Archbishop Hoban's historic tear shows no signs of slowing

CANTON, Ohio — Tyris Dickerson and DeaMonte Trayanum sat next to each other Thursday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium for the last time in their football uniforms.

They spent much of the last two years either next to each other in the backfield or taking turns during Archbishop Hoban's state championship runs. They took turns one more time in a 42-28 win, clinching Hoban's fourth straight OHSAA title. Trayanum, a junior, will be back next year trying for a fifth crown without his friend.

"I'm going to miss him like crazy," said Dickerson, an Eastern Kentucky recruit who ran 28 times for 211 yards and scored twice, including a 35-yard TD on his only reception. "That's my little brother, even though he's a little bit bigger than me.

Counting Thursday's championship win, which concluded Hoban's first undefeated season in program history, Dickerson and Trayanum rushed for staggering numbers: 3,420 yards and 54 touchdowns.

They combined for 293 yards against Massillon (14-1).

"It's a dynamic duo that Hoban hasn't seen in a minute," Dickerson said. "I'm very proud of him, and I know he's going to do big things next year."

Their dynamic epitomizes Hoban's four-year run.

The Knights (15-0) won their first two championships with a team that featured Todd Sibley, now at Pitt, and a much younger Nolan Rumler at left tackle. Players graduate, but Hoban has not had one dominant class in this run.

This senior class is unique because it is the only one that knows only one conclusion to a season: with a Week 15 win.

"It's not one senior class over another," coach Tim Tyrrell said. "It's just something special. I can't describe these guys and how personal it is for me as a coach. I've just seen so many of these guys grow. I could tell you a story about every single senior, from the ones who start to the ones who don't."

He has shared one about Rumler from August 2015. The coach realized by the first day of hitting that he had a freshman tackle too big, too powerful and — against players his age — too violent for the freshman or junior varsity teams. So he quickly brought Rumler over to practice with the varsity team, which missed the playoffs the previous year with a 6-4 record.

By Rumler's sophomore season, he already had interest from Michigan and later committed to the Wolverines. But even then, this four-year run did not seem possible to the 6-foot-4, 295-pounder.

"It's a crazy four years, and I'm blessed to have been a part of it," Rumler said. "It starts in January when we're in the weight room with the strength staff. They're pushing us three days a week. We come out of there and sometimes can't even walk after the workout because they're so hard."

Rumler played his final game for Tyrrell more physically imposing than his first. He will leave for college along with three-year starters Matt Salopek at safety and fellow linemen Jaden Baxter and Jacob Petit.

Even without them, Hoban still has a mammoth junior tackle set to return in 6-5, 340-pound Walter Ganous. When opponents reached the 10-yard line late this season against Hoban, Ganous and Rumler entered at defensive tackle to make interior running a little more challenging. In addition to Ganous, Hoban started numerous sophomores and juniors on its defense: linebackers Luke Bauer, Damon Ollison II and Darryl Peterson — all sophomores — plus defensive backs Alvin Stallworth and Devin Hightower.

Trayanum and Hightower are the juniors of this group, and Trayanum did just about everything but throw and kick.

"He went from linebacker two weeks ago to strong safety," Tyrrell said, "and he played I think more corner today than he played strong safety or linebacker. And he had to go guard one of the best receivers in the state of Ohio. When you ask kids to do those types of things and put them in situations like that, they have to respond."

It's nothing new for Trayanum, a Power Five college recruit.

"For these last few years I just tried to embrace my role for this team," he said. "I really take pride in it. I really try to play hard for these guys."

What's next for Hoban? A fifth title chase in time. If the last few are any indication, that will begin to take shape in January. The Knights' run has them in a class with four other schools (St. Ignatius, Coldwater, Maria Stein Marion Local and Newark Catholic) to win four straight championships. Only St. Ignatius has won five.

Tyrrell gave a hint toward some of his aspirations.

"My next step is I want to make sure any senior that wants to play college football is going to play college football," he said. "We're going to find the right spot for them. If they don't, we'll bring them back as a coach one day."

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email ([email protected]). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.