2017 OHSAA football state finals wrap: what we learned?

Xcellent 25 High School Football Rankings
This week's Xcellent 25 high school football rankings are presented by the Army National Guard.

The 46th annual Ohio High School Athletic Association state football championships returned to northeast Ohio last weekend and seven state champions were crowned. It marked the first time since 2013 that the games were hosted in Stark County and marked the first time all seven were held inside the newly revamped Thomas Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (formerly known as Fawcett Stadium).

This was also the first year that the state football finals were affected by the OHSAA’s Completive Balance bylaws. Of the seven champions, six were public schools.

Here’s some more news, notes and nuggets from the weekend…

State Finals Pickers Results:

After five weeks of postseason picking, I finished two games ahead of the Fantastic50 and four games ahead of CalPreps in our head-to-head-to-head competition. After three straight dismal 3-4 years in the finals, I went 6-1 overall this season. So did CalPreps and the Fantasitc50.

In regards to our guest pickers last week, here’s how they faired:

Mark Porter 6-1
Kurt Stubbs 6-1
Steve Blackledge 6-1
Steve Helwagen 5-2
Gary Housteau 4-3
Tim Rogers 3-4

Top State Finals Performances:

* The Midwest Athletic Conference
Long considered the state’s – and arguably the nation’s – top small school football conference, the mighty MAC added to its already impressive resume with two more titles. The conference now has 33 state titles in football (all since 1989). The combined outcomes of the games was 66-18 as Marion Local and Minster beat Kirtland and Cuyahoga Heights, respectively, in divisions VI and VII. Also of note, in the brief five-year history of the OHSAA’s D-VII classification, the MAC owns four of five titles and was runner-up the other time.

* Demeatric Crenshaw, Pickerington Central
The sophomore QB was brilliant. Carrying the ball 24 times for 161 yards and six touchdowns, Crenshaw tied the all-divisions finals record for touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and points in a game in a 56-28 win over Mentor in the Division I final. It was Pick Central’s first football state title in three championship game appearances. The six touchdowns set D-I finals records for touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and points. He also threw for 104 yards.

* Marion Local (Maria Stein)
Playing in their seventh straight state final, the Flyers won their sixth title during that span and 10th overall with a 34-11 victory over Kirtland in D-VI. All of Marion’s championships have come since 2000 and all have been under head coach Tim Goodwin. The Flyers trail Cleveland St. Ignatius by one for the most titles all-time (11) in Ohio history.

* Archbishop Hoban (Akron)
Two touchdowns in the first five plays of the D-II state final. That’s how Hoban opened play. The avalanche led to a 42-14 halftime lead and win over Winton Woods, which entered with victories over GCL heavyweights Moeller and LaSalle (twice). The title was Hoban’s third in a row. The Knights were D-III state champions the previous two seasons. Navy-bound receiver Garrett Hauser was especially effective for the Knights, catching four passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Mason Tipton added two catches for 59 yards and two touchdown receptions. Freshman quarterback Shane Hamm completed 8-of-13 passes for 243 yards and tied a D-II finals records with four touchdown passes.

* Jared Huelsman, Minster
A week after accounting for six touchdowns (and rushing for 277 yards in the state semifinals), the senior quarterback tied D-VII finals records for TDs and rushing TDs with three as the Wildcats beat Cuyahoga Heights 32-7. Heulsman finished with 221 yards rushing on 31 carries and completed 12-of-20 passes for 141 yards and touchdown. Heulsman, who plans on attending the University of Toledo and not pursuing collegiate sports, finishes with a Minster single-season rushing record 1,871 yards (26 TDs). He threw for 2,092 yards and 17 TDs.

* Javon Davis, Steubenville
Senior quarterback accounted for 324 yards of total offense and six touchdowns as Big Red won its fourth state title and first since 2006 with a 50-36 win over Clinton-Massie in D-IV. Steubenville was state runner-up the last two years. Davis completed nine-of-13 passes for 213 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

* Trotwood-Madison
The Rams capped an incredible season by securing the program’s second state title and first since 2011 with a 27-19 win over Tri-Valley in D-III. Trotwood finished the season undefeated (15-0) and scored 719 points, which ranks fifth in OHSAA history.

* Wheelersburg
The Pirates own 29 postseason playoff berths, but until this weekend had advanced to just one state championship game. Now they are 2-for-2 in state finals. Falling behind 14-7 with 1:27 to play, Wheelersburg rallied for a game-tying touchdown (Makya Matthews 12-yard pass from Trent Salyers) with 17 seconds left and then won in overtime 21-14 over Pemberville Eastwood in D-V. The game-winning score came on an 11-yard jump pass from Xander Carmichael to Tanner Holden on fourth-and-one. Gutsy.

* Thomas Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
When the OHSAA moved the games to Ohio State four years ago, I thought they would never return to Stark County. Glad the OHSAA brought them back. Despite some entrance hiccups, the overall experience was fantastic. The facilities underwent a remarkable transformation and when all said and done, the campus will be first class. There’s something special about playing football inches from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Of Note:

* Minster and Cuyahoga Heights (Cleveland) combined for 385 yards rushing - a Division VII state championship game record.

* Minster had a four-game losing streak this season and opened 3-4. They won eight straight after that.

* Hoban’s Donny Swain returned a blocked punt 28 yards for a touchdown, a D-II state final record for longest blocked punt returned for a touchdown, to put Hoban up 14-0 less than two minutes into the game.

* Déjà vu? Both Minster and Wheelersburg won state titles in 1989 and 2017.

* Kirtland played in its sixth state final in seven years. It’s the program’s third runner-up finish (others in 2014 and 2012). Kirtland won state titles in 2015, 2013 and 2011.

* Steubenville's 50 points tied a D-IV state finals record and the combined score (86 points) tied for sixth most in championship game history regardless of division.

* Clinton-Massie (Clarksville) sophomore Garrett Trampler became the first player in D-IV finals history to return a kickoff for a touchdown when he took one 72 yards against Steubenville.

* Tri-Valley (Dresden) senior quarterback Andrew Newsom set a state finals all-divisions record with a 99-yard touchdown run against Trotwood in D-II. Newsom finished with 120 yards on 20 carries and completed 11-of-19 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

* Attendance for all seven state finals was 61,312. That’s the fourth highest in history.