Clinton-massie, Winton Woods win state crowns
CANTON — The state football championships got underway Thursday and run through Saturday.
Here are recaps of the games: Division IV: Clarksville Clintonmassie 29, Youngstown Ursuline 28
Clinton-massie scored the game’s final 22 points to erase a 28-7 third-quarter deficit on Friday. The Falcons (14-1) won their third state championship, and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2012-13.
Carson Van Hoose scored on a twopoint conversion run in the final minute for the winning points. Clinton-massie quarterback Kody Zantene scored on a fourth-and-goal keeper from a yard out with 45 seconds left to set up the twopoint play.
Ursuline (11-4) missed out on a chance to win its fifth championship in their first title-game appearance since 2010.
Clinton-massie gained 232 yards on its final three possessions. The Falcons scored on all three drives, and all 22 plays were running plays.
“We didn’t panic. We were poised,” said Clinton-massie coach Dan Mcsurley. “We got the momentum, and we didn’t give it up. High school football’s all about momentum, and we had the momentum in the fourth quarter. We just weren’t going to be denied.”
Division II: Cincinnati Winton Woods 21, Akron Archbishop Hoban 10
Winton Woods’ Tyrek Spikes won the battle of talented running backs over Hoban’s Lamar Sperling with 153 yards and a touchdown Thursday night. While his 2-yard run to make it 14-3 in the second quarter was his only score, he managed to break off multiple 40plus-yard runs to help set his team up for scoring chances. The game pushed his playoff totals to 1,173 yards and 11 TDS in 145 playoff carries.
Caleb Kepler’s fumble return for a touchdown pulled Hoban to within 14-10 on the first play of the second half. Four plays later, K.C. Spears sprinted 53 yards for a touchdown for Winton Woods.
Sperling, who rushed for 1,282 yards and 20 touchdowns in the first five playoff games this year, ran for 121 yards on 24 carries.
Winton Woods (13-3) won its second state title, with the other coming in 2009. The Warriors were 4-3 on Oct. 1 but finished on a nine-game win streak. Hoban (12-4) was trying for its sixth state championship in seven years.