Correspondent file photo / Michael G. Taylor. Ursuline quarterback DC Ferrell (0) carries the ball during the Irish’s game against Walsh Jesuit earlier this season.

YOUNGSTOWN — For Ursuline senior DC Ferrell, making the move back to quarterback this season has been just like riding a bike.

He hadn’t played quarterback since his breakout freshman season at Liberty when he threw for 1,800 yards and 21 touchdowns while also rushing for 421 yards and seven touchdowns.

Ferrell played wide receiver, defensive back and kick returner the past two years for the Irish, earning All-Ohio honors in the process. But after the graduation of former Irish quarterback Jack Ericson, Ferrell was called upon to make the return back under center.

It’s been a smooth transition, and he’s answered the call and excelled this season for Ursuline, leading the Irish to the top seed in Division III, Region 9, an 11-1 record and an appearance in this week’s regional semifinal against Aurora.

“He plays with a lot of confidence — he’s a good football player,” head coach Dan Reardon said. “He’s played corner, kick returner, punt returner, receiver and quarterback now. So he’s had a lot of reps for us. But I think with that, that gives him confidence to make a play when he needs to make a play.”

Ferrell has only gotten better throughout the course of the season and is coming off his best performance of the year last week in Ursuline’s dominant playoff victory over Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, in which he threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

“We’ve been a better practice team than we were at the beginning of the season,” Ferrell said. “That’s what’s really changed throughout the season for us to do better and make it deeper in the playoffs.”

Through 12 games, Ferrell has completed 60.6% of his passes for 1,797 yards and 22 touchdowns with just two interceptions and has rushed 115 times for 711 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Ferrell’s numbers are even more “impressive,” according to Reardon, considering he’s only played in the fourth quarter of two of Ursuline’s games this season because of the team’s dominance. In the same context, he’s only played the first half and then one series in the second half in five games, and in three more games, he played even less than that.

His passing total currently ranks sixth for single-season performances in Ursuline history, behind Daryll Clark in fifth and fourth with 1,849 and 1,965 yards. Ferrell’s 22 passing touchdowns tie him for fourth in school history with David Poltar.

“He’s playing at a very high level,” Reardon said. “If you look at his completion percentage, he completes most of his passes. That’s one thing where I think a lot of people maybe underestimate him. They think he’s just a good athlete running around. That’s not the case. He throws a really nice football. But with decision-making and stuff like that, you need reps. Now he’s had a lot of reps, so to me, that’s where he’s made the most growth.”

Ferrell’s best performances this year have come against some of the Irish’s toughest opponents, including Walsh Jesuit, Warren G. Harding, Austintown Fitch, Cardinal Mooney and both games against VASJ.

He threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns in Ursuline’s near comeback in the opener against the Warriors, combined for over 400 passing yards against the Raiders and Falcons, had 243 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns against the Cardinals and had about 250 passing yards in each matchup against the Vikings.

It’s helped Ferrell that he has a wealth of weapons to get the ball to in Ursuline’s offense.

“It makes it easier for me,” Ferrell said. “Even when I mess up, they make plays. I feel like when we’re down in crunch time, they can make a play. I can trust them and they trust me.”

Out of the backfield, he can hand the ball off to Joe Balog or Marquaias Patterson, and in the passing game, he can throw to Balog, Patterson, Devonte Taylor, Jy’Quise Liason or Ray Javey.

Taylor has been Ferrell’s favorite target this season with 635 receiving yards. Taylor’s 12 receiving touchdowns tie the school record for most in a single season.

“Something we’ve always preached is take what the defense gives you, don’t force it,” Reardon said. “It sounds easy, but it’s not always easy. Every quarterback I’ve ever coached, that I’ve ever seen, they always have a favorite target. The default sometimes is to look at that guy first, and sometimes quarterbacks try to force it to that guy. He’s done a good not doing that, going back, taking what the defense gives us, and he’s done that.”

Ferrell and the Irish have a chance to get Ursuline back to the regional final on Friday against the Greenmen. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at North Canton Hoover.