CANTON McKINLEY 31, ST. XAVIER 10

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Bombers can't match firepower

Sunday, December 6, 1998

BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

QB Matt Williams took the loss hard. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

MASSILLON, Ohio -- The Cincinnati Northern Drought was alive and well Saturday night.

St. Xavier fell to defending state champion Canton McKinley 33-10 in the Division I finals before a packed house at Massillon's Paul Brown Stadium.

The Bombers took the loss extremely hard. Most of players hung their heads and cried openly at the awardceremony.

But coach Steve Rasso, a 21-year veteran, was able to put the loss in perspective.

"It's disappointing," he said. "But no one expected us to be here. We knocked off some of the great teams in Ohio -- Elder, Moeller, Westerville South. "I'm tremendously proud of these kids."

Since Princeton won the 1987 Division I title, no Cincinnati team has won the big-school title. It's no coincidence that championship games were moved to Akron in 1990, then to Canton in 1991 and here in 1993.

"It's difficult," Rasso said. "We came out a little flat. All you have to do is look at the record. It was pretty even when the games were in Columbus."

Cincinnati won five of the eight big-school championships played in Columbus.

Cincinnati is 0-6 in the finals since 1987. Saturday was St. X's second title game; the Bombers lost to Cleveland St. Ignatius 24-14 in the 1992 final.

Scott Sollmann runs 26 yards for a 2nd-quarter TD. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

St. X fell victim to injuries to key players in '92. This time, the Bombers simply ran into a very good football team. Canton McKinley outgained St. Xavier 392-149 and held the ball 31 minutes to 17 for St. X.

St. X finished 11-2, McKinley 12-1. McKinley was rated No. 1 in the nation by USA Today from start to finish in 1997. McKinley beat Moeller 31-16 for last year's title.

This year, McKinley had struggled at times. But not Saturday. Quarterback Ben McDaniels only lost three games in his three years as a starter -- all to St. Ignatius -- and may have saved his best game for last.

His first pass was incomplete, and then he hit his next 14 in a row. St. X slowed him down the second half with the blitz. He finished 15 of 17 for 211 yards.

"They had a real good game plan," linebacker Chad Rohrer said. "The quarterback did a good job of checking off. He put us in bad situations, then exploited them."

McKinley star Mike Doss slips away from St. X's Kevin Hurley. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

Mike Doss, McKinley's two-way star, finished with 143 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries.

"They're the most balanced team we've played," said defensive tackle Dave Bareswilt. "A great passing team with a good running game is hard to stop."

McKinley established control from the start. The Bulldogs' opening drive was a thing of football beauty. They went 80 yards in 13 plays, mixing in four passes for the running of Doss.

Doss, the Ohio State-bound tailback - safety, took a swing pass from McDaniels, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and sped the last 19 yards for a TD.

St. X went three-and-out. That brief interval was the only time the McKinley offense was moving the ball.

"We just couldn't get off the field," Rasso said. "The quarterback is good. We knew that. He was using that three-step drop and picking us apart."

The Bulldogs, who were both bigger and quicker than St. X, went 70 yards in five plays on their second drive. McDaniels, a three-year starter, hitpasses of 11, 26 and 29 yards.

Doss sped through the left side of line for five yards and the TD. The kick made it 14-0 McKinley with 56 second left in the first quarter.

The Bombers responded. A 17-yard run by Steve Sollmann on the first play got them started. An 18-yard pass interference on the next play kept them moving.

The Bombers faced a third-and-11 at the McKinley 36. Matt Williams hit Michael Larkin for 10 of it.

St. X went for it on fourth-and-1 rather than take the sure field goal. Sollmann squirted through the stacked line and sprinted 26 yards for the TD.

But McKinley answered immediately with a 72-yard, nine-play drive. McDaniels hit a wide open Andre Hooks for three yards and the score.

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St. Xavier 0 7 3 0 -- 10
Canton McKinley 14 7 0 12 -- 33

First Quarter
McK -- Doss 18 pass from McDaniels (Armatas kick), 5:40
McK -- Doss 6 run (Armatas kick), :58
Second Quarter
StX -- Sollmann 26 run (Kerr kick), 9:36
McK -- Hooks 3 pass from McDaniels (Armatas kick), 4:35
Third Quarter
StX -- FG Kerr 56, 6:20
Fourth Quarter
McK -- Doss 11 run (kick failed), 2:35
McK -- Doss 6 run (kick failed), :16
A -- 9,151

St.X McK
First downs 9 21
Rushes-yards 21-71 42-181
Passing 78 211
Comp-Att-Int 11-19-0 15-17-0
Return Yards 0 43
Punts-Avg. 5-45.2 3-24.7
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-0
Penalties-Yards 7-54 8-66
Time of Possession 16:59 31:01

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Cin. St. Xavier, Sollmann 13-78, N.Linz 1-7, Williams 7-(minus 14). Canton McKinley, Doss 28-143, Quincy 5-23, Brosnahan 1-8, McDaniels 7-4, Lucius 1-3.
PASSING -- Cin. St. Xavier, Williams 11-18-0-78, Larkin 0-1-0-0. Canton McKinley, McDaniels 15-17-0-211.

RECEIVING -- Cin. St. Xavier, Sollmann 3-3, Arling 2-19, Larkin 2-15, Larsen 2-14, Hurley 1-16, N.Linz 1-11. Canton McKinley, Hooks 7-106, Doss 3-32, Macrides 2-38, Friedman 2-27, Brosnahan 1-8.

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