Media accounts of Columbus Bishop Watterson’s 19-14 victory over Toledo Central Catholic in the Division III state championship game summarized what happened on the football field on a memorable Friday afternoon in Canton, but the untold story is how faith and hard work shaped an historic season.
What the descriptions didn’t include were senior standout Zack Weber sharing with assistant coach John Wallace before the game a tidbit of spiritual wisdom from something he had read or sophomore defensive tackle Michael Boyle praying the rosary on the beads he had received for his First Communion.
The game stories didn’t mention a Communion service with Father Paul Noble, the school chaplain, in the Watterson chapel before the team left for a two-hour bus ride to Canton or the players and coaches kneeling to pray a Hail Mary, led by Deacon Chris Campbell, the school principal, in the locker room immediately prior the game.
“It’s powerful,” Wallace said. “You get the hair on your arms start to rise a little bit when you start to hear those words before the game, and then especially after the game, when we’re reflecting and giving thanks and praise to God. It plays a big part.
“I can always tell how serious our guys are at those Communion services. There’s a lot of praying. It’s a pivotal part of game day for us.”
The Eagles followed a similar routine throughout the 16 weeks of a season that culminated in a perfect ending as the Eagles claimed the third state title in school history and the first since 2010, rallying to take down the defending champions and avenging a loss to the Irish in the 2023 title game.
Junior quarterback Drew Bellisari scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 9-yard run with 1:29 left to bring Watterson back from a seven-point deficit going into the fourth quarter.
Bellisari threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Dominic Theado with 10:28 left in the fourth quarter and also completed a fourth-down pass to Theado on the winning drive, finishing the game 5-of-9 passing for 88 yards and rushing 13 times for 63 yards.
Weber carried 28 times for 134 yards and a touchdown.
Watterson’s defense held Toledo Central Catholic (14-2) to 264 total yards. Joe Hayes, Ben Gabrich and Ben Uhlenhake led the Eagles with nine tackles each, and Michael Boyle and CJ Youell each contributed 2.5 tackles for loss apiece.
Watterson finished with a 16-0 record, dominating most of its opponents during the regular season and playoffs to achieve the dream of winning a state title that few high school athletes experience. The Eagles outscored opponents 639-111 on the way to the best record in program history.
For parents, alumni, fans and fellow students, the outcome in the stadium was plain to see. They celebrated the team’s success afterward, but what wasn’t evident to them is the preparation that put the Eagles in position to win week after week.
Wallace, the team’s offensive coordinator and the chair of the social studies department at Watterson, pointed to camaraderie and offseason dedication as key factors that elevated the Eagles to a high level of performance over the past few seasons.
Beginning in June, a majority of the players participated in voluntary 6 a.m. workouts without coaches present.
“We started that because we weren’t getting full participation from all of our multi-sport athletes, guys that play baseball, lacrosse, basketball, they all had club or travel stuff going on during the summertime and we were getting only 50 percent of the key guys here for afternoon workouts,” Wallace explained. “We didn’t really have that brotherhood like we do now. We had over 90 percent attendance the last few summers and that has definitely changed things for us.”
Even before that, in the spring, Wallace organized after-school meetings with student-athletes from football and other sports that focused on faith, life and culture.
“Football was kind of secondary,” he said. “They all wrote out goals and purpose sheets, and is their purpose is for playing football.
“We all had goals to go win the state championship game, but what’s the purpose of doing all of that? And I think from a faith perspective, especially, we really focused on football gives you the opportunity to show your faith, God’s love for you, your determination, your perseverance, all of those things. That was definitely a talking point for us in the offseason and carrying that through the season and remembering your purpose.”
Beyond football, students were encouraged to be the best versions of themselves at all times, to be who God has called them to be on the field, in the classroom in the community and at home.
“We talked to them about not being on their phones as much at home, being present each step of the way,” Wallace continued. “And I think that, three years ago, four years ago, kids were really burned out by the end of the season because it was all just football, football, football. There’s still a lot of football that goes into it, but I think we’ve done a pretty good job of building up the bigger picture for the players and that helps them with the longevity of the season.”
After finishing the 2021 season with a 5-6 record, Watterson has gone 42-4 since then while playing deep into the postseason each year.
“We told them that you have all the success in the world, you can win as many championships as you want, but if you don’t have that strong faith life, family life, or good friends, then all that success on the field isn’t going to mean as much,” Wallace said.
Watterson was blessed to have a roster of talented players and coaches, starting with head coach Brian Kennedy, who has built the program’s winning culture by holding the students accountable for their actions.
“We’re very happy he is leading us for sure,” Wallace said of Kennedy, who is 65-30 in eight years at the school with five playoff appearances. “He’s somebody that is going to make you a better person. He’s going to make young men better football players no matter what your role is on the team. He’s definitely someone the kids want to play for.”
The roster included sons of former Ohio State football players (Drew and Carter Bellisari, Jake and Ben Uhlenhake) whose fathers are part of a highly experienced coaching staff.
“There are some big last names, but they’re all very humble,” Wallace said. “They obviously know and understand and appreciate what their dads did, but you can tell that they’re geared toward making a name for themselves and staying humble in that process and just really trying to be friends with everyone. That’s one of the coolest parts about our team.
“These guys have been playing together in the grade school system for the last eight years now and so that the camaraderie and the friendship, it’s been built up.”
“I think we have the best coaches in Ohio,” Boyle said. “They definitely put us in the right position to succeed and I also think for me especially, it’s because of our faith. I take my faith pretty seriously.”
Boyle, a state wrestling champion as a freshman last year, began his pregame rosary ritual early in the football season.
“On the bus (traveling to games), I was sitting there and I thought I could use that time better and so I brought my rosary the next week, and I’ve just done it ever since,” he said. “In wrestling, I use the rosary a lot too to pray because there’s a lot of downtime.”
Coming into the season, there were some questions about whether Watterson could duplicate last year’s run to the state final. Lost to graduation were some key players from that team, including linebacker Dominic Purcell, an Ohio Mr. Football finalist, and All-Ohio quarterback A.J. McAninch.
But Bellisari exceeded expectations as the team’s starting quarterback and Weber made major contributions as a running back and a linebacker. He finished the season with 1,867 yards rushing on 220 carries and 24 touchdowns.
“We were cautiously optimistic because it’s a long road to get here,” Wallace said. “But in the back of our mind, we knew if we put everything together, the result of that was going to be heading back to Canton if we do it all the right way.
“And Zack had a great season running the ball. He’s played a lot of football (starting since his sophomore season) and he’s a very faith-filled young man.
“A lot of guys might be looking up different things before a game, but he’s reading about how to be a better Christian in the world, about how to lead by example. Before every game in the locker room, he comes up and tells me a quote or two about what he read and how he thinks it’s going to apply to the game.”
“None of this would be happening without faith,” Weber said. “There’s a prayer that I say before every single game that I have been saying since I was probably a freshman, and it’s something along the lines of: ‘Pray for me, pray for my teammates, pray for everybody in the Watterson community, but also pray for the other team and their safety and everybody they have on their sideline.
“And I think saying that prayer before I play really helps me understand I’m not just playing just for myself. It’s obviously bigger than that. It’s about faith and it’s about life. And I think that football and faith go hand in hand, and I feel like that’s the culture at Bishop Watterson.”
Watterson’s seniors finished their high school football careers as the winningest class in school history.
“It’s really an honor to me to be able to be influential on a team that that’s this good with so much talent and so much potential,” Weber said. “It’s a blessing. I might get the credit for a big play here and there, but watch the film and see what these other guys are doing. It’s really incredible.
“Win or lose, you praise God.”
Lineman Oliver Davis, one of the 14 seniors on the team, emphasized the feeling of family that has transformed Watterson football over the past four years.
“Everyone feels connected,” he said. “Everyone on the team likes each other. Nobody on the team really is like, I want to win a state title for myself. They’re more like, I want to win a state title for everyone that’s worked hard to get here.
“That’s a great mentality to have, and I think it’s definitely contributed to our success.”