Division I State Semifinal: Upper Arlington (14-0) vs St. Edward (13-1)

Who wins?

  • Upper Arlington by 17+

    Votes: 2 2.0%

  • Upper Arlington by 8-16

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Upper Arlington by 1-7

    Votes: 13 13.1%

  • St. Edward by 1-7

    Votes: 11 11.1%

  • St. Edward by 8-16

    Votes: 39 39.4%

  • St. Edward by 17+

    Votes: 34 34.3%
  • Total voters
    99
  • Poll closed .
ironmanz35 said:
Never a good idea to look ahead. You have a game To win Friday before even thinking about a possible title game.
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Two things:
My school has been out of the playoffs for weeks.

Nothing anyone posts on this board has any effect on this game. Zero. It's a HS football message board. The kids will decide the game and Eds has better players across the board.
 
PDC said:
Two things:
My school has been out of the playoffs for weeks.

Nothing anyone posts on this board has any effect on this game. Zero. It's a HS football message board. The kids will decide the game and Eds has better players across the board.
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I have not been scolded as tersely since grade school. I will be sure to be careful with my future posts so as not to offend you.
 
ironmanz35 said:
I have not been scolded as tersely since grade school. I will be sure to be careful with my future posts so as not to offend you.
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You have extremely thin skin. You have been offended since my first post pages ago on this thread.

You're bothered because I dared to suggest, on a meaningless HS board, that Eds is way better than UA.

That's what I believe. We'll see what happens tomorrow. If I'm wrong, I'll admit it and still be around.
 
PDC said:
You have extremely thin skin. You have been offended since my first post pages ago on this thread.

You're bothered because I dared to suggest, on a meaningless HS board, that Eds is way better than UA.

That's what I believe. We'll see what happens tomorrow. If I'm wrong, I'll admit it and still be around.
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Indeed sir I take great offense to your comments. You have now ruined my Thanksgiving. I was going to say I was thankful for Yappi when it was my turn to say what I was thankful for at the dinner table this year. Now I cannot even stomach to eat after your scolding.
 
ironmanz35 said:
Indeed sir I take great offense to your comments. You have now ruined my Thanksgiving. I was going to say I was thankful for Yappi when it was my turn to say what I was thankful for at the dinner table this year. Now I cannot even stomach to eat after your scolding.
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Sounds like you’re fishing for attention on Thanksgiving. In no way whatsoever did PDC scold you. Grow up, if you want to post on a message board.
 
Hammerdrill said:
The team Buttermore took down to the wire that year was Ttrotwood Madison, who during the regular seaosn beat Pick Central, who was the D1 state champ that year. Buttermore can flat out coach. That said, I think Eds wins this.
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I know this. The point I was making is he has won and participated in big games before as the perceived underdog.
 
eaglepride said:
Sounds like you’re fishing for attention on Thanksgiving. In no way whatsoever did PDC scold you. Grow up, if you want to post on a message boar
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eaglepride said:
Sounds like you’re fishing for attention on Thanksgiving. In no way whatsoever did PDC scold you. Grow up, if you want to post on a message board.
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Sir thanksgiving is turkey season, but if I was fishing as you claim than you sir bit hook line and sinker! I am happy to discuss football when it is X & O’s but when posters throw out claims with no content or subject matter to back it up, I find humor and sarcasm to be fun even if just to amuse myself. Ned to go and work on thickening my skin now.
 
A view from a Tri-Valley guy.
From 1968 when 4 communities consolidated to 2003, Tri-Valley had 1 league football title in 36 years. Normally the largest school in the league was a whipping boy for football programs like Sheridan, New Lexington, Philo, and Crooksville. In 2004, the football job opened, lots of coaches applied (many with head coaching experience) and Tri-Valley officials got it down to the final 3. After interviewing those 3 candidates the superintendent decided he was not satisfied with any of them. He started calling successful head coaches and asking if they knew of any young coaches who had no head coaching experience but showed great promise as a head coach. Dan Ifft of Dover told him an assistant that left for Hilliard Davidson a couple years earlier was the guy he was hunting for. Brian White of Davidson concurred and Justin Buttermore was contacted and asked to apply. He applied, met with the TV officials and was offered the job. What most people don't know is that Buttermore was/is a certified strength coach. (He is also an excellent social studies teacher. My son had him as a teacher.) His strength program which has weightlifting as a part of it is second to none. His players, no matter how athletic or talented, will have the maximum core strength possible. In 3 years he had the Tri-Valley program turned around. Over his last 11 years at Tri-Valley, TV won the league title 8 or 9 years. He also had tourney success capping it in his last year (2017) with a run to the state finals that included wins over very talented teams (Marion Franklin, Bellefontaine, Bishop Hartley coming off 3 straight state titles, Akron St. Vincent St Mary's) and a very competitive 27-19 loss to Trotwood Madison. No offense to the players on that great TV team, but I don't think it is a stretch to say that every team they played during that playoff run had better athletes. In 14 years at Tri-Valley I believe he had 5 players who played division 1 college football. Buttermore takes the Jimmy's and Joe's that a school has and makes them into a well preforming strong team that can compete against the best with D1 athletes throughout the roster. Tri-Valley teams under Buttermore smacked you in the face, but helped you up after every play. Buttermore is a defensive guy and normally took charge of the D and let the offensive coordinator call the plays with his input/veto power when needed. He always had a balanced offense and would run plays early in the game to "set you up" for big plays he planned on using later in the game.

Buttermore had a two year stint at Granville. The guy who followed him has had great success and Granville is in the D3 semi-final game tomorrow. I'm pretty confident in saying the strength/conditioning of those players was at a high degree when he left there.

When Buttermore got the job at Upper Arlington I posted that he would win a state title for them at some point. It might or might not be this year, but I think UA will be a regular visitor to week 14 and beyond.

Last week I watched on television as Pick Central (with multiple players who will play for big time college programs) was beat by a determined team with a masterful coach. I think it is conceivable that can do that another week or two. Thinking back over all of the teams Buttermore has coached in playoffs at TV, GV, and UA, I can only think of one time his team was blown off the field. In 2015, Tri-Valley as the smallest school in D2 was blown off the field in week 12 against Massillon Perry on their run to the state title game.

So after all that, I will definitely admit that St. Ed should win this game, but if any underdog is going to win this weekend UA shocking the world would be my pick.
 
teach1coach2 said:
A view from a Tri-Valley guy.
From 1968 when 4 communities consolidated to 2003, Tri-Valley had 1 league football title in 36 years. Normally the largest school in the league was a whipping boy for football programs like Sheridan, New Lexington, Philo, and Crooksville. In 2004, the football job opened, lots of coaches applied (many with head coaching experience) and Tri-Valley officials got it down to the final 3. After interviewing those 3 candidates the superintendent decided he was not satisfied with any of them. He started calling successful head coaches and asking if they knew of any young coaches who had no head coaching experience but showed great promise as a head coach. Dan Ifft of Dover told him an assistant that left for Hilliard Davidson a couple years earlier was the guy he was hunting for. Brian White of Davidson concurred and Justin Buttermore was contacted and asked to apply. He applied, met with the TV officials and was offered the job. What most people don't know is that Buttermore was/is a certified strength coach. (He is also an excellent social studies teacher. My son had him as a teacher.) His strength program which has weightlifting as a part of it is second to none. His players, no matter how athletic or talented, will have the maximum core strength possible. In 3 years he had the Tri-Valley program turned around. Over his last 11 years at Tri-Valley, TV won the league title 8 or 9 years. He also had tourney success capping it in his last year (2017) with a run to the state finals that included wins over very talented teams (Marion Franklin, Bellefontaine, Bishop Hartley coming off 3 straight state titles, Akron St. Vincent St Mary's) and a very competitive 27-19 loss to Trotwood Madison. No offense to the players on that great TV team, but I don't think it is a stretch to say that every team they played during that playoff run had better athletes. In 14 years at Tri-Valley I believe he had 5 players who played division 1 college football. Buttermore takes the Jimmy's and Joe's that a school has and makes them into a well preforming strong team that can compete against the best with D1 athletes throughout the roster. Tri-Valley teams under Buttermore smacked you in the face, but helped you up after every play. Buttermore is a defensive guy and normally took charge of the D and let the offensive coordinator call the plays with his input/veto power when needed. He always had a balanced offense and would run plays early in the game to "set you up" for big plays he planned on using later in the game.

Buttermore had a two year stint at Granville. The guy who followed him has had great success and Granville is in the D3 semi-final game tomorrow. I'm pretty confident in saying the strength/conditioning of those players was at a high degree when he left there.

When Buttermore got the job at Upper Arlington I posted that he would win a state title for them at some point. It might or might not be this year, but I think UA will be a regular visitor to week 14 and beyond.

Last week I watched on television as Pick Central (with multiple players who will play for big time college programs) was beat by a determined team with a masterful coach. I think it is conceivable that can do that another week or two. Thinking back over all of the teams Buttermore has coached in playoffs at TV, GV, and UA, I can only think of one time his team was blown off the field. In 2015, Tri-Valley as the smallest school in D2 was blown off the field in week 12 against Massillon Perry on their run to the state title game.

So after all that, I will definitely admit that St. Ed should win this game, but if any underdog is going to win this weekend UA shocking the world would be my pick.
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The vast majority of St Edward fans respect a program like UA. We get it. We understand how a great coach can transform a program. I view Lombardo at St Edward in the same context you view Buttermore. I thought this St Edward team was a year or two away, with their best class being the sophomore class, but Lombardo has molded and elevated this team to where they now have a real chance to get to Canton. I'm obviously biased, so I believe St Edward's size and (arguably) tougher schedule should pay dividends tonight, but that's just my unscientific opinion. St Edward has certainly delivered some clunkers in the past when a lot of people thought they would breeze to a title. I remember our strong 2005 team getting beat by Massillon at the Rubber Bowl after giving up a 3rd and 17 or 4th and 17 in the 4th quarter. Horrible! Then our equally strong heavily favored 2006 team was beaten 7-3 at Cleveland Browns Stadium by Warren Harding. And what I considered our worse playoff loss ever was a 13-6 drubbing by lowly Hudson (sorry Hudson) in the 1996 playoffs. So by no means is St Edward a lock in this game. We will have to play mistake free football for 4 full quarters against a quality team like UA.
 
Two things -- one present one future:

(1) UA may have an injury issue. I reckon the gameplans are already well in place, so I don't mind vaguely alluding to it now. Not serious as in out, but could be an issue as in "not 100%".

(2) Buttermore is great, but he doesn't have the horses the next two seasons, but the current freshmen class at UA is loaded -- probably moreso than this year's senior class. Lots of growing and developing to do, but 2024...heh...
 
Games like this remind of 2007, when an unbeatable Youngstown Cardinal Mooney team was upset 28-27, in the State Final, by Coldwater.
A well coached Coldwater team simply found a way to beat Mooney who I considered far superior.
Like they say, that's why they play the game.
 
I'm jealous of both schools. I miss the state semi-finals games. Fix it Chico.

Eds rolls in Mansfield. Rolls.
 
FWIW, Gresock was in a boot on Saturday, but I think it was more precautionary. They fully expect him to play. But, he's kind of the dude who makes that entire offense go.
 
7-7 after 1.

Ed’s with two drives — one ends in blocked FG the other a 50-yd TD.

UA does nothing with first possession but their only true explosive player — Sam Cannon — returns KO.

Eds is looks like they’re gonna end up controlling LoS, but UA is making them earn it on the ground
 
Ed’s has sort stalled with three punts. UA was doing nothing but have a drive going thank to passes to Cannon. At the 15
 
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