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Ursuline outlasts Bishop Hartley, 62-58

Staff photo / Joel Whetzel Ursuline’s Brady Shannon gets taken down by a Bishop Hartley player during their season opener on Thursday at Youngstown State’s Stambaugh Stadium.

YOUNGSTOWN — On a night in which the offenses couldn’t be stopped, it was a final defensive stand that made the difference for Ursuline in a 62-58 win over Columbus Bishop Hartley on Thursday.

With Bishop Hartley driving deep into Irish territory, Ursuline (1-0) came up with one final stop — a Ty’Req Donlow tackle for loss on a fourth-and-1 — to seal the game and escape Stambaugh Stadium with the win.

“At the very end there, we made one more play than (Hartley) did,” Irish head coach Dan Reardon said. “You had the sense whoever had the ball last would win the game, yet our defense came up with a huge play there.”

The Hawks (0-1) stuck to the ground for pretty much the entire game, and so it was no secret what Hartley would do with its final play. Nyal Hyo Johnson took the handoff but was stuffed for a two-yard loss by Donlow, giving the Irish the ball and the victory.

“We were expecting a run, and our kids did a real good job of getting penetration,” Reardon said.

The offenses combined for 1,001 yards — 526 for Bishop Hartley and 475 for Ursuline.

The Irish did most of their damage through the air and on chunk plays. Brady Shannon completed 18 of 36 passes for 279 yards and five touchdowns, and added 97 yards and a score on the ground.

Often, Shannon would hit receivers for big gains or run for first downs to keep the Irish in the game.

Look no further than Ursuline’s final — and game-winning — drive, during which he scrambled for 21 yards on a 3rd-and-10 to extend the drive.

“He showed a lot of poise and made a lot of big throws,” Reardon said. “And he kept drives alive with his feet a couple times. He had a fantastic game.”

His favorite targets were Dean Boyd and Marc Manning. Boyd hauled in six receptions for 129 yards and a score, while Manning grabbed five catches for 62 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning 19-yard strike from Shannon with 5:38 to play. Jakylan Irving tacked on three receptions for 43 yards and a score.

DeMarcus McElroy added 59 yards and a score on the ground, and returned a kickoff 94 yards for an Irish touchdown in the first half.

Of the Hawks’ 526 yards, 345 came on the ground. Hartley was powered by Johnson’s 167 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, while DeAunte Hubbard rushed for 80 yards and a score on 18 touches.

The game was a shootout from the outset, as Ursuline grabbed a 27-20 lead after the first quarter and then took a 41-34 lead into halftime. From there, the teams began trading the lead.

Ursuline went up 48-34 with 9:20 to go in the third quarter after McElroy’s 6-yard touchdown, before Hartley rallied to take a 51-48 lead by the end of the period.

Richard Kenny returned the ensuing kickoff after McElroy’s score 85 yards for a touchdown, and then Johnson hit paydirt from 18 yards out with 2:37 to go in the third quarter. Alex Gabriel connected on a 31-yard field goal in between.

Staff photo / Joel Whetzel DeMarcus McElroy tries to avoid a Bishop Hartley tackler Thursday night at Youngstown State’s Stambaugh Stadium.

But Ursuline stayed poised and found answers. After they began to sputter in the third, the Irish used an explosive play to start the fourth to rejuvenate the offense and get back on track. Shannon hit Boyd for a 48-yard strike to the Hartley 1-yard-line, and then found Boyd again for a 1-yard score to put Ursuline back on top, 55-51, with 11:44 to play.

Hartley, however, had an answer, too. Johnson scored his third and final touchdown of the night on a 4-yard run to give the Hawks a 58-55 advantage with 8:30 to go.

As he had all night, though, Shannon came up big. The quarterback had his big run to extend the drive, and also managed to draw a couple pass interference penalties to keep extending Ursuline’s possession. Then, he found Manning in the end zone for a 19-yard score, which ended up being the game winner, with 5:38 to go.

Hartley began its next drive at its own 41 and stuck to the ground, picking up a few first downs but chewing clock, too.

The Hawks faced a 4th-and-7 at the Ursuline 32, and quarterback Peyton Underwood (7-for-11, 181 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) hit Trey Saunders for a 9-yard gain and a first down. Saunders finished with three catches for 106 yards and a touchdown, and added 88 yards and two scores on six rushes.

Then came the decisive play. Facing another critical fourth down, this one at the Ursuline 15, Johnson took the handoff and was smothered by Donlow.

“It’s always good to get the first (win),” Reardon said. “Opening night, starting with a ‘W’ is always important. And it was against a really good football team. We have a ton of respect for Hartley; they’re a great program. I’m proud of our kids.”

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