Archbishop Hoban takes down Walsh Jesuit to make another state semifinal appearance
AKRON, Ohio – For the eighth time in nine seasons, Archbishop Hoban is headed to the football state semifinals. They do so this year with a 30-6 win over Walsh Jesuit at the University of Akron’s InfoCision Stadium Friday night in the Division II, Region 5 regional final.
The start of the game was quite a contrast to the regular season meeting between the two teams, a game Hoban won 57-7 after jumping out to a 37-0 lead in the first quarter.
On Friday night, the two teams were scoreless after the first 12 minutes, but Hoban opened the scoring in the second quarter when Xavier Williams took a jet sweep handoff and went around the left side for the touchdown to give the Knights a 7-0 lead with 4:53 left in the second quarter.
After a stop later in the quarter by the Hoban defense, the Knights got the ball at their own 20 and it looked like they might have to punt or run out the clock in the half as they faced a third-and-4 in the waning seconds of of the quarter, but quarterback Tylan “Juice” Boykin kept the ball on a read option and went to the right, where he found a hole and just kept running for a 74-yard touchdown to give Hoban a 14-0 lead with 11 seconds left before the half.
“I told coach a few drives before when we ran our run play that they weren't accounting for me when I pulled the ball,” Boykin said. “He trusted me. He told the coaches up in the box, and they made the play happen and I just executed.”
The two teams traded interceptions to start the third quarter and Hoban’s offense took advantage of their turnover by breaking off a big play.
Caleb Jones got the interception for the Knights defense and instead of coming back into the game on the ensuing series as the running back, the ball went again to the hands of Williams. And this time, Williams went through the right side, saw daylight, and took off for a 49-yard touchdown run to make it 21-0.
“I felt like I got past the line and saw an open hole and I had tunnel vision,” Williams said. “I feel like I'm pretty fast and when I see the open hole, I am just going to be gone for a touchdown.”
Hoban was forced to punt to start the fourth quarter and Ryan Burns hit the perfect punt, getting it to trickle out of bounds at the Walsh 1, setting up the Hoban defense for its second safety in as many games against the Warriors this season.
After taking a delay of game, Walsh handed the ball off and Hoban linebacker Devin Bell met the ballcarrier three yards deep in the end zone for a safety to give Hoban a 23-0 lead.
“I think coming into this game defensively, we wanted to prove ourselves,” Bell said. “We just wanted to show the entire state that we are the Hoban defense, and this is what we do.”
After the free kick following the safety, Hoban’s offense drove to the Walsh 1, where Boykin took the snap and got some help from his friends in the form of the “tush push” made famous over the last couple of seasons by the Philadelphia Eagles. They pushed him in to the end zone to make it 30-0.
Walsh got on the scoreboard with 2:43 left in the game when Keller Moten threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Owen Feliciano.
It was the fourth time in 12 wins this season that the Hoban defense has lost a shutout either in the final minutes or even on the final play. They have also pitched a trio of shutouts.
“We strive for (a shutout) every week,” Hoban defensive lineman Jordan Pritchard-Sewell said. “We are actually a little upset that we let them get six but that's what we strive for.”
The game was much closer for the majority of the night than the score would indicate, as Walsh’s defense turned Hoban over three times, including twice in the first quarter. But the Hoban defense had an answer every time.
“We come out here fired up especially in moments like that, especially like the moments where the offense turns the ball over, that energizes us,” Bell said. “We love moments like that. I think that's what we enjoy most about this defense.”
Their head coach hears it on the sideline, too.
“Any time the offense isn't clicking exactly right, the defense is yelling and screaming at us ‘we got your back,’” Hoban head coach Tim Tyrrell said.
Boykin finished the game 3-of-6 for 74 yards passing and two interceptions, but he added 101 yards rushing on seven carries and scored a pair of touchdowns.
As a team, the Knights ran for 382 yards, led by Jones with 113 yards on 17 carries, Williams with 84 yards and two scores on five carries and Brayton Feister with 73 yards on 12 carries.
“Passing wise we didn't do as good as we could have, obviously, we had a couple of turnovers and that's on me,” Boykin said. “But the offensive line, I think they're the best in the state. Me personally, just watching how hard our guys work throughout the week and on the field, it's amazing to see and knowing they go to bat for me every time is a great thing.”
Archbishop Hoban's Xavier Williams runs the ball against Trinity Episcopal on September 2, 2023. He had two touchdown runs for the Knights in their regional final win over Walsh Jesuit on November 17, 2023. Photo credit: Jeff Harwell, SBLive Sports
Jeff Harwell, SBLive Sports
Hoban advances to the Division II state semifinals, where the Knights will face a familiar foe in Avon. Since moving to Division II prior to the 2017 season, Hoban has defeated Avon four times in the state semifinals – 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021.
The preparation to face the Eagles begins soon.
“I just told the team that this win, we keep it here and tomorrow we get back to work, it all starts tomorrow,” Bell said. “That's the biggest thing coming into next week is that we stay level-headed and don't get too low or get too high.”
The win also means that the Knights get to go through one of Tyrrell’s favorite traditions – practicing on Thanksgiving morning.
“We're blessed to be (practicing) on Thanksgiving,” Tyrrell said. “It's been a hell of a run, but we don't want it to end here. We'll watch film and try to figure out a way to beat Avon.”
While Tyrrell is looking forward to a holiday practice, one of his seniors is looking forward to something else.
“That's really all Coach T talks about once he gets to this point is he talks about practicing on Thanksgiving,” Pritchard-Sewell said. “And hopefully after we win the next game, he'll give me a big hug and tell me we're going (to the state championship game).”
-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveoh
