Big Red finishes first this time

CANTON — Steubenville coach Reno Saccoccia arrived at a postgame news conference and promptly removed a sopping wet jacket after being doused by his players.

“At least it’s not wet from crying like last year,” deadpanned Saccoccia, adding that title-game losses to Hartley in 2015 and ‘16 had effectively been exorcised.

With a 50-36 victory over Clinton-Massie in the Division IV championship game on Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Steubenville not only rewarded its rabid fans with the program’s first title since 2006 and fourth overall, it helped ease the sting of five runner-up finishes.

“We just used those two games (in 2015 and ‘16) as motivation,” said senior quarterback Javon Davis, who had four touchdown passes and two TDs rushing. He passed for 213 yards and ran for 111.

Saccoccia, who has guided the Big Red to 381 wins in 35 seasons, said the title is invaluable in so many ways.

“When I came here in 1983, I put a sign in the locker room that reminded the players that our tradition was born a long time ago,” he said. “Tonight, I told the guys in the locker room that they added a big piece of history to the program tonight that will last forever.”

Steubenville (15-0) looked as if it would blow out Clinton-Massie early. The Big Red needed just four plays to drive 90 yards on its opening series. ClintonMassie fumbled on its first play, and five plays later Steubenville led 14-0.

The lead ballooned to 27-7 late in the quarter. But Clinton-Massie’s Garrett Trampler returned a kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown, and on the last play of the half, Luke Richardson tacked on a 52-yard punt return for a score to make it 36-20.

Aided by a handful of big plays, the Falcons (13-2) whittled the deficit to 36-29 in the third quarter.

Steubenville, however, mounted a 65-yard scoring drive late in the quarter, then recovered the ensuing squib kick. On the next play, Davis raced 44 yards to the end zone.

“We were in the game, but that fumble really stung us,” Clinton-Massie coach Dan McSurley said. “We had some matchup issues and it didn’t help that we weren’t 100 percent coming in. You try to scheme, but sometimes the matchups just don’t work.”

Jacob Bernard complemented Davis with 95 yards and a TD on the ground. Alec Taylor made five receptions for 83 yards and two TDs.