What, when, where: Division III state final, 3 p.m., Fawcett Stadium, 1835 Harrison Ave. N.W., Canton. Call 330-458- 2084.
Records: Big Walnut, 13-1; Licking Valley, 13-1.
What to watch: The teams, located in adjoining counties in central Ohio, have 16 playoff appearances between them, but only Licking Valley has made it to the finals, losing to Kenton in the 2001 title game after beating St. Vincent-St. Mary in the semifinals. The Big Walnut Golden Eagles, from Delaware County and ranked fifth in the final Associated Press poll, suffered their lone loss to New Albany in the final game of the regular season. The Licking Valley Panthers, from Licking County and ranked sixth in the AP poll, lost to North Canton Hoover (a Division I regional finalist) in Week 2. Licking Valley has traveled a tougher road to the finals, beating Lake Catholic last week on a 65-yard scoring run with 25 seconds left by senior Josh Bailey, and also beating top-ranked Canal Fulton Northwest in the regional finals and 10th-ranked Beloit West Branch in the semifinals. Clyde, ranked 12th by the AP, is the only ranked team Big Walnut had to clear in the playoffs. Big Walnut is named after the Big Walnut Creek that runs between the villages of Sunbury and Galena. Ethan Wetzel, son of coach Scott Wetzel, is the team's quarterback and has passed for 1,221 yards and rushed for 1,140 yards while accounting for 29 touchdowns. The Golden Eagles also have an outstanding player in Will Studlien, a 6-3, 225-pound junior linebacker/ guard being eyeballed by Ohio State. Licking Valley's big horse is 6-3, 225-pound junior Storm Klein, a running back/linebacker who already has committed to Ohio State. Klein, who has battled nagging injuries in the later part of the season, has rushed for 1,359 yards and made 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Two-way tackle Tim German, a Bowling Green recruit, is 6-7, 295 pounds.
PD pick: Licking Valley wins Central Ohio showdown.
