Head Coach:  Bob Jacoby
Assistant Coaches:  Chad Williams, Ryan Wiggins, Kurt Murphy, Tony Pratt

2001 Regular Season

Worthington Kilbourne, L 20-0
Westerville South, W 20-7
Covington Catholic (KY), W 36-33
Painesville Riverside, W 26-7
Whitehall, W 27-6
St. Charles, W 35-28
Bishop Watterson, L  41-14
Cincinnati Moeller, L 20-10
Univ. Detroit Jesuit, L 28-16
Ironton, L 20-10

2001 OHSAA Playoff Games

Divsion-III, Region 11 Quarterfinal
DeSales (5-5) vs. Steubenville (8-2)
Date:  November 2, 2001
Location:  Harding Stadium (Steubenville)

Result:  DeSales 38, Steubenville 8
The Stallions ended their 4-game losing streak by defeating the top seed in Region 11 at Steubevnille.  It was the 4th time DeSales met the Big Red in the postseason and the Stallions were tested early.  Steubenville returned the opening kickoff 67 yards and eventually worked the ball down to the DeSales 3 yard line before the Stallions forced a turnover on downs.  Austin Addington started the scoring for DeSales when he crossed the goal-line on a 9-yard run with 1:45 left in the 1st quarter.  From there, it was all Stallions.  On the ensuing possession Dan Brown intercepted a Big Red pass and returned to the Steubenville 14 yard line.  Three plays later, Luther Henderson took it in from 8 yards out.  DeSales would score 26 points in the 2nd quarter en route to a 32-0 halftime lead.  Quarterback Dino Razzano led the way with 132 yards rushing, including an 85-yard score, one of two on the evening for the junior.  Addington also scored twice and chipped-in with 104 rushing yards.  For the evening, DeSales ran the ball 43 times for 338 yards and the Stallions handed the Steubenville their worst loss at home since 1978. 

Divsion-III, Region 11 Semifinal
DeSales (6-5) vs. Canal Fulton Northwest (9-2)
Date:  November 9, 2001
Location:  Mansfield Arlin Field

Result:  DeSales 28, Canal Fulton Northwest 14
Dino Razzano threw two touchdown passes and ran 46 yards for another score and the Stallions overcame a 7-6 halftime deficit for the victory.  Early in the 3rd quarter, Razzano connected with Ryan Senser for a 58-yard touchdown pass and then ran in the 2-point conversion to give DeSales a 14-7 lead.  With 11 minutes remaining and the Stallions up 21-14, De’Wayne Penn intercepted a pass and returned it 26 yards for the score to secure the win for the Purple and White.

Divsion-III, Region 12 Final
DeSales (7-5) vs.  New Concord John Glenn (10-2) 
Date:  November 16, 2001
Location:  Sulsberger Memorial Stadium (Zanesville)

Result:  DeSales 21, New Concord John Glenn 13   
DeSales jumped out to a 14-0 1st quarter lead thanks to two De’Wayne Penn touchdown runs (20, 5).  The Little Muskies, who came into the game with three running backs who had combined for over 3,000 yards rushing, would respond with a 10-play 92-yard drive.  Darron Derwacter’s 4-yard touchdown run cut the Stallion lead to 14-7, which was the score at the halftime.  In the 3rd quarter, DeSales’ Ryan O’Reilly recovered a fumble at the John Glenn 35 yard line and five plays later Penn would score his 3rd touchdown on a 4-yard run.  After a successful 1st half for Derwacter with 128 yards on the ground, the Stallions defense would hold the Little Muskie back to 40 yards after halftime.  The Purple and White also forced four 2nd half turnovers, including interceptions by Angelo Cua, Blake McCallister and Ronnie Smith.  Tyler Gergley, who came in for an injured Andrew Addington (torn knee ligament), contributed with 76 yards rushing.  The Stallions won their 4th regional title since 1996. 

Divsion-III, State Semifinal
DeSales (8-5) vs.  Kettering Alter (10-3)
Date:  November 23, 2001
Location:  Springfield South Evans Stadium

Result:  DeSales 20, Kettering Alter 17
In perhaps one of the most thrilling finishes in DeSales history, De’Wayne Penn out-wrestled a Dino Razzano pass out of the grasp of defender Bobby Getty with 7 seconds remaining and the Stallions took their first lead of the game against Kettering Alter.  Penn’s 17-yard game-winning reception capped a 93-yard, 10-play scoring drive for DeSales, who advanced to their 6th state championship game.  Trailing the entire game, facing a 4th-and-4 on their own 13 yard line with 59 seconds remaining, Razzano ran 29 yards for the first down.  Razzano then took to the air, completing three passes to the Alter 16 yard line, before finding Penn in the end-zone.  Alter jumped out to a 14-0 1st quarter lead after two Doug Penno touchdowns.  The Stallions aided the second scoring drive for the Knights by fumbling on their first offensive play.  Dino Razzano got DeSales on the scoreboard with an 11-yard touchdown run with 3:17 remaining in the 1st quarter.  Alter would later push the lead to 17-7 with a 21-yard field goal.  The Stallions played keep-away in the 3rd quarter with two long drives that led to two Jonathan Bednarek field goals (35, 39), making it 17-13.  Alter only ran 4 plays in the 3rd quarter. 

Divsion-III, State Final
DeSales (9-5) vs. Mentor Lake Catholic (12-2)
Date:  November 30, 2001
Location:  Massillon Paul Brown Stadium

Result:  Mentor Lake Catholic 27, DeSales 21 (OT)
A week after De’Wayne Penn’s game-winning touchdown catch in the win over Kettering Alter, which was a part of one of the most thrilling finishes in DeSales’ storied history, came one of the most controversial games.  DeSales scored on their first two possessions and got out to a 14-0 1st quarter lead.  Dino Razzano passed to Penn for a 55-yard touchdown and Tyler Gergley ran for a 4-yard touchdown on the Stallions’ second possession.  Lake Catholic quarterback Mark Petruziello led the Cougars back, mostly through the air, including a 51-yarder to make it 14-7 at the half.  In the 3rd quarter, after forcing a turnover on downs, DeSales was driving before a controversial play led to a turnover.  On 1st down at the Lake Catholic 23 yard line, Razzano ran the ball 8 yards before fumbling the ball, which was recovered by the Cougars.  However, television replay confirmed that Razzano was down when the ball was stripped loose.  Petruziello, who threw for a Division-III state championship game record 298 yards, had the Cougars on the move after the turnover, trailing 14-7 later in the 3rd quarter.  On another play in which DeSales fans will talk about for ages, on 4th-and-goal at the 2, Petruziello ran the ball and it appeared as though he was stopped short of the end-zone by Penn, but instead was awarded a touchdown.  However, the Stallions responded, going on a 12-play, 83-yard drive with Razzano scoring on a 3-yard run, giving DeSales a 21-14 lead with 5:16 remaining in the game.  Lake Catholic then drove 60 yards on 11 plays for the game-tying touchdown with 2:47 left in the 4th quarter.  The Stallions took to the field first in overtime, but Mark Watson intercepted a Razzano pass and Dan Cvelbar’s 2-yard touchdown run in overtime gave the Cougars their third state championship.

2001 Quick Facts 

• DeSales lost 4 games in a row to end the regular season, it was the longest losing streak the Stallions had since 1967

• The Stallions finished as the #8 seed in Region 11

• The Purple and White qualified for the OHSAA playoffs for the 8th consecutive season

• DeSales had the 2nd worst record of the 102 playoff teams in the states

• Six teams DeSales played in the regular season qualified the playoffs

• DeSales won their 4th regional title since 1996

• The Stallions played in their 6th state championship game in school history

• Andy Wills and De’Wayne Penn were named Division-III 1st-Team All-Ohio

• Scott Wintering was selected to the 2nd-Team All-Ohio

• Dino Razzano (1,203 yards) and De'Wayne Penn (1,188) each rushed for over 1,000 yards