Football Battles Lexington in 2nd Round of OHSAA Division III State Playoffs
The Central Catholic football team will travel to Lexington on Friday, November 7 in the 2nd round of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division III State Playoffs. The opening kick vs. the Minutemen is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Minutemen Stadium.
The Fighting Irish (7-4) are the No. 6 seed in Region 10, while Lexington (9-1) is the No. 3 seed.
Tickets for Friday’s postseason road contest MUST be pre-purchased online at OHSAA.org/tickets (Division III, Locate Game, Click Get Tickets). Tickets will cost $5 for students and $12 for adults. Please note, students MUST purchase a ticket to attend Friday’s matchup.
For those fans unable to attend the game, it can be heard live on The Ticket l 100.7 FM with the “Voice of the Irish” Bill Clark & Jim Oswald, starting at 6 p.m. or streamed online HERE.
The Scarlet & Gray, which ranked No. 3 in the final MaxPreps Division III State Poll, advanced to the 2nd round on the heels of a convincing 35-0 victory against No. 11 seed Ontario (6-5) at home.
The Fighting Irish found the end zone on 5 of their first 6 possessions against the Warriors to build an insurmountable lead. They played the entire 2nd half with a running clock, moving on to the 2nd round for the 15th-straight year.
Senior WR Preston Fryzel and senior WR Jerome Davis V sparked the CCHS offense with 2 scores each in the opening half vs. Ontario. Fryzel was credited with TD receptions covering 33 and 70 yards, while Davis returned a punt 46 yards for a TD and caught a 43-yard TD pass. A 2025 CHSL All-Catholic honoree, Fryzel finished with 2 receptions for 103 yards, topping the century mark for the 2nd time in the last 3 games.
A major factor in Fryzel and Davis having big games was the efficiency of QB Ali Beydoun. The junior signal caller completed 8-of-9 passes for a season-high 192 yards and 3 TDs.
Overall this fall, Beydoun has connected on 100-of-168 passes (59.5 percent) for 1,374 yards and 13 TDs. Junior RB Jeremiah Fuller has carried the ball 155 times for 1,077 yards with 13 scores, while Fryzel has 24 receptions for 657 yards and 7 TDs.
CCHS will battle Lexington on the gridiron for the 2nd straight year and 3rd time in the postseason.
Last fall, the Fighting Irish defeated the Minutemen, 35-7, in the regional semifinals at Frost-Kalnow Stadium. CCHS held a 323-228 edge in total offense (157 yards passing, 151 yards rushing).
Individually, RB Tyler Morgan and Fryzel led the Irish offense with 2 scores each. Morgan finished with a game-high 88 yards on the ground on 11 carries.
The teams also squared off in 2016, with Central Catholic defeating Lexington, 19-0, in the 3rd round of the state playoffs at Tiffin Columbian High School.
A member of the Ohio Cardinal Conference, Lexington is appearing in the state playoffs for the 5th time in the last 6 years. They are led by 2nd-year Head Coach Andrew Saris.
Should the Fighting Irish advance to the Region 10 Semifinals, they would face either No. 2 seed Wapakoneta (10-0) or No. 7 seed Lima Shawnee (8-3) on Friday, November 14 at 7 p.m. at a neutral site.
