Staff photo / Neel Madhavan. Ursuline’s DC Ferrell returns a punt during the first half of a Division III state semifinal against Toledo Central Catholic on Friday in Elyria.

ELYRIA — Ursuline’s state championship dreams came to an end in heartbreaking fashion on Friday.

Despite a Herculean effort by Ursuline’s defense all game, Toledo Central Catholic scored the game-winning touchdown with 33.7 seconds to go to hand Ursuline a 7-6 defeat in the Division III state semifinal at Ely Stadium in Elyria.

“Just really proud of our seniors, first and foremost. Great kids, great human beings,” Ursuline head coach Dan Reardon said. “Kids that are fun to coach. They bring energy, passion. They’re good football players with great families. So we’re going to miss those guys. We’re going to miss those guys’ leadership and just what they brought to the table in practice every day, let alone on Friday nights.”

For 47 minutes, 27 seconds, Ursuline’s defense had kept the two-time defending state champions off the scoreboard.

But after two previous trips into the red zone ended with zero points, the third time was the charm for TCC, as quarterback Ali Beydoun found Preston Fryzel in the far corner of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown strike with 33.7 seconds left. Blake Moody then kicked the ensuing extra point to give TCC its first and only lead.

Ursuline still had time, however. Quarterback DC Ferrell completed a pair of passes to move Ursuline into field goal range. Kicker Anthony Tabak lined up for a 45-yard yard field goal with 2.7 seconds left that would have given Ursuline the win, but his kick missed wide left as time expired.

After the miss, Tabak was visibly emotional. Reardon took Tabak into his arms and embraced the senior kicker, who was responsible for all of Ursuline’s points on two made field goals in the first quarter.

“Kickers have a rough existence. He’s been so good for us this year,” Reardon said of Tabak. “He’s had so many field goals. He was great on kickoffs, surprise onsides throughout the year. He’s been such a phenomenal football player for us, so my heart breaks for him for the season to end like that. He put it all on his shoulders and it shouldn’t be all on his shoulders, so I was just trying to verbalize that to him.”

To start the game, Ursuline struck first by scoring on the game’s opening drive. Set up by a 29-yard reception by Devonte Taylor, Ursuline marched down the field, but was forced to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Tabak.

After a defensive stop, Ursuline was in the red zone again thanks to a long punt return by DC Ferrell. However, TCC’s defense kept Ursuline out of the end zone and Tabak kicked a 25-yard field goal to extend Ursuline’s lead. Two trips to the red zone, but only six points for Ursuline.

“We got down there in the red zone and didn’t get in the end zone,” Reardon said. “If we get in the end zone on either of those drives, we win the game.”

Ursuline spent most of the second quarter with its defense on the field, but it didn’t relent, keeping TCC off the scoreboard in the first half.

After Ursuline’s defense recovered a TCC fumble early in the second quarter, the Irish tried a double-pass trick play, but it was intercepted downfield by TCC on the very next play.

However, Ursuline’s defense still stood tall. A defensive pass interference negated an interception by Luke Kollar, but the Irish were still able to force a turnover on downs and get off the field.

After a punt, TCC’s offense moved down the field into the red zone for the first time. But a personal foul penalty killed the drive, and Ursuline was again able to force another turnover on downs just before halftime.

Penalties, especially holding penalties, continuously killed TCC’s offense as it struggled to hold up against Ursuline’s defensive front seven.

“Defense played great,” Reardon said. “If you would have told me that we were going to hold that team to seven points, I would have felt real good about our chances to win the game.”

The second half was a back-and-forth affair, as both teams turned the ball over multiple times. The game finished with six total turnovers, three apiece for each team. An interception by Kevin Boudrey, as well as a pair of fumble recoveries by Ursuline kept TCC from scoring until the final minute.

Ursuline finishes the season 13-2. After losing the season opener to Walsh Jesuit, Ursuline won 13 straight games, before finally suffering its second defeat to TCC.

“It’s been such a fun year to coach because of the group of kids we have,” Reardon said. “It’s a group of kids that came out, practiced hard, took great pride in their roles within the team. Just how we responded after that opening night loss, they really galvanized. We played Fitch, Harding and Cardinal Mooney and the combined scores of those three games was 100-0. That’s hard to do, and it’s just because of the type of kids we have in our program. … Just great heart and soul type kids that you want in your foxhole. So that’s the thing I’m going to remember about this team, just the grit, attitude and character that our kids showed.”