High school football: No stranger to winning state championships, top-ranked Akron Hoban presents another huge challenge for Avon

When Archbishop Hoban coach Tim Tyrrell came back to Ohio in 2013 to take over the Knights program, they had won just three games in the previous two seasons. Within three years, Tyrrell had Hoban on the cusp of one of the most prolific championship streaks in Ohio High School Athletic Association history. The Knights (9-0) won state titles in 2015, '16, '17 and '18, and after losing in the regional finals a season ago, have a fifth championship in six years on their mind as they get ready to face Avon (10-0) in the Division II state semifinals Friday at 7 p.m. at Byers Field in Parma. Avon is making its fourth straight appearance in the state semifinals. Hoban finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state in Division II, while Avon is No. 3. For Hoban, this season has been all about defense. The Knights have 10 returning starters on that side of the ball and have shut out five of their nine opponents. "We have some kids who have played a long time like (defensive linemen) Darryl Peterson and (linebacker) Damon Ollison," Tyrrell said. "Mike Hayden is a really good linebacker. Alvin Stallworth and Kharion Davis in the defensive backfield are both really good." Hoban also has a starting quarterback, Shane Hamm, who was under center for their 2017 and '18 state championships. "It's huge to have another person on the field who understands everything you want to do," Tyrrell said of Hamm. "He keeps everyone one calm and he makes very few mistakes." Avon fans remember Hamm as the quarterback who beat the Eagles in the state semifinals in 2017 and 18. The Eagles are hoping the third time facing Hoban in the state semifinals will be the charm. But when Avon coach Mike Elder watches film of the Knights he sees a team that will likely give Avon its toughest test of the season. "This year what I'm seeing on film is a team that's very complete on both sides of the ball," Elder said. "They have Division I talent all over the field and they're very well-coached. That's not a good recipe for other teams trying to beat them. They have a very good coaching staff that is great at making adjustments and does all the things I believe we do well. I will tell our kids all week: You don't have to beat them nine out of 10 times, you've just got to beat them once." Tyrrell has many of the same feelings as he prepares for the Eagles. "Avon presents a lot of challenges, we're still trying to figure them out," Tyrrell said. "Coach Elder does a great job with his staff, they always do. That's why its four years in a row. He coaches to his kids' talents and that's always fun to watch. He has some really special players, they believe in what he's saying. They do so many things well it's hard to focus on just one thing. We'll just keep watching film and try to find the little things." Avon senior quarterback Niko Pappas was in the starting lineup as a defensive back in 2018 but missed the Hoban game due to injury. He knows how tough of a challenge the Knights present. "We know a little bit about what they do," Pappas said. "We just have to study film and make sure we do our roles. We know they're going to be physical and that they have athletes. We just have to play our best and match their physicality. Just give our all of it." Hoban, like many teams across the state, might not have been playing its best football early in the season with all the uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. But the Knights showed how much they've improved by beating Benedictine 37-0 in the regional semifinals after needing to hold on late for a 31-24 win when the teams met in Week 3. "We have gotten better mentally," Tyrrell said. "We had a couple of hiccup games early in the season where we weren't really there mentally. Those were games where the mind started to stray and we didn't focus on the task at hand." Tyrrell is preparing his team for what most fans are hoping to see, a tight game between two championship-caliber teams. "It's going to be one of those games where the team that makes the least amount of mistakes is going to win," he said. Contact Todd Shapiro at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.