Whitmer (Toledo, Ohio) vs. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati)
Spencer Iacavone and Archbishop Moeller are looking to end a long state title drought as they take on a Whitmer team that has smashed its way to the top of the Freeman Rankings.
Photo by Michael Noyes
Ronald Reagan was just reelected to his second term as president the last time a team from Toledo won the Ohio Division I state championship. Whitmer could break the Glass City's long championship drought with a win over Moeller, a team it has not played since 1993 and has never beaten in seven previous meetings. Meanwhile, Cincinnati has been well represented lately in the Ohio Division I championship game – four different Queen City teams have played for the title since 2000 – but it's been a while since Moeller played for the title. This is the 12th championship game appearance for Moeller (second-most in state history) but first since 1997. The Crusaders have been crowned champion seven times but the last time was 1985.
View 10 things to watch in the 41st Ohio state football finalsSixth-ranked Whitmer (14-0) advanced to Saturday's final with an eye-opening 62-34 win over a red-hot Mentor team that beat a pair of then-nationally ranked teams in the Region 1 playoffs. The offensive star for the Panthers was quarterback
Nick Holley. The 6-foot, 170-pound senior ran for 249 yards and passed for 150 with four total touchdowns,
according to the Toledo Blade.
Moeller (11-3) needed a gutty goal-line stand to pull off a 26-21 win against Pickerington North. The one-two punch of Northwestern recruit
Keith Watkins II and
Joseph Eramo did most of the damage in the game on offense for the Crusaders. The senior running backs each ran for more than 100 yards and accounted for all three Moeller touchdowns.
Mitch Stephens: Whitmer 28, Moeller 27
Steve Montoya: Whitmer 15, Moeller 13
Stephen Spiewak: Whitmer 28, Moeller 21
Kevin Askeland: Whitmer 45, Moeller 25
Leland Gordon: Moeller 27, Whitmer 21
Jamie DeMoney: Moeller 29, Whitmer 23
