UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — Marty Tobin ended Walsh Jesuit’s first drive of the third quarter with a fumble on the slick turf Friday night at John Carroll University’s Don Shula Stadium.
The junior running back, starting his second game in place of injured senior Lucas Weaver, told his coach he would not do it again.
Tobin didn’t, and when Walsh Jesuit coach Nick Alexander decided to go for it late on fourth down to clinch the Warriors’ 20-12 win vs. Benedictine, he called Tobin’s number.
Quarterback Kellen Moten handed him the ball out of their shotgun formation, and Tobin cut up behind the left side of the line with blocks by tackle Kodey Kish and guard Colton Crosley. Walsh Jesuit needed two yards. Tobin gave them three.
Two plays later, Moten took the final knee to seal the Warriors’ sixth win to start the high school football season.
“I just want to thank my line,” said Weaver, who rushed the football 30 times for 211 yards. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have gotten that first down.”
Afterward, Alexander told his players they had 12 hours to celebrate their victory. He usually gives them 24 hours.
This time is different because Walsh (6-0), ranked seventh in the cleveland.com Top 25, has a date next Friday with rival and third-ranked Archbishop Hoban (5-1).
No. 19 Benedictine, though, gave the Warriors all they could handle.
Like Walsh, which has been without Weaver, the Bengals missed senior running back Chris Maloney for their last two games. He returned with a burst, giving them a second-quarter lead on an 80-yard touchdown run.
Maloney didn’t let up, finishing with 203 yards on 22 carries.
Moten then engineered a 10-play, 65-yard drive in the rain. For much of the night, he found Aiden Henry on short passes, but finally turned to his big 6-foot-4 target in junior Milan Parris. With one big throw from midfield, he hit Parris for a 33-yard gain to the 12. Two plays later, he connected with Parris again in the left corner of the end zone for Walsh’s go-ahead score.
Repeatedly in the second quarter, Moten looked to the sideline in frustration because of the rain.
“I can’t grip the ball,” Moten said he yelled to his coaches. “There’s multiple times, like the time I threw to Milan in the back of the end zone, I’m grabbing the ball and just kind of pushing it. We got the job done. That’s all that matters.”
Moten threw for only 92 yards, finding Henry on eight passes for 41 yards and Parris just twice — but two difference-making heaves — on Walsh’s go-ahead drive.
The senior quarterback also rushed for 76 yards on 13 carries and scored two TDs, including once on the opening drive and again on a 34-yard run in the third quarter.
Benedictine, which visits Elyria Catholic next week, cut a 20-9 deficit down with Bryce Meitin’s second 27-yard field goal. The Bengals just could not get the critical stop on fourth down to keep their chances alive for a comeback.
They also could not reach the end zone beyond Maloney’s big run, as junior cornerback James Brewer II broke up a potential touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to J.J. Baldwin that could have changed the complexion of it. Brewer also had an interception in the first half, and Walsh allowed just 54 yards passing.
“I’m just so proud of the way that our defense played in the second half,” said Alexander, who lamented his team’s three turnovers that allowed Benedictine to remain within striking distance. “This was the first week, and we knew it had to come at some point. We hadn’t turned the ball over since Week 1, so this was the first week where we had to battle a little adversity.”
Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on X (@mgoul), Threads (@mgoul) or email ([email protected]).
