AKRON: Friday night at Conway Memorial Stadium, Walsh Jesuit’s season flashed before its eyes. Starting quarterback David Ternosky opened strong with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Cayden LeVert, then crumpled late in the first quarter with a right leg injury and did not return. The Warriors (6-1) were already without starting running back Dom Courtad.
Freshman Kinzy Shea walked into the huddle and never flinched. The backup opened the second quarter with a 34-yard touchdown strike to Cameron Brunson and later hit LeVert again on a 29-yard score, finishing 10 of 13 for 137 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. When running back Mason Rodgers went down in the second quarter, Ricky Jordan stepped in with 51 rushing yards and a 2-yard touchdown.
The defense did its part too, highlighted by Xavier Steele’s pick-six just before halftime that broke the game open. Youngstown Ursuline (5-2 entering the night) got on the board late with a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ethan Sandusky, but Walsh closed it out 45-7.
The rout locked up a home game for Walsh Jesuit in the first round of the playoffs — a remarkable result for a team getting thinner by the week. “We’re getting thin,” head coach Nick Alexander admitted, praising a quarterback room he called tight-knit. “Guys take advantage of their opportunities in practice, and then they get to showcase that here on Friday night.”
