Star-powered Athens High School senior class looking to bring home school’s first state championship.
After eliminating the two-time defending state champions last weekend, Athens High School will try to take down one more Ohio powerhouse to send its seniors out with a title.
The Bulldogs (14-0) will play in their first-ever title game Thursday in Columbus at Ohio Stadium against Toledo Central Catholic, which won the 2012 Division II State Championship over Trotwood-Madison.
Athens City Schools will be releasing early in order to ensure students have time to travel to Columbus before the game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. The high school and middle school will dismiss at 1:30 p.m., and the elementary schools will release at 2:30 p.m.
Athens High School coaches did not respond to The Post’s request for comment and did not make any players available for an interview over the phone.
After losing in the regional final the previous two seasons, Athens overcame that obstacle this year by defeating St. Francis DeSales 52-20 to advance to the state semifinal against St. Vincent-St. Mary.
Trae Williams, a senior running back, sent Athens to the Division III State Championship last Friday in New Philadelphia by sealing the win over Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary with an interception in the game’s final minutes.
Thursday’s Ohio Stadium crowd could get a preview of the years to come by watching the Bulldogs’ run-and-gun offense. Athens senior quarterback Joe Burrow, an Ohio State commit and this year’s Mr. Football, leads the offense that averages nearly 60 points a game.
Bobcat fans also have a player to keep an eye on, as Williams is the highest-rated commit in Ohio’s 2015 signing class. Williams averaged 148.3 yards a game during the regular season and scored 27 touchdowns.
The Bulldogs backfield has led Athens through the playoffs. Down 31-21 with 7:56 remaining in the state semifinal, the Bulldogs scored 13 unanswered points to end the game.
Toledo Central Catholic (12-2) has shut down its last two opponents, holding Clyde and Trotwood-Madison to 17 points combined. The Irish defense is led by Division III co-defensive player of the year Colin Kaucher, as well as defensive tackle Christian Ward. Both will look to take away the Bulldogs run game, but Athens has two other options to turn to if that happens.
If Toledo Central Catholic wants to win another state championship, it likely will need to account for Athens’ Luehrman brothers who have provided two dependable targets for Burrow the past few years. Ryan and Adam Luehrman accounted for 20 of Burrow’s 35 touchdowns during the regular season.
Burrow found Ryan Luehrman three times to get Athens to Ohio Stadium last weekend.
Thursday, he will try to make his first memory in his future home a positive one by winning a championship.
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