Hartley, Key breezes by Chagrin for D-4 title
Published 12:49 am Sunday, December 5, 2010
MASSILLON (AP) — Noah Key has something his dad David never got on his way to an NFL career — an Ohio high school state championship.
Key overcame a slight knee injury to run for 130 yards and two touchdowns and lead Columbus Bishop Hartley past Chagrin Falls 34-13 in the Ohio Division IV football championship game Friday at Paul Brown Stadium.
Key gave the Hawks (13-2) a 20-0 lead in the second quarter on a 60-yard run around left end. His late 17-yard burst up the middle made it 34-13.
His father played for the Hawks in the 1985 title game, started for three seasons at the University of Michigan and for two in the NFL.
“I told him I’m one up on him,” said Key, The Associated Press’ co-offensive player of the year in the division.
“He pushes me, tells me I’m a better athlete, and I owe a lot to him. I owe my teammates and coaches, too.”
Austin Underwood threw two TD passes as the Hawks earned their second state football title, first since 1986. They scored on their first touch after a Chagrin Falls punt when Omar Lane ran 52 yards untouched around right end. Lane finished with 117 yards on six carries.
“We’ve see that before,” Bishop Hartley coach Brad Burchfield of the stunning run. “He did it to start the season. He said then, ’It’s time for a touchdown.’ “
A 43-yard pass from Underwood to Jawaun Woodley made it 14-0 in the first quarter.
“It’s rough when you prepare all week and look up and suddenly you’re down by 14,” Tigers coach Mark Iammarino said. “We were able to battle back, but when you do you have to put your foot on the gas. Instead, they turned it around.”
Chagrin Falls (13-2) got within 20-13 on Kurt Vidmer’s 2-yard run, but fell to 0-2 in state title games. The Tigers lost the 2009 final to Kettering Alter, which was ousted in this year’s semifinals by Bishop Hartley 29-28 on a two-point conversion.
The Tigers graduated 22 players, yet the remaining seniors vowed to get back for another title shot.
“Nobody thought we could come back here this year, so to do it is very satisfying,” senior lineman Alex Forbers said.
Noah tweaked a knee and missed part of the second quarter. He played sparingly on defense in the second half, but continued to carry the brunt of Bishop Hartley’s vaunted ground game, which rolled up 299 yards on 50 carries.
“They taped me up and I pushed through it,” said Key, who said he will visit Michigan, Ohio State and Toledo as he decides where to play college ball.
The Hawks got several big plays, including a blocked kick by Drake Jones, a key first down on a fake punt and recovery of an onsides kick to extend their lead.
“We do whatever we have to do win on that particular day,” Burchfield said. “You have to have a mature team to do those things. Our fans boo me all the time, but the players enjoy it.”