Archbishop Hoban vs. Walsh Jesuit high school football | 10 things to know
The Archbishop Hoban and Walsh Jesuit football teams will renew acquaintances at 7 p.m. Friday at Dowed Field in a matchup of undefeated rivals.
Both teams are state ranked. Both have prolific offenses, with Walsh scoring more than 40 points in each of its games and Hoban scoring 34 or more points in each of its games.
"This will be a typical old-school Walsh-Hoban football game," Hoban coach Tim Tyrrell said.
Here are 10 things to know about the game:
Where are Hoban and Walsh in Ohio high school football rankings?
Five-time state champ Hoban is 5-0 and had a bye last week after beating St. Ignatius 35-0 two weeks ago. The Knights ranked No. 2 in Division II in the Associated Press state poll.
One-time state champion Walsh is 6-0 after defeating another rival, St. Vincent-St. Mary, 43-13 last week. Walsh is ranked No. 5 in Division II in the state poll.
"We are expecting a great atmosphere," Walsh coach Nick Alexander said. "We have a ton of respect for what Hoban does. They are off to a great start. Our kids are excited for the opportunity."
In the OHSAA computer ratings, which determine the playoffs, Walsh is No. 1 in Division II, Region 5 and Hoban is No. 3 in the same region. In the BeaconJournal.com's power poll, Hoban is first in Divisions I-II and Walsh is second.
"This matchup looks a lot like it has the last couple of years," Tyrrell said. "Both teams are playing well. They are well coached and they are probably a little bit more physical than they have been the last couple of years. It will be a battle, just like it has been since 2021. It has been a four-quarter fight, and we are expecting the same type of thing. They present issues with a fast-paced offense, and defensively they do a lot."
Walsh Jesuit's 2023 football scores
Walsh opened its season with wins over Benedictine (49-26), Erie (Pa.) McDowell (49-28), Columbus DeSales (48-14), Buffalo (N.Y.) Canisius (41-14) and Firestone (49-0).
Hoban's 2023 football scores
Hoban opened its season with victories over Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass (45-6), Erie (Pa.) Cathedral (44-12), Richmond (Va.) Trinity Episcopal (34-6) and East (39-0).
Who leads the all-time series in the Walsh Jesuit-Hoban football rivalry?
Walsh leads the overall series 30-22. Hoban has won the past nine matchups, including 32-20 last year at Walsh.
The series started in 1974 and the teams have played every year since with 49 regular-season games and three playoff games. Walsh won the first nine games from 1974-1982 until Hoban's first win in 1983.
Walsh won nine games in a row from 1992-1999, including a playoff win in 1998, to lead the series 22-5.
Walsh topped Hoban in the regular season in 2002 and then Hoban beat Walsh in a playoff game. The Knights went 8-3 against the Warriors from 2000-2009.
Walsh won five in a row from 2010-2014. Hoban's nine-game win streak started in 2015 and includes a playoff win in 2021.
Hoban-Walsh game is a big one for the Hereford brothers
Each team has a Hereford brother on its roster. Senior Dylan Hereford Jr. is a linebacker at Walsh. Junior Daylan Hereford is a defensive lineman at Hoban.
Who are the leaders on the Archbishop Hoban offense?
Hoban features first-year starting quarterback Tylan Boykin, who is a junior, and senior offensive lineman William Satterwhite, a Tennessee recruit. The other starters on the Knights offensive line are seniors Jvon Lindsey and Nate Townsend, and juniors Nate Cross and Joseph Burkeen. Senior Josh Greer and junior AJ Edwards contribute as reserves.
Seniors Caleb Jones, Dominic Bush and Deon Rodgers, and freshman Brayton Feister are Hoban's top running backs.
Greer, junior Tayte Crable and sophomore Ace Brown are Hoban's top tight ends. The leading receivers are sophomore Payton Cook and seniors Parker Falkenstein, Joe Hardman and Jalen Hightower.
"We are very interchangeable on offense," Tyrrell said. "We have been moving people around, doing different things and playing a lot of different kids, especially up front. This is the same thing I always do to try to get the right combination by the time we hit Week 11 and it's the playoffs."
Who are the leaders on the Walsh Jesuit offense?
Walsh also features a first-year starting QB, junior Keller Moten. The Warriors starters along the offensive line are junior left tackle Kodey Kish, sophomore left guard Colton Crosley, junior center Matthew Desciscio, senior right guard David Hawersaat and senior right tackle Zach Dillon. Sophomore Brayden Piersall is the top reserve up front.
With Brock Sherman sidelined with an injury, expect to see junior Lucas Weaver, junior Jason Baines and sophomore Cade Romanini as Walsh's top running backs Friday.
The Warriors' top receivers are seniors John Keough and Owen Feliciano, junior Aiden Henry and sophomore Milan Parris.
"Our offense is a collective effort of a selfless group," Alexander said. "Each game we have had a different receiver lead us in catches and yards. It is a next-man-up mentality with our running backs. Lucas Weaver and Jason Baines look to carry the load for us. Kudos to Hoban's defense. They fly around to the ball and are only allowing 4.8 points per game."
Who are the leaders on the Archbishop Hoban defense?
Hoban's defense is led by four senior Division I college recruits: linebacker Rickey Williams (West Virginia), linemen Jordan Pritchard-Sewell (Holy Cross) and Devin Bell (Miami of Ohio), and safety Tysen Campbell (Central Michigan).
The other starters on the Knights defense are junior lineman Nick Crawford, junior linebackers Tanner Mintz and Eli Lee, senior safeties Xavier Williams and Ayden Boykin, senior cornerback Braeden Grant and sophomore cornerback Elbert Hill IV.
Jones also contributes in the secondary. Junior Daylan Hereford, and sophomores Liam Barger and Ace Brown also play along the line.
"Most of the guys on defense, we know what they can do," Tyrrell said. "We try to let them have a little bit of fun. We know what they are good at and what they are bad at. We are trying to get the correct matchups versus a good offense like Walsh is. They are averaging 48 or 49 points per game. We are trying to figure out how to slow them down a little bit. I think we have a good group to be able to try some different things to slow them down."
Who are the leaders on the Walsh Jesuit defense?
Walsh is experienced up front with senior ends Noah Brock and David Hawersaat, senior nose guard Logan Griffin, junior tackle Kodey Kish and sophomore tackle Colton Crosley.
The Warriors' starting linebackers are junior Declan Norton, sophomore Alex Dachille and senior Dylan Hereford. Sophomore Caden Carter also will get snaps with Sherman out.
Walsh's secondary includes senior cornerback Brayden Foster, senior free safety John Keough, junior strong safety Aiden Henry, and sophomore cornerbacks James Brewer, and Tommy Puletti.
"I am really happy with the way that our defense has been playing," Alexander said. "Our mentality is and always will be to stop the run first. Our young guys in the back end at corner have been coming along well. With Brock out, Johnny Keough, David Hawersaat, Noah Brock and Dylan Hereford are four senior captains that we have on defense that will lead that group."
Keough is committed to play college football at Buffalo.
Who are the special team standouts for Hoban and Walsh?
Senior Ryan Demming and sophomore Freddie Marcell share the kicking duties for Walsh, Keough returns punts and Henry and Keough return kickoffs. Walsh's other specialists are junior punter Jake Hassman, senior long snapper Adam Bentley, sophomore holder Trent Hayden.
"The specialists are coming along as well," Alexander said. "First-year starting roles at punter and kicker. Johnny and Aiden both returned kicks last year, so we look for them to make plays in the return game."
Senior Ryan Burns is Hoban's kicker and punter, Hardman is the holder and senior Caleb Schlater is the long snapper. Falkenstein and Campbell return punts. Hill and Campbell return kickoffs.
"The special teams guys have a ton of experience," Tyrrell said. "We are blessed to have a very good long snapper. It is underrated how good your long snapper is. Schlater is ranked in the top 12 in the country as a long snapper. ... The return game has been probably the best it has been during the last five years. We have guys getting great yardage and we have a couple of punt returns for touchdowns. Ryan is probably as good as it gets in the area as a punter. He is averaging over 47 yards a punt and he is a talented kicker."
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Walsh Jesuit at Hoban high school football | 10 things to know
