By ED LOOMAN Sports correspondent STEUBENVILLE — Big Red’s quest for its first regional championship since 2017 continues Saturday with a semifinal bout against once-beaten Columbus East. The opening kick is set for 7 p.m. inside New Philadelphia’s Quaker Stadium. This will be the seventh all-time meeting between the schools, the last one came in 1977, and Big Red leads the series 6-0. Tickets for Saturday’s game must be purchased in advance at www.ohsaa.org/tickets Steubenville, the second seed in Division IV Region 15, stands at 10-2 following its dominating 31-0 win over Columbus Bishop Hartley. The No. 3 seeded East Tigers are 10-1. They survived and advanced with a thrilling 40-39 double overtime victory against Cambridge. The Big Red-East winner will meet either Columbus Bishop Ready or Indian Valley in the regional title game. During the regular season, East recorded wins over Columbus Africentric, Toledo Scott, which qualified for the Division III playoffs, Columbus Centennial, Dayton Belmont, Columbus Mifflin, Columbus Northland, Columbus Whetstone and Columbus Linden-McKinley. Its lone loss came against Columbus Beechcroft. East’s Week 2 game was canceled due to a teacher’s strike in the Capital City. Coach Mike Bell’s club opened the playoffs with a convincing 34-14 triumph over Vinton County. “They are just a good football team,” Big Red coach Reno Saccoccia said when assessing the Tigers. “They are very well-coached and have played a really good schedule. “We just have to prepare for a four quarter football game. These are four quarter games now and we have to be ready to play a full 48 minutes. You can’t win in the playoffs by playing half of a game.” Through 11 games, East’s offense is averaging 36 points an outing while its defense surrenders 14. The Tigers rely heavily on their ground game. As a team, they have compiled 2,729 rushing yards on 311 carries (an average of 8.8 yards a tote) and 31 touchdowns. East has thrown the football 113 times, completing 62 for 1,089 yards and 14 scores. “Their ability to run the football has led to a lot of big plays in the passing game,” Saccoccia said. “In the three films that I have watched, they have scored at least six touchdowns where their receivers were behind the defense when they caught the ball.” Senior quarterback Tre Wayne Lindsay directs the East attack. Lindsay has thrown for 1,064 yards and 14 six-pointers. He also has contributed 694 rushing yards and 11 additional scores. In the win over Cambridge, he ran for 98 yards on 24 carries. Sophomore tailback Taizaun Burns (6-0, 150) is averaging 125 rushing yards per outing. For the season, he has 1,372 yards and 16 touchdowns. Against Cambridge, he finished with 88 yards, 65 of which came on a touchdown run. Kema Woods-Laws also sees time at tailback and has 355 yards for the season. When Lindsay does go to the air, his favorite target is senior Solomon Vaughn (28 receptions, 386 yards and two touchdowns). Burns is second on the team in receiving with 15 grabs for 446 yards. “They have four really outstanding players in their quarterback, tailback, backup tailback and a wide receiver,” Saccoccia said. “As a team, they have outstanding speed. “As far as the offensive and defensive lines go, we are about the same size. Their skilled people might be a little bit bigger than our skilled people. Again, they are just a good football team and I’m sure they will be ready to go Saturday. “I think playoff football is about who is preparing for the game and who actually goes the game focused on their jobs. We need to be really focused.” The East defense is led by senior C.J. Swanson (6-4, 223). He has recorded 54 tackles with seven ranked as tackles for losses. Another senior, Michael Pryor (5-8, 215) is second with 44 tackles. In its shutout of Hartley, Big Red got scores from its offense (touchdown runs by Spenser Ostovich and Savier Faulks), the defense (Brody Saccoccia delivered a pick six) and its special teams (Hakim Edwards recovered a botched punt snap in the end zone while Cole Bowers booted a 32-yard field goal). “I thought it was an excellent performance,” Saccoccia said. “Even on plays where we made mistakes—we made aggressive mistakes. If you are going to make mistakes, you make aggressive ones then at least you are proud of the effort. “We didn’t do everything perfect but I haven’t seen a perfect game by anyone in the history of football. You can look at every film and if you are looking for positives, you can find them. If you are looking for negatives, you find them too. “We are into positives right now and improving on some of the negatives things we did. We want to emphasize the positives.” Offensively, Big Red is averaging 31.6 points a game, 226 rushing yards and 159 yards through the air. The defense allows 13 points, just 83 yards on the ground and 118 passing. Senior Gavin Bozica continues as Big Red’s leading rusher with 977 yards and 10 touchdowns. Faulks, a junior, has 848 and nine scores. He averages 9.2 yards a carry and topped the 100-yard mark against Hartley. Senior Phaeton Hill has thrown for 1,876 yards and 20 touchdowns. Junior Isaac Hill has 47 catches for 831 yards and 12 six-pointers. Tylik Sims and Edwards, both seniors, have 14 receptions each. Columbus East is in the playoffs for just the third time. The Tigers also qualified in 1999 and 2020. Before beating Vinton County, East was 0-2 in previous post-season games.

STEUBENVILLE — Big Red’s quest for its first regional championship since 2017 continues Saturday with a semifinal bout against once-beaten Columbus East.

The opening kick is set for 7 p.m. inside New Philadelphia’s Quaker Stadium. This will be the seventh all-time meeting between the schools, the last one came in 1977, and Big Red leads the series 6-0.

Tickets for Saturday’s game must be purchased in advance at www.ohsaa.org/tickets

Steubenville, the second seed in Division IV Region 15, stands at 10-2 following its dominating 31-0 win over Columbus Bishop Hartley. The No. 3 seeded East Tigers are 10-1. They survived and advanced with a thrilling 40-39 double overtime victory against Cambridge.

The Big Red-East winner will meet either Columbus Bishop Ready or Indian Valley in the regional title game.

During the regular season, East recorded wins over Columbus Africentric, Toledo Scott, which qualified for the Division III playoffs, Columbus Centennial, Dayton Belmont, Columbus Mifflin, Columbus Northland, Columbus Whetstone and Columbus Linden-McKinley. Its lone loss came against Columbus Beechcroft. East’s Week 2 game was canceled due to a teacher’s strike in the Capital City.

Coach Mike Bell’s club opened the playoffs with a convincing 34-14 triumph over Vinton County.

“They are just a good football team,” Big Red coach Reno Saccoccia said when assessing the Tigers. “They are very well-coached and have played a really good schedule.

“We just have to prepare for a four quarter football game. These are four quarter games now and we have to be ready to play a full 48 minutes. You can’t win in the playoffs by playing half of a game.”

Through 11 games, East’s offense is averaging 36 points an outing while its defense surrenders 14. The Tigers rely heavily on their ground game. As a team, they have compiled 2,729 rushing yards on 311 carries (an average of 8.8 yards a tote) and 31 touchdowns.

East has thrown the football 113 times, completing 62 for 1,089 yards and 14 scores.

“Their ability to run the football has led to a lot of big plays in the passing game,” Saccoccia said. “In the three films that I have watched, they have scored at least six touchdowns where their receivers were behind the defense when they caught the ball.”

Senior quarterback Tre Wayne Lindsay directs the East attack. Lindsay has thrown for 1,064 yards and 14 six-pointers. He also has contributed 694 rushing yards and 11 additional scores. In the win over Cambridge, he ran for 98 yards on 24 carries.

Sophomore tailback Taizaun Burns (6-0, 150) is averaging 125 rushing yards per outing. For the season, he has 1,372 yards and 16 touchdowns. Against Cambridge, he finished with 88 yards, 65 of which came on a touchdown run.

Kema Woods-Laws also sees time at tailback and has 355 yards for the season.

When Lindsay does go to the air, his favorite target is senior Solomon Vaughn (28 receptions, 386 yards and two touchdowns). Burns is second on the team in receiving with 15 grabs for 446 yards.

“They have four really outstanding players in their quarterback, tailback, backup tailback and a wide receiver,” Saccoccia said. “As a team, they have outstanding speed.

“As far as the offensive and defensive lines go, we are about the same size. Their skilled people might be a little bit bigger than our skilled people. Again, they are just a good football team and I’m sure they will be ready to go Saturday.

“I think playoff football is about who is preparing for the game and who actually goes the game focused on their jobs. We need to be really focused.”

The East defense is led by senior C.J. Swanson (6-4, 223). He has recorded 54 tackles with seven ranked as tackles for losses. Another senior, Michael Pryor (5-8, 215) is second with 44 tackles.

In its shutout of Hartley, Big Red got scores from its offense (touchdown runs by Spenser Ostovich and Savier Faulks), the defense (Brody Saccoccia delivered a pick six) and its special teams (Hakim Edwards recovered a botched punt snap in the end zone while Cole Bowers booted a 32-yard field goal).

“I thought it was an excellent performance,” Saccoccia said. “Even on plays where we made mistakes–we made aggressive mistakes. If you are going to make mistakes, you make aggressive ones then at least you are proud of the effort.

“We didn’t do everything perfect but I haven’t seen a perfect game by anyone in the history of football. You can look at every film and if you are looking for positives, you can find them. If you are looking for negatives, you find them too.

“We are into positives right now and improving on some of the negatives things we did. We want to emphasize the positives.”

Offensively, Big Red is averaging 31.6 points a game, 226 rushing yards and 159 yards through the air. The defense allows 13 points, just 83 yards on the ground and 118 passing.

Senior Gavin Bozica continues as Big Red’s leading rusher with 977 yards and 10 touchdowns. Faulks, a junior, has 848 and nine scores. He averages 9.2 yards a carry and topped the 100-yard mark against Hartley.

Senior Phaeton Hill has thrown for 1,876 yards and 20 touchdowns. Junior Isaac Hill has 47 catches for 831 yards and 12 six-pointers. Tylik Sims and Edwards, both seniors, have 14 receptions each.

Columbus East is in the playoffs for just the third time. The Tigers also qualified in 1999 and 2020. Before beating Vinton County, East was 0-2 in previous post-season games.