Green Wave rolling into Zanesville for regional final matchup

NEWARK, Ohio – The Newark Catholic Green Wave will battle unbeaten Fort Frye in the Division 6, Region 23 final Friday night at Zanesville’s John D. Sulsberger Stadium.

Newark Catholic (8-4) won back-to-back postseason nailbiters to make it to week 13. The 5-seed Green Wave knocked off 4-seed Bellaire, 21-20, in first-round action, then upended 8-seed Bishop Ready in overtime, 20-14, in the regional semifinal.

Junior quarterback Hunter Chapman connected with senior running back Kyle Gibson on a 20-yard touchdown pass to punch Newark Catholic’s ticket to the Elite Eight.

Fort Frye (12-0) has yet to be tested entering its biggest game of the season. The Cadets’ slimmest margin of victory came in the form of a 37-20 win over Northridge on Sept. 16. Fort Frye’s offense is averaging 43.8 points per game while the Cadet defense is allowing fewer than 10 points per contest.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The winner will play Region 21 champion Cuyahoga Heights (12-0) or Kirtland (11-1) in the state semifinal at a location to be determined.