CANTON, Ohio — For the fifth time in the last 12 years, St. Edward is celebrating an Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I football state title. The Eagles used a smothering run defense to defeat Springfield 23-13.
The Wildcats were held to -30 rushing yards, forcing Springfield to take to the air. Senior quarterback Te’Sean Smoot was up to the challenge, completing 29 of 43 passes for 349 yards and a touchdown, while running for another.
However, St. Edward’s Danny Enovitch’s legs provided all the offense the Eagles would need. He ran for 210 yards, while carrying a robust 33 times, scoring twice.
Enovitch took it 72 yards on the game’s first play from scrimmage. However, Springfield’s defense stiffened, stopping St. Edward four times from the 1-yard line, and forcing a turnover on downs.
The Wildcats found themselves down 16-0 in the second quarter, before Smoot’s 9-yard touchdown run cut the lead to 16-7.
Springfield was on the move again to open the third quarter when Smoot was intercepted at the goal-line by Hayden Rice. St. Edward then put together a 14-play, 92-yard drive that resulted in a 23-7 lead.
Seeking the school’s first-ever school title, Springfield battled back, and got it to 23-13, but that was as close as it got.
In six playoff games, the Eagles only allowed 43 total points to opponents, barely over a touchdown a game. They didn’t trail at all during the game, and only did so in only four of 15 games in 2021.
St. Edward joins a pretty exclusive list of schools with five or more OHSAA football state titles:
11 – St. Ignatius, Marion Local*
9 – Moeller
8 – Newark Catholic*, Cardinal Mooney
7 – Benedictine, Coldwater*
6 – Akron STVM, Delphos St. John’s, Kirtland*, St. Henry, Versailles*
5 – St. Edward, Hoban
The asterisk denotes a school with a chance to add to its total tomorrow. Divisions V, VI and VII will be played, all of which are live on Spectrum News 1, and the Spectrum News App.
Saturday 10:30 a.m.
Division VII – Marion Local vs. Newark Catholic
Saturday 3 p.m.
Division VI – Carey vs. Coldwater
Saturday 7:30 p.m.
Division V – Kirtland vs. Versailles
