St. V-M is Division III state football champion

CANTON: St. Vincent-St. Mary is the top high school football team in Ohio in Division III in 2012.

St. V-M defeated Bellevue 42-21 Saturday at Fawcett Stadium in Canton to win the Division III state championship before a crowd of 9,109.

Irish junior Parris Campbell Jr. rushed for three touchdowns and gained 165 yards on 14 carries. Junior Newman Williams rushed for two touchdowns and also intercepted a pass.

Irish coach Dan Boarman and his staff exchanged hugs with each other and players as the celebration started on the filed and carried into the crowd.

Bellevue took a 7-0 lead with 4:29 remaining in the first quarter after senior quarterback Jalen Santoro tossed a 27-yard touchdown pass to senior Trent Stamm on a flea-flicker that included senior Dalton Jarvis on a 4^thdown-and-5. Sophomore Jake Strayer kicked the point after.

St. V-M struck back quickly when Campbell sprinted down the sideline 47-yards for a touchdown with 3:59 to go in the first quarter. Senior kicker Dylan Labbe provided the point after kick and it was 7-7.

The Irish took a 14-7 with 9:04 to go in the second quarter when senior Fransohn Bickley caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Clayton Uecker. Labbe booted the PAT.

The Redmen knotted the score at 14-14 with 2:10 to go in the second quarter when Santoro tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis on a 4^th-and-4. Strayer converted the PAT.

Campbell rushed for a 1-yard touchdown with 48 seconds to go in the second quarter and coupled with a Labbe PAT, the Irish led 21-14 at halftime. Campell’s short run came after a 27-yard rush on the previous carry.

Williams excited the Irish crowd in the second half after Campbell dazzled the fans in the first half.

Williams took a fake punt and rumbled 41-yards for a touchdown to make the score 28-14 with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter. He broke four tackles and dragged one defender into the end zone to complete the score that set up another Labbe PAT.

Williams proceeded to intercept a Santoro pass on the ensuing possession. The turnover set up another Irish scoring drive that culminated with a Williams 5-yard rushing touchdown on a 4^th-and-3 with 9:29 to go in the fourth quarter. Labbe’s PAT made the score 35-14.

The Redmen continued to battle and Santoro connected with senior Derek Smith for a 27-yard touchdown with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter. Strayer’s PAT made the score 35-21.

The Irish had a response when Campbell dashed 23-yards for a touchdown with 5:56 to go in the fourth quarter and Labbe made a PAT to make the score 42-21.

Irish junior Travonte Junius forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that junior Dante Booker recovered. Freshman Tyrece Speaight intercepted a pass in the second quarter.

St. V-M also won four state titles under former coach John Cistone. The Irish were state champs in Class AA in 1972 and won Division III state titles in 1981, 1982 and 1988.