Saw this feature on the NFL network about 5 teams that should've won championships but didnt. I.E. 07 Patriots, 98 vikings were some mentioned. So I was thinking, who can you equate this to in Ohio High School. 5 teams that were good enough to win championships but didnt cause of injury or upset or something else. Here;s my pick,

1. 2005 Canfield Cardinals. Okay maybe some bias here, but that defense was so dominant in the playoffs. We get up 14-3 in the state final and then our best player goes down with an injury. Had a chance to go up 2 scores again before halftime but we have an unfortunate fumble on the 1 yard line that some still argue he was across the goaline.

2. 2007 Cardinal Mooney. With all respect to Coldwater, if Dan McCarthy plays in that title game, Mooney wins. Tim Marlowe filled in nicely at QB, but McCarthy's presence was defintley missing on defense.

3. 2001/02 Warren Harding. Clarett, Prescott Burges, Mike Phillips, Mike Kokal, etc... Too much talent not to win a state title. Didn't start playing the state final against Elder till the second half by then it was too late.

4. 2007/08 Hopewell-Loudon. A lot of talent on those teams. Two runner up finishes in two years. I remember coming home at lunch break from work and watching their game agianst DSJ and it looked like HL started rooling. I go to work, come back home after, and see they got rolled and I was left wondering what the heck happened.

5. 2002 Ursuline. A loaded team. Would've been a great showdown against Ben Mauk and Kenton but lost to a team they should've beat on a field that should have never been used for a state semifinal.

I also considered 2007 Columbus DeSales, upset to Louisville in regional final, 2006 Canton McKinley, I believe they were a better team that Mentor but lost to them in the state semi.

What are your choices?

The Harding team you mentioned stands out most to me being from Warren. But Clarett's team that didn't (and should have) won state lost to St. Ignatius after a lukewarm performance and a freakish forward fumble on a 4th down play by Iggy. The team that lost to Elder in the final was also loaded, but Richard Davis was their tb, and was a very good player in his own right.

...Coldwater won that day...PERIOD, no excuses from Mooney fans and our hats off to their kids for playing us tough to become champs that year.

4cards wrote: ...Coldwater won that day...PERIOD, no excuses from Mooney fans and our hats off to their kids for playing us tough to become champs that year.

True, but if you try to list the best teams not to win a state title, that Mooney team is near or at the top of the list.

No one is making excuses. This is hypothetical anyways. Plus, injuries are not excuses--they're REASONS you can lose games. Excuses are, "well, the field was crappy". Mooney definitely would have won that game--I know you're all class 4cards but I know you agree

There have been a number of Ted Ginn Sr. coached teams that could make this list--including this season.

No one is trying to disrespect anyone--get that talk out of here right now. This thread is just for fun. I agree with most of your list Cards, especially Canfield. Stll having Sanzenbacher nightmares? That team was stacked, Kyle Banna is still one of the best high school linebackers I've ever witnessed in person. I remember how hyped up the Canfield/Salem game was that year because Salem was actually good--but Canfield kicked our ass. It was like watching the same exact two teams play each other except Canfield was a lot faster.

Mooney '85

I'd have to throw this years Logan Chieftains in the mix for this actually. I think if our QB hadn't got inured at the beginning of the 3rd quarter..the outcome would have been different and we would have continued on.

^This year?

2001 Columbus St. Francis DeSales.

The team was hosed more than any team in a State Championship game that I have seen.

I don't like to say that a certain team "should have" won. The team that plays better for 48 minutes wins the game. Some of the teams I wonder about are teams from the 70's who went undefeated but didn't get in because only 1 team qualified per region. The Boardman team that went undefeated in 1980 with Bernie Kosar but didn't play enough games to qualify for the playoffs because of a teacher's strike had a bad break. I have hard time today with 8 teams getting in per region saying that any team should have won but didn't. Some of the teams way back didn't have the opportunity to get in, but not today.

CardsFlyinHigh wrote: 4. 2007/08 Hopewell-Loudon. A lot of talent on those teams. Two runner up finishes in two years. I remember coming home at lunch break from work and watching their game agianst DSJ and it looked like HL started rooling. I go to work, come back home after, and see they got rolled and I was left wondering what the heck happened.

I know I am being biased, but I'll throw in the 07/08 Norwalk St. Paul teams. Hopewell was NSP's achilles heal those two years. Hopewell played amazing in both games they defeated St. Paul, but NSP would have matched up better with Newark Catholic in '07 and DSJ in '08 than H-L did. H-L got tore up by the run in both games, something I don't think would have happened to NSP. IMHO we could have witnessed a three-peat by NSP if it weren't for H-L.

SQ_Crazies wrote: ^This year?

Yeah

1983 Massillon Tigers, Brian Dewitz, the starting QB went down in a week 1 win vs Perry, the Tigers lost the next week to an Akron Garfield team featuring the great Charles Gladman 10-14.

Massillon finished 9-1 and missed the playoffs.

That Garfield team went on to play for the state championship, losing to Cin. Princeton 24-6, and obviously, a title would not have been a given, but with a healthy Dewitz, (Indiana), Chris Spielman (OSU), Craig Johnson (Michigan State), Tom Gruno (Toledo), I really liked our chances that year.

GoChiefs wrote:

SQ_Crazies wrote: ^This year?

Yeah

Eh, you think they could have won it all? I don't know about that. I'm not sure anyone in D2 could have taken out Winton Woods.

I'd say they could have got by anyone with everyone healthy..Winton Woods could have beat them..I think we could have beaten them as well..would have been one of those games that could have gone either way IMO..but I think it would have been a helluva lot better game for D2 than we had!

SQ_Crazies wrote: No one is trying to disrespect anyone--get that talk out of here right now. This thread is just for fun. I agree with most of your list Cards, especially Canfield. Stll having Sanzenbacher nightmares? That team was stacked, Kyle Banna is still one of the best high school linebackers I've ever witnessed in person. I remember how hyped up the Canfield/Salem game was that year because Salem was actually good--but Canfield kicked our ass. It was like watching the same exact two teams play each other except Canfield was a lot faster.

I can't lie, part of me does cringe a little bit when I hear his name on OSU games, but he was a phenonmal player. Everytime I see him catch a pass I say to myself "That guy cost us a state title" lol. I just woulda loved to see a full game of him vs Angelo Babbaro

Yeah I can't really comment on that too much, I never saw Logan play. Saw some other really good D2 teams and not sure any of them could have touched Winton Woods--but I didn't see Logan. Louisville is in your division right? I saw them play when they were healthy. I think even with their top guy healthy (I believe he got hurt in like week 7 or something didn't he), who was a legit badass, they wouldn't have touched Winton Woods and Louisville really impressed me.

CardsFlyinHigh wrote:

SQ_Crazies wrote: No one is trying to disrespect anyone--get that talk out of here right now. This thread is just for fun. I agree with most of your list Cards, especially Canfield. Stll having Sanzenbacher nightmares? That team was stacked, Kyle Banna is still one of the best high school linebackers I've ever witnessed in person. I remember how hyped up the Canfield/Salem game was that year because Salem was actually good--but Canfield kicked our ass. It was like watching the same exact two teams play each other except Canfield was a lot faster.

I can't lie, part of me does cringe a little bit when I hear his name on OSU games, but he was a phenonmal player. Everytime I see him catch a pass I say to myself "That guy cost us a state title" lol. I just woulda loved to see a full game of him vs Angelo Babbaro

Babbaro was good. A bit a difference between his younger days and his senior year...but I won't go there lol....

Didn't Ursuline have a few great teams in the late 90s? How did they not win a title? Any UHS folks to help me out?

Yeah..Louisville beat Logan 7-0 in the 2nd round last year..I think they were better last year IMO. Don't get on me any Leopard fans! That's just my opinion! LOL I'd say we should have been able to beat them if both teams were healthy. Logan's QB Angle was a stud..finalist for Mr. Football..had a great trio of receivers as well. Stout defense. The only thing that would have concerned me against anytime was not having a very effective run game.

The run game goes a lot way for you in the playoffs. I've heard about Angle, never seen him but heard great things.

Yeah..I know..that's why I said that was my concern..I mean..we did have one when we needed it...but for the most part the Chiefs passed. Here's a little video I made of Logan vs Chillicothe this year..Angle is #7 of course.

http://s595.photobucket.com/albums/tt36/jeremyandtami/Logan%20Chieftains/?action=view&current=Chiefs.flv

GoChiefs wrote: Yeah..I know..that's why I said that was my concern..I mean..we did have one when we needed it...but for the most part the Chiefs passed. Here's a little video I made of Logan vs Chillicothe this year..Angle is #7 of course.

http://s595.photobucket.com/albums/tt36/jeremyandtami/Logan%20Chieftains/?action=view&current=Chiefs.flv

Nice. He does look good. Reminds me a bit of the QB we had in Salem this year, calm in the pocket and can make any throw out there.

Here's a video of him through the first 7 games of the season, hopefully they'll add more at some point because his best two games came in week 9 and 11:

http://www.scoutingohio.com/index.php/view-profile.html?task=userProfile&user=3260&name=Ttooth12

SQ_Crazies wrote: Nice. He does look good. Reminds me a bit of the QB we had in Salem this year, calm in the pocket and can make any throw out there.

That was just video of the 1st half too. Starters were out after halftime. Lol

Except that Toothman runs too, lol. Over 2000 in the air and over 1000 on the ground. Not sure he's quite the passer Angle is.