Football: Watterson headed to state final after rallying to beat Celina
Friday, November 24, 2023
By Jarrod Ulrey
julrey@cbussports.com
Watterson’s Zack Weber closes in on Celina’s Braylon Gabes in a Division III state semifinal Nov. 24 at Xenia. Photo: John Hulkenberg
During what has become its longest playoff run in more than a decade, Bishop Watterson time and again has relied on its veteran defense to guide its trajectory forward.
The Eagles needed a jolt offensively Friday during a Division III state semifinal against Celina at Doug Adams Stadium in Xenia, and that’s exactly what they got.
Faced with an early two-touchdown deficit, Watterson scored 27 unanswered points and then had its defense put the finishing touches on a 27-14 victory that sends it to the state final at 3 p.m. Dec. 1 against Toledo Central Catholic at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
The Eagles, who are 14-1 while the Fighting Irish take a 15-0 record into the title game, last made it this far when they won the 2010 state title.
“Boy oh boy, they came out fast and punched us in the mouth,” coach Brian Kennedy said. “We just went back to basics a little bit. We were maybe trying to do too much in terms of a game plan on defense. Our offense played great the whole game. We always want to make sure our kids are playing fast, and we weren’t playing fast at the beginning of the game.”
Celina, which went just 1-9 in 2021 and 6-5 in 2022 before finishing 12-3 this fall, upset previously unbeaten Hamilton Badin for the Region 12 title and grabbed the early momentum behind the running ability of senior Braylon Gabes.
Listed at wide receiver but lining up mostly in the backfield, Gabes helped the Bulldogs march to the Watterson 2 on the game’s opening drive. Although he threw incomplete in the end zone to Zander Jones on fourth-and-goal from the Eagles 3 to end the possession, Watterson was forced to punt from its own 6 on the ensuing drive and Celina got it back at its own 49 midway through the first quarter.
Bishop Watterson’s Dominic Purcell (6) celebrates his score against Celina in a Division III state semifinal Nov. 24 at Xenia. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Gabes ran for 39 yards on the fourth play of that drive and scored on a 1-yard run on the next play for a 7-0 lead.
Celina then drove 78 yards on seven plays on its next possession, with the biggest play occurring when Bobby Morris lateraled to Jones, who then found Caleb Gabes for a 60-yard reception.
That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Braylon Gabes with 10:30 left in the first half for a 14-0 lead.
“We just weren’t really doing our jobs like we usually do,” said senior linebacker Dominic Purcell, who is one of eight candidates for Ohio’s Mr. Football honor. “We let them get a couple plays. They’re a really good team and they had a great game plan for us. At halftime, we made our adjustments and just did our jobs. That’s really all it came down to. We focus as a defense on having a next-play mentality. We’re ready for the adversity and we respond well to it.”
Watterson responded with an 80-yard drive that included a 34-yard pass from A.J. McAninch to Cal Mangini and was capped by a 1-yard scoring run from Zack Weber with 6:24 left in the first half.
After forcing a Celina punt, Watterson put together another 80-yard drive, with McAninch hooking up with Mangini for a 9-yard scoring reception with 33 seconds left in the first half. McAninch went 5-for-7 passing for 79 yards on the drive.
“We came out a little less than we should have and were supposed to, but we got points on the board when we needed to,” McAninch said. “When you’re making running-around throws, and getting first downs, it’s going to juice the guys up. It gets the guys and gets the momentum back on our side.
Bishop Watterson’s Tommy Haley (22) and teammates make a tackle against Celina in a Division III state semifinal Nov. 24 at Xenia. Photo: John Hulkenberg
“They were (defending) pretty well on the outside, so we thought going down the middle was going to benefit us more and give us more space to move and make plays.”
Kicker Rudy Kessinger made a 22-yard field goal midway through the third quarter and then hit a 40-yard field goal with 11:50 remaining for a 20-14 lead.
Braylon Gabes rushed for 116 yards on 13 carries in the first half but got hurt while playing defense late in the third quarter and did not return.
The Bulldogs were forced to open up its passing game without the speed of Braylon Gabes, who Kennedy called “the best football player we’ve seen by far this season,’ and Watterson’s defense made them pay.
Purcell returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown with 6:02 remaining for the game’s final points, and Weber and Braxton Rundio also had interceptions during the fourth quarter to seal the win.
“At halftime, we made some adjustments,” Purcell said. “Our coaches are amazing, and we came out and really just focused on doing our job. In the second half, we got back to doing the simple things right.
“It’s an awesome feeling. We all work our tails off and we have such a special connection. This has been our goal for a really long time.”
McAninch finished 16-for-23 passing for 269 yards and one touchdown and Mangini had eight catches for 117 yards. Weber rushed for 62 yards and Ben Uhlenhake added 53 yards rushing as well for the Eagles.
Central Catholic won the Division II state championship last season and is on a 30-game winning streak under Greg Dempsey, who is in his 23rd season and has guided the program to four state titles.
The Irish beat Chardon 35-7 in a state semifinal at Elyria to set up the matchup with the Eagles, which will be the first between the programs.
“We just need to come out hotter next time,” McAninch said. “We still have room to grow. We still have so many things we can do better, giving our defense a little more of a cushion. We’re going to have to do that this next game if we’re going to win.”