AKRON, Ohio — Everyone knew it would be a slugfest — two of Northeast Ohio's best high school football teams with rosters both littered with future college stars ready to get one last boost of momentum heading into the playoffs.
It all lived up to the hype, and on Friday night in Akron, it was defense which reigned supreme as St. Edward knocked off Archbishop Hoban 14-7. The Eagles came back from an early deficit and took the lead for good on Brandon "Whizzer" White's touchdown run with just minutes to play.
Hoban came into the game unbeaten at 8-0 and ranked 22nd in the country by High School Football America, while 8-1 St. Ed currently appears in five national polls and is as high as No. 13. The Knights actually took the early lead on Eli Lee's six-yard interception return TD, and held it when Central Michigan commit Tysen Campbell picked off Akron Zips product Kyan Mason's option pass at his own 10 on the very next series.
However, led by Notre Dame recruit Loghan Thomas, St. Edward held from there with its defense, and on fourth-and-goal from the 1 finally tied it up on Nate Gregory's scoring run early in the second quarter. The Knights had a chance to score as time wound down in the half, but on fourth-and-goal from the 2, they were stuffed on a fake field goal attempt, and the score remained 7-7 at intermission.
Things stayed that way until the fourth, when the Eagles staged a 90-yard drive that ended with the White's 12-yard touchdown with 3:39 left. The sophomore finished the evening with 130 yards on 25 carries, per the school's statistics.
Hoban got the ball back with an opportunity to tie it, and Elbert "Rock" Hill's kickoff return actually got the team to midfield. But even with a hint of momentum, the Knights couldn't even gain a yard, and on fourth down, Tim Tyrell elected to punt the football away with a timeout in his back pocket. The move didn't pay off, as the Eagles' strong running game picked up that last first down to run out the clock and secure their third victory over Hoban in as many years and Tom Lombardo's 100th as the program's head coach.
The regular season has now concluded, and while an earlier loss to fellow national power Massillon Washington may have put a damper on St. Edward's national championship hopes, Lombardo's squad still secured the No. 1 seed in Division I's Region 1. The Eagles will host 16-seed Elyria (1-9) next Friday in Lakewood as they begin their quest for a third consecutive state title.
For Hoban, the loss all but kills its own national title dreams, but Tyrell still guided the squad to a decisive top finish in Division II's Region 5. The Knights will take on either Benedictine or Akron Ellet next weekend, depending on home some remaining Week 10 games affect the computer rankings.