Josh Weir
The Repository

LOUISVILLE They’ve been playoff regulars in the same region since 2004, their paths never crossing.

On Friday night, the Louisville Leopards and Columbus Marion-Franklin Devils finally make acquaintances.

The top seed and Division II state AP poll champion Leopards host the Devils in a Region 7 high school football quarterfinal at Louisville Stadium, kicking off at 7:30.

Marion-Franklin (8-2), out of the Columbus City League South Division, makes its sixth straight playoff appearance. The 10-0 Leopards make their fifth appearance in that span.

Not only have their paths failed to cross, but they’ve gone in drastically different directions. While the Devils own just one postseason win in those six years, the Leopards have nine. Louisville has finished as a regional runner-up twice (2005, ’08) and the state runner-up once (’07).

But Marion-Franklin certainly has the attention of Louisville head coach Paul Farrah.

Marion-Franklin’s two losses this season came by a combined 9 points to Region 7 playoff teams Brookhaven (Week 1, 23-21) and Walnut Ridge (Week 5, 21-14). The Devils own a win against Division III playoff team Eastmoor Academy (Week 8, 18-0).

Their speedy offensive attack, a mix of spread and Pro-I formations, is led by QB Verlon Reed. One miss-step by Louisville can mean 6 points going the other way.

“If they get past our linebackers we have nobody who can stop them,” Farrah said. “They’re fast all over the place. We have to tackle really well. We have to gang tackle. We got to get their quarterback before he gets going.”

Reed, a 6-foot-3, 203-pound senior, runs behind a huge line with multiple 300 pounders. He’s rushed for a team-high 1,014 yards and 13 TDs at 9.0 yards per carry.

Reed has passed for 812 yards, 10 TDs and eight interceptions, completing 45.3 percent of his attempts. Not much of a pocket passer, he’s at his best when rolling out and throwing on the move.

According to various recruiting Web sites, Reed has scholarship offers from Bowling Green, Kent State, Toledo and Syracuse, and is receiving interest from Ohio State, Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Ball State, Ohio and Eastern Michigan. He could be moved to wide receiver at the college level.

Marion-Franklin’s Chad Jones and Paul Harris also are dangerous with the football in their hands. They’ve combined for 1,041 yards and 16 TDs at 8.5 yards per carry.

The Leopards counter with an aggressive 5-3 defense that allows 8 points and 166.1 yards per game, including only 67.5 yards on the ground. The 80 points allowed is their lowest 10-game total since yielding 75 in 2001.

Linebacker Hunter Potts is a destructive force in the middle with team highs of 91 tackles and 19 tackles-for-loss. Defensive tackle Joe Poyser is a loss waiting to happen, with 17 sacks and 15 TFLs.

“Our defense is going to have to play their butts off,” Farrah said.

Farrah expects to see plenty of blitzing from Marion-Franklin’s 4-3 defense, which is a little smaller but just as fast as its offense.

“They’re going to match us up man-to-man and try to make us throw the ball to beat them,” Farrah said. “It’s going to be tough for us. Chad (Neff) and Toby (Minster) are going to have to have a great game.”

The Leopards have been using the two-quarterback system since losing starter Bobby Swigert after Week 4. Neff, the running quarterback, has rushed for 596 yards and 10 TDs in five games, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Minster, the throwing QB, has completed 32-of-61 passes for 373 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

Minster came off the bench to toss three TDs last week. He completed 12-of-20 passes for 151 yards against one pick.

“We still got to be able to run the ball with Chad and (Lucas) Poyser,” Farrah said. “We’re going to have to be able to sustain blocks better than we did (last week). We didn’t block very well up front in the first half.

“Our kids are going to have to play a near perfect game to win this football game.”

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