Football Travels to De La Salle Collegiate on Friday for CHSL Matchup
The Central Catholic football team will play the 1st of back-to-back road games against De La Salle Collegiate (3-0, 1-0 CHSL) on Friday, Sept. 20 at Tom Adams Field. The opening kick vs. the unbeaten Pilots is scheduled for 7 p.m. on the campus of Wayne State University.
Tickets for Friday’s Catholic High School League (CHSL) matchup can be purchased online at bit.ly/3ZmgUyc. For those fans unable to attend the 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 6:30 p.m. or streamed online HERE.
The Fighting Irish (3-1, 1-1 CHSL), who are picked to successfully defend their Central Division championship in the CHSL, are coming off a dominant 37-0 triumph vs. Brother Rice in Gallagher Stadium as part of Homecoming Weekend.
The 2-time reigning state champions did most of their damage on the ground against the Warriors (0-3, 0-2 CHSL), finishing with 201 rushing yards. Junior RB Anthony Sylvester led CCHS with 81 yards and 2 TDs, followed by senior RB Tyler Morgan with 49 yards and 2 TDs, and junior Jerome Davis V had 43 yards and 1 score.
As good as Central Catholic was running the ball, its defense was even better. The Scarlet & Gray limited Brother Rice to 64 yards of total offense (51 passing, 13 rushing) to help extend its home winning streak to 22-consecutive games.
Sophomore QB Ali Beydoun made his 1st start under center vs. BR, completing 7-of-11 passes for 78 yards. Beydoun's favorite target was senior WR Levelle Stokes III, who finished with 5 catches for 69 yards.
Overall this fall, Beydoun is 17-of-37 (45.9%) throwing the ball for 264 yards and 1 TD, while senior QB Isaiah Fox has completed 30-of-42 passes (71.4%) for 394 yards and 2 TDs. Morgan has accumulated a squad-best 442 yards rushing on 68 carries (6.5 ypg) and 5 TDs, while Sylvester has 283 yards on 41 attempts (6.9 ypc) and a team-high 7 TDs. Through the air, junior WR Preston Fryzel has hauled in a team-high 13 catches for 163 yards and 1 score, followed closely by Stokes with 11 receptions for a squad-best 185 yards.
DLSC, which was picked 3rd in the CHSL Preseason Coaches’ Poll, enters Friday’s action on the heels of a 38-28 triumph against St. Mary’s Preparatory School.
CCHS and DLSC will square off on the gridiron for the 4th time under Head Coach Greg Dempsey. Last fall, CCHS registered a hard-fought 28-23 victory vs. the Pilots at home. The Fighting Irish received 2 TDs each from the backfield duo of 2023 1st-team All-Ohio RB Marquan Braswell and Morgan. Braswell, who finished with a game-high 146 yards on 27 carries, recorded scoring runs covering 10 and 15 yards, while Morgan found on the end zone on scampers of 9 and 3 yards, respectively.
In addition to a strong ground game, QB Terry Collins, Jr. completed an efficient 10-of-12 passes for 145 yards. His favorite target was 2023 1st-team All-Ohio WR Jaylen Watson, who finished with 6 catches for 102 yards.
Central Catholic will return to the field against perennial power Saint Ignatius for its non-conference finale on Friday, Sept. 27. The opening kick against the Wildcats is slated for 7 p.m. at George Finnie Stadium on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University.
Next Friday’s matchup will showcase 2 of the most-storied programs in state history. The Fighting Irish (1962, 2005, ’12, ’14, ’22, ‘23) have won 5 state championships on the gridiron, while Saint Ignatius (1988, ‘89, ‘91, ‘92, ‘93, ‘94, ‘95, ‘99, 2001, ‘08, ‘11) has secured 11 titles, 2nd-most in the state record book.
Last fall, CCHS blanked St. Ignatius, 28-0, at home. Braswell ran for 182 yards for the Fighting Irish, including an 8-yard TD. DB Jayden Barnes also tallied a 52-yard interception return for a TD in the 2nd half, while Watson recorded a 3-yard TD pass to Collins on a trick play to close out the scoring.
