By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

Will the past help the present?

That’s the key question as the Ironton Fighting Tigers and their long history of playoff history of success goes against the newcomers on the block — the South Range Raiders — at 10:30 a.m. Friday in the Division 5 state championship.

South Range head coach Dan yearly is in his 28th season as the Raiders’ head coach and has an overall record of 247-75 including 47-13 the last five years.

The Raiders have reached the regional finals three times but lost twice in the title game too Kirkland.

By blanking Liberty Union 35-0, last week, South Range earned its first-ever trip to the championship game.

Ironton (15-0) has reached the state title game 11 times including 3 times in the past 4 seasons. Ironton won state titles in 1979 and 1989.

The Fighting Tigers lost 17-7 in the 2019 championship game and 38-0 in 2020, each time to Kirkland.

Yearly said Ironton’s history in the state title games are an advantage but he thinks his team won’t be intimidated by the pressures of playing for a state title.

‘It is important. You know, experience will pay off for them. It’s an advantage, obviously. But, we’ve been through the state semis a few times and been to the regional finals, we just haven’t got over the hump,” said Yeagley.

“It comes down to the kids. The kids have to maintain their focus and the kids have to understand what their job is,. Ironton is a great program and what they’ve done over the years is phenomenal. It still come down to Friday morning and execution and everybody does their job.

Both teams come into the game 15-0 and have similar styles of play on both sides of the football.

Raiders’ quarterback Billy Skripac is a two-year starter who leads the offensive charge, going 14-of-18 for 263 yards with four touchdowns in the air in last week’s 35-0 win over Liberty Union. He also got it done on the ground with 31 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown.

On the season, Skripac is 130-of-182 for 2,632 yards and 18 touchdowns with just 4 interceptions. He has ran for 604 yards and 18 scores.

“He runs the ball well and he throws the ball very, very well and it helps to have a couple of good receivers in Shane Lindstrom and Ayden Leon and our tight end gets involved in our passing game quite a bit, J.D. Crouse,” said Yeagley.

“Offensively, we try to be 50-50. Our running gametes a great job. Our backs Blake Ewert, Tyler Remish and Ayden Leon. We rotate them and try to keep them fresh because they do play defense also.”

Shane Lindstorm is a 5-7, 170-pound speedster with 48 catches for 1026 yards and 13 TDs. Ayden Leon (5-4, 200) has 35 receptions for 710 yards and 12 scores while J.D. Crouse (6-2, 190) has 30 grabs for 702 yards and 8 TDs.

The top back is 6-2, 190-pound Tyler Remish — a stalwart linebacker’s — had 538 yards rushing on 89 carries and 11 TDs.

“The offensive line has done a really good job all year giving Billy time to throw and opening up seams for running backs to run through. Defensively, multiple fronts, we do a lot of different things, multiple coverages. Our defensive line and our linebackers have done a great job. We’ve been successful offensively and defensively and that’s why we’re at where we are now.”

Tickets for the state championship game are $15 for adults and $12 for students. Fans can purchase tickets by going online at www.ohsaa.org/tickets

Ironton Fighting Tigers

Offensive Lineup

Pos Player No. Ht. Wt. Gr.

WR Ty Perkins 3 6-03 185 Sr.

WR Landen Wilson 15 5-10 170 Sr.

Shaun Terry145-10165So.

LT Hunter Moore 71 6-01 275 Sr.

LG Bowen Gossett 77 6-02 260 So.

C Tanner Moore 66 5-11 220 Sr.

RG Aiden Layne 52 6-00 225 So.

RT Noah Patterson 64 6-02 255 Jr.

TE Bailey Thacker 11 6-03 215 Jr.

QB Tayden Carpenter 10 6-00 190 Sr.

RB Jaquez Keyes 5 6-00 215 Sr.

PK Evan Williams 31 5-05 125 Sr.

Defensive Lineup

Pos. Player No. Ht. Wt. Gr.

DE Bailey Thacker 11 6-03 215 Jr.

DT Noah Patterson 64 6-02 255 Jr.

DT Aiden Layne 52 6-00 225 So.

DE DeAngelo Weekly 33 5-10 205 Sr.

OLB Jaquez Keyes 5 6-00 215 Sr.

Braylon Sturgill205-10185So.

OLB Cole Freeman 40 5-10 175 Sr.

ILB Lincoln Barnes 32 6-00 205 Sr.

ILB Trevor Carter 2 6-02 210 Sr.

CB C.J. Martin 22 6-02 175 Sr.

CB Landen Wilson 15 5-10 170 Sr.

S Amari Felder 7 5-09 190 Sr.

S Aiden Young 8 5-11 185 Sr.

Ty Perkins36-03185Sr.

P Braden Schreck 12 6-02 180 So.

South Range Raiders

Defensive Lineup

Pos. Player No. Ht. Wt. Gr.

DE J.D. Crouse 20 6-03 211 Sr

DT Bailey Ryan 61 6-01 260 Sr.

DT Chris Colucci 58 6-00 220 Sr. DE Landon Moore 15 6-03 170 Jr.

LB Aidan Dominguez 34 6-01 175 So.

LB Tyler Remish 44 6-00 197 Sr.

LB Jake Starkey 28 5-08 185 Sr.

CB Joey Plunkett 21 5-11 155 Sr.

CB Brady Crumbacher 18 5-10 140 Jr.

S Barry Pitzer 10 5-08 170 Sr.

S Nick Plunkett 12 5-11 175 Sr.

P Logan Butcher 27 5-09 145 Jr.

Offensive Lineup

Pos. Player No. Ht. Wt. Gr.

WR Shane Lindstrom 11 5-07 168 Sr.

WR Ayden Leon 24 6-03 195 Sr.

TE J.D. Crouse 20 6-03 211 Sr.

RT Ryan Bartholow 66 6-01 220 Sr.

RG Gus Valentine 51 6-00 240 Jr.

C Chris Colucci 58 6-00 220 Sr.

LG Kyle Blough 53 5-08 180 Sr.

RT Caleb Agee 55 6–01 224 Sr/

WR Dean Depizzo 19 6-03 200 Sr.

Jake Starkey285-08185Sr.

QB Billy Skripac 17 6-02 200 Sr.

RB Blake Ewert 26 5-11 185 Jr.

Aidan Dominguez346-01175So.

PKLuke Starkey426-00185So..

 

Ironton Fighting Tigers (15-0)

Ironton 12 at Wheelersburg 3

Ironton 29 at Jackson 26

Ironton 34 at Fairland 13

Ironton 32 Johnson Central, Ky. 21

Ironton 55 South Point 12

Ironton 62 Chesapeake 0

Ironton 49 at Rock Hill 7

Ironton 55 Coal Grove 6

Ironton 29 Gallipolis 22

Ironton 42 at Portsmouth 7

Division 5 Playoffs

Ironton 51 Minford 7

Ironton 48 Portsmouth 7

Ironton 35 Portsmouth West 7

Ironton 34 Harvest Prep 0

Ironton 35 Germantown Valley View 21

State Championship in Canton

Ironton ?? Canfield South Range ??

Head coach: Trevon Pendleton

Canfield South Range Raiders (15-0)

South Range 37 Springfield 7

South Range 42 University School 14

South Range 34 Canton Central Catholic 21

South Range 23 Struthers 13

South Range 48 Poland Seminary 0

South Range 56 Girard 12

South Range 55 Niles McKinley 0

South Range 42 Jefferson Area 7

South Range 66 Lakeview 6

South Range 28 Hubbard 0

Playoffs

South Range 35 Youngstown Liberty 6

South Range 49 Garfield 10

South Range 34 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney 6

South Range 49 Perry 21

South Range 35 Liberty Union 0

State Championship in Canton

South Range ?? Ironton ??

Head coach: Dan Yeagley