Week 13: Division III Region 9 Semifinal #3 Ursuline Fighting Irish (10-2) vs #2 Canfield Cardinals (10-1)

Is Canfield going to get a chance to avenge their loss to Chardon last year or will the Irish get a


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simkon

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The much anticipated match up is finally here. Canfield plays Ursuline for the first time in over 30 years. Ursuline leads the all time series 2-0. They shared two mutual opponents Chaney and East. Both teams easily handled East while Ursuline narrowly defeated Chaney and Canfield narrowly lost to Chaney despite the defense only allowing one TD.
Ursuline is coming off an impressive win over the Tallmadge Blue Devils (9-3) after having previously defeated the Hawken Hawks (8-3) in week 11. The Irish have several impressive victories including a shutout victory over VA-SJ, in fact most of their victories are rather impressive. Their only defeats came to the Fitch Falcons and the SV-SM Irish by 8 and 7 points respectively.
Meanwhile Canfield is coming off of a 42-14 victory over Aurora, after having previously defeated New Philadelphia in week 11. One of Canfield's most impressive victories was over West Branch (11-1) in week one. Canfield has looked very lackluster at times this year, but they seem to have finally put it all together at the right time. The defense has been lights out and the offense has been respectable but not as dominant as the defense.
Will Lowry continue to carry the Cardinals on his shoulders or will the Irish's tough schedule be enough to help them score on this outstanding Canfield defense?
 
 
I can see this game going either way. I wouldn’t be shocked if Canfield won or Ursuline. I’m thinking a 1 to 6 point margin of victory either way. If the weather is nice I’ll go Ursuline, if it’s bad weather I’ll take Canfield.
 
CANFIELD — It was one last hurrah for the Canfield seniors when the Cardinals hosted the Aurora Greenmen in the second round of the Division III playoffs on Friday.

The Cardinals (10-1) made the most of their final home game of the season by trouncing Aurora 42-14.

“This was the best game we’ve played all year so far,” Canfield coach Mike Pavlansky said. “I’m proud of them. This was the last home game for our seniors. They finished 6-0 at home in the playoffs during their careers. I just couldn’t be more proud of our guys.”

Canfield got off to a great start by taking their opening possession 90 yards for a touchdown.

Junior Scottie Eaton had a 68-yard run. Senior quarterback Broc Lowry scampered for 20 yards, and junior Danny Inglis punched it in from 1 yard out for a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Aurora had to punt after a nice stand by the Canfield defense. The Greenmen pinned the Cardinals on the 3-yard line after a great kick.

This time, the Cardinals went 97 yards to go ahead 14-0. Lowry ran up the middle. Then, he completed a pass to senior Dom Marzano before running it in from 2 yards out.

Aurora got on the board after Lowry was intercepted.

The Greenmen were faced with a 4th and 1 situation and a play action pass led to a blown coverage for a touchdown with two minutes left until halftime, to make it 14-7.

However, Lowry didn’t give Aurora a chance of getting back into the contest. He ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run down the sideline, on the very next play from scrimmage.

Then, Lowry picked off a pass on a curl route.

Lowry completed the ensuing drive with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Inglis to put the Cardinals up 28-7 at halftime and dramatically changed the feeling of the game.

“Hats off to Canfield,” said Aurora (8-4) coach Bob Mihalik. “They’re the bigger, faster, stronger team.

“I thought the key to the game was when we were hanging in there. We scored to make it 14-7 with two minutes left in the half. Then, Lowry took over. The two touchdowns they scored, in the last two minutes, were the turning point of the game. That was all she wrote.”

Lowry added a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to make it 35-7.

“It’s just a great team win,” said Lowry, who will attend Indiana University to play football in the Big 10 next year. “We didn’t play a perfect game, but we played well. We got the job done in the end.”

Canfield scored again on a pick-6 before the Greenmen got a late touchdown on a quarterback keeper.

It’ll be an all-local matchup next week when Canfield takes on Ursuline (10-2) in the regional semifinals next week.
 

Broc Lowry surge lifts Canfield football past Aurora​

Jonah Rosenblum, Record-Courier
November 5, 2022, 12:39 am

Armen Perez and Dylan Crasi work to bring down Canfield quarterback Broc Lowry.

Armen Perez and Dylan Crasi work to bring down Canfield quarterback Broc Lowry.
CANFIELD — The Greenmen hung around despite a couple of crippling injuries in the first several plays of Friday's Region 9 second-round contest.
Broc Lowry's surge late in the first half proved too much to withstand, as the Indiana commit lifted No. 2 Canfield to a 42-14 victory over No. 10 Aurora.
They're a good football team, well-coached, the kids have a lot of pride," Cardinals coach Mike Pavlansky said. "They're tough. We played probably our best game of the year and we needed to for that score to happen."
After Aurora (8-4) battled its way down the field to draw within a score with 2:12 remaining in the opening half, Lowry, a senior dual-threat quarterback, needed a single play to put Canfield (10-1) back in front by multiple possessions.
With the Cardinals leading 14-7, Lowry tore around the left side and sped down the sideline, successfully holding off two defenders in heavy pursuit for an 80-yard touchdown run.
Broc Lowry scores on an 80 yard keeper for the Cardinals.

Broc Lowry scores on an 80 yard keeper for the Cardinals.
The Greenmen responded by driving to midfield, but Lowry, whose commitment to the Hoosiers is actually on the defensive side of the football, jumped a route on third-and-five for the interception to give the Cardinals the ball back with 1:02 left.
That was plenty of time for Lowry, as he fired a bullet to Gavin Ramun over the middle for 13 yards, then threw Ramun open by leading him behind his defender down the right hash for a gain of 21 to the Aurora 21. After a spike, Lowry rolled and fired a jump screen pass to speedy junior Danny Inglis, who wound through the middle of the field, from left to right, for a 21-yard score and a 28-7 lead at the half.
"[Lowry] took over," Greenmen coach Bob Mihalik said. "The two touchdowns they got in the last two minutes and that was all she wrote. I thought that was the big turning point in the game, when we thought we were fighting and clawing to stay in it there down one score with two minutes left in the half."

Cade Fromwiller walks to the Aurora sideline as Canfield celebrates an interception.

Cade Fromwiller walks to the Aurora sideline as Canfield celebrates an interception.
That was Lowry's lone passing touchdown of the night as the Canfield senior did most of his damage on the ground, turning 10 carries into 169 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cardinals also did well to limit the Greenmen's ground game, holding them to 122 yards on 24 carries, as their line wreaked havoc on inside runs and passes.
"Just proud of our guys, our defense played so well, to hold that offense to seven points," Pavlansky said, noting that Aurora's second touchdown came against Canfield's reserves. "Our defensive line has played well all year long. We need them to continue to play well next week, but, coming in, we knew both teams wanted to run the football and the team that can control the line of scrimmage had a great chance of winning, and fortunately we were able to do that."
Aurora battled back with senior quarterback Matt Geier faking a handoff on third-and-six, then veering right for an instant before tearing to the left sideline for a gain of 39 to the Canfield 27. But the Greenmen's promising opening drive was set back by a sideline infraction, followed by a sack on third-and-10.
The Cardinals capitalized on just four plays, sparked by a 53-yard sweep around the left end by junior Scottie Eaton, followed by a 14-yard blast inside the left tackle by Lowry and a one-yard touchdown plunge by Inglis.
Again, Aurora battled back, as Geier found Cade Fromwiller on a pretty hook for 14 yards to convert a third-and-10.
Those were scary moments for the visiting Greenmen, as the Cardinals threatened to run away, including an 11-play, 97-yard drive midway through the second stanza to take a two-score lead, highlighted by Lowry escaping the blitz for a 25-yard run on fourth-and-eight.
Up 14-0, Cardinals junior Anthony Mazzella ended a promising Aurora drive into Canfield territory with an interception, but a play later, Aurora senior Sam Retton had perfect coverage on a Lowry deep ball for a responding pick.
Then, it was Brandon Liepins' turn to step up. On third-and-five from the Cardinals' 45, Liepins found Fromwiller (5 catches, 45 yards) whirling around in the slot for a first down. Then, on third-and-seven from the 32, Retton took a jet sweep for a gain of six, and on fourth-and-one, Liepins lofted a pass to junior Jayce Unverferth for a 26-yard score.
"Anytime a team on film went into a tight power-I type thing, they were selling out and they had one guy to cover two," Mihalik said. "It happened exactly how we thought it would happen. Does it take guts to call it? I guess, but we needed something to spark us and it did."
Somehow, despite giving up a fourth-and-eight conversion, despite their first two drives into Cardinals' territory netting zero points, the Greenmen were within a score.

And then Lowry took over.
Aurora senior Alex Tenorio reaches 1,000-yard mark

While the Cardinals controlled the rest of the game, there were a few more highlights for the Greenmen.

On Canfield's first possession of the second half, Aurora senior Quinn Gorman and Unverferth brilliantly flattened a third-and-short counter to force a punt. Following the punt, senior running back Alex Tenorio (13 carries, 42 yards) became the first Aurora runner to top 1,000 yards since Chris Vanzo in 2016.

"To see him go over that 1,000-yard mark is special, especially when he came back from all those injuries," Mihalik said. "He's just a quiet, humble kid who just works his butt off. When he scores a touchdown, he hands the ball to the official, doesn't celebrate, gives credit to his offensive linemen, so real happy for the success he had this year."

Soon after, Greenmen junior Dom Trivisonno, punting from the end zone in Geier's place, corralled a high snap and sent a booming punt to the Cardinals' 45. Trivisonno added another 40-plus yard punt before the night was through.

"Dom stepped in the last couple weeks when Matt was out," Mihalik said. "Matt got hurt again tonight in the first quarter, so Dom had to go in without much practice this week, but he's been a great safety for us all year, also a great place-kicker as well, and he'll be one of our leaders next year coming back."

And in the final minutes, Aurora scored one last time, as Tenorio turned second-and-10 into a first down with back-to-back runs that totaled 14 yards. Having established Tenorio, the Greenmen faked yet another counter handoff to the senior back, with Liepins racing around the right side for a 14-yard gain to the Cardinals' one-yard line. On the next play, senior Zach Nemet spun off a hit around the right end for the score.

Minutes later, the Greenmen gathered, tearfully embracing after a season that saw a team with just two returning starters win eight games and advance to the second round of the Region 9 postseason.

"It's a good senior class," Mihalik said. "They felt they had a lot to prove. They heard it all spring and summer that no way were we going to be any good with only two starters returning, and I think they've proved they're a talented group, to come in second in a great conference like the Suburban League American and to make it to the second round of the playoffs, I think that's a credit to that senior group that stuck together and kept working hard."
 
With Mooney-SR Friday night, and this game, where are the thoughts where this game may be played? I’ve heard Boardman may be hosting the SR-Mooney game or not at all. Possibly Poland as a host keeping this game in mahoning county?
 
With Mooney-SR Friday night, and this game, where are the thoughts where this game may be played? I’ve heard Boardman may be hosting the SR-Mooney game or not at all. Possibly Poland as a host keeping this game in mahoning county?
I don't think Poland would be a good choice as this game will likely have one of the bigger crowds in recent years.
 
Niles and Boardman are 2 larger facilities in the area that may make sense for both games with Fitch and WGH being out due to construction.
 
Salem is also a possibility, especially for Mooney and South Range. Salem hosted Canfield-ASVSM D3 regional final in 2017.
 
Niles and Boardman are 2 larger facilities in the area that may make sense for both games with Fitch and WGH being out due to construction.
Niles doesn't have as large of a capacity as they used to, I think you have to put this game at Boardman to be safe as there will be a lot of local interest and probably a decent number of neutral fans as well.

The Canfield home side was almost completely full, how big was the crowd at Stambaugh last night?
 
Poland and Salem aren’t bad options for Mooney-SR. I just think Boardman makes the most sense for this game that is likely to draw a much larger crowd and local interest.
 
Niles doesn't have as large of a capacity as they used to, I think you have to put this game at Boardman to be safe as there will be a lot of local interest and probably a decent number of neutral fans as well.

The Canfield home side was almost completely full, how big was the crowd at Stambaugh last night?
Bo Rein Stadium in Niles seats 9000+ according to OhioStadiums.com, which would mean it is larger than Boardman's?
https://ohiostadiums.com/stadium.php?id=1480

Trust me I'd love for it to be in Boardman, but with two big area games of note, I think Niles may be a viable option although it is up in Trumbull County.
 
Bo Rein Stadium in Niles seats 9000+ according to OhioStadiums.com, which would mean it is larger than Boardman's?
https://ohiostadiums.com/stadium.php?id=1480

Trust me I'd love for it to be in Boardman, but with two big area games of note, I think Niles may be a viable option although it is up in Trumbull County.
That is not accurate actually, I was advised that the 9000 seating capacity was before some of the old wooden bleachers were removed in the end zone and else where. The present day seating capacity is now around ir under 6,000 according to a few people I have talked to... I am sure others on here can corroborate the fact that seating was removed a while back. With Fitch and Harding unavailable, the only logical option available is Boardman. Mooney and South Range will have to go with whatever the next best option is...
The only other thought is possibly to play it at Stambaugh even though it is technically Ursuline's home field.
 
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Have to ride with the Irish, this isn’t one of Canfield’s better teams talent wise but they just keep chugging along hats off to a great job by Coach Pav and his staff for there success
 
Have to ride with the Irish, this isn’t one of Canfield’s better teams talent wise but they just keep chugging along hats off to a great job by Coach Pav and his staff for there success
Accurate. I still think it’s a close game for the first 2-3 wuarters. But if the Irish cannot play good run d it could potentially become a long night
 
Ursuline is definitely the favorite, but it’s a game that if Canfield plays well they can win. Cards need to play clean and win the turnover battle. I know it’s 7 days away but I’ve seen high mid 50s & rain.
 
Has Poland ever hosted a neutral site game? Also I think Salem may be an option for JFK/Southern
 
Good spot for this game. Plenty of seats, plenty of parking, and a good overall venue. Hardly no travel for either team
It is only 15 miles to Niles for Canfield but it will take 45 minutes plus due to all the traffic and lights on 46.
For Ursuline it is only like 10 miles but only 15 minutes as there are several options that avoid most of the lights/traffic.
 
Niles Bo Rein stadium, it is I seen.
If the game was at Boardman, Austintown or anywhere closer than those venues I would go, but anywhere further is not feasible because of my work situation.
Niles is an ok venue, not terrible, but I think Boardman would have been the best option. If Boardman hosts South Range vs Mooney I will not be happy.
 
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