Newark Catholic is underdog in state final vs. Marion Local
Forget Facebook memes and bellyaching over game locations. The Newark Catholic football team did not need any outside motivation to get to the Division VII state finals.
The determination came from within. The Green Wave had been thinking about their redemption since a state semifinal loss last November, but they were not always allowed to talk about it.
“It was hard, knowing we had to come back and do it again, go through each individual game and work our way back to the top,” senior linebacker Elijah Wallace said.
NC gained its revenge, beating Warren JFK 14-7 on Saturday in a winter wonderland. The Green Wave now have to go a little farther back in time for revenge as their final hurdle is Marion Local.
The Green Wave (14-1) and Flyers (15-0) meet at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Canton. NC’S last trip to the final ended with a 28-21 loss to Marion Local in 2012.
NC is 8-6 in state finals, with its last win coming in 2007. Marion Local is 11-3 with its last win coming in 2019.
From NC coach Ryan Aiello, who will be coaching in his first final since taking over in 2018, to his assistants, players and their families and alumni, some of whom have been a part of many of the 14 previous finals, this has a special feeling to it. Nobody took it for granted after a state semifinal loss in 2016 or a regional final loss in 2019.
“It means a lot for the community because we’ve worked so hard and we’ve gone through a whole lot — a lot of deaths we didn’t really want to deal with,” said senior Brandon Buchanan. “Doing it for the community has really boosted our morale.”
Marion Local rolled into another final with a 34-7 victory over Hopewellloudon. Quarterback Peyton Otte ran for four scores and also threw a touchdown pass to Brady Ronnebaum as the Flyers led 27-0 at halftime and were never challenged.
Otte is a dangerous dual threat, but he has help. Darren Meier, who ran for two scores in a 41-33 victory against defending state champion New Bremen, Dylan Fleck, who reached the end zone four times in a 42-6 victory against Fort Loramie, and Peyton Moeller all are supporting weapons.
Marion Local is one of two teams in the state sitting at 15-0, and the Flyers’ two closest wins were 19-17 over Division V finalist Versailles and 24-21 over Division VI finalist Coldwater. NC is an underdog, but nothing has mattered to the Green Wave except what has been in their inner circle.
“We always thought that (Warren JFK) was the team we wanted, and we came out and played our game. We won, and that’s all that mattered,” senior fullback Tristan Gorius said. “We are pretty happy right now, but we know that we’re not finished. Our goal is to win the state championship.”