CANTON, Ohio — Pound-for-pound, it might've been the best matchup of the weekend at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, and it did not disappoint.
In a battle of the two best football teams in Division V, it was Perry which wound up victorious, outlasting Liberty Center 21-14 to win the OHSAA state football championship Saturday afternoon. It's the first-ever state title for the Pirates, who capped a 16-0 season by overcoming a 14-7 halftime deficit.
Senior Brayden Richards led the way, rushing for 124 yards and the deciding touchdown while also completing 3 of 4 passes for 61 yards and a score. He even added eight tackles on defense, aiding a unit that held the Tigers scoreless over the final 17-plus minutes of play.
Both teams traded touchdowns in the first half before Liberty Center (15-1) took its first lead of the game on a 4-yard TD pass from Landon Amstutz to Colton Kruse midway through the third quarter. However, on the very next drive, it was Luke Sivon who took a short throw from RIchards and ran it 37 yards for the tying score. Sivon, a junior, finished the afternoon with seven catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns after also grabbing a deep TD strike from quarterback Walter Moses in the opening quarter.
Perry's stifling defense forced a three-and-out, and on the second play of the next series, Richards would dash 60 yards to the end zone to put his team back ahead. Over the remainder of the action, the Tigers would twice manage to get deep into Pirate territory onto to be stopped, including a fourth-down incompletion from Amstutz at the 27-yard line with just 17 seconds to play.
Coming in allowing less than 10 points per game, Perry held high-powered Liberty Center to 4.4 yards per play. Armani Chiappone finished with a game-high 12 tackles, Kent State commit Jayden Studio had a tackle for loss, and Sivon contributed with a pair of pass breakups.
Kruse was solid for the Tigers, tallying 168 total yards and both of the squad's touchdowns. Amstutz struggled, though, completing only 5 of 17 passes for 37 yards along with a TD throw.
Perry's win continues what has been a magical weekend for Northeast Ohio teams in the OHSAA football finals, with Massillon Washington, Kirtland, and St. Edward already taking home state championships in their respective divisions. Additionally, Dalton made it to the D-VII title game but lost 38-0 to Marion Local, while Cleveland Glenville is playing Archbishop Alter for the D-IV crown Saturday night.