Tweaks to both the Warriors’ offense and defense made a profound difference the second time around.
“We’re so much more polished,” Wayne coach Jay Minton said. “We’ve got everybody in the right position. Then, we were still trying to find ourselves and all that. Now, we feel confident we’ve got everybody in the right positions.”
Wayne (12-1) will need all that new-found resolve and more when it meets two-time defending D-I state champion Moeller (10-3) in Saturday’s state semifinal at Mason (7 p.m.). Moeller advanced by blanking Greater Catholic League South rival St. Xavier 21-0 also at Mason on Saturday.
The teams last played in 2012, when Moeller beat Wayne 43-21 in the first round of the playoffs.
Moeller also beat Wayne 35-28 in a memorable 2010 season opener at St. X that was nationally televised by ESPN. In the first half, Wayne QB Braxton Miller rushed for more than 200 yards and scored on runs of 75, 31 and 27 yards.
Hudson (13-0) plays Lakewood St. Edward (11-2) in the other D-I semi at Akron. St. Ed beat Moeller 24-10 in Week 9.
- If Minster wins its D-VI semifinal, it'll return to Ohio State University's Ohio Stadium to play a state championship for the first time since it also won its only state title there in 1989.
Championship week has moved to Columbus after a 23-year run in Stark County at Canton and Massillon. Prior to that, the title games were anchored at OSU. That’s where Minster beat McDonald 16-7 in the 1989 D-V title game. That completed a 13-1 season for then-Wildcats coach Ken Newland.
Longtime Minster fan Bruce Schmitmeyer reports that a couple players on that Minster title team are now Wildcats assistant coaches: Byron Albers and Brian Wuebker.
Minster (10-3) is one of three Midwest Athletic Conference teams to advance to this week’s state semifinals. Minster will play Defiance Tinora (13-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Wapakoneta.
At 7 p.m.Saturday, Coldwater (12-1) plays Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (13-0) at Piqua (D-V) and Marion Local (13-0) plays Columbus Grove (9-4) at Lima.
Columbus Grove beat Marion Local 28-26 in the 2003 D-VI state title game to complete a 15-0 season. Grove, incidentally, isn’t located anywhere near Columbus. It’s a village of about 2,100 anchored in Putnam County just north of Lima.
- LaSalle (12-1) will play Lewis Center Olentangy (13-0) in a D-II state semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Friday in this week's only game at Welcome. That game and the Wayne/Moeller game both will be shown live on Time Warner Cable channels 311/1311 HD.
- Presale tickets for $8 are available at all participating schools during normal hours. Schools receive a 20 percent cut of presale tickets and none at the gate. State semifinal tickets increase to $10 at the gate.
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