#5 Walsh Jesuit @ #1 Cleveland Benedictine

Their starter has been out the whole year and the back up hasn’t played the last few weeks either so I wouldn’t say it’s entirely not true.
Well now I am confused…

Anyone with score predictions?

I will take Benedictine in their 9th straight over Walsh!

Benedictine 27
Walsh Jesuit 21
 
Benedictine has won 8 straight vs Walsh but the all time series record is 14-14.
Benedictine has won 7 OHSAA state championships in football with 8 overall football state titles. They have won 12 OHSAA state championships in 3 different sports. Walsh won the OHSAA state title in football in 1999 and has 39 OHSAA state championships overall spread out over 10 different sports. They also have had 66 individual state champions.

This will be a great game.
Walsh has been without 3 starters on offense from earlier in the season but hasn't missed a beat, winning 9 straight.
Benedictine has gotten back on track from their consecutive losses to Hoban and Nordonia and looked very good against Riverside.
 
My brother said he went to the Hoban game last week with Matt Natale‘s dad and their wives and saw that great comeback. I gotta root for Walsh this week and Natale with the Warren, Ohio ties over my close-friend/college-roommate ties who‘s a Benedictine grad lol. I usually pull for the Bengals each week. Also…wishing safe play and good sportsmanship to all the kids in this game. Should be a great one!
 
Natale had a rough game versus Benedictine in week 1, no? I think he threw 2 bad INT’s. He’s still had a great season overall.

Christian Ochei had a great game.

I think WJ was Yarboro’s best game of the year. I just vividly remember Brandon Boyd dominating the WJ secondary
 
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Natale did have the 2 INT vs Benedictine. He was 15/25 for 188 yards with 1 TD and the 2 picks
Overall he has 20 TD with 6 INT for the season.
 
I watched some of that week one game and it was pretty rough around the edges, as many early games generally are. Lots of missed assignments, sloppy play and kids just starting to find their way, especially on the offensive lines. As such, I'm not sure that game was much of a help in figuring out what will happen tonight.
 
My key match ups for this game>

  • The QBs: Benedictine's offense goes as their QB goes. For the 1st 2/3rds of the season he was sharp, starting with the Hoban game his production has dropped but there was a moderate rebound against Riverside. Benny WR speed and depth is a big strength and if he can get the ball out quickly to these guys they can score points. I like the Walsh run game but if Bedingfield is on the field the Benny rush defense is strong so they will probably need to move the ball through the air. The Walsh QB is solid on short timing routes but if looking to go deeper down field he tends to throw off the back foot and against a fast secondary he can be inconsistent. Whichever QB rises to the occasion will go along way to who win this one.
  • Special teams: The first meeting was basically decided by a special team play. If the weather is windy and cold then points may be tough to come by so the ability to make FGs and PATs when called upon will be crucial. Also punting with regards to the field position battle will be important. Finally whose return game will give their team good field position or possibly break one off for a big game changing TD?
  • Coaching: Coach Alexander has accumulated much respect in the coaching community for his turn around at Walsh but at some point he needs to break through to the next level of the playoffs. What has been his signature win up to this point? Hudson last week? VASJ a few weeks back? While nice the names Benedictine and Hoban are the ones the Walsh fans want to see the Warriors beat and he will have that opportunity the next two weeks. On the Benedictine side a lot of folks believe Coach Goode, myself included, has some deficiencies that need some work. In particular players are unfocused at times and look lost on the field with missed assignments or untimely penalties. Practice week is where this can be corrected so if he also wants to take that next step and get another crack at Hoban his team will need to have had a good week of practice and limit bonehead plays.
Here is to a well played injury free game.
 
Looks like the game is going to be on the Walsh Boxcast:


According to the title page Walsh will be playing The Bengals of St. Benedictine :unsure: I get how some rural public school down state would call the school at 2900 MLK St. Benedictine but another Catholic school in NEO that has played the Bengals 28 times?!?
 
The guys at the barbershop have this one Walsh -6, total is 54. Not a lot of $s coming in for Benny.

Also here are the current odds for Div II title:

Hoban 3/2
Massillon 12/5
TCC 3/1
LaSalle 6/1
Walsh 8/1
Avon 12/1
Piqua 16/1

Rest of the field 6/1
 
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