St. Edward (Ohio) football back on track after rough 2009 season

The St. Edward (Lakewood) football team hasn't won a Division I playoff game since 2006 and endured its first losing season since 1999 a year ago.

It's a cold spell which already is on its way to becoming a distant memory.

After losing to four teams which ended up making the playoffs and finishing with a 4-6 record last season, the Eagles are off to a 7-0 start this season. A 62-0 domination last Friday at perennial state power St. Francis De Sales (Columbus) gave St. Edward its third victory over an opponent with a winning record.

The Eagles, who are in the same Region 1 with three other 7-0 teams in Glenville (Cleveland), Solon and Austintown-Fitch, have bounced back this season behind an offensive line that averages 290 pounds and a defense which has given up nine total points over the past four weeks.

"The biggest thing was restoring pride, developing the offseason program and senior leadership," second-year coach Rick Finotti said. "We instilled our defensive philosophies last year but we've adapted more to our personnel. We don't have a lot of 4.3-second 40 guys, but we feel like we have 11 football players on both sides of the ball."

Last Friday was a big game defensively for University of Pittsburgh recruit Deonte Gibson, who helped the Eagles hold DeSales to 144 yards of offense.

St. Edward has a pair of offensive linemen on their way to Big Ten schools in junior Kyle Kalis (Ohio State) and senior Geoff Mogus (Northwestern). Kalis went head-to-head last Friday against DeSales defensive lineman Chris Rock, a senior who has committed to play for Michigan.

"I went up against (Rock) the whole game, and I dominated him," Kalis said. "It should be fun to go up against him (in college). To go from 4-6 last year to 7-0 this year, it's amazing. Last year we didn't know our coach as well but we've spent hundreds of hours in the weight room since then."

St. Edward will play its next two games against Division I, Region 4 playoff contenders from Cincinnati when it plays host to St. Xavier on Saturday and travels to Archbishop Moeller on Oct. 23. The Eagles close the regular season Oct. 30 at St. Ignatius (Cleveland) in what's known as "The Holy War."

"We've got three big weeks coming up, and the big thing is that they truly want it," Finotti said.

2. Another Pickerington Central blowout: Pickerington Central improved to 6-0 last Friday with a 45-7 victory over Groveport-Madison (Groveport) in OCC-Ohio Division play.

The Tigers have given up just 29 points on the way to a 6-0 start, including nine in four league games. The Cruisers, who fell to 5-2, were held to 58 rushing yards on 28 carries and committed three turnovers.

"We've tackled well all season and we continued to do so (last Friday)," Central coach Jay Sharrett told ThisWeekSPORTS.com. "Our guys up front have done a great job of taking care of gaps, and that has allowed our linebackers to run free and make plays."

3. Coffman edges Darby: After Dublin Coffman took a 20-13 lead in overtime against Hilliard Darby last Friday, Panthers quarterback Matt Allen ran in from 2 yards. Darby then attempted a two-point conversion, but running back Dante Talley was stopped shy of the goal line to give the Shamrocks a 20-19 victory.

4. Massillon knocks off Steubenville: In a matchup of perennial northeastern Ohio powers and with significant computer points on the line, Washington (Massillon) beat Steubenville 28-7 last Friday in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.Massillon gave up 321 yards of offense, but the Big Red went just 5 of 16 on third-down attempts. Devin Smith had 121 yards and two touchdowns on four catches for the Tigers, who improved to 6-1. Steubenville fell to 6-1.

5. Special teams lift Warriors: Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls) blocked two punts and scored on each ensuing series during a 17-10 victory over St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron) last Friday. The Warriors improved to 5-2 and got a boost for their Division II, Region 5 playoff hopes with the victory. The Irish had a five-game winning streak snapped and also are 5-2.

TOP PERFORMERS
* Arielle Love, Maple Heights volleyball: A 6-foot middle hitter, Love totaled 29 kills as her team won three matches last Saturday to improve to 21-0. Love has committed to play for Duquesne. The Mustangs were ranked 10th in last week's Division I state poll.

* Josh March, Madison football: The tailback rushed 24 times for 324 yards and six touchdowns to help the Blue Streaks beat Chardon 62-39 last Friday in Premier Athletic Conference play. Madison improved to 4-3 to remain in the hunt for a Division II, Region 5 playoff berth.

* Jacob Walaszek, Big Walnut (Sunbury) football: A senior starter on both sides of the ball, Walaszek scored on a 2-yard run at fullback and finished with 16 tackles while playing linebacker. His performance helped Big Walnut beat Hayes (Delaware) 15-0 last Friday and improve to 7-0.

COMING THIS WEEK
* Hilliard Davidson at Dublin Coffman, football: In a rematch of last year's Division I, Region 3 championship game which was won by Davidson, the Shamrocks will play host to the Wildcats in OCC-Central Division play Friday. Defending state-champion Davidson, which was third in the state poll last week, is 7-0 and has outscored its last four opponents a combined 230-12. The Shamrocks are 6-1 and have won their last five games.

* Marion-Franklin (Columbus) at Eastmoor Academy (Columbus), football: The state's No. 1-ranked team in Division II, Marion-Franklin could face its last test on the way to an undefeated regular season when it travels Friday to Eastmoor Academy. The Red Devils have won the past six meetings against the Warriors and are 7-0, but the Warriors are 4-2 and have made the Division III playoffs the last two seasons.

* Brunswick at Strongsville, football: Two teams battling for playoff spots, and bragging rights, will meet Friday. The teams are located about 10 minutes apart, and Brunswick beat the Mustangs 14-13 a year ago. Strongsville is 5-2 and on a five-game winning streak, while the Blue Devils are 4-3.

RECRUITING NEWS
Canton South junior Logan Bowles has committed to play baseball for Ohio State, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Bowles is a 6-3, 175-pound right-handed pitcher who is the first player in the Buckeyes' 2012 recruiting class. At an invite-only showcase earlier this month, Bowles struck out five over two innings and was clocked at 87 mph. … According to ScoutingOhio.com, Glenville (Cleveland) senior Robert Walton received an offer last week from Miami University. Another Mid-American Conference school, Ohio University, offered Solon senior Jovon Johnson according to ScoutingOhio.com. … Air Force is attempting to keep its pipeline to St. Francis de Sales (Columbus) going. The Falcons have made an offer to Stallions quarterback Nick Gentile. Other former De Sales players who play for Air Force include wide receiver Ike Ariguzo and linebacker Josh Kusan.

BRIEFLY
The state golf tournaments for Divisions II and III boys and Division II girls will be held Friday and Saturday. The Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (Chardon) girls will attempt to defend their state title. Alex Andrews of Gilmour Academy (Gates Mills) will attempt to win his second consecutive individual Division III medalist honor. … Magnificat (Rocky River) tennis player Madison Hromada, a two-time district qualifier who helped her team win two state team tournament titles, was suspended from the team for the sectional tournament according to various media outlets including the Cleveland Plain Dealer. She was the third seed for the Division I sectional at Oberlin College.

Jarrod Ulrey covers Central and Northern Ohio for MaxPreps.com. He covers prep sports for ThisWeekSPORTS.com and can be reached at julrey@thisweeknews.com.