Division II State Championship: Archbishop Hoban (12-3) vs. Winton Woods (12-3)

Who wins?

  • Hoban by 17+

    Votes: 21 18.9%

  • Hoban by 8-16

    Votes: 36 32.4%

  • Hoban by 1-7

    Votes: 10 9.0%

  • Winton Woods by 1-7

    Votes: 27 24.3%

  • Winton Woods by 8-16

    Votes: 14 12.6%

  • Winton Woods by 17+

    Votes: 3 2.7%
  • Total voters
    111
  • Poll closed .
EagleFan said:
what is the story here
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It may have been about a decade ago now WW opened the season with St X and one of their most ardent supporters at the time was assured W.W. would come away victorious. By 16 to be exact.
I'm sure some of the cincy folks on here could offer you a more nuanced version of the story.
 
KaneHawk213 said:
I know Hoban got yal scared up there but they jus another team to us a good one no question but they’re no better than a good Moeller Elder or lasalle team we never even heard of em before 2017
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Well, they won state championships in 15, 16 and 17 so maybe you weren't paying close attention.
 
clarkgriswold said:
Well, they won state championships in 15, 16 and 17 so maybe you weren't paying close attention.
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Hoban is a powerhouse & we have our work cut out for us but what I can tell u guys these kids have played a ton of competitive football since they were playing at the youth level. I'll say again they won't be intimidated being they had to deal w MYIAN WILLIAMS in practice. The thing is these schools & kids get caught up in the mystique of HOBAN. Well we respect them but we're going to show up & be ready to hit. Whoever wins the center & nose guard battle WINS this game. These kids are playing for our center who lost his dad before the season so it's GAME ON!!!
 
murphy13 said:
It may have been about a decade ago now WW opened the season with St X and one of their most ardent supporters at the time was assured W.W. would come away victorious. By 16 to be exact.
I'm sure some of the cincy folks on here could offer you a more nuanced version of the story.
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That’s pretty much the story ST X was the number 1 team in the country at the time wit luke kuchely and a host of others it was a ludicrous pick lol
 
clarkgriswold said:
Well, they won state championships in 15, 16 and 17 so maybe you weren't paying close attention.
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We regularly beat these types of schools we don’t have that fear factor that u guys do of the Hobans and St Ed’s etc we used to answering these types of challenges. Yea they beat us last time but we gonna win this one just lik we do Elder Lasalle and Moeller they may beat us once we get em the next time
 
KaneHawk213 said:
Lasalle also won several in a row wats that supposed to mean lol
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You said "we never even heard of em before 2017". I was pointing out why everyone else in the state of Ohio had by 2017.

Oh and by the way, I am not a Hoban fan. I trust WW will come prepared and has seen other strong competition.
 
Redwing said:
For the WW folks, I'm curious what you think the biggest difference is between this team now vs. Sept/Oct? Looks like they struggled with Lebanon, Anderson and Loveland earlier in the year.
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I don't want to speak for WW fans, but I saw them in Week 2 and Week 13. For me, it was comfort and confidence. The team that handled La Salle Week 13 definitely had the look of a state champion on offense and especially on defense. Hoban may win, but I don't think it will be easy.
 
clarkgriswold said:
You said "we never even heard of em before 2017". I was pointing out why everyone else in the state of Ohio had by 2017.

Oh and by the way, I am not a Hoban fan. I trust WW will come prepared and has seen other strong competition.
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I was being facetious jus meaning we had never played them so they weren’t really on our radar at the time we definitely aware of wat they bringing to the table
 
KaneHawk213 said:
We regularly beat these types of schools we don’t have that fear factor that u guys do of the Hobans and St Ed’s etc we used to answering these types of challenges. Yea they beat us last time but we gonna win this one just lik we do Elder Lasalle and Moeller they may beat us once we get em the next time
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Time to start catching up in state titles then. I sure hope Winton Woods adds No. 2 on Thursday.
 
It would be pretty remarkable that, of all the very recent Winton Woods teams, this would be the one to win a state title. I think they are a significant step down talent-wise from where they've been the last 5-6 years and they even lost their very good and very successful head coach to Princeton (who did a great job there this year btw). Yet, here they are in the state finals. No Miyan Williams, no Coach Parker, still in the state finals. It would be really remarkable if they win it. There's a lot of really good people in the Winton Woods community, and I hope they get to bring home title #2.
 
It's a shame Avon didn't play Winton Woods in the semi's. I'm not sold that Avon isn't the number 2 team behind Hoban. Then we would have the 2 best for sure. But this should be a good game too.
 
JBaller said:
It would be pretty remarkable that, of all the very recent Winton Woods teams, this would be the one to win a state title. I think they are a significant step down talent-wise from where they've been the last 5-6 years and they even lost their very good and very successful head coach to Princeton (who did a great job there this year btw). Yet, here they are in the state finals. No Miyan Williams, no Coach Parker, still in the state finals. It would be really remarkable if they win it. There's a lot of really good people in the Winton Woods community, and I hope they get to bring home title #2.
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Yea this isn’t one of the more talented groups they’ve had by far, but they got some guys in spots they dont usually especially at CB
JBaller said:
It would be pretty remarkable that, of all the very recent Winton Woods teams, this would be the one to win a state title. I think they are a significant step down talent-wise from where they've been the last 5-6 years and they even lost their very good and very successful head coach to Princeton (who did a great job there this year btw). Yet, here they are in the state finals. No Miyan Williams, no Coach Parker, still in the state finals. It would be really remarkable if they win it. There's a lot of really good people in the Winton Woods community, and I hope they get to bring home title
JBaller said:
It would be pretty remarkable that, of all the very recent Winton Woods teams, this would be the one to win a state title. I think they are a significant step down talent-wise from where they've been the last 5-6 years and they even lost their very good and very successful head coach to Princeton (who did a great job there this year btw). Yet, here they are in the state finals. No Miyan Williams, no Coach Parker, still in the state finals. It would be really remarkable if they win it. There's a lot of really good people in the Winton Woods community, and I hope they get to bring home title #2.
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Definitely not one of the more talented teams of the last decade for that matter but they got some guys in key places especially CB
 
What changes did the new staff bring on this year at WW? I see the new guy was actually the previous OC. I see Parker, who had been pretty successful, moved on to Princeton. I'm surprised someone that would have been on his staff would make many changes.
 
clarkgriswold said:
What changes did the new staff bring on this year at WW? I see the new guy was actually the previous OC. I see Parker, who had been pretty successful, moved on to Princeton. I'm surprised someone on his staff would make many changes.
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Clark, Coach Murphy was the QB coach on last yrs staff & he was set to the OC under the old staff. Coach Parker took the Princeton job in March & Murphy was going to be the OC @ Princeton. He threw his name in the hat because all the kids love him and wanted him to be the guy. He brought in his guy Greg Forrest (FROM BRIAN KELLYS COACHING TREE) to run the offense & Carlton Grey to run the defense but they have some good young position coaches the wr, lb, dl coaches are young & bring youthful energy to their perspective position players. The DB coach played w Grey in high school and had been coaching w him at West. Offensively this coach wants to pass it around but unfortunately we weren't ready for that. The scheme especially the blocking scheme was too difficult for the oline to pick up so he adjusted to the kids strengths, however us trying to pass early & getting the qb & wrs to understand the correct read may come back to help us this week because if we're going to beat Hoban we're going to have to throw it to back those linebackers up.
 
DonCalipari said:
Clark, Coach Murphy was the QB coach on last yrs staff & he was set to the OC under the old staff. Coach Parker took the Princeton job in March & Murphy was going to be the OC @ Princeton. He threw his name in the hat because all the kids love him and wanted him to be the guy. He brought in his guy Greg Forrest (FROM BRIAN KELLYS COACHING TREE) to run the offense & Carlton Grey to run the defense but they have some good young position coaches the wr, lb, dl coaches are young & bring youthful energy to their perspective position players. The DB coach played w Grey in high school and had been coaching w him at West. Offensively this coach wants to pass it around but unfortunately we weren't ready for that. The scheme especially the blocking scheme was too difficult for the oline to pick up so he adjusted to the kids strengths, however us trying to pass early & getting the qb & wrs to understand the correct read may come back to help us this week because if we're going to beat Hoban we're going to have to throw it to back those linebackers up.
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Furthermore, the coaching job that has been orchestrated at WW this season has been nothing short of miraculous. This team has gotten better as the season progressed and that's how I gage improvement. Coach Murphy is an outstanding human and a good coach, always has been. Just goes to show you how bad the Hamilton job really is :oops:
 
I'm a Hoban fan, and had a chance to watch some WW games online. I really appreciate the offensive variation that WW brings to the table - they keep the defense guessing with widely varied playcalling from what I could see. That's a huge advantage if they can keep it going. Hoban has a lot of defensive firepower that they can throw at you, but if WW can keep them guessing, then they should break through a few times for points.

On the other end of the ball, I like Hoban's chances. Sperling's runs (and Crable's passing when Sperling doesn't run) are always very difficult to stop. The DB play is key to stop 5yd Sperling runs from becoming 55 yd Sperling runs, and that matchup looks like it will be in Hoban's favor.

If there aren't turnovers, I see this ending up higher scoring than some of Hoban's previous finals - I believe Hoban wins in a shootout.
 
DonCalipari said:
Clark, Coach Murphy was the QB coach on last yrs staff & he was set to the OC under the old staff. Coach Parker took the Princeton job in March & Murphy was going to be the OC @ Princeton. He threw his name in the hat because all the kids love him and wanted him to be the guy. He brought in his guy Greg Forrest (FROM BRIAN KELLYS COACHING TREE) to run the offense & Carlton Grey to run the defense but they have some good young position coaches the wr, lb, dl coaches are young & bring youthful energy to their perspective position players. The DB coach played w Grey in high school and had been coaching w him at West. Offensively this coach wants to pass it around but unfortunately we weren't ready for that. The scheme especially the blocking scheme was too difficult for the oline to pick up so he adjusted to the kids strengths, however us trying to pass early & getting the qb & wrs to understand the correct read may come back to help us this week because if we're going to beat Hoban we're going to have to throw it to back those linebackers up.
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Great post but administration did have enough respect for Coach Murphy to ask him to interview for the job.
 
thehawg27 said:
Furthermore, the coaching job that has been orchestrated at WW this season has been nothing short of miraculous. This team has gotten better as the season progressed and that's how I gage improvement. Coach Murphy is an outstanding human and a good coach, always has been. Just goes to show you how bad the Hamilton job really is :oops:That Hamilton job is extremely difficult but he did take Northwest high school to the playoffs. That in itself is amazing.
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JBaller said:
It would be pretty remarkable that, of all the very recent Winton Woods teams, this would be the one to win a state title. I think they are a significant step down talent-wise from where they've been the last 5-6 years and they even lost their very good and very successful head coach to Princeton (who did a great job there this year btw). Yet, here they are in the state finals. No Miyan Williams, no Coach Parker, still in the state finals. It would be really remarkable if they win it. There's a lot of really good people in the Winton Woods community, and I hope they get to bring home title #2.
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No coach Parker is the key ?
 
I’ve only seen a little bit of both teams. But I will tell you Winton Woods will do themselves good if they put 8 in the box and force Sperling to stay inside. He’s spectacular. He’s fast and cuts and changes direction without losing much speed at all. The defensive line is going to have to make some plays. Force Crable to beat you. Not that he can’t. But Sperling might be the best back in Ohio. Hoban run blocks very well, pass protection isn’t great but they do fine. For Winton Woods they have to play much better than they did last week. No turnovers, limit penalties, and try to establish the LOS. Run the ball, try to control clock as much as possible just to keep the ball from Sperling touching it. I think Hoban will win, but I’d like to see Winton Woods get one. Good luck to both schools
 
Excerpt from Chris Easterling's writeup in The Repository on all the games this weekend.

www.cantonrep.com

Ultimate Guide to the OHSAA football state finals: Top players coming to Canton's Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium

To get ready for the OHSAA football state finals in Canton, here's some of the top players pursuing a state title at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
www.cantonrep.com www.cantonrep.com

"Here's who's to watch out for in this game:

Jay’Ron Gibson, Winton Woods, defensive lineman​

The Southwest District Division II Defensive Player of the Year, the 6-foot-, 250-pound senior doesn't just help to control the line of scrimmage, but can also get beyond it as well. His 14 sacks are tops on the team. He’s also recorded 67 total tackles, including 38 solo stops. Gibson also has a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown. His work up front helped Winton Woods allow an average of less than 200 yards per game through its first four playoff games. Green did pile up some yards on the Winton Woods defense in the state semis, but the Bulldogs only scored seven points.

Jason Martin III, Hoban, defensive lineman​

The 6-foot, 280-pound Martin is the latest in a line of standout Hoban defensive linemen over the last decade. He earned first-team All-Northeast Inland District honors. Martin is the epitome of a game-changer up front. Through Hoban's first 12 games, he accounted for 20 tackles for loss, nine sacks and three forced fumbles.

Lamar Sperling, Hoban, running back​

Saving his best for the games that matter the most, Sperling rushed for more than 600 yards the last two weeks alone to put him well over 2,000 yards for the season. He hit rival Walsh Jesuit for 357 yards and five TDs on 31 carries in the regional finals. He followed that up with 270 yards and two TDs on 30 carries in the state semifinal win over Avon. That type of production earned the junior a share of Northeast Inland District Offensive Player of the Year honors. And if Hoban is to win the state's ultimate prize again — the Knights are seeking a sixth state title in seven years — Sperling figures to be a huge factor.

Ty'Rek Spikes, Winton Woods, running back​

The latest in a line of ultra-talented running backs for the Warriors. Spikes has been the focal point of the offense that led the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in rushing yards per game with nearly 223 yards per game as a team. Green found out just how dangerous the speedy Spikes can be, as he took a kickoff back 75 yards for a touchdown in Winton Wood's 20-7 state semifinal win, one of two TDs he scored in the game. Like Sperling, he's saving his best for the playoffs, rushing for at least 230 yards in three of the five postseason games to help Winton Woods reach its first state final since 2017. The senior's five-game playoffs total: 1,020 yards and 10 TDs. For the season, he has 1,703 yards and 18 TDs on 255 carries.

Qierstin Williams, Winton Woods, linebacker​

The younger brother of Ohio State running back Miyan Williams, the 6-foot, 230-pound Qierstin is making his own mark, too. He leads the team with 77 total tackles, including 45 solos. Against Green, he made his fourth interception of the season, a clutch second-half pick to help Winton Woods preserve what was then a six-point lead. Through the Warriors’ five-game run to Canton, Williams has registered 26 total tackles."
 
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DonCalipari said:
Clark, Coach Murphy was the QB coach on last yrs staff & he was set to the OC under the old staff. Coach Parker took the Princeton job in March & Murphy was going to be the OC @ Princeton. He threw his name in the hat because all the kids love him and wanted him to be the guy. He brought in his guy Greg Forrest (FROM BRIAN KELLYS COACHING TREE) to run the offense & Carlton Grey to run the defense but they have some good young position coaches the wr, lb, dl coaches are young & bring youthful energy to their perspective position players. The DB coach played w Grey in high school and had been coaching w him at West. Offensively this coach wants to pass it around but unfortunately we weren't ready for that. The scheme especially the blocking scheme was too difficult for the oline to pick up so he adjusted to the kids strengths, however us trying to pass early & getting the qb & wrs to understand the correct read may come back to help us this week because if we're going to beat Hoban we're going to have to throw it to back those linebackers up.
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Now you can say he runs a offensive system similar to LSU! ;)
 
I like the approach so far of the Hoban fans. Chill but confident and ready for the battle. Not posting every hour about their kids in youth football, coaching trees, who died, etc. They are trusting in their coaching staff and players. Recent history backs up Hoban. #actlikeyoubeentherebefore
 
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INDIANS_RULE said:
I said this the other day, I'll be rooting for Winton Woods but I'm not sure they will get the advantage of Hoban turning the ball over. I still don't like the "Thursday" game.
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I will admit first of all I love that the games are here in Canton again but for out of town fans coming from the Western side of the state...... that stinks! Move it to Sunday then? Oh well it is what it is. You guy's are in the big show, I'm sure the kids don't care what day of the week it is!
 
PerryDude said:
I will admit first of all I love that the games are here in Canton again but for out of town fans coming from the Western side of the state...... that stinks! Move it to Sunday then? Oh well it is what it is. You guy's are in the big show, I'm sure the kids don't care what day of the week it is!
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The Winton Woods School District is off Thursday and Friday.
 
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