CANTON, Ohio (WKBN) – Championship Friday is almost upon us. For Canfield, it doesn’t get any bigger than this. The opportunity to win a state championship — something that eluded Mike Pavlansky’s great football program — is now fast approaching.
The Cardinals (14-1) advanced to the title tilt by defeating Holy Name one week ago.
This Friday, Bloom-Carroll will be competing in their first state championship game in school history. The Bulldogs moved up in classification to Division III after playing in the Final Four last year in Division IV.
High School Football Playoffs – Division III State Championship
Friday, December 2, 2022, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton at 3 p.m.
Canfield (13-1) vs. Bloom-Carroll (14-1)
Team Statistics
Scoring Offense: Bloom-Carroll, 34.8; Canfield, 32.1
Scoring Defense: Bloom-Carroll, 10.2; Canfield, 12.1
Playoff History
Post-season wins: Canfield, 22; Bloom-Carroll, 15
State championships: Bloom-Carroll, 0; Canfield, 0
Game Notes
Bloom-Carroll
• This is the third straight year that the Bulldogs won the regional championship and have appeared in the Final Four.
• Their 35-12 win last week over Tippecanoe was their first victory in the state semifinal. Last year in Division IV, Bloom-Carroll was nipped by Clinton-Massie (24-21) in the state tournament. The year prior (2020), the Bulldogs were picked off by Lake Catholic (17-10) in the same game in Division IV.
• Dylan Armentrout ran for 250 yards and scored three touchdowns in their 35-21 victory over Tippecanoe. The Bulldogs, as a team, gained over 400 yards on the ground to secure their 14th win of the season.
• Since falling to Harvest Prep (20-7) in the opener, Bloom-Carroll has won 14 games in a row. The defense has held the opposition to a pair of touchdowns or less in 11 of 15 games played this season.
• Bloom-Carroll endured a 12-year stretch (2001-12) where they were unable to register a winning season and had six different head coaches.
• Former Bulldog defensive coordinator Jeremy McKinney took over the reins as the head coach in February after the resignation of former coach Wade Bartholomew.
Canfield
• The Cardinals punched their ticket to the state title game by topping Holy Name, 38-21. Quarterback Broc Lowry ran for 228 yards and crossed the goal line four times. Danny Inglis also went over the century mark. As a team, Canfield gained 345 rushing yards.
• Canfield has now won nine consecutive games, including six victories over playoff teams.
• In 2005, the Cardinals edged Tallmadge (17-14) in the state semifinal before falling to Toledo Central Catholic (31-29) in the Division II Final at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
• The Cardinals have the opportunity to tie that 2005 team with the most wins in school history (14).
• Since 2015, Canfield has accumulated a winning percentage of 83% (78-16).
2022 Results
Bloom-Carroll (14-1)
Bulldogs 35 Tippecanoe 12*
Bulldogs 33 Bishop Watterson 28*
Bulldogs 17 Sheridan 7*
Bulldogs 20 Tri-Valley 7*
Bulldogs 48 Beechcroft 0*
Bulldogs 48 Hamilton Twp 0
Bulldogs 35 Teays Valley 27
Bulldogs 41 Logan Elm 20
Bulldogs 42 Fairfield Union 0
Bulldogs 49 Liberty Union 14
Bulldogs 42 Amanda-Clearcreek 13
Bulldogs 42 Circleville 6
Bulldogs 35 Jonathan Alder 0
Bulldogs 28 John Glenn 12
Harvest Prep 20 Bulldogs 7
*Playoff
Canfield (13-1)
Cardinals 38 Holy Name 21*
Cardinals 14 Chardon 7*
Cardinals 33 Ursuline 25*
Cardinals 42 Aurora 14*
Cardinals 27 New Philadelphia 10*
Cardinals 35 Boardman 6
Cardinals 43 Howland 7
Cardinals 48 East 0
Cardinals 20 Dover 14, OT
Chaney 16 Cardinals 13
Cardinals 42 St. Thomas More 0
Cardinals 31 Poland 7
Cardinals 28 Bellevue 12
Cardinals 35 West Branch 31
*Playoff
