Walsh Jesuit bows out to rival Hoban in OHSAA football regional final

Walsh Jesuit football players mingled around Friday night moments after their season came to an end.

There were several hugs, there were a few tears and there were conversations as players and coaches reminisced about a 12-win season that ended with a 30-6 loss to Archbishop Hoban in a OHSAA Division II regional final on the University of Akron campus.

Walsh finished the 2023 season 12-2. Both of the two losses came to Hoban, the first being 57-7 in the regular season.

"The touchdown at the end of the first half hurt us [Friday night]," Walsh coach Nick Alexander said. "We couldn't finish. I felt like we were doing a good job of getting first downs and getting timely first downs to move the ball to try to flip field position, but we couldn't finish offensively.

"Defensively, man, did they play hard. They were flying around and after getting embarrassed by 50, to get a group of guys together, these seniors, I can't speak enough about them. The fact that they were ready to work on Monday and they came in and accepted the challenge and they left it all out here."

Walsh junior quarterback Keller Moten completed 10 of 23 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown, and ran for 68 yards on 19 carries. His run total would have been higher, but Hoban's Jordan Pritchard-Sewell, Devin Bell, Eli Lee, Rickey Williams, Nick Crawford and Tanner Mintz each recorded a sack.

"Their offensive linemen fire off the ball and come at you all four quarters," Pritchard-Sewell said. "They didn't give up and they kept fighting."

Warriors junior Aiden Henry caught the TD pass, a 10-yard strike in the fourth quarter, and finished with four catches for 23 yards.

"I love all of the guys on this team," Moten said. "I love the culture. Obviously, the seniors all bought in after a 1-9 season when coach Nick first came here. He completely flipped the program around, so I am really proud of where we are.

"Obviously, disappointed we couldn't pull it out tonight. These guys are a really good football team. Didn't have our best tonight, but we will be back next year."

Coach Nick Alexander brings success back to Walsh Jesuit football

Walsh went 0-10 in 2018, and then 1-9 in 2019 during Alexander's first season.

"This is my fifth year," Alexander said. "These seniors said yes to 1-9 and they get to leave here and see it at 12-2 and in a regional championship [for the second time in three seasons]. We went 5-2 in 2020, 11-3 [in 2021], 9-3 [in 2022] and 12-2 [in 2023]."

Walsh will bid farewell to senior receivers Owen Feliciano (four catches for 52 yards Friday) and John Keough (two catches for 51 yards). Keough also snagged an interception.

Walsh senior linebacker Dylan Hereford recorded an interception, recovered a fumble, poked away a pass that prevented a touchdown and had a sack.

"I was trying to give it my all," Hereford said. "We work so hard for all of this. I just wanted to leave everything out there."

Hereford was in a unique position of playing a Hoban team that included his younger brother, junior reserve defensive lineman Daylan Hereford.

"I was originally a wrestler and then I came in and was talking to coach Al [Alexander] and I grew to love the program," Dylan Hereford said. "[Daylan] thought about coming to Walsh, but he had a lot of family and friends that went to Hoban, so he wanted to go on his own path.

"... Of course we want to win, but I am always proud of my brother and his team and I hope they go get it."

When asked if he will go to the Hoban (12-1) versus Avon (14-0) state semifinal game next week, Dylan Hereford said: "Yeah, I will be there."

Walsh struggles to slow down Hoban's rushing attack

Hoban's massive linemen William Satterwhite, Nate Cross, Sam Greer, Jvon Lindsey and Nate Townend wore down Walsh defenders as the game progressed.

Hoban junior quarterback Tylan Boykin ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries. Senior Caleb Jones ran for 113 yards on 17 carries, senior Xavier Williams ran for 84 yards and two touchdowns on five carries and freshman Brayton Feister ran for 71 yards on 12 carries.

"Walsh came out a lot tougher in this game," Williams said. "Their No. 30 Brock [Sherman] is a guy. They said he is their energy guy, and that is what he did. I feel like he brings them up a lot. He is a pretty good football player.

"That whole Walsh organization is a pretty good football team. We love playing against them, and they give us good competition."

Jones and Hoban senior Tysen Campbell both had interceptions to quell Walsh drives.

"They are so good in all three phases," Alexander said of Hoban. "Their defense is the best one I have seen in my five years in being a head football coach. Their offensive line is huge and they do a great job in their run game and they threw the ball better before. We did a good job of turning them over early in this game and getting them out of that. They just pound you and keep coming at you with their run game."

Hoban coach Tim Tyrrell lauded Alexander and his staff for a "great game plan and coaching them up."

"They did some things defensively that they didn't do the first time," Tyrrell said. "They were blitzing and moving a lot more. You can tell they watched the St. Ed's game [that Hoban lost]. We learned from the St. Ed's game, and that is why at halftime we were able to get together and talk to them, slow them down and we were able to run the ball in the second half."

Walsh sophomore Colton Crosley and seniors Brock Sherman, David Hawersaat, Noah Brock and Keough were active defensively.

"The seniors are a tight group of guys," Moten said. "It is only 12 players, but they are the leaders on our team. When you see our captains, you see guys like David, Noah, Brock, Johnny and Dylan, just to name a few. We all look up to those guys. Those are the guys that get us going in the locker room, in the weight room and on the practice field. They are our motivators. They are the gel that keeps our team together."

Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Walsh Jesuit loses to rival Hoban in OHSAA football regional final