Tag Archive for: Matthew Reardon

URSULINE WITHSTANDS LATE WARRIOR RALLY

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BELOIT, OH- Perhaps one of the most looked at games this week had to have been the third seeded West Branch Warriors, hosting the sixth seeded Ursuline Irish in a dramafield quarterfinal matchup in Division IV region 13.  The first scoring drive started out when the Irish did their take on the Philly special as Brady Shannon pitched it to Dante Walker who then pitched it back to Matthew Reardon who found Luke Campbell making it 8-0 after converting the two point conversion.  

 

Ursuline’s next touchdown came during the second when Terrell “TG” Dilworth turned into Barry Allen aka the flash going 70-yards to the house with nobody stopping the Air Force commit.  His take off was like a fighter jet putting the Irish up 16-0.  But those Warriors, you should never count them out as Brock Hillyer who has been having a good season found Dru DeShields two-yards out cutting the Ursuline lead to 10.  The Irish got one more score on the board to make it 24-6 at the half and now the Warriors needed a plan.

 

That’s when they knew that being aggressive and forcing Trevor Lawrence aka Brady Shannon would come into their favor as Shannon was picked off by Alec Wilson and guess what, he could go all the way and that he did, a 37-yard pick six making it now 24-12.  

 

However, Shannon was not finished yet, as he put that last pass he had behind him and now it was a new set of downs.  He would trust Dante Walker to make a spectacular 38-yard over-the-shoulder touchdown making it 32-12.  Once again, those Warriors would not go away as Hillyer found DeShields yet again two-yards out, cutting the lead to 13.  But then, it was Emmitt Smith, aka DeMarcus McElroy who smelled the end zone and man it was smelling good as he took it in five-yards out extending it 38-19.  

 

West Branch did what they usually do on offense and that is score during crunch time with two touchdowns late in the game.  The first was when Hillyer found Nick Wilson for an 11-yard touchdown and then the man would sneak it in himself putting the game to only seven with 2:45 to go and they were back in this.  These Warriors were not giving up without a fight, they would not let their winning record be ruined.  They would try for the onside kick, but Matthew Reardon would recover, ending the game with a final of 38-31 in a hard fought nearly come from behind win.  But, the Irish pulled it off even through the fourth quarter struggle that they had.  

 

Dan Reardon and the Ursuline Irish (6-2) are heading to the regional semifinals to take on the two seeded Poland Bulldogs (7-1) who got a big win Saturday against Chagrin Falls 34-9.  A program that seemed to be the laughing stock of Youngstown GRIT football is now back on top, but man those Bulldogs still need to be fed and they are hungry for some Lucky Charms. The game will be played on a spooky Saturday night, October 31st at 7pm on YSN Live. 

 

  West Branch (7-1) may have lost in the playoffs, but can still schedule a regular season opponent until week 10 with their choice.  The Warriors should pick their heads up after a tremendous season and prepare for another 2021 playoff run. 

 

*Contributed by YSN’s Ian O’Brien*

IRISH GRAB FIRST PLAYOFF WIN SINCE 2015

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YOUNGSTOWN OH- For the first time since 2015, the Ursuline Irish were in a playoff game, but in order to make it to the next round, they’d have to face a tough Villa Angela St. Joseph’s team that was red hot after getting a big upset win against Fairless last week by a score of 28-17.  

The Vikings continued the momentum by picking off Brady Shannon and scoring first as Nicholas Mcclinton took it in for a 10-yard touchdown making it 7-0.  However, the Irish knew what to do next, as Brady Shannon found Jakylan Irving for a 38-yard touchdown tying it at seven all.  Later on, it was our player profile guest DeMarcus McElroy who ran his feet into the endzone three-yards out making it a seven-point game going into halftime with a little upset alert on our hands. 

This game continued to have upset alerts written all over it as both teams went back to back in scoring.  Once again, it was McElroy showing off the J.K. Dobbins speed from 10-yards out making it 21-7.  The Vikings were still rowing the boat, however.  Just before the end of the third, quarterback Kevin Eiseman found Jordan Dean for a 39-yrs touchdown, and the lead was cut back to seven.  

However, Shannon went off, giving us flashbacks like Tom Brady against Tennessee back in 2009.  Shannon found Terrell “TG” Dillworth twice and Matthew Reardon once.  The Irish got their last touchdown of the night when John Edmonds picked off Eiseman taking it in for a pick-six.  The Vikings got one more touchdown but it was not enough as the Irish advance with the final of 47-21. 

This is Ursuline’s first win in the playoffs since their 41-13 quarterfinal win against Crestwood in 2015.  

 

Stats

Brady Shannon: 15-20 for 238 yards and four touchdowns. DeMarcus McElroy: 17 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns.  Matthew Reardon three receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown.  

 

Sixth-seeded Ursuline (5-2) will now have to make a trip to Beloit to face the third seed West Branch Warriors (7-0)  next Saturday at 7pm.  You can catch that game live on YSN! 

 

*contributed by YSN’s Ian O’Brien* 

 

IRISH TRIUMPH IN HOLY WAR

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH- This game had no social distancing score wise between these two teams Friday night as the high school football version of Ohio State Michigan happened when the Ursuline Irish and Cardinal Mooney Cardinals, faced off in the 62nd meeting of the “Holy War” at Stambaugh Stadium.

 

The game started with Ursuline having some momentum on their side driving all the way down to the Cardinals 15.  That is until a few players later where they coughed up the ball, recovered by Mooney and hoping for some early momentum.  

 

However, that would not happen as a few possessions later, Pat Guerrieri’s pass was intercepted by DeMarcus McElroy who looked like Champ Bailey out on the field taking it in for a touchdown making it 6-0 after a failed extra point.  Mooney came right back later on when Pat Guerrieri found AJ Pecchia for a nice 29-yards touchdown putting the Cards up 7-6.  

 

But once again, it was McElroy in the first who this time channeled his Ezekiel Elliott going 20-yards for the score.  Then, it was Dante Walker taking it in for the two point conversion bringing it back to a seven point game.  McElroy had another big touchdown in the second that looked to have gone for 30-yards making it 21-7 and now Mooney was in trouble and needed momentum.  

 

That’s when Mooney drove down the field tiring out the Ursuline defense a bit.  That’s when Zy’ere Rogers said “welcome to my neighborhood,”driving his feet in the endzone five yards out, putting the Cardinals back into the game down by eight.  

 

The Irish scored one more time before the half.   Brady Shannon would give the ball to once again, McElroy who was having a career night with four total touchdowns.  The Irish went into the half up 28-13 but it was not over yet.  

 

In the third quarter, the Cardinals defense and offense got stronger.  Firstly, they did not let Ursuline get a single point in the last two quarters while Mooney looked stronger.  The Cardinals got three points in the third thanks to a 21-yard  field goal by Brian Philibin making it 28-16.  Their next score came in the fourth.  The Cardinals got down to the goal line after a nice Guerrieri run.  On their next play, it was Davontae Miller plowing into the endzone and now there was a ballgame.  

 

Shannon would go long for Jakylan Irving, but it was a nice break up by the Mooney defense which led the Irish to bring out Matthew Reardon for a Rugby style punt.  Cardinal Mooney needed a first down with just over three minutes to go.  The Irish defense stopped the Cards on three of those downs and now it was do or die.  

 

Guerrieri went to Pecchia who had the ball right in his hands, but couldn’t hold on as because of this, Ursuline held on for the 28-23 victory over rival Cardinal Mooney.  This is Ursuline’s first back-to-back win against Mooney since the 2011 and 2012 season.  

 

Player of the Game/Stat

 

The player of the game was DeMarcus McElroy who had 112 yards rushing, three touchdowns and an interception.  

 

Ursuline (4-2) gets a nice week off to relax and heal any injuries that happened.  They will play the winner of Fairless (4-2) vs Villa Angela St. Joseph (0-6).  Cardinal Mooney (1-5) will play Conneaut (2-4) at Stambaugh stadium.  Both of those first round playoff games will be played Saturday at 7pm.  

 

*Contributed by YSN’s Ian O’Brien* 

RAIDERS PUSH BACK URSULINE

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WARREN OH- Ursuline came into this game with a lot of momentum on their side, looking to go 4 and one.  However, in order to do that they’d have to get past a Warren team that has played a tough schedule in this six-game season in what to some was a shocker at Mollenkopf stadium.  

 

The Irish started out strong as Dante Walker kept their scoring momentum alive with a 33-yard touchdown run.  Reardon tried to go for two but was stopped making it 6-0.  The next drive saw Ursuline get into the endzone again, as Brady Shannon found Matthew Reardon nine-yards our making it 12-0.  

 

However, Warren fought back as quarterback Elijah Taylor found Dom Foster 26-yards out with 2:43 left.  Finally, Warren fans got to hear the PA announcer’s famous words “touchdown Raiders” as it was 12-7 at halftime.  

 

Walker got his second touchdown 19-yards out making it 18-7 while Warren responded back with Taylor’s pass to Konyae Redd.  However, the PAT was a doink and no good, making it 18-13.  Both teams scored before the end of the third as well.  Ursuline’s DeMarcus McElory added a one-yard touchdown and Bryson Powell had a 15-yard run, driving his feet in the endzone.  What made the difference, the Irish failed on their PAT, while the Raiders achieved on theirs with the score being 24-21.  

 

Later on in the very important drive, it looked as if that Ursuline defense who’d some say is the Ravens defense of high school football,  had stopped the Warren offense.  However, they’d measure and it was determined that the Raiders got the first down.  Next possession, the Raiders were rumbling into the endzone with Marco Patierno on a four-yard run with 45 seconds remaining.  

 

The Irish tried to have something going, but the Raiders said not so fast my friend as they stopped the Irish which led to a turnover on down, ending the game with the final of 28-24.  

*Contributed By YSN’s Ian O’Brien