Division IV State Championship: Clarksville Clinton-Massie (13-1) vs. Youngstown Ursuline (11-3)

Who wins the Division IV State Championship?

  • Clarksville Clinton-Massie by 17+

    Votes: 3 4.1%
  • Clarksville Clinton-Massie by 8-16

    Votes: 10 13.5%
  • Clarksville Clinton-Massie by 1-7

    Votes: 20 27.0%
  • Youngstown Ursuline by 1-7

    Votes: 18 24.3%
  • Youngstown Ursuline by 8-16

    Votes: 17 23.0%
  • Youngstown Ursuline by 17+

    Votes: 6 8.1%

  • Total voters
    74
  • Poll closed .
Excerpt from Chris Easterling's writeup in The Repository on all the games this weekend.


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

Carter Frank, Clinton-Massie, running back​

Half of Clinton-Massie's one-two rushing punch. Frank has run for 929 yards and 16 touchdowns on 133 carries. While his teammate, Caron Vanhoose, may have more eye-popping numbers on a game-by-game basis, Frank has seen his per-game numbers rise over the Falcons’ run to the state championship game. That’s been especially true over the last two weeks, when he’s tied his season-best in carries with 15 in both the regional final against McNicholas and the state semifinal against Bloom-Carroll. That’s resulted in a season-best 127 yards in the former, and 119 in the latter. His only other 100-yard rushing performance came in the Week 8 win over New Richmond, when he ran for 122 yards and a score on 12 carries.

DeMarcus McElroy, Ursuline, running back​

Maybe one of the state’s biggest breakout stars this playoff run for the Irish. He has put up strong numbers throughout Ursuline’s season. However, as the Irish have closed in on Canton, McElroy has seemingly found another level. In the regional final against undefeated West Branch, he ran for 266 yards and four scores on 31 carries. He topped himself the following week in the state semifinal against Port Clinton, at least in terms of finding the end zone, when he scored all five of the Irish’s touchdowns as part of a 261-yard rushing performance. That effort pushed him over the 2,000-yard plateau on the season, at 2,127 yards.

Brady Shannon, Ursuline, quarterback​

A Division I talent on the baseball diamond, and not a bad quarterback on the football field, either. Shannon, a Central Florida baseball commit, isn’t necessarily asked to put up big passing numbers for the Irish. However, he is asked to be the “two Es” — effective and efficient — when throwing the ball. The perfect example of that is the last two weeks, when Shannon provided the perfect complement to Ursuline’s rushing attack. Against West Branch in the regional final, he completed 7-of-12 passes for 98 yards and a score, while last week in the state semifinal, he was 10-of-16 for 195 yards. For the season, Shannon has thrown nearly 1,600 yards. He's a threat to run, too. In that same regional final, he rushed for 151 yards and two TDs on 13 carries. For the season, he’s run for roughly 800 yards.

Carson Vanhoose, Clinton-Massie, running back​

The first half of a dangerous one-two punch the Falcons have leaned on offensively this year. Through 15 games, Vanhoose has rushed for 1,856 yards and 27 TDs on 201 carries. He has topped the 100-yard plateau in 13 of the 15 games this season, including a season-best 254 yards in a Week 8 rout of New Richmond. It’s not just that Vanhoose is some kind of grind-it-out back, either. He’s averaged more than 10 yards a carry in six different games, including a season-high 18.3 yards per carry in a seven-carry, 128-yard performance in Week 5 against Goshen. For the season, he’s averaging 9.2 yards per attempt."
 
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I know what you mean. It's almost like the seniors that were getting pounded on as freshmen gained valuable experience over the course of starting four years. How miraculous.
Very true, however the freshman sophomores they have brought in are going to be even better.
 
I havent seen CM play but after watching Ursulines crazy come back come up short against Chardon after being down 33-0 at half id have a hard time betting against them.
 
I havent seen CM play but after watching Ursulines crazy come back come up short against Chardon after being down 33-0 at half id have a hard time betting against them.
If you saw Chardon game, you saw CM play in a different color uniform. Their D isn't as strong as Chardon's so I'd say take the over (purely for entertainment purposes), but their offense will give you fits.

Really going to be entertaining. Both teams have played close games and both can score in droves. Scoreboard operator at TB Stadium is going to need an extra cup of coffee before this one starts.
 
I've seen both teams play in person. Granted, Ursuline was week 1 and C-M was last week. I'm also generally familiar with C-M's opponent from last week, Bloom-Carroll, as I had seen them three times previously.

This will be a damn good game.

Hartley's o-line gave Ursuline a ton of fits up front, and the general awesomeness of the Hawks' run game was killer on the U's defense. I have a hard time comparing BH's o-line vs C-M's, but I will say that BC was a fantastic & very athletic defense that got worn down and became super-vulnerable to giving up the chunk plays vs the Fighting McSurley's. I know the 15 week difference makes the prediction hard, but Ursuline better come out far more disciplined with the correct alignment or it could be a bad Friday for the Irish -- C-M can score and chew up that clock.

On the flip side of things: C-M's defense is going to face a really tough test with Ursuline's "O." Shannon @ QB is a true dual-threat, and plays like a damn smart QB. I like Benedict from B-C as a three-sport athlete, but Shannon just has way more tools as the traffic-director for Ursuline than the last QB that 'Massie faced. The McElroy kid is pretty shifty and an exciting talent to watch. The big tall WR for Ursuline, think I recall him being a Harvard or other-Ivy commit, is pretty solid as well.
 
I believe Ursuline has maybe 3 players going both ways. This game simply comes down to taking care of the ball.
 
Great comparison to Massie and Chardon. Not so much in scheme but in culture and patience. I watched the Ursuline Hartley game at the beginning of the year and the Hartley line was moving Ursuline at will. Granted, Hartley is Hartley. They are elite up front also. Now, that was the first week of the season, so I'm sure Ursuline has improved since, proof being with the late surge against Chardon.

I just don't think Ursuline has the guys up front to do it. Chardon ate them alive before they started sleep walking in the 3rd quarter. Ursuline won't have more than 9 possessions this game. Have to make them count.

Massie 38 Ursuline 30
If Ursuline played Chardon this Friday, no doubt they would definitely beat Chardon now. This Ursuline team has improved tremendously and it would show. Plus Reardon has coached up this team and made position adjustments that were needed.
 
"If Ursuline played Chardon this Friday, no doubt they would definitely beat Chardon now. This Ursuline team has improved tremendously and it would show. Plus Reardon has coached up this team and made position adjustments that were needed."

Sorry I'm new to the message board world and don't know how to quote someone properly.

Sorry Y Town John but take your gold and green sunglasses off for a moment. Are you referring to the same Chardon team that is 27-0 the past 2 years with the same head coach since 2011 as I am? The one that waxed 11-2 Kenston 49-0, outscored their playoff opponents 200-38, putting a RUNNING CLOCK on Ursuline? Blasted Dover? So while Ursuline has been getting better, what have the Chardon coaches been doing? I guess they have not "improved tremendously" and "made adjustments where needed" and somehow find themselves ripping the best region in the state to shreds and competing for another D3 state title. Hmm. Who knew?

If they play again Chardon runs for 400. And wins, like the first time.
 
Congratulations to the Irish for getting to the final and good luck winning the championship.

C-M is an excellent program but it is very difficult to contain this Irish offense for 4 quarters as they have so many weapons. I admit I have not seen C-M this season but historically they have been a power running ball-control offense and IMO they will have to be able to do just that to win this game. Control the LOS and thereby TOP to keep the Irish O off the field limiting their number of possessions and finish long time-consuming drives with TDs. Having said that I don't think they will be able to contain Ursuline's offense enough to beat them. The Irish special teams are still a concern for me though. We shall soon see.

If Ursuline does win this game, in addition to giving them their 5th state title, it would be their 50th playoff victory. Lakewood St. Edward & Versailles joined the 50-win club this season and an Irish victory would make them only the 17th team to win at least 50 playoff games.

Hoping for a great game with no injuries. Good luck to both teams.

GO IRISH!!
This sounds like this year's Ohio State-Michigan game. "Control the LOS and thereby TOP to keep the Irish O off the field."
 
I expect this to be the highest scoring game of the State Championship weekend. I recall watching Ursuline and Coldwater in the 2020 state championship shootout many years ago. The final score was 49-37 Ursuline on that day. I hate going against Clinton Massie but I'm thinking this game could be similar. CM will need to possess the ball and time of possession. Their pass defense is susceptible. I'll go with:

Ursuline 38
Clinton Massie 35
 
This sounds like this year's Ohio State-Michigan game. "Control the LOS and thereby TOP to keep the Irish O off the field."
Yes indeed! More like MANHANDLED the LOS. Go Blue!! I saw the first Chardon vs. Ursuline game. Chardon was up 33-0. Ursuline did battle back. I think it is 2 really good teams. I would pay to see them play again for sure. I believe it would be a good game. They have such different styles. But I also am a believer that defense wins championships and Chardon has that edge.
 
"If Ursuline played Chardon this Friday, no doubt they would definitely beat Chardon now. This Ursuline team has improved tremendously and it would show. Plus Reardon has coached up this team and made position adjustments that were needed."

Sorry I'm new to the message board world and don't know how to quote someone properly.

Sorry Y Town John but take your gold and green sunglasses off for a moment. Are you referring to the same Chardon team that is 27-0 the past 2 years with the same head coach since 2011 as I am? The one that waxed 11-2 Kenston 49-0, outscored their playoff opponents 200-38, putting a RUNNING CLOCK on Ursuline? Blasted Dover? So while Ursuline has been getting better, what have the Chardon coaches been doing? I guess they have not "improved tremendously" and "made adjustments where needed" and somehow find themselves ripping the best region in the state to shreds and competing for another D3 state title. Hmm. Who knew?

If they play again Chardon runs for 400. And wins, like the first time.
TomatoCan - have you been to a game? My opinion is The U would beat Chardon if they played now. You may disagree but I’m not that overly impressed with Chardon. They run that wing t well and it’s hard to stop the thre/four yard gain. They are good at what they do and they do it because they don’t have many athletes so it is a good offense for them. We disagree, oh well. It’s a mute point at this point.
 
"If Ursuline played Chardon this Friday, no doubt they would definitely beat Chardon now. This Ursuline team has improved tremendously and it would show. Plus Reardon has coached up this team and made position adjustments that were needed."

Sorry I'm new to the message board world and don't know how to quote someone properly.

Sorry Y Town John but take your gold and green sunglasses off for a moment. Are you referring to the same Chardon team that is 27-0 the past 2 years with the same head coach since 2011 as I am? The one that waxed 11-2 Kenston 49-0, outscored their playoff opponents 200-38, putting a RUNNING CLOCK on Ursuline? Blasted Dover? So while Ursuline has been getting better, what have the Chardon coaches been doing? I guess they have not "improved tremendously" and "made adjustments where needed" and somehow find themselves ripping the best region in the state to shreds and competing for another D3 state title. Hmm. Who knew?

If they play again Chardon runs for 400. And wins, like the first time.
There was no running clock at any point in the week 3 game between Ursuline and Chardon. The Irish were down by 19 at halftime, and scored the first 13 points of the 2nd half. A team has to be leading by 30+ points in the 2nd half for a running clock to be implemented.
 
Massie doesn’t pass. Anyone think Ursuline won’t load the box ? Ursuline has both a run and pass game. I’m also having questions about the quality of the schedules between the two. Seen the Irish but not Massie. Still, I think Massie is the underdog. I like the Irish 35-28. Should be a great game.
 
Massie doesn’t pass. Anyone think Ursuline won’t load the box ? Ursuline has both a run and pass game. I’m also having questions about the quality of the schedules between the two. Seen the Irish but not Massie. Still, I think Massie is the underdog. I like the Irish 35-28. Should be a great game.
Much like with Chardon, EVERYONE loads the box against Massie. Few are successful. The advantage Ursuline has is they've played a similar scheme already. Albeit in a losing effort.

I do agree that Ursuline is the favorite here, but they better have an extra RedBull with breakfast because Massie is likely to be their most physical opponent since the Toppers on Labor Day weekend.
 
So Clinton Massie lost by 7 to Anderson. Winton Woods who is in the d2 state championship also lost to Anderson by 7. And that was week 1. I’d take CM over Anderson If they played again. This doesn’t mean anything I’m just making conversation that’s all
Made a similar point on the D1 thread with St Ed's and Hoban. There's a reason those MAC schools are always dominating D5-7, every year they enter the playoffs already having played a championship caliber team. Massie (Winton Woods - L) & Ursuline (Chardon - L) both have done it this year. Leads me to believe this will be a great matchup!
 
Irish roll in this game may put 50 points on the board.
Not exactly a stretch to say they may score 50 considering they're averaging 43/game this season. Don't go too far out on that limb.

Keep in mind they're also giving up 32/game and lost to the 2 most physical teams they played (Chardon & VASJ). This will be the 3rd.
 
Not exactly a stretch to say they may score 50 considering they're averaging 43/game this season. Don't go too far out on that limb.

Keep in mind they're also giving up 32/game and lost to the 2 most physical teams they played (Chardon & VASJ). This will be the 3rd.

Was VASJ more physical than Glenville or Hartley? I missed the VASJ-Ursuline game
 
This shapes up as an interesting matchup. In the region 16 Final Massie threw twice one incomplete and another intercepted. McNicholas scored touchdowns on its final two drives, going 80 yards on 14 plays and 71 yards over 17 plays in its march during the waning moments of regulation. Over those two possessions, the Rockets sustained the momentum by converting on four third downs (all over seven yards) and four fourth downs almost exclusively thru the air. If Ursuline doesn’t mix in more then a few passes I think they are playing into Massie hands, from what I saw this is Massie‘s weakness, they stop the run very well. I think this will come down to the last possession. I’ll be rooting for CM because they beat my team and because I know members of their football community.
 
This shapes up as an interesting matchup. In the region 16 Final Massie threw twice one incomplete and another intercepted. McNicholas scored touchdowns on its final two drives, going 80 yards on 14 plays and 71 yards over 17 plays in its march during the waning moments of regulation. Over those two possessions, the Rockets sustained the momentum by converting on four third downs (all over seven yards) and four fourth downs almost exclusively thru the air. If Ursuline doesn’t mix in more then a few passes I think they are playing into Massie hands, from what I saw this is Massie‘s weakness, they stop the run very well. I think this will come down to the last possession. I’ll be rooting for CM because they beat my team and because I know members of their football community.
Although Ursuline has been putting up some monster numbers on the ground, they've shown the ability to throw the ball when necessary.

The Hartley game is another good matchup that could be symbolic of this one. Hartley ran all over Ursuline, but the Irish were able to capitalize on at least one turnover and a key 4th and 1 stop at the end of the game. Ursuline utilized a quick passing attack to keep up with Hartley's offense that was chewing up the clock at times in the 2nd half. By doing so, the Irish were able to eek it out 62-58.

Note Ursuline's passing numbers in that game:
Senior Irish signal-caller, Brady Shannon threw for 279 yards and 5 touchdowns, while doubling his attack on the ground with 97 yards and a score. The tag team of Dean Boyd and Marc Manning patrolled the skies, Boyd ripped in six grabs for 129 yards and a score while Manning had a three-score night on five catches for 62 yards.
 
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TomatoCan - have you been to a game? My opinion is The U would beat Chardon if they played now. You may disagree but I’m not that overly impressed with Chardon. They run that wing t well and it’s hard to stop the thre/four yard gain. They are good at what they do and they do it because they don’t have many athletes so it is a good offense for them. We disagree, oh well. It’s a mute point at this point.
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You right. 27 in a row with scores like this isn't impressive. I'm not impressed either. I would reconsider if the scores were more lopsided. 200-38 in the D3 playoffs in the toughest region in the state top to bottom just isn't good enough for me. I'm with you buddy.
 
Three keys to the game in my opinion for Massie.

#1. No turnovers by Massie.
#2. Limit the big plays by Ursuline. Make them earn each score.
#3. Massie special teams allows no scores.

If Massie can take care of those 3 things I see them coming out on top. Ursuline looks very similar to the 3 best teams Massie has faced this year. Each of those teams had either a really good RB or a really good QB and ran the spread. Ursuline may have the best QB/RB combo, but their defense does not look to be as good as the other teams Massie has faced and appears to be rather porous which will allow Massie to impose their ball control/clock eating style of offense.

Massie's Defense is good. Underrated in my opinion.

I think this comes down to how well Ursuline can handle the physicality that Massie will bring late in the game. It is a meatgrinder.


Massie - 42
Ursuline - 31
 
Was VASJ more physical than Glenville or Hartley? I missed the VASJ-Ursuline game
Your probably right on Glenville over VASJ. Think the difference here is you wont have the size/athleticism of Glenville but you'll have the physicality.
 
Massie doesn’t pass. Anyone think Ursuline won’t load the box ? Ursuline has both a run and pass game. I’m also having questions about the quality of the schedules between the two. Seen the Irish but not Massie. Still, I think Massie is the underdog. I like the Irish 35-28. Should be a great game.
CM plays an outstanding OOC schedule. They'll play anyone, anywhere. Their league schedule is smaller, but does lead to many blowouts down the stretch. At this point of their program, there's no need to question Clinton Massie's preparation, schedule, experience, etc. Their coaching staff has been in tact during this program's growth to a state power. They'll give Ursuline everything they can handle, it'll be a battle.
 
Three keys to the game in my opinion for Massie.

#1. No turnovers by Massie.
#2. Limit the big plays by Ursuline. Make them earn each score.
#3. Massie special teams allows no scores.

If Massie can take care of those 3 things I see them coming out on top. Ursuline looks very similar to the 3 best teams Massie has faced this year. Each of those teams had either a really good RB or a really good QB and ran the spread. Ursuline may have the best QB/RB combo, but their defense does not look to be as good as the other teams Massie has faced and appears to be rather porous which will allow Massie to impose their ball control/clock eating style of offense.

Massie's Defense is good. Underrated in my opinion.

I think this comes down to how well Ursuline can handle the physicality that Massie will bring late in the game. It is a meatgrinder.


Massie - 42
Ursuline - 31
I totally agree with this post. Although I picked Ursuline to win this game, I think this is a winnable game for CM. If the Falcons can accomplish your 3 keys to the game, they'll have a great chance to win. Mostly, CM needs to control the line of scrimmage and run the ball, just like they always do. The more you can slow the game down, and limit possessions, the better the odds.

I happened to stream Week 1 and saw Ursuline play Hartley. Ursuline has a very nice QB. I was overly impressed with him back in Week 1. I believe he's going to UCF to play baseball. It was Week 1, but Hartley gave Ursuline plenty of headaches. I view CM as a better version of Hartley as well. Although Ursuline scores at a great clip, they also surrendered 35+ points 9 times this season.
 
Original Falcon - This says it all:
#1. No turnovers by Massie.
#2. Limit the big plays by Ursuline. Make them earn each score.
#3. Massie special teams allows no scores

One other thing that could be thrown in, limit the penalties. You are going to have the occasional PI, face mask, hold but you have to eliminate the presnap one’s - false start, offsides, illegal formation. Do not beat yourself and like you said in #2, make them earn it.

Game seems similar to CM’s past Hartley contests. Good luck to the WJ alumni Coach McSurley & Clinton Massie.
 
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