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Mr. Football Teague says hello, goodbye to Coldwater

RB tallies five TDs as Irish overwhelm Cavaliers for second straight year in final.

Coldwater High School's Reese Klenke (21) breaks a tackle from Youngstown Ursuline's Trevor Smith (1) and Anthony Davis, and runs for a touchdown in the first quarter of the Division V championship game Saturday in Canton. Klenke scored three touchdowns, but the Cavaliers lost 51-21. Associated Press photo by Tony Dejak

Tony Dejak/STF Coldwater High School's Reese Klenke (21) breaks a tackle from Youngstown Ursuline's Trevor Smith (1) and Anthony Davis, and runs for a touchdown in the first quarter of the Division V championship game Saturday in Canton. Klenke scored three touchdowns, but the Cavaliers lost 51-21. Associated Press photo by Tony Dejak

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By Marc F. Pendleton, Staff Writer 8:36 PM Saturday, December 4, 2010

CANTON — Coldwater High School’s game with Youngstown Ursuline to decide the Division V state football championship was over. The only problem was the second half remained to be played.

“We knew we were not going to win the game at that point,” Cavaliers coach Chip Otten said after Coldwater faced an overwhelming 44-7 deficit at the break.

“We beat them in the second half, right? We should be in overtime, right?”

Not quite.

Ursuline (15-0) rode several long zig-zag scoring runs from Mr. Football Akise Teague and settled for a 51-21 victory at Fawcett Stadium in the first of three state finals Saturday.

The contest quickly became a showcase for the uncommitted 5-foot-8, 174-pound senior running back, and he repeatedly delivered.

Teague dashed for scoring runs of 65, 46, 42 and 17 yards. And he didn’t waste any time putting a devastating impact on the Cavs, catching a 73-yard scoring pass just 1:03 into the game.

Often, Teague would bounce off two or three Coldwater defenders and romp untouched for a long score or gain. He finished with 19 carries for 249 yards, but Ursuline essentially shut him down after he scored four TDs and rushed for 192 yards in the decisive first half.

“Almost every single game he does something that surprises me,” Ursuline coach Dan Reardon said.

“He does a lot of things that make you say, ‘Wow.’ ”

Coldwater (11-4) answered Teague’s opening TD catch by moving 72 yards in just five plays on the ensuing possession, capped by Reese Klenke’s 49-yard scoring catch from Ethan Bettinger.

Klenke scored twice more in the second half on a 24-yard catch from Aaron Rammel and nine yards from Bettinger. Like Otten said, that allowed the Cavs to beat Ursuline in the final two quarters, but everyone was well aware what could have happened had the Irish leaned on Teague more.

“I don’t know what it was,” Klenke said of Teague.

“He wasn’t going to go down if you hit him high and his momentum seemed to carry him when we tried to wrap up.”

Klenke had nine receptions for 125 yards, and Bettinger was 18-of-37 for 197 yards passing.

It’s the third straight state title for Ursuline, and the second straight time the Irish have beaten the Cavaliers for the crown.

Contact this writer at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@Dayton

DailyNews.com.

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