Warren JFK vs. St. Henry
Warren JFK (14-0) vs. St. Henry (13-1)
It should be an interesting Division V final between these two programs of contrasting styles. The ultra-athletic JFK Eagles will hope to outgun St. Henry and utilize their many weapons. St. Henry, a playoff regular, will rely on their consistent, yet powerful offense and look to pound away at JFK.
JFK advanced to the state final with a convincing 34-6 victory over Amanda-Clearcreek in the semifinals. It was the first one-sided affair for the Eagles in the postseason, as each of their three previous playoff games were decided by seven points or less.
St. Henry took the opposite route, crushing each of their first three playoff opponents by 20 or more points. However, they were taken to the limit in their semifinal encounter with Liberty-Benton. The Redskins pulled through, capturing a tough 28-21 victory.
When Warren JFK has the ball: they can hurt you in a number of ways. The attack usually starts with Division V Offensive Player of the Year J.J. Townsend at quarterback. Last week, Townsend threw for three touchdowns, all to different receivers. The Eagles have a stable of capable wideouts, namely Desmar Jackson, James Howard and Nick Brown. Th running game is paced by running back Jared Province. In their regional final win, Province rushed for 180 yards.
St. Henry's defense has been stout all season long, allowing a mere 7.9 points per game through 14 contests. Led by All-Ohio defensive end Matt Thobe, the Redskins shut out their first two playoff opponents, but have had a little trouble the past two weeks against Liberty-Benton and Lima Central Catholic, yielding 21 and 20 points, respectively. Liberty-Benton quarterback Aaron Craft found success through the air against the Redskins' secondary, completing 31 of 37 passes for 303 yards. The St. Henry coaches will need to address that statistic, as JFK will look to similarly exploit that weakness with Townsend's arm.
When St. Henry has the ball: the Redskins will feature All-Ohio selection Andy Puthoff, the Midwest Athletic Conference's offensive player of the year. The 6-3, 230-pound brusing fullback has been a terror all season, but as raised his game in the playoffs. In last week's victory over Liberty-Benton, Puthoff ran for 257 yards on 29 carries, including the game-winning 35-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. In the regional final, he scored five touchdowns --all in the first half -- to lead the Redskins. The week prior, he rushed for 263 yards and three scores. Needless to say, Puthoff will have the ball in his hands the majority of the time and will be the focal point of the JFK defense.
The Eagles' defense will have its hands full with Puthoff and Co. but they have been spectacular all season long and should be up to the challenge. The JFK defense, led by All-Ohio safety Anthony Kokal, has yielded only 98 total points this season (7.0 ppg). They are particular stout against the run. In their regional final victory two weeks ago, they limited a potent North Lima South Range rushing attack to only 93 yards on 44 carries (2.1 ypc). James Bluedorn had a big night, totaling 2.5 sacks and nine total tackles. They were equally impressive last week against Amanda-Clearcreek, only allowing six points. They scored a defensive touchdown, as Raphael Patterson scooped up a fumble and raced 77-yards for a touchdown.
Outlook: The two teams will attempt to establish their own particular style of play early in the contest. Warren JFK features an fast, athletic group and will want to simply utilize those traits to their advantage in a fast-paced game. Meanwhile, St. Henry will attempt to control the clock and line of scrimmage and pound the Eagles with Puthoff. The final outcome of this game should hinge on which team can better dictate the pace of the game.
-Mike Parris
