CUYAHOGA FALLS — Familiar faces met in the Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs as Walsh Jesuit defeated Austintown Fitch 42-21 on Nov. 14 in a Division II, Region 5 semifinal.
Walsh and Fitch scrimmaged and met in the playoffs the last few years, with the Warriors prevailing in postseason clashes in 2023, 2024 and now 2025.
Walsh advances to face Archbishop Hoban in a regional championship game.
Here is how the action between third-seeded Fitch (9-2) and No. 2 Walsh (10-1) unfolded at Conway Memorial Stadium:
Watch Ohio High School Football Live on the NFHS Network all season
Walsh defeats Austintown Fitch 42-21
Walsh senior running back Marty Tobin rushed 15 times for 222 yards and three touchdowns and returned a kickoff 82 yards for a TD.
Walsh junior quarterback Ben Biel went 5-of-7 passing for 50 yards and rushed nine times for 36 yards and a TD. Walsh senior running back Carlos Smith rushed seven times for 38 yards and a TD.
Austintown Fitch football tacks on late touchdown vs. Walsh
On the same series, Fitch senior running back June Higgs rushed for 11, 48 and 21 yards, the last of which went for a touchdown with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter. Fitch cuts its deficit to 42-21 with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter, but Walsh wasn’t threatened in the second half.
Austintown Fitch shows fight despite rout vs. Walsh Jesuit
Austintown Fitch isn’t giving up, even though Walsh remains in complete control of the game.
Senior wide receiver Brady Evans broke wide open and caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Collin Kalaher with 9:54 left in the fourth quarter. Senior Jaxon Faulkner made the extra-point kick, and Fitch trimmed its deficit to 42-14 with 9:54 left in the fourth quarter. The TD halted a running clock.
Walsh leads Fitch 42-7 at the end of the third quarter
End of third quarter: Walsh Jesuit 42, Austintown Fitch 7
Walsh Jesuit takes 42-7 lead and forces running clock vs. Austintown Fitch football
After a bevy of penalties slowed the third quarter, Walsh Jesuit captured a 42-7 advantage.
Senior running back Carlos Smith rushed for a 14-yard touchdown with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter, and senior kicker Freddie Marcell made the extra point. By going ahead by 30-plus points, Walsh triggered a running clock.
Halftime stats for Walsh Warriors football vs. Fitch
In the first half, Walsh senior running back Marty Tobin had 14 carries for 219 yards and three touchdowns (1, 33 and 90 yards), plus an 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Walsh junior quarterback Ben Biel went 3-of-4 passing for 43 yards in the first half.
Fitch junior running back Deon’Dray Richard had eight carries for 84 yards and a TD through the first two quarters.
Walsh has a blowout going as it leads Fitch football 35-7
Halftime: Walsh Jesuit 35, Austintown Fitch 7
Marty Tobin rushes for a 90-yard touchdown to give Walsh Jesuit a 35-7 cushion shortly before halftime vs. Austintown Fitch
Fitch has had no answer for Walsh senior Marty Tobin.
Tobin broke free for a 90-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds left in the second quarter. Senior Freddie Marcell made the extra-point kick, and Walsh boosted its cushion to 35-7.
Marty Tobin scores third touchdown of the game to give Walsh football a 28-7 lead vs. Fitch
With the first half nearly complete, Walsh senior running back Marty Tobin has rushed for two touchdowns and returned a kickoff for another TD.
His third TD of the game, a 33-yard run, allowed Walsh to go ahead 28-7 with 3:14 left in the second quarter. Senior Freddie Marcell added the extra-point kick.
Walsh produces another long scoring drive, seizes 21-7 lead vs. Austintown Fitch with 5:55 left in the second quarter
On third-and-goal, Walsh senior running back Marty Tobin took a direct snap and rushed for a 1-yard touchdown with 5:55 left in the second quarter. Senior Freddie Marcell’s extra-point kick extended Walsh’s lead to 21-7.
Both of Walsh’s scoring drives have been long, methodical marches. This one was a 13-play, 75-yard drive.
Walsh football leads Fitch 14-7 at the end of the first quarter
End of first quarter: Walsh 14, Fitch 7
QB Ben Biel rushes for 10-yard touchdown, giving Walsh Jesuit a 14-7 lead vs. Austintown Fitch football
On third-and-1, Walsh quarterback Ben Biel rushed for a 10-yard touchdown, and the Warriors took a 14-7 lead with 5:32 left in the first quarter. Senior Freddie Marcell made the extra-point kick.
Ben Biel starts at quarterback for Walsh Jesuit football vs. Austintown Fitch
Walsh junior Ben Biel started at quarterback. Biel has served as the backup to Walsh junior starting QB David Ternosky this season. Although Ternosky is in uniform for the Austintown Fitch game, he suffered an injury last week in a win over Nordonia.
See more about Walsh’s QB situation in our pregame information below.
Austintown Fitch fires back and tied score 7-7 vs. Walsh Jesuit with 10:16 left in the first quarter
On the Fitch offense’s third play from scrimmage, junior running back Deon’Dray Richard broke loose for a 72-yard touchdown run. Senior Jaxon Faulkner’s extra-point kick tied the score 7-7 with 10:16 left in the first quarter.
Walsh Jesuit takes 7-0 lead with touchdown on opening kickoff vs. Austintown Fitch
Walsh began the game with the ball because Fitch won the coin toss and deferred.
And Walsh made Fitch pay for the decision. Senior running back Marty Tobin returned the game’s opening kickoff for an 82-yard touchdown. Kicker Freddie Marcell’s extra-point kick made the score 7-0 in favor of Walsh with 11:45 left in the first quarter.
Below is some pregame information.
Walsh Jesuit vs. Austintown Fitch football history
Walsh coach Nick Alexander and Fitch coach T.J. Parker are friends. Hence, the summertime scrimmages between the two teams in recent years. Of course, they have also met in the playoffs.
Walsh won both recent postseason clashes, prevailing 42-28 in 2024 and 58-21 in 2023. Walsh is 2-1 in the all-time series. Fitch’s lone win over Walsh occurred in a 1986 playoff game.
Walsh Jesuit’s quarterback situation. Who will start vs. Austintown Fitch?
Walsh’s offense is led by junior quarterback David Ternosky (90-of-150 passing, 1,178 yards, 15 touchdowns, six interceptions in the regular season).
But Ternosky suffered an injury late in the first half of last week’s 49-18 win over Nordonia. Ternosky and backup junior QB Ben Biel each threw two TD passes against Nordonia.
Earlier this week, Alexander characterized Ternosky’s status as “day to day,” and added Biel will start against Fitch if Ternosky cannot play.
Both quarterbacks are participating in pregame warm-ups.
Walsh Jesuit football players to watch
Senior running back Marty Tobin (107 carries, 1,071 yards, 10 TDs in the regular season) and senior wide receiver Milan Parris (39 catches, 621 yards, nine TDs) are top weapons for whichever Walsh quarterback plays.
Last week against Nordonia, Tobin compiled 13 carries for 262 yards and three TDs and one catch for a 25-yard TD from Biel.
Parris caught a 24-yard TD pass from Ternosky against Nordonia. Parris recently flipped his college football commitment from Iowa State to the Miami Hurricanes.
Junior defensive lineman Dario Jeras (five sacks, 11 tackles for loss in the regular season), senior linebacker Caden Carter (two INTs), safety Biel (two INTs) and senior defensive back James “Jay” Brewer III (two INTS) are playmakers for the Walsh defense.
Last week, Carter forced Nordonia to fumble, and senior defensive end Cade Romanini recovered.
Austintown Fitch football players to watch
Last week in a 28-25 win over Green, Fitch junior running back Deon’Dray Richard rushed 29 times for 165 yards and three TDs. He has 147 carries for 1,118 yards and two TDs this season.
In last year’s regional semifinal between Walsh and Fitch, Richard had 205 yards and a TD on 26 carries.
“They’re physical,” Alexander said as he previewed Walsh’s 2025 encounter with Fitch. “Their defense is pretty stout, and they have a really good running back that is explosive.”
Fitch senior linebacker Anthony Nespeca is a defensive leader who recorded an interception and a fumble recovery against Green.
Who will the winner of Walsh football vs. Fitch face next in the OHSAA playoffs?
The winner of No. 2 Walsh (9-1) vs. No. 3 Fitch (9-1) will advance to play No. 1 Hoban (9-1) or No. 5 Hudson (10-2) on Nov. 21 for the Division II, Region 5 title.
Walsh Jesuit football scores, schedule
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: OHSAA football playoff scores. Walsh Jesuit vs. Austintown Fitch recap, highlights
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
