BEDFORD: Despite temperatures in the 20s, the weather couldn't dictate the tone or tempo of the Division II state semifinal game Friday night between the Louisville Leopards and Mayfield Wildcats at Bedford Bearcat Stadium.

Conditions never hindered the Leopards, who seemed invincible in all phases of the game, and went on to cage the Wildcats 41-13. The victory sends Louisville to its first appearance in a state championship game.

The Leopards (12-2) will face Ashland (13-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon.

Louisville scored on offense and special teams to spur on a defense that clamped down on the Wildcats' talented tailback, Ashante Williams (11 carries for 29 yards, four receptions for 141 yards and a pass for 37 yards).

Offense was at a premium in the first half as both defenses delivered crunching hits that occasionally sounded like a blender crunching ice. But it looked as if it would be a shootout in the second half, when Louisville opened the half with a 6-0 lead. Mayfield kicked the ball to returner Jon Minster, and 89 yards later he arrived in the end zone, seemingly breaking the game open with a 12-0 lead. The two-point conversion failed.

''That was the biggest momentum shift,'' Louisville senior linebacker/running back Clay Swigert said.

The Leopards padded the lead on a five-play, 69-yard drive that culminated with a 32-yard pass to wide receiver Tyler Jones.

Bleak would be a kind way to describe the situation for the Wildcats.

Stifled by a pouncing Leopards defense that keyed on Williams, they looked ready to roll up into a furball in a corner. Then Williams showed why he will be playing for the University of Illinois next fall.

Louisville stopped him on the ground, but not through the air. Williams snagged a 61-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Frankie Ferritto on the Wildcats first drive of the third quarter. Giving their defense life, the Wildcats got the ball back, and Williams returned the favor and hit Ferritto with a pass.

''If he's catching passes and not running the ball, we're doing our job,'' Louisville coach Paul Farrah said.

Williams' heroics were wasted, however, as Louisville reached into its bag of tricks and found a fake punt.

Punter Brandon Mathie, who is
also the team's third-string quarterback, hit wide-open sophomore Bob Swigert for a 32-yard touchdown pass. The fact that it was so easy surprised Mathie.

''I thought they would be a little bit further back,'' he said.

After a first quarter where teams battled for field position more than for points, the Leopards opened the scoring with a nine-play, 79-yard drive when tailback/linebacker Marcus Poyser (15 carries, 43 yards, a touchdown) scooted around the left side of his line for an 8-yard touchdown.

During the drive, Louisville found a formula that worked. Leopards quarterback Neal Seaman's direction of the option offense seemed to confuse the Wildcats at times.

Mayfield defenders too often keyed on Seaman, allowing Poyser to pick up yardage. From there, it looked as if the night would be a battle of wills. Both teams played solidly on defense in the first half, with Louisville defensive end Matt Schooley hammering Ferritto and Mayfield's Karson Bodnovich getting in his shots on Seaman.

The difference proved to be the second half.

''We came to the challenge that we weren't going to let Williams beat us at all,'' Schooley said. ''We played it perfectly.''