-0 Shutout at St. Mary’s Prep to Secure Spot in Prep Bowl

The Central Catholic football team posted a decisive 42-0 victory against St. Mary’s Preparatory on Friday at Milewski Field. With the dominating shutout win, the Fighting Irish (8-0, 5-0 CHSL) have secured a spot in the Prep Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Ford Field in Detroit.

Central Catholic scored 5 touchdowns in the 1st half to set the tone versus the Eaglets on the soggy Red turf, helping the Scarlet & Gray extend its winning streak to 23-consecutive games.

CCHS, which is ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Ohio Division III state poll, received 3 TDs from senior RB Marquan Braswell. A team captain, Braswell found the end zone on 3 of Central Catholic’s initial 4 possessions. He finished with a game-high 94 yards rushing and topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Braswell has now scored multiple TDs in 4 of the last 5 games and on 5 occasions this fall.

The reigning D-ll state champions also benefited from an interception return for a score from sophomore CB Victor Singleton, a TD reception from sophomore WR Preston Fryzel, and a TD run by junior RB Tyler Morgan to force a running clock in the 2nd half. The shutout was the Fighting Irish’s 2nd in the last 3 games.

Senior QB Terry Collins, Jr. completed 6-of-10 passes for 124 yards and Fryzel had a contest-high 4 catches for 112 yards.

As good as CCHS was offensively, its defense was even more stout. The Fighting Irish held St. Mary’s Prep to just 33 yards of offense.

Friday’s divisional showdown featured 2 of the most successful programs in the CHSL. The Fighting Irish (1962, 2005, ’12, ’14, ’22) have won 5 state championships on the gridiron, while St. Mary’s Prep (1977, ‘94, ‘99, 2000, ‘11, ‘14, ‘15, ’16) has captured 8 titles.

Central Catholic will return to the field against arch-rival St. Francis de Sales (1-7, 1-5 CHSL) on Friday, Oct. 13 in its regular-season home finale. The opening kick against the Knights is slated for 7 p.m. In Gallagher Stadium. Tickets for next Friday’s game can be purchased online at bit.ly/3ejjhky.

Prior to kickoff, CCHS will honor 36 seniors from the fall sports of football, marching band, cheerleading, boys’ cross country, girls’ cross country, and girls’ tennis.