BACK IN THE SEMIS — Big Red’s Elijah Mullins is one of several Big Red players that will be playing in their second-straight state semifinal tonight when Steubenville takes on Archbishop Alter. – Andrew Grimm
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WESTERVILLE — Since the Ohio High School Athletic Association launched the high school football playoffs in 1972, Steubenville and Kettering Archbishop Alter have collected 25 regional titles and six state championships.
The tradition rich programs will go at it today inside Westerville Central stadium with a berth in the 2023 Division IV championship game on the line. The opening kick is set for 7 p.m. The winner will face either unbeaten Canton South or Cleveland Glenville, the defending Div. IV champ, in the state title contest next Saturday inside Canton’s Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. That kick is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Today’s meeting will be the fifth all-time between Big Red and Alter. Steubenville holds a 3-1 series lead. Big Red earned a 28-10 victory in the 1987 playoffs then held off Alter 34-33 to claim the 2006 state title. Alter turned the table in 2008, winning a state championship via 21-6 triumph.
Big Red, which has won 13 straight since its Week 1 loss to Youngstown Ursuline, claimed its second consecutive Region 15 championship with a hard-fought 14-7 victory over Sheridan. The outcome was in doubt until senior tailback Savier Faulks broke a 58-yard touchdown run with 5:01 left to play. The Steubenville defense then came up big late to seal the deal.
“Love and trust in each other,” veteran Big Red coach Reno Saccoccia said following the win. “We’ve got a lot of guys that love and trust in each other, and it was evident (Friday).
“Love and trust, love and trust.”
“We’ve won 20 of these in 40 years … but every single one is special and this one is special,” Saccoccia said of the regional title.
Faulks’s go-ahead score capped what was a 168-yard night for the senior on 28 totes of the pigskin. He now has 1,369 rushing yards for the season.
As big as his late score was, perhaps the stand by the defense that preceded it was even bigger.
With the score knotted at 7-7 and the No. 2 seed Generals (12-2) marching deep in the Big Red end, Big Red’s interior line made a key stop on a third down play to set up a fourth-and-2 at the Steubenville 21.
Sheridan QB Caden Sheridan, who finished with 154 rushing yards in the game, was wrestled to the ground shy of the marker — a long discussion and a measurement confirmed the huge stop for the Big Red D.
“Sheridan was a very well-coached team that played hard and played tough,” Saccoccia said earlier this week. “Our kids played the same way.
“We had 10 plays over 15 yards but still only managed to score 14 points. We moved the ball well enough but had too many penalties. We did too many things to kill ourselves. But when it came time to buckle up the chinstraps and play with lots of nitty, gritty, our offense and defense delivered. Lots of hard work has gone into the success we have enjoyed so far this season.
“It wasn’t pretty, but it was a hard-fought game,” Saccoccia said. “We overcame a lot of mistakes and a lot of adversity — mistakes by the coaches and the players.”
Senior quarterback Aydan Manning threw for 112 yards in the victory, giving him 2,356 passing yards for the season. Senior receiver Isaac Hill now has 81 receptions to lead the Big Red.
Alter began the Region 16 playoffs as the fourth season. The Knights blanked No. 13 Cincinnati Roger Bacon before whipping Cincinnati Indian Hill. In the regional semifinals, Alter crushed top seeded Clinton-Massie 21-3 then blanked Cincinnati Wyoming 17-0.The Cowboys clipped Big Red in the 2022 semifinals before falling to Glenville in the championship game.
The Knights have allowed just nine total points in four playoff wins, the most recent the Region 16 championship game over Wyoming (17-0). Legendary head coach Ed Domsitz 1,1has won two state titles in his 32 seasons at the school, with over 300 career wins.
Alter’s losses came to Kettering Fairmont, Dayton Trotwood Madison and Hamilton Badin. The Knights are averaging 28.5 points per game and allowing 9.8.
“They play good, solid football in that area,” Saccoccia said. “Alter’s coaching staff is the probably the only one I know of that is as old as ours. That tells you how important seeds are. Seeds are only important in order to get a couple of home games. Alter has beaten some good teams and lost to some good teams. Alter is a good football team and is a good football team every year. Their kids are tough and well-coached. We’ll need to be at the top of our game for four quarters tonight.”
Offensively under Domsitz, Alter has and continues to reply on the wishbone.
“They still run the wishbone,” Saccoccia said. “They will use some I formation and show some spread. Alter’ offensive line is big and can move. Their linemen are not big and sloppy, they are big and good.”
Junior Gavin Connor, 5-11, 169, directs the Alter attack. He has thrown for 1,430 yards and 12 touchdowns. Sophomore Noah Jones, 5-9, 183, leads the Knights in rushing with 1,163 yards and 14 scores. Another sophomore Rod Owens (6-0, 179) has contributed 599 yards and Connor has run for 502.
That “big and good” offensive line is anchored by senior Jake Nogan (6-0, 281). He is joined upfront by senior Jackson Wright (5-10, 298), junior Noah Marquez (6-5, 262), sophomore C.J. Epps (6-2, 327) and senior Nathan Fussacker (5-10, 214).
Senior Michael Russ (6-1, 195) leads Alter in the receiving department with 32 receptions.
“We have to prepare for the bone, the broken bone and now the spread,” Saccoccia said. “We just have to be better at what we do. Our guys will need to focus, recognize what type of offense Alter is in and be responsible for their gaps.
“Defensively, Alter is very gap sound. They play good man to man and their coaches do a really good job of coaching. Good teams will give up some ground but when it comes down to the nitty gritty, good teams are where they are supposed to be.
“In the final four, there aren’t any weak teams. Alter is a very good team that is very well-coached and has a very good veteran staff. They have a great tradition and a great history.
“Right now, all we have earned is the opportunity to play in the state semifinals. The little things — getting line up correctly, doing your assignment and adjusting when necessary, will mean to much for us in this game. We have to protect the ball, avoid presnap penalties and tackle. To be successful, we have to play and coach to the best of our ability. Everybody must do their jobs — hopefully is that happens we can get a break late and take advantage of it.”