What We Learned...

1. Marion Local ties for Most Ohio Football Titles for a Public School: The Flyers beat Newark Catholic 28-21 in the Division VI final to secure the program’s sixth state football title, which moves them into a three-way tie for the most by an Ohio public school with Versailles and St. Henry. All three schools are members of the Midwest Athletic Conference. Delphos St. John’s (another MAC school) and Cleveland Benedictine also have six state titles. Marion Local junior QB Adam Bertke willed his team to victory after rushing for 102 yards on 27 carries and completed 17-of-23 passes for 166 yards. Bertke’s heroics were needed after standout sophomore RB Jacy Goettemoeller was lost to injury on the first drive. Goettemoeller entered the contest with 1,557 yards and 27 TDs on 250 carries. He left after gaining 19 yards on three carries. ML trailed 7-6 at half and 14-6 after the first play of the third quarter before rallying for the win. Freshman RB Hunter Wilker’s 11-yard TD run with 18 seconds left in the third quarter gave ML its first lead. Wilker, who came into the game with 16 carries for 104 yards and a TD in 14 games, ran for three TDs and 30 yards on seven carries. He was also the Flyers leading receiver (caught seven passes for 57 yards). Wilker’s final TD – a 1-yard run with :21 seconds left – was the game-winner.

2. The MAC Nets No. 100: With Marion Local’s win over Newark Catholic, the Midwest Athletic Conference earned its 100th state title. The MAC has dominated small school athletics in Ohio over the last two decades and has state titles in football, basketball (boys & girls), baseball, track (boys & girls), cross country (boys & girls), volleyball and bowling (boys & girls). The MAC started in 1973 and that’s the only year the conference did not win at least one state championship. Since 1974, the MAC has averaged 2.6 state titles per year. Marion Local’s volleyball team won the D-IV state volleyball title last month.  

3. Newark Catholic remains tied with Youngstown Mooney: The Green Wave have played in a record 14 state finals, but are still stuck at eight titles, which is tied for second all-time with Youngstown Mooney. Cleveland St. Ignatius leads with 11 championships.  Newark Catholic holds Ohio records for playoff appearances (32) and playoff wins (67). NC was led by junior QB Chayce Crouch who threw for 236 yards and two TDs and ran for 37 yards and another TD.

4. Marion Local likes to win titles in twos: This is third time Marion Local has won back-to-back titles. They also did it in 2000-01 and 2006-07. Word of warning for the rest of D-VI – ML has just six seniors on its roster – five of which played. Could this be the start of four straight state titles?

5. We finally got a good D-VI state final: After blowouts the last two years (Delphos St. John’s 77-6 over Shadyside in 2010 and Marion Local’s 61-21 win over Buckeye Central last year), the D-VI state final was in doubt for longer than a quarter. In fact, it was in doubt until the last play. NC marched the length of the field in the final 20 seconds and thanks to a pass interference penalty got another chance at the end zone from the 5-yardline. The pass was incomplete.

6. Massie stands alone: Ohio has "recognized" high school football champions since 1895. Saturday, Clinton-Massie did something that had not been done in the previous 117 years. Behind a vaunted wisboned-based run game, the Falcons became the first school in Ohio history to score 800 points in a season. They also won their first state title in program history and the first state football title for a Clinton County school with their 46-36 win over St. Clairsville in the D-IV final. Massie ends the season with 822 points.

7. Bayle Wolf is better than advertised: The Clinton-Massie junior RB tied a D-IV finals record for points (30) and TDs (five). He ran for 220 yards and four TDs and caught a 36-yard TD pass. Wolf also intercepted St. C’s last pass to secure the win. Wolf has no offers but is talking to Cincinnati, Michigan and Ohio State. In the last two years, Wolf has rushed for 3,449 yards and 72 TDs (including 41 this year).

8. St. Clairsville can hang its head high: The Red Devils finished the season with 713 points, which ranks No. 4 all-time for a single-season. Senior WR Jared Marhefka set an all divisions state finals record with 272 yards receiving and tied a D-IV finals record with 4 TDs on just nine catches (30 yard average). Senior QB Matt Kinnick fell two yards shy of former Kenton QB Ben Mauk’s D-IV finals record for passing yards with 437. He completed 21-of-39 passes for four TDs. Kinnick’s 437 yards are the fourth highest passing total ever in finals history (all divisions).

9. Who needs to punt? Clinton-Massie and St. Clairsville combined for 988 yards of offense, 45 first downs and one punt in their D-IV final. Massie ran for 408 yards, while St. Clairsville threw for 442. The 988 is the third highest tally all-time for all divisions.

10. Too much Amir Edwards: Toledo Central Catholic improved to 2-0 in state title games with a 16-12 win over Trotwood-Madison. The Irish were led by senior RB Amir Edwards who had 185 yards and two TDs on 38 carries. TCC also won the 2005 D-II title.

11. Too little, too late for Trotwood-Madison: The Rams were held to 44 yards of offense and zero points through the first three quarters before exploding for 183 yards and two TDs in the fourth. It wasn't enough.

FINAL SCORES

DIVISION VI
Marion Local 28, Newark Catholic 21

DIVISION IV
Clinton-Massie 46, St. Clairsville 36

DIVISION II
Toledo Central Catholic 16, Trotwood-Madison 12

PHOTO GALLERY (by Gary Housteau)

Marion Local junior QB Adam Bertke completed 17-of-23 passes for 166 yards and ran for 102 yards on 27 carries in the D-VI final.

Newark Catholic senior WR/DB Kevin Bourne had eight catches for 121 yards and a TD and ran eight times for 18 yards in the D-VI final.

Newark Catholic junior QB Chayce Crouch threw for 236 yards and two TDs and ran for 37 yards and a TD in the D-VI final.

Marion Local sophomore RB Jacy Goettemoeller entered the game with 1,557 yards and 27 rushing TDs but left with a leg injury on Marion's first possession after rushing for 19 yards on three carries.

Marion Local senior RB Alaric Keller had seven carries for 57 yards and a TD in the D-VI final.

Marion Local freshman RB Hunter Wilker ran for 30 yards and three TDs on seven carries in the D-VI final.

Clinton-Massie junior RB Bayle Wolf tied D-IV finals records for points (30) and TDs. He ran for 220 yards and four TDs, caught a TD pass and had an interception on St. C's last drive.

Clinton-Massie senior QB Tyler Uetrecht ran for 75 yards and a TD and threw for a TD in the D-IV final.

St. Clairsville senior WR Dan Monteroso caught nine passes for 143 yards in th D-IV final.

St. Clairsville senior QB Matt Kinnick threw for 437 yards and four TDs in the D-IV final. His tally is second in D-IV finals history and fourth regardless of divisions.

St. Clairsville senior WR Jarrid Marhefka set an all divisions finals record with 272 yards receiving and tied a D-IV finals record wiht four TD catches. He had nine catches (30 yard average).

Clinton-Massie senior RB Wyatt Running ran for 101 yards and a TD on 18 carries in the D-IV final.

TCC senior RB Amir Edwards led the Irish with 185 yards and two TDs on 38 carries in the D-II sate final.

TCC junior QB DeShone Kizer directed the Irish offense to 245 total yards and a win in the D-II final.

TCC senior Db Jayme Thompson had 2.5 tackles in the D-II final. He's headed to Ohio State.

Trotwood senior KR James Winchester led the Rams in all-purpose yards in the D-II final. Winchester had KORs of 88 yards.

Senior RB Isreal Green ran for 56 yards on 14 carries in the D-II final.

Senior QB Austin Howell threw for 71 yards and a TD and ran for 37 yards in the D-II final.