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'They didn’t give up': Watterson football rallies to win OHSAA Division III state title
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- 'They didn’t give up': Watterson football rallies to win OHSAA Division III state title
CANTON – Trailing 7-0 at halftime and in the midst of a rare subpar performance, the Watterson football team never panicked in the Division III state title game Friday against Toledo Central Catholic.
The Eagles responded with a spirited second-half comeback, beating the Fighting Irish 19-14 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium for their third state title and first since 2010.
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Drew Bellisari's 9-yard touchdown run with 1:29 remaining proved to be the winning score as Watterson completed a 16-0 season.
"What you saw in the second half is indicative of the seniors and what they've done," Watterson coach Brian Kennedy said. "Their dedication. Their perseverance. Their love for one another. It was incredible. That was a team win. They didn't give up. They battled through adversity and I just cannot be prouder of them."
Central Catholic (14-2), which beat the Eagles 27-7 in the state final last season, was seeking its third consecutive championship.
"We flipped the script this year," senior running back/linebacker Zack Weber said. "That's a lot of credit to our o-line and our coaches. All of us coming together. It was us playing as 11 guys."
Brothers Ben Uhlenhake (10) and Jake Uhlenhake (8) celebrate after Watterson defeated Toledo Central Catholic 19-14 in the Division III state championship game Friday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
Held to two first downs and no passing yards in the first half, Watterson's offense came alive in the second half behind Weber and clutch passes from Bellisari.
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After the Eagles' defense held on downs on the opening drive of the second half – Central Catholic took nearly seven minutes off the clock – Watterson marched 90 yards, tying the game at 7 on Weber's 28-yard TD run with 1:06 left in the third quarter.
The tie didn't last long, however, as Jeremiah Fuller scored on an 87-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, giving the Irish a 14-7 lead.
Watterson's Zack Weber (24) and Pete Eglitis (77) were named first-team All-Ohio in Division III.
Watterson drew closer early in the fourth quarter when Bellisari connected with a wide-open Dominic Theado for a 52-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1. Michael Antry's extra-point attempt was blocked, leaving the Eagles with a 14-13 deficit with 10:28 remaining.
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Watterson completed the comeback when Bellisari capped an 80-yard drive with his late touchdown run. Faced with a fourth-and-13 earlier in the drive, Bellisari hit a leaping Theado for an 18-yard gain.
"We lined up empty formation and I saw where they were playing and there was a little space in the middle, so I just tried to find that," Theado said. "I looked up and the ball was in the air. It was a one-on-one jump ball, so I just went up and got it."
Watterson's Dominic Theado reacts after making a play during the Eagles' state championship victory over Toledo Central Catholic in December.
Central Catholic had a final chance but lost the ball on downs with 36 seconds left.
Weber rushed for 134 yards on 28 carries. Bellisari completed 5 of 9 passes for 63 yards and rushed for 66 yards on 13 carries.
Watterson's Drew Bellisari runs the ball against Toledo Central Catholic's Victor Singleton Jr.
"We started to wear on them a little bit," Kennedy said. "Our o-line started to take over, started to control the line of scrimmage. We got some momentum and we just built on it."
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Ali Beydoun passed for 158 yards and Tyler Morgan rushed for 88 yards to lead the Irish.
"It was a defensive battle most of the night," Central Catholic coach Greg Dempsey said. "They got their running game going in the second half. We had some red zone offense issues in terms of converting some trips into points and it came back and bit us at the end. It was a hard-fought battle by two really good football teams."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OHSAA football state title: Watterson defeats Toledo Central Catholic
