High School

Walsh Jesuit delivers memorable performance to beat Austintown Fitch in second round of playoffs

Walsh Jesuit scored 27 points in the second quarter to pull away for the win

Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio - Walsh Jesuit head football coach Nick Alexander asked his seniors this past week how they wanted to be remembered when their playing days for the Warriors were done.

Walsh responded by pounding out a 58-21 win over Austintown Fitch in the Division II, Region 5 regional quarterfinals Friday night in their final game at Conway Memorial Stadium this season and the final time the seniors will play a game on the turf at Conway.

“All the seniors, we met at coach Alexander’s house, and the theme was how do you want to be remembered at Conway,” Walsh senior running back/linebacker Brock Sherman said. “And we balled out tonight.”

The Walsh offense ran the ball at will throughout the entire game, picking up 380 yards on 48 carries and scoring six rushing touchdowns.

“We kind of called them out last week after the Firestone game, we didn't run the ball the way that we wanted to,” Alexander said. “It was just a weird night last Friday, but I'm really just proud of the way that they answered the bell and they kept coming over to the sidelines saying ‘coach, run the ball.’”

Sherman led the charge for the Walsh offense, carrying the ball 18 times for 176 yards and three touchdowns while also helping captain the defense. This comes after missing multiple games this season due to injury and not playing a complete game since Sept. 15. But he was ready to take on a full load Friday night.

“I was champing at the bit to come back,” Sherman said. “Watching the seniors, watching all these guys play without me, it hurt. And I was going to PT every day trying to get back to these guys. I love my teammates. I love my coaches. And I love all these guys. I couldn't wait to get back.”

Walsh Jesuit running back Brock Sherman celebrates a touchdown against Austintown Fitch in Walsh's 58-21 win over the Falcons in the Division II, Region 5 regional quarterfinals on November , 2023. Photo credit: Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports / Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports

Along with Sherman, Lucas Weaver had 94 yards and a score on 16 carries and quarterback Keller Moten had eight carries for 94 yards and two touchdowns.

“Our offensive line is super strong,” Weaver said. “They make it really easy for me and Brock to find holes.”

Moten also completed six of his seven pass attempts for 129 yards and a touchdown, with Aiden Henry grabbing four passes for 82 yards and the score.

Meanwhile, the Walsh defense and special teams forced three turnovers in a row in the second quarter which helped the Warriors score 27 points in the quarter and take a 44-7 lead into halftime.

“The complimentary football was fantastic,” Alexander said. “Defensively, coach (Brian) Tyla and his staff have done a tremendous job working to get better each week. They got their senior captain back and they have a little bit of mojo going now. It was just phenomenal.”

Also on special teams, John Keough returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.

“So we are running two punt returners now, and I heard ‘you're good’ from Aiden (Henry),” Keough said. “I had full faith in my return team. And I just had to make two cuts and bust it and I was good.”

Keough not only had the punt return but made a highlight reel catch in the first quarter to set up Walsh’s first touchdown and was still playing all out in the fourth quarter, knocking away a pass at the goal line on third down to prevent a Fitch score.

“Johnny Keough can do everything,” Alexander said. “Johnny Keough is an old school football player with new era speed. You know what I mean? He puts his face on everything, he blocks his butt off, he can go catch the ball, he never wants to come out, he’s tremendous.”

The seniors wanted to finish off a perfect home season at Conway Memorial Stadium, which they did by going 7-0, including two playoff wins.

“Brock Sherman, Johnny Keough, Noah Brock, David Hawersaat, Dylan Hereford, all of the seniors, I don't want to miss any of them,” Alexander said. “They weren't going to let us lose here at Conway in their last opportunity.”

With the home portion of their senior season now done, the Walsh players are  looking to cement a legacy.

Walsh, the No. 2 seed in Region 5, will play third-seeded Hudson in the regional semifinals on Friday, Nov. 10 with a possible rematch against top-seeded Archbishop Hoban looming on the horizon in the regional final.

“We want to go all the way this year,” Keough said. “We want to beat Hoban and we want to make it to the state championship.”

When Walsh and Hoban met just a few weeks ago, Hoban led 37-0 after the first quarter and won 57-7. But the senior leader expects the Warriors to be healthy if there is a rematch, as some of the Walsh starters missed the first game against Hoban with injuries, including Sherman.

“We'll be good,” Keough said. “We'll be better than last time.”

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Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports
RYAN ISLEY, SBLIVE SPORTS

Ryan Isley is a regional editor at SBLive Sports for the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Ryan, a native of Akron, Ohio, has been following and covering high school sports in Ohio for more than 20 years, including the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball teams that featured NBA superstar LeBron James. Ryan joined the SBLive staff full-time in May, 2022 after freelancing for SBLive Sports for nearly nine months, beginning with his experience covering Bishop Sycamore, which was featured in a documentary in the summer of 2023. You can reach Ryan at ryan@scorebooklive.com

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