October 29, 2016FirstEnergy StadiumKickoff: 6 p.m.

Team Information

Saint Ignatius High School 8-1 OHSAA Division I, Region 1Head Coach: Chuck Kyle ‘69Record at School: 329-84-1Overall Record: 329-84-1Last Game: W, 38-7 vs. St. Xavier

St. Edward High School 7-1OHSAA Division I, Region 1Head Coach: Tom LombardoRecord at School: 21-2Overall Record: 110-39Last Game: W, 24-21 vs. Moeller

WEEK 10: ST. EDWARD EAGLES AT SAINT IGNATIUS WILDCATS

St. EdwardEAGLES

at

Saint Ignatius WILDCATS

Broadcast Information

Saint Ignatius Broadcasting NetworkPlay-by-Play: Matt MacKenzie ‘18 Color Analyst: Brendan DeVenney ‘17 Moderator: Jeff McCormick ‘83(P): 216-651-0222 x228email: jmccormick@ignatius.edu

S BN

Media InformationFor information and credential requests, contact:Joe Ginley ‘12Communications Coordinator, Athletics(P): 216-651-0222 x242email: jginley@ignatius.eduFor full coverage of Wildcats athletics, see Eddie Dwyer’s Corner at: ignatiuswildcats.com/eddiedwyer

Saint Ignatius Schedule

Date Opponent Time/Score8/26 @ Normandy W, 45-09/3 vs. Mentor W, 49-79/10 vs. Valley Forge W, 49-09/16 @ Detroit Catholic Central L, 28-21, OT9/23 @ Walsh Jesuit W, 30-010/1 @ Parma Senior W, 49-010/7 @ Canton GlenOak W, 34-1710/14 @ Archbishop Moeller W, 38-710/22 @ St. Xavier W, 31-1410/29 vs. St. Edward 6 p.m.

FOLLOW THE WILDCATS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

@SIHSSports sihssportssihsathletics

Saint Ignatius Schedule

Date Opponent Time/Score

8/26 @ Normandy W, 45-0Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium

9/3 vs. Mentor W, 49-7Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium

9/10 vs. Valley Forge W, 49-0Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium

9/16 @Detroit Catholic Central L, 28-21 OTFr. Elmer Stadium

9/23 @Walsh Jesuit W, 30-0Conway Memorial Stadium

10/1 @ Parma Senior W, 49-0Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium

10/7 @ Canton GlenOak W, 34-17Bob Commings Field

10/14 @ Archbishop Moeller W, 38-7Memorial Stadium at Otterbein University

10/22 @ St. Xavier W, 31-14Tom Ballaban Field

10/29 vs. St. Edward 6 p.m.FirstEnergy Stadium

Wildcats Storylines ...A RIVALRY RENEWED: Saint Ignatius and St. Edward meet on the gridiron for the 54th time on Saturday. The Wildcats and Eagles have played many classics, including a 35-28 decision last year at First Federal Lakewood Stadium. The Eagles have won the last two contests, though Saint Ignatius leads the series, 28-24-1. Head coach Chuck Kyle ‘69 owns an overall record of 22-12-1 vs. the Eagles. He has never lost three in a row to St. Edward.

PLAYOFF PUSH: Due to a schedule with fewer than expected second level points, the Wildcats find themselves at No. 7 in the OHSAA Computer Rankings heading into the last week of the season. However, the Wildcats still “control their own destiny.” A win clinches the Wildcats a berth in the OHSAA playoffs. A loss does not eliminate Saint Ignatius, but would the Wildcats to rely on help from other teams to secure a bid. The Eagles cur-rently hold the top spot, and have clinched a playoff spot.

GET THAT WEAK STUFF OUTTA HERE: Few defenses in the state of Ohio have been as dominant as the Wildcats’ 2016 defensive unit. Saint Igna-tius has allowed just 8.1 points per game this season, allowing more than 17 points just once. A loaded front seven guides the defense, including defensive linemen Joe Gibbons and Michael Chime. The seniors have 3.5 sacks apiece and 52.5 combined tackles.

LINEBACKER LEGION: It is impossible to talk about the Saint Ignatius defense without mentioning the “Linebacker Legion” of Adam Shibley, John Velotta, and James Leyden. The trio have combined for an incredible 71.5 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks. The three seniors will be critical against a stout St. Edward rushing attack.

BOBO AND THE DREAM: Following the injury to Jimmy Andrews, the brunt of the load falls to Mark Bobinski and Dean “The Dream” Stowers. The two backs have thrived so far this season, and look to do so again Saturday. Bobinski has 624 rushing yards and a team-best 12 touchdowns on the year, while Stowers has 233 yards and 2 scores.

START STRONG: The Wildcats’ ability to build early leads has been critical to the team’s success. The squad has outscored opponents, 111-7, in the first quarter this season. The Wildcats are 8-0 when scoring first.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: This year’s matchup will be at FirstEnergy Stadium, a special venue. The last time the teams played downtown, the Eagles beat the Wildcats on October 11, 1980 at Municipal Stadium, 11-0.The Wildcats last played at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 25, 2012, defeat-ing Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 31-7. The Cats also played here in 2010, falling to Lake Catholic, 28-21.

UPDATE ON THE WILD KITTENS: The freshman and JV squads hosted St. Edward at Wasmer Field on Thursday and Friday, respectively. The fresh-men won 3-0, and the JV game ended after press time.

St. Edward Schedule

Date Opponent Time/Score

8/27 vs. Pine Richland (Pa.) W, 28-27First Federal Lakewood Stadium

9/2 @ Archbishop Hoban W, 10-7Dowd Field

9/10 vs. Glenville W, 41-0First Federal Lakewood Stadium

9/17 @ Elder L, 15-9The Pit

9/24 vs. Buchtel W, 42-12Buchtel High School 10/1 vs. Naperville Central (Ill.) W, 42-12First Federal Lakewood Stadium

10/8 Open Date

10/15 vs. Canada Prep Academy W, 35-7First Federal Lakewood Stadium

10/22 vs. Moeller W, 24-21Lockland Stadium

10/29 vs. Saint Ignatius 6 p.m.FirstEnergy Stadium

Learning about the Eagles ...PLAYOFF BOUND: By virtue of a 7-1 record and a 24-21 win over Arch-bishop Moeller last weekend, the St. Edward Eagles have clinches a spot in the OHSAA Playoffs. The Eagles currently hold the No. 1 spot in the OHSAA Computer Rankings, and will almost certainly host a first-round playoff game. The Eagles won the Division I State Championship in 2014 and 2015.

CLOSE CALLS: The Eagles have played in several close games this season, including last Saturday’s showdown versus Moeller. The Eagles clinched the win with a field goal as time expired. Four of St. Edward’s eight games this season have come down to one possession, with the Eagles owning a 3-1 record in such contests.

OLD SCHOOL FOOTBALL: As many successful St. Edward’s teams of the past, the Eagles have a stout run game that sets up the pass. Curtis Szelesta headlines an impressive Eagles run game. Szelesta leads St. Ed’s with 127 carries for 686 yards and 8 touchdowns. Szelesta is the team’s primary option out of the backfield, with Seth Burke aiding the run game occasionally. The senior has 18 attempts for 84 yards and 1 touchdown on the season.

KEVIN FOOTBALL: St. Edward quarterback Kevin Kramer has become an impressive dual-threat signalcaller this season. The senior has passed for 1,219 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading the Eagles to several big wins this year with his arm. Kramer’s legs also pose a threat to defenses, as Kramer has 74 attempts for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns, second only to Szelesta. Kramer’s best game of the season came against Buchtel, when he completed 13-of-20 passes for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns.

COVER THAT GUY: St. Edward has several talented wideouts, but none more reliable and quick than Kordell Hoover. The 6’0”, 170 pound senior has a team-best 29 receptions for 553 yards and 5 touchdowns. Two weeks ago, Hoover reeled in a pass from Kramer against Canada Prep and raced a 99-yard touch-down, the longest Eagles play of the season.

BALLHAWKS: The St. Edward defense is formidable, especially its secondary. The Eagles intercepted the opposing quarterback in 6 of 8 games this season. The Eagles have 9 interceptions on the season. DeShane Bloodworth leads the Eagles with 5 picks, while Melvin Jackson has 3 interceptions.

GETTING OUT IN FRONT: The Eagles love playing with the lead. St. Edward has a 5-0 record when leading at halftime this season, and a 6-0 mark when leading after three quarters. The Eagles have also been efficient with the ball early, only leading in time of possession in one game this season.

UP NEXT: Having clinched the playoffs, the Eagles will play on Friday night next week. The opponent will be determined based on the outcome of Satur-day’s showdown and other games in the area. St. Edward will most likely host a playoff game at First Federal Lakewood Stadium.

Numbers to know

370.6Offensive yards per game by

Saint Ignatius

75Tackles for loss by the

Wildcats’ defense

32Rushing touchdowns by the

Wildcats this year

15Turnovers forced by the

Wildcats’ defense

8.1Points per game allowed by

the Wildcats this year

1.9Yards per carry by opposing

running backs

0Losses to Ohio teams this

season

Wildcats to Watch

TE/LB JAMES LEYDEN ‘17

One of the Wildcats’ most unheralded weapons is James Leyden. He plays both of-fense and defense, serving as a reliable tight end and a bruis-ing linebacker. The 6’2”, 225 pound senior leads the team with 17 catches for 261 yards and 2 touchdowns. On de-fense, Leyden has 17.5 tack-les, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. Leyden will lead the attack against Kramer & Co.

LB JOHN VELOTTA ‘17

The fearsome “Linebacker Legion” is one of the best linebacker units in the area. Captain John Velotta is the centerpiece as the middle line-backer. The 6’0”, 229 pound senior has notched 18 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery this season. The Wildcats will rely on Ve-lotta to shut down the Eagles’ rushing attack, which has posed problems for opponents all year.

Saint Ignatius Wildcats Roster# Name Position Height Weight Year

2 Matthew Trickett K 5’11” 170 lbs Jr.3 Michael Lehto WR/S 6’1” 190 lbs Sr.4 Louis Moliterno III CB 5’7” 160 lbs Jr.4 Cameron Toppin CB 5’11” 160 lbs Jr.5 Nasir Carter CB 5’6” 160 lbs Jr.5 Travis Pot WR 6’0” 180 lbs Sr.6 Conor McGrath CB 6’0” 160 lbs Sr.6 Dean Stowers RB 5’6” 130 lbs Sr.7 Alexander Ringfield CB 5’11” 180 lbs Sr.8 Justin Sands S 6’0” 195 lbs Jr.9 Ryan Cook WR/S 6’0” 182 lbs Sr.10 Matthew Leszcz CB 5’10” 160 lbs Sr.10 Hugh Sweeney RB 6’0” 190 lbs Jr.11 Connor Kennedy WR/CB 6’0” 168 lbs Jr.12 Kyle Hall QB 6’3” 175 lbs Jr.13 John Paul Chalhoub QB 6’2” 185 lbs Sr.14 Luke Baker QB 6’0” 195 lbs Sr.15 Colin Goodfellow P 6’2” 195 lbs Sr.16 Maxwell Pike WR 6’1” 170 lbs Jr.16 Scott Schuler S 5’10” 155 lbs Jr.17 Patrick Ryan QB 6’0” 200 lbs Sr.18 Daniel Alexander QB 6’1” 178 lbs Jr.19 Michael Drobnick WR 6’1” 190 lbs Jr.20 John Lenehan CB 5’8” 180 lbs Sr.21 Michael DeCicco S 5’11” 170 lbs Sr.22 Joshua Crayton Prioleau RB 5’10” 158 lbs Jr.22 Robert Kunkle III CB 6’2” 160 lbs Jr.23 James Andrews RB 5’11” 195 lbs Sr.24 Nicholas Kilbane RB 6’0” 165 lbs Sr.25 Matthew Wiegandt S 5’10” 190 lbs Sr.26 Christopher Hyland S 6’0” 190 lbs Sr.27 Andrew Chalhoub QB 6’0” 180 lbs Jr.28 Maxwell Corrigan-Mook CB 5’10” 170 lbs Jr.29 Michael Getty S 5’10” 165 lbs Sr.30 Samuel Snyder WR 5’9” 150 lbs Jr.31 Thomas Barrett S 6’1” 200 lbs Sr.32 Deonte Griffin CB 5’10” 180 lbs Jr.32 Nicholas Szubski WR 5’10” 155 lbs Jr.33 Aidan Gill RB 5’8” 200 lbs Jr.34 Mark Bobinski RB 5’9” 190 lbs Jr.35 Antonino Casola S 5’8” 190 lbs Sr.36 David Norton S 6’0” 185 lbs Sr.37 Dante Cipriani CB 6’0” 180 lbs Sr.38 Xavier Curtis CB 5’8” 160 lbs Jr.39 James Leyden TE/LB 6’2” 225 lbs Sr.40 Brock Hausmann S 5’11” 180 lbs Jr.41 Colin Waldeck CB 6’1” 178 lbs Sr.42 Kevin Oliver CB 5’9” 145 lbs Sr.43 Reilly Casey RB 5’10” 195 lbs Jr.44 Adam Shibley LB 6’1” 228 lbs Sr.45 Benjamin Delhees LB/FB 6’0” 215 lbs Sr.46 Daryl Forrest RB 5’9” 160 lbs Sr.47 John Velotta LB 6’0” 229 lbs Sr.48 Matthew Viancourt FB/S 5’8” 185 lbs Jr.49 Luke Mooney RB 5’11” 167 lbs Jr.50 Jivan Meguerditchian OL 5’10” 255 lbs Jr.

# Name Position Height Weight Year

51 John Spellacy OL 6’1” 285 lbs Sr.52 Ryan Mullin LB 6’1” 185 lbs Sr.52 Albert Vasek OL 5’10” 220 lbs Jr.53 Andrew Boldy LB 5’6” 195 lbs Jr.54 Jonathan Ockunzzi LB 5’9” 188 lbs Jr.55 Tyler Fuerst OL 6’1” 285 lbs Sr.55 Michael Volpe LB 6’1” 185 lbs Jr.56 Justin Perpar LB 6’0” 215 lbs Sr.57 Martin Fanta LB 5’10” 178 lbs Sr.58 Andrew Keirn LB 5’11” 200 lbs Jr.59 Colin Burns DL 6’0” 207 lbs Jr.60 Joseph Gibbons DL 6’1” 260 lbs Sr.61 Matthew El-Dik OL 6’1” 190 lbs Sr.62 Michael Bradac LB 5’8” 170 lbs Sr.62 Michael Fazioli OL 5’9” 260 lbs Sr.63 Michael Chime DL 6’1” 260 lbs Sr.64 Robert McCormick OL 6’2” 235 lbs Sr.65 John Jamieson OL 6’2” 290 lbs Jr.66 Wrigley LaSpisa OL 5’10” 180 lbs Jr.67 Ryan Borchert OL 6’4” 255 lbs Jr.68 Tobias Engel OL 6’3” 280 lbs Jr.69 David Speelman OL 5’8” 220 lbs Sr.70 Victor Kasinec DL 5’10” 215 lbs Sr.70 Darian Kinnard OL/DL 6’6” 315 lbs Jr.71 Joseph Berlin DL 5’9” 205 lbs Sr.71 Owen Hearns OL 6’5” 260 lbs Sr.72 Andrew El-Dik DL 6’0” 220 lbs Sr.73 William Corte OL 6’4” 265 lbs Jr.74 Juan Pen OL 6’3” 315 lbs Jr.75 Ryan Vollmer OL 6’5” 240 lbs Sr.76 Patrick Viancourt DL 6’1” 230 lbs Sr.77 Brent McGinty OL 6’2” 245 lbs Sr.78 Brian Almady OL 6’4” 310 lbs Sr.79 Brendan Lenhard OL 6’3” 290 lbs Sr.80 Kevin Ward WR 6’2” 198 lbs Sr.81 Michael Daugenti WR 6’1” 175 lbs Sr.82 Alexander Schum TE 6’1” 172 lbs Jr.83 Riley Kinzel WR 6’0” 170 lbs Sr.84 Colin Nieberding WR 6’1” 165 lbs Sr.85 Joseph Spirnak WR 5’11” 150 lbs Jr.86 Aidan Wells DL/TE 6’4” 232 lbs. So.87 Benjamin Stankewicz WR 6’2” 150 lbs Jr.88 Robert Soeder TE 6’2” 195 lbs Sr.89 Killian Meehan WR 5’10” 160 lbs Jr.90 Jon Oebker S 6’2” 170 lbs Jr.91 Michael Czaja DL 6’3” 240 lbs Sr.93 Drew Alessandro K 5’11” 218 lbs Jr.94 Bradley Andrich DL 6’3” 225 lbs Jr.96 James Zassick WR 6’0” 170 lbs Sr.97 Gabriel Liberatore S 6’0” 190 lbs Jr.98 Daniel Ruddy DL 5’11” 180 lbs Jr. Tadeusz Bogielski Manager Sr. Vincent Fagnilli Manager Fr. Michael Gallipoli Manager So. Declan McCarthy Manager So. Brendan Stefancin Manager Sr. Luke Van de Walle Manager So.

Wildcats to Watch

TE/LB JAMES LEYDEN ‘17

St. Edward Eagles Roster# First  Name Last  Name Yr Ht Wt Pos # First  Name Last  Name Yr Ht Wt Pos1 Melvin Jackson Sr. 6'0" 170  lbs C 45 Jordan   Castleberry   So.   5'7 172  lbs RB1 Garrett   Dzuro   So. 5'10 175  lbs QB 46 Aaron Butler Jr. 5'10" 190  lbs C2 Lawrence Greenwood Sr. 6'2" 175  lbs WR 47 Robbie Mikovsky Jr. 5'10" 185  lbs LB3 DeShane Bloodworth Sr. 6'0" 160  lbs C 48 Anthony Semerano Jr. 6'0" 170  lbs WR4 Robert Redus Sr. 5'8" 185  lbs S 49 Isaiah Hale Sr. 6'1" 230  lbs DL5 Kordell Hoover Sr. 6'0" 170  lbs WR 50 Brandon Marrero Jr. 5'8" 192  lbs LB6 Tyler Radziszewski Sr. 6'3" 240  lbs DL 52 Justin Herold Sr. 6'2" 250  lbs DL7 Antonio Hills Sr. 6'1" 220  lbs LB/FB 53 John Aerni Sr. 6'2" 195  lbs LB8 Breon Ramsey Sr. 5'9" 150  lbs WR/C 54 Pierce Downey Jr. 6'0" 160  lbs QB9 Mitchell O'Hara Sr. 5'9" 215  lbs LB 55 Noah Militello Jr. 5'10" 210  lbs OL/DL10 Patrick Walsh Sr. 6'3" 180  lbs WR 56 Edward Rogowski Jr. 6'2" 225  lbs OL11 Riley Baumbick Sr. 6'1" 180  lbs S 57 Anthony Lavisky Jr. 5'9" 180  lbs QB12 Martin Walsh Sr. 5'11" 160  lbs WR 58 Parker Kaesgen Jr. 5'10" 160  lbs QB13 Kevin Kramer Sr. 6'2" 185  lbs QB 59 Collin Haas Jr. 6'1" 180  lbs DL14 Matthew Duffy Sr. 5'11" 200  lbs LB 60 Mohammed Hamed Jr. 6'0" 205  lbs DL15 Michael Dowell Jr. 6'1" 190  lbs S 62 Kyle Payne Sr. 6'2" 300  lbs OL16 Masen McManamon Sr. 5'11" 185  lbs WR 63 Lorenzo Ritson Sr. 6'3" 250  lbs OL17 Devin Maddox Jr. 5'8" 155  lbs C/WR 65 Dontae Cilenti Jr. 6'1" 265  lbs OL18 Zach Kincaid Jr. 6'2" 210  lbs QB 67 Nicholas Pillets Jr. 6'2" 288  lbs OL19 Jalen Staples Jr. 5'9" 160  lbs WR 69 DeShaun Jones Sr. 5'11" 252  lbs DL20 Ethan Williams Jr. 5'8" 185  lbs LB 70 Nicholas Haymond Sr. 5'11" 220  lbs OL21 Tylan Rice Jr. 6'0" 195  lbs RB 71 Patrick Kennedy Jr. 6'2" 260  lbs OL22 Kevin Dever Sr. 6'3" 215  lbs S 72 Jacob Sminchak Sr. 6'3" 280  lbs OL23 Darnell Shields Jr. 6'0" 180  lbs S 73 Steven Savanick Sr. 6'0" 270  lbs OL24 Mason Lawler Jr. 6'3" 187  lbs P/K 74 Dylan Moore Jr. 6'4" 290  lbs OL25 Curtis Szelesta Sr. 5'9" 180  lbs RB 75 Matthew McCausland Jr. 6'2" 290  lbs OL26 Jonathan Parrilla Sr. 5'7" 165  lbs C 76 Joseph Iemma Jr. 5'11" 260  lbs OL27 Daniel Gutierrez-­‐Ochoa Sr. 5'6" 150  lbs C 77 Charles Hoelscher Sr. 6'3" 275  lbs OL28 Jacob Davis Sr. 5'11" 205  lbs DL 78 N'Tare Williamson   Jr. 6'3" 305  lbs OL29 David Clark   Jr. 5'7" 155  lbs C 79 Brendan Simpson Jr. 6'5" 295  lbs OL30 Aaron Jackson Sr. 6'2" 225  lbs DL 80 Jonathon Lenehan Jr. 5'9" 140  lbs WR31 William Henry   Jr. 6'5" 230  lbs WR 81 Colin Mindek Jr. 5'10" 170  lbs WR32 Seth Burke Sr. 5'11" 205  lbs RB 82 Damerisse Freeman   Jr. 6'2" 195  lbs WR33 Jack Viancourt Jr. 5'11" 175  lbs C 83 Max Lonsinger Jr. 6'0" 180  lbs WR34 Omar Fattah Jr. 5'11" 215  lbs LB 84 John  A Dever Jr. 6'0" 190  lbs WR35 Blaine Stencil Jr. 5'10" 153  lbs K 85 Raymond Shaver Jr. 5'11" 170  lbs WR36 Da'Rius Wheeler Jr. 5'10" 195  lbs LB 86 Antiwon Battle Jr. 5'10" 160  lbs WR37 Nicholas Mastrandrea Sr. 6'0" 170  lbs LB/LB 87 Ryan Rockwell Sr. 6'5" 195  lbs WR38 Seamus McIlwee Jr. 5'10" 170  lbs C 88 Brian Haas   Sr. 6'3" 190  lbs WR39 Jared Supinski Sr. 5'8" 200  lbs FB/DL 89 Brian Lentz Sr. 6'1" 175  lbs WR40 Patrick Bebie Sr. 5'10" 205  lbs DL 91 Joelle Keeley Sr. 5'9" 230  lbs DL41 Alex Dobrowsky Jr. 5'10" 190  lbs S 92 Caden   Kolesar   So.   5'10 185  lbs WR42 Robert Funk Sr. 5'9" 172  lbs RB 95 Matthew Hengelsberg So.   5'10 165  lbs P43 Jalen Bartell Sr. 6'0" 210  lbs LB 96 Seamus   O'Malley   So.   6'1 180  lbs DL44 Matthew Minotti Sr. 6'0" 200  lbs DL 99 Luca Santillo Jr. 6'1" 230  lbs DL

Equipment  Manager:  TJ  Gallagher,  Team  Managers:  Tommy  Lombardo,  Adam  Schneider,  Kyle  Sminchak,  Ray  Zaller,  Reid  Reynolds,  Jack  Loesch,  Jimmy  Betsill

Band  Director:  Angelo  Kortyka,  Head  Cheer  Coach:  Gretchen  Toddy-­‐Ludwick  

Emma  Plageman,  Claire  Plageman,  Katie  Hindulak,  Katie  Kirkholder,  Riley  Roe,  Sarah  Conaway  

Head  Coach:  Tom  Lombardo  

Assistant  Coaches:  Dan  Scanlon,  Marty  Newman,  Bill  Powers,  Brendan  Gallagher,  Dan  Waitkus,  Pete  Pappas,  Dave  Jacobs,  

Brad  Staples,  Norm  Stickney,  Bill  Rockwell,  TJ  Gallagher,  JJ  Boone

President:  Jim  Kubacki,  Athletic  Director:  Kevin  Hickman,  Athletic  Trainer:  Brian  Warner,  Team  Physicians:  Dr.  Thomas  Ginley,  Dr.  Morgan  Jones

Varsity  Cheer  Members:  Maura  Lenehan,  Julia  Ludwick,  Brooke  Bodnar,  Emily  Caroscio,  Madelyn  Mulloy,  Heather  Thompson,  Gabriela  Nieves

QB 17 Patrick Ryan 6’0” 200 lbs Sr. 18 Daniel Alexander 6’1” 178 lbs Jr. RB 34 Mark Bobinski 5’9” 190 lbs Jr. 6 Dean Stowers 5’6” 130 lbs Sr. FB 24 Nicholas Kilbane 6’0” 165 lbs Sr. TE 39 James Leyden 6’2” 225 lbs Sr. 91 Michael Czaja 6’3” 240 lbs Sr.

WR 11 Connor Kennedy 6’0” 168 lbs Jr. 9 Ryan Cook 6’0” 182 lbs Sr. SE 3 Michael Lehto 6’1” 190 lbs Sr. 19 Michael Drobnick 6’1” 190 lbs Jr.

U-Back 5 Travis Pot 6’0” 180 lbs Sr. 81 Michael Daugenti 6’1” 175 lbs Sr. LT 70 Darian Kinnard 6’6” 315 lbs Jr. 73 William Corte 6’4” 265 lbs Jr.

LG 65 John Jamieson 6’2” 290 lbs Jr. 74 Juan Pen 6’3” 315 lbs Jr.

C 51 John Spellacy 6’1” 285 lbs Sr. 50 Jivan Meguerditchian 5’10” 255 lbs Jr.

RG 55 Tyler Fuerst 6’1” 285 lbs Sr. 79 Brendan Lenhard 6’3” 290 lbs Sr.

RT 78 Brian Almady 6’4” 310 lbs Sr. 71 Owen Hearns 6’5” 260 lbs Sr.

LE 91 Michael Czaja 6’3” 240 lbs Sr. 76 Patrick Viancourt 6’1” 230 lbs Sr.

NT 60 Joseph Gibbons 6’1” 260 lbs Sr. 70 Darian Kinnard 6’6” 315 lbs Jr.

RE 63 Michael Chime 6’1” 260 lbs Sr. 94 Bradley Andrich 6’3” 225 lbs Jr.

OLB 39 James Leyden 6’2” 225 lbs Sr. 45 Benjamin Delhees 6’0” 215 lbs Sr.

MLB 47 John Velotta 6’0” 229 lbs Sr. 58 Andrew Keirn 5’11” 200 lbs Jr. OLB 44 Adam Shibley 6’1” 228 lbs Sr. 56 Justin Perpar 6’0” 215 lbs Sr.

CB 7 Alexander Ringfield 5’11” 180 lbs Sr. 4 Cameron Toppin 5’11” 160 lbs Jr.

SS 31 Thomas Barrett 6’1” 200 lbs Sr. 9 Ryan Cook 6’0” 182 lbs Sr.

SS 25 Matthew Wiegandt 5’10” 190 lbs Sr. 48 Matthew Viancourt 5’8” 185 lbs Jr.

FS 8 Justin Sands 6’0” 195 lbs Jr. 26 Christopher Hyland 6’0” 190 lbs Sr.

CB 11 Connor Kennedy 6’0” 168 lbs Jr. 10 Matthew Leszcz 5’10” 160 lbs Sr.

Saint Ignatius Depth ChartOFFENSE DEFENSE

K 2 Matthew Trickett 5’11” 170 lbs Jr. P/KO 15 Colin Goodfellow 6’2” 195 lbs Sr.H 15 Colin Goodfellow 6’2” 195 lbs Sr.LS 33 Aidan Gill 5’8” 200 lbs Jr.

PR 34 Mark Bobinski 5’9” 190 lbs Jr.KR 7 Alexander Ringfield 5’11” 180 lbs Sr.

SPECIAL TEAMS

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

#3 Michael LAY-toe#6 Dean STOH-ers#10 Matthew LESH#25 Matthew WE-gant#34 Mark BO-bin-ski#47 John VAH-lot-AH#50 Jivan Meg-ur-DEE-chee-an

#55 Tyler FIRST#58 Andrew KER-nee#73 William COURT#78 Brian ALL-mah-dee#81 Michael Daw-JENT-ee#91 Michael ZAY-ya

Rank (Previous rank) Team (Record) 1. (1) Cincinnati Colerain (9-0)2. (2) Huber Heights Wayne (8-0-1)3. (3) St. Edward (7-1)4. (4) Cincinnati La Salle (7-2)5. (5) Archbishop Hoban (8-1)6. (6) Toledo Central Catholic (9-0)7. (7) Olentangy Liberty (8-0)8. (9) Saint Ignatius (8-1)9. (8) Pickerington Central (8-1)10. (10) Avon (9-0)11. (11) Stow (8-1)12. (12) Trotwood-Madison (8-1)13. (13) Solon (8-1)14. (14) Col. St. Francis DeSales (9-0)15. (15) Hilliard Bradley (8-1)16. (16) Hilliard Davidson (7-2)17. (17) Dublin Coffman (7-2)18. (18) Upper Arlington (8-1)19. (22) Chardon (9-0)20. (23) Cincinnati Turpin (9-0)21. (24) Massillon Perry (7-2)22. (19) Canton McKinley (6-3)23. (21) Cincinnati Elder (6-3)24. (25) Midview (7-1)25. (–) Massillon Jackson (7-2)

Ohio High School Football RankingsCleveland.comOhio Super 25

Rank Team (1st place votes) Record Points1. (1) Cincinnati Colerain (21) 9-0 2522. (2) Huber Heights Wayne (2) 8-0-1 2263. (3) Powell Olentangy Liberty (1) 9-0 1914. (4) Lakewood St. Edward (2) 7-1 1825. (6) Saint Ignatius (1) 8-1 1506. (6) Pickerington Central 8-1 1497. (7) Stow-Munroe Falls 8-1 1068. (8) Solon 8-1 1039. (9) Hilliard Bradley 8-1 7410. (–) Dublin Jerome 8-1 19

Others receiving 12 or more points: N/A

2016 Division I AP Poll (Oct. 24)

OHSAA Official Division I, Region 1 Computer Rankings

As of 10/18. Please visit joeeitel.com for the full rankings.

For a full listing of Division I schools or other OHSAA information, visit: OHSAA.org/sports/ft/boys/

Rank W-L ID # City School Average Level 1 Level 2 L2 divisor1 7-1 1346 Lakewood St Edward ^ 27.1264 40.0 192.5 87 2 8-1 1428 Solon Solon ^ 25.9667 51.0 203.0 100 3 8-1 1492 Stow Stow-Munroe Falls ^ 24.3944 49.0 189.5 100 4 7-2 764 Massillon Jackson ^ 23.5667 42.0 189.0 100 5 6-3 306 Canton Canton McKinley * 21.9111 37.0 178.0 100 6 6-3 650 Canton GlenOak * 21.1111 37.0 170.0 100 7 8-1 1354 Cleveland Saint Ignatius * 20.5611 50.5 149.5 100 8 6-3 385 Cleveland Heights Cleveland Heights 18.3838 35.0 143.5 99 9 5-4 1016 Mentor Mentor 17.8056 32.0 142.5 100 10 6-3 540 Euclid Euclid 17.5222 38.0 133.0 10011 4-5 730 North Canton Hoover 12.6556 23.0 101.0 100 12 5-4 1408 Shaker Heights Shaker Heights + 10.4556 32.0 69.0 100 13 5-4 148 Austintown Austintown-Fitch + 9.6333 30.0 63.0 100 14 5-4 1292 Cleveland Rhodes + 7.5317 26.0 45.5 98 15 3-6 200 Berea Berea-Midpark + 5.1556 18.5 31.0 100 16 1-8 444 Cuyahoga Falls Cuyahoga Falls + 1.8167 6.0 11.5 100 17 1-8 792 Cleveland John Marshall + 1.6260 3.5 12.0 97 18 0-9 832 Lakewood Lakewood + 0.0000 0.0 0.0 100

This Day in HistoryGames ....................................................15First Game ...............................10/29/1921 Most Recent Game....................10/29/2011 Saint Ignatius Wins.................................10Last Saint Ignatius Win.............10/29/2011Saint Ignatius Losses..................................5Last Saint Ignatius Loss.............10/29/1983Ties............................................................0

Largest Margin of VictorySaint Ignatius.......52, 10/29/1943 vs. West HighOpponents..........22, 10/29/1927, Ashtabula

Games Played on October 29:

1921 7 U. of Detroit HS 91926 13 Holy Name 01927 0 Ashtabula HS 221933 6 Holy Name 191938 13 South HS 21942 2 John Marshall 181954 13 Rhodes HS 01960 52 West High 01966 20 John Marshall HS 01971 26 Lincoln-West HS 01977 28 John Marshall HS 261982 20 Benedictine HS 131983 20 Benedictine HS 221999 31 Glen Mills (Pa.) HS 302011 20 St Edward HS 17

Series HistoryMeetings ................................................53First Meeting ............................10/17/1952Most Recent Meeting................10/31/2015Saint Ignatius Wins.................................28Last Saint Ignatius Win.............10/24/2015St. Edward Wins......................................24Last St. Edward Win.................10/19/2013Ties............................................................1

Longest Winning Streaks In SeriesSaint Ignatius..4; 10/26/2007 – 10/31/2009St. Edward........8; 11/13/1971 – 9/15/1978Current Winning Streak.........St. Edward, 2

Largest Margin of VictorySaint Ignatius...........47 points, 10/13/1990St. Edward..................31 points, 11/1/2014

^ Clinched playoff spot *Controls own destiny + Mathematically eliminated

Last Season’s Game:Saint Edward Eagles: 35 Saint Ignatius Wildcats: 28 Saturday, October 31, 2015

Wildcats fall short against Eagles, eliminated from playoffsBy Eddie Dwyer Lakewood, Ohio - With their postseason hopes on the line, the Cats went toe-to-toe with the area’s and state’s top-ranked Eagles before a recovery of an onside kick by St. Edward’s versatile safety Kyle Fallon with 35 seconds remaining enabled the Eagles to hang on. St. Edward, which had difficulty creating distance between itself and the un-derdog Wildcats, finished its regular season at 9-1 and will enter next weekend’s OHSAA Division I Regional Quarterfinal playoffs as the No. 1 seed in Region 1. Record 11-time state champion Saint Ignatius, which was seeking its 27th postseason appearance since its remarkable OHSAA playoff run began in 1988, closed its season at 5-4. Saturday afternoon’s setback to the Eagles, which took place in front of a stand-ing-room crowd at tradition-rich Lakewood Stadium, mathematically eliminated the Cats from the playoffs for only the second time since 1988. Saint Ignatius also missed the playoffs in 2010, when it finished 4-6. St. Edward, the defending Division I state champion and a program that has been ranked in most of the national polls all season, is seeking its third state football title. The Eagles appeared to be in control when their gifted senior tailback Cole Gest rambled 39 yards for a touchdown down the right or home sideline of Lakewood Stadium with 2 minutes and 59 seconds remaining to be played. After Gest’s effort, which came off a five-play, 80-yard drive, and the ensuing extra-point kick by Jake Budyka, St. Edward had a 14-point lead. However, after the Eagles turned the Wildcats away on a fourth-down play from the St. Edward 21-yard line, they fumbled the ball two plays later and Saint Ignatius’ veteran corner Quinn Lawless pounced on the pigskin at the Eagles’ 27. Coach Chuck Kyle’s Wildcats wasted little time in cutting the deficit to 35-28 on a touchdown strike from multi-skilled senior quarterback Dennis Grosel to one of the state’s premier wideouts, senior Cal Grbac, and the extra-point kick by sophomore Matthew Trickett with 38 seconds left. Fallon, whose older brother Ryan was a standout quarterback for St. Edward in 2011 and 2012, was heads-up on the Cats’ onside kick and Eagles Head Coach Tom Lombardo celebrated another victory against one of the most demanding schedules in the nation. A WILD AND WILL-TESTING SECOND HALF Still trailing, 21-7, entering the fourth quarter, Coach Kyle’s Cats closed to seven points when Grosel highlighted a 47-yard drive by rolling left, spinning back to his right and finding a wide open Jack Cook in the back of the score-board end zone for a 5-yard touchdown. Trickett tacked on the extra point and Saint Ignatius trailed, 21-14, with 9:57 remaining to be played. A huge turning point took place when the Wildcats, starting with a first-and-10 on their 12-yard line, fumbled the ball. The Eagles recovered the loose football at Saint Ignatius’ 1-yard line and from there fullback Curt Szelestra fought his way into the end zone. Budyka delivered the extra point and St. Edward pushed its lead to 28-14 with 8:04 left on the clock. The Wildcats, who left everything they had on the Lakewood Stadium turf, rode one of the many clutch receptions on the afternoon by senior wide receiver Tyler Musbach to a first down at the Eagles’ 24 and an authoritative run by junior tailback Jimmy Andrews had Saint Ignatius knocking on the door with a first and goal at the 8-yard line. Pushing that scoring door open was a double reverse that saw Grosel hand the ball off to Andrews, who handed it to Cook, who was coming around from his wide receiver position. Cook, a senior captain and a Harvard University recruit who excelled on both sides of the ball during his Saint Ignatius career, ran and juked his way over the left side and into the end zone. Trickett’s extra point was high and true, and the Wildcats trailed, 28-21, with 5:24 remaining. The sequence described in the lead-in to this story followed, and Saint Ignatius departed Lakewood Stadium with what is now a 28-24-1 lead in its all-time football series with St. Edward.

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 TotalSt. Ignatius 7 0 0 21 28St. Edward 7 14 0 14 35

1st Quarter03:04 SIHS - Grosel 1 yd run (Trickett kick) 00:51 ED - Gest 16 yd run (Budyka kick)2nd Quarter 07:31 ED - Gest 60 yd pass from Keefe (Budyka kick) 00:47 ED - Gordon 44 yd pass from Keefe (Budyka kick)4th Quarter 09:57 SIHS - Cook 5 yd pass from Grosel (Trickett kick) 08:10 ED - Szelestra 1 yd run (Budyka kick) 05:24 SIHS - Cook 8 yd run (Trickett kick) 02:59 ED - Gest 39 yd run (Budyka kick) 00:38 SIHS - Grbac 27 yd pass from Grosel (Trickett kick)

SIHS EDFIRST DOWNS 23 17RUSHES-YARDS (NET) 31-101 40-173PASSING YDS (NET) 296 301Passes Att-Comp-Int 54-22-1 25-12-1TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS-YARDS 85-397 65-474Fumble Returns-Yards 0-0 0-0Punt Returns-Yards 2-(-6) 2-7Kickoff Returns-Yards 2-33 1-15Interception Returns-Yards 1-38 1-0Punts (Number-Avg) 8-36.6 6-42.8Fumbles-Lost 3-1 2-2Penalties-Yards 1-5 5-45Possession Time 23:25 24:35Third-Down Conversions 5 of 18 3 of 13Fourth-Down Conversions 3 of 4 0 of 1Red-Zone Scores-Chances 3-3 1-2Sacks By: Number-Yards 1-10 0-0

RUSHING: St. Ignatius-Andrews 13-49; Grosel 11-41; Wahib 3-9; Cook 1-8; Norris 3-minus 6. St. Edward-Gest 22-129; Gordon 5-21; Keefe 11-20; Redden 1-2; Szelestra 1-1.PASSING: St. Ignatius-Grosel 22-54-1-296. St. Edward-Keefe 12-25-1-301.RECEIVING: St. Ignatius-Cook 10-153; Musbach 6-75; Grbac 3-49; Andrews 2-13; Berger 1-6. St. Edward-Gonzalez 4-73; Gest 2-85; Jones 2-59; Hoover 2-26 Gordon 1-44; Olsen 1-14.INTERCEPTIONS: St. Ignatius-Maruna 1-38. St. Edward-Jones 1-0.FUMBLES: St. Ignatius-Andrews 1-0; Norris 1-1; Cook 1-0. St. Edward-Gest 2-2.

Kickoff time: 2:07 PM • End of Game: 4:58 PM • Total elapsed time: 2:51

By Eddie DwyerBy Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit October 2016Cleveland, Ohio - Sitting in the Coaches Office after practice on Tuesday, Saint Ignatius’

veteran defensive line of seniors Mike Czaja, Joe Gibbons, Mike Chime and Patrick Viancourt took time out to talk about the challenges that await in the trenches Saturday night, when the 8-1 Wildcats take on West Side rival St. Edward (7-1) in the regular season finale at the Cleve-land Browns’ FirstEnergy Stadium.

The kickoff will be 6 PM for a gridiron series that has seen St. Edward win the last two meet-ings and cut its all-time deficit in the rivalry to 28-24-1.

It always seems there is more at stake than just pride or bragging rights when these two Catholic School powers get together in late October, and Saturday night will be no different.

According to the latest computer playoff ratings by the OHSAA and playoff guru Joe Eitel, record 11-time Division I State Champion Saint Ignatius stands seventh in Region 1 and “controls its own destiny” in pursuit of what would be a 27th OHSAA playoff appearance since 1988.

The top eight teams in each of the state’s regions at the end of the regular season qualify for the annual OHSAA playoffs, which begin for Division I on November 4. The Wildcats are looking to return to their traditional spot in November after not qualifying for the playoffs last season.

A first-round home game is awarded to the top four teams in the regions and the Football Cats could possibly earn that distinction if they defeat St. Edward.

The two-time defending Division I State Champion Eagles of Coach Tom Lombardo enter Saturday’s game sitting atop Region 1 and having already clinched a playoff spot.

When you look at the 54th meeting between St. Edward and Saint Ignatius, one thing stands out for this old-timer, who has been privileged to cover and report on this special rivalry since the early 1980s. The Wildcats, who enter Saturday’s game as the underdog according to cleveland.com and other .com pigskin “experts,” have a significant size advantage up front on both sides of the ball.

“Their offensive line is tough and physical,” said Saint Ignatius’ versatile defensive end/line-backer Mike Czaja, who has made some exceptional plays for the Wildcats down the stretch, in-cluding dropping into pass coverage and giving gifted senior linebacker/tight end James Leyden an occasional breather. “We’ve seen that physical play from Archbishop Moeller, St. Xavier and Detroit Catholic Central, we’ve seen it all year. The coaches have put in a great game plan. We go out there and execute it. Just look at the results. So far this season it’s been pretty good.”

Saint Ignatius will take the field in FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday night having outscored its nine opponents, 346-73. The Cats’ only setback came in Week 4 at Detroit Catholic Cen-tral, a 28-21 overtime loss. The Shamrocks of Novi, Michigan are 9-0.

“I would say their run blocking is very good,” Czaja continued in reference to the Eagles’ O-Line. “They definitely come down and double team and the search guard pulls. They do a bunch of stuff. I think in practice, with what Coach Cicetti (Cats Defensive Line/Linebackers Coach Dave Cicetti) is doing with his drills, he is getting us prepared pretty well for the game.”

Senior defensive end/special teams standout Patrick Viancourt said St. Edward’s O-Line is “certainly not one of the bigger offensive lines we’ve gone against this year.

“The thing people overlook at times, however, is that even though their line might be a bit smaller than in the past, they’re explosive,” Vinacourt continued. “Last week going against St. Xavier, their guys were super tall and it was easier to get underneath them. This week is kind of like a switch in technique, you’ve got to be a lot lower.”

Although Viancourt and Company were able to get a tremendous rush on Eagles quarter-back Kevin Kramer on the Junior Varsity level, they have seen the significant development in Kramer’s game, who is now a senior.

“I would say he has gotten better and better in escaping the pocket and avoiding the rush,” said Viancourt. “He’s a much better scrambler, so we’re really going to have to watch out for him and be on top of that if he pulls the ball down and runs.”

Senior defensive end Mike Chime, who is having an All-District and All-Ohio season, said it is obvious that St. Edward’s line is doing something right with the Eagles being No. 1 in Region I. St. Edward and Saint Ignatius are ranked 4th and 5th, respectively, in the Associated Press big-school State Poll and it’s the Eagles at No.1 and the Cats at No. 2 in cleveland.com’s Northeast Ohio Top 25.

“They definitely look good on film,” said Chime, who has been a force up front against the run and the pass. “They seem to know their system well and they run it accordingly. They’re system guys and they see the objective of the play and run it very well.”

Saint Ignatius’ tough and relentless man in the middle up front, senior Joe Gibbons, said it is “all about beating the blocks,” when the subject of St. Edward’s productive senior tailback Curtis Szelesta came up. Szelesta, who is also a gifted hockey player, has been a big-play, dual-threat all season for Coach Lombardo.

Eddie Dwyer’s Corner: St. Edward Preview“Defeating the blocks, rather than us just tackling him,” Joe continued. “We have to

fill our gaps, beat the blocks and then we can tackle him easily.“His big plays, he has really good blocking,” said Joe. “If you noticed in the Moeller

game, holes opened up. We’ve faced some good backs this year, but we’ve been able to keep our gaps and just corral them, not letting them get space.”

The holes that opened up for Szelesta in the Eagles’ 24-21 victory over Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati last weekend enabled him to score on a 55-yard run and a 66-yard catch and run. Curtis finished with 137 yards on 23 carries.

“Gibby,” as some of Joe’s teammates refer to him, is no stranger to many of the Eagles, as Joe played grade school football with Kramer and St. Edward’s standout senior safety Kevin Dever, among others, at Our Lady of Angels in West Park. OLA has always produced a lot of St. Edward students over the years, but now it is almost even in the number of eighth graders from OLA who attend Saint Ignatius.

“I know him real well,” said Gibbons of Kramer. “He has a real good arm. We have to get to him, which I think we will.”

Chime said that Kramer has improved a lot and is stronger physically. “He also sees who his playmakers are, like Kordell Hoover, who is a good receiver, and Szelesta, and let’s them make plays,” Mike said. “He knows how to find his playmakers very well.”

The Eagles have also pulled off some surprise plays this fall, including having Kramer swing out of the backfield and catch a touchdown pass.

“How you stop that is to be very disciplined, from our line to our linebackers,” Gib-bons said. “We can’t let them dictate to us. If we stop the run and get to the quarterback, that will stop them from even running that stuff.”

FROM SAINT IGNATIUS’ HALL OF FAME HEAD COACH CHUCK KYLE ‘69: “You really have to give them a lot of credit, because that was a pretty heavy gradu-ation scenario,” Coach Kyle said of the number of mainstays St. Edward graduated from last year’s state championship team, including All-Ohio workhorse tailback Cole Gest, now playing for the Hoosiers of Indiana.

“They’ve done a nice job of retooling and coming out and playing quality football. They are already in the playoffs. Offensively, their running game is still solid. Curtis Szelesta has gotten really good yardage for them. He has good vision, acceleration and makes the good cuts. Kordell Hoover is their primary receiver, but they have a good balance with their offense.

“They are always a good defensive team that runs to the ball. What was really obvious in the film is that they get their reads and they’re attacking. That’s how they’ve always played. They want to get a three-and-out and get the offense on the field. It’s a defense that has given their offense some good opportunities this year for shorter drives.

“It’s a great matchup, we’re playing well, they’re playing well. To beat this type of team it’s about balance on offense, and we’ve been getting that.”

Coach Kyle and his staff have to prepare for being without gifted senior tailback Jimmy Andrews , who was having an outstanding season before suffering a broken left arm in last weekend’s victory at St. Xavier. Jimmy combined with junior tailback Mark Bobinski in giving the Wildcats one of the top 1-2 punches in the state.

Saint Ignatius will turn to seniors Dean Stowers and Nicholas Kilbane to help fill the significant void.

AROUND THE CORNER: If I may, just let me say that Jimmy Andrews is not only a special athlete, but the epitome of class as a young man. As this reporter of many years was walking on Wasmer Field Tuesday afternoon, Jimmy, just three days after his Wildcats career came to an end, hustled over to me with his arm in a sling and thanked me for the coverage I gave him throughout his athletic career at Saint Ignatius.

Jimmy, the Thank You comes from this old-timer for the kindness and constant respect you gave me over these four years and all of the wonderful sports conversations we’ve had on Wasmer Field from the summer heat to November’s chill. I know your teammates and coaches at Saint Ignatius, along with your friends Kevin Dever and Kevin Kramer from St. Edward, are pulling for a smooth recovery as they realize, like I have, that you are a great person, a great friend and a great teammate.

ONE LAST TIME: As I have always said and reported again in Monday’s Where the Cats Play, the greatest game I ever had the privilege to cover and report on in my 36-plus years at The Plain Dealer was the 1993 Saint Ignatius versus St. Edward triple overtime thriller at Lakewood Stadium, aka “The Madhouse on Madison,” won by the Wildcats, 35-34.

Second on my all-time reporting list is the 1989 second-round playoff game between the Wildcats and the Robert Smith-led Euclid Panthers, won by Saint Ignatius, 31-30, at then Baldwin-Wallace College’s (now University with no hyphen) Finnie Stadium.

Eddie Dwyer’s Corner: St. Xavier RecapBy Eddie DwyerFrom Tom Ballaban Field in St. Xavier Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio - The Varsity

Football Wildcats of Hall of Fame Head Coach Chuck Kyle ‘69 had too much strength, skill and savvy on both sides of the ball Saturday afternoon on Tom Ballaban Field, as they defused the Bombers of St. Xavier early and often, 31-14, under the perfect blue-gray October skies that hovered over the spacious campus of St. Xavier High School.

In winning its fifth consecutive game and maintaining possession of the Jesuit School rivalry’s Cannon Bell, Saint Ignatius improved to 8-1 and strengthened its position for what would be a 27th OHSAA Division I playoff appearance since the Wildcats’ amazing run of a record 11 big-school state football championships began in 1988.

According to the latest computer playoff ratings by playoff guru Joe Eitel, Saint Ignatius stands seventh in Region 1 and “controls its own destiny.” The top eight teams in each of the state’s regions at the end of the regular season (October 29) qualify for the annual OHSAA playoffs, which begin for Division I on November 4.

A first-round home game is awarded to the top four teams in the regions and the Football Cats could possibly earn that distinction if they defeat longtime West Side rival S. Edward in next Saturday’s regular season finale at the Browns’ FirstEnergy Stadium. The kickoff will be 6 PM

The St. Edward Eagles of Coach Tom Lombardo, who have been near or at the top of Region 1 for a good portion of the season, also spent their Saturday in the Queen City as they improved to 7-1 by edging the Crusaders of Archbishop Moeller on a field goal in the final seconds, 24-21. Two-time defending Division I state champ St. Edward will enter the October 29 regular season wrapup versus the Wildcats having already clinched a playoff spot in Region 1.

Although the Eagles have won their past two meetings with the Cats, Saint Ignatius still leads the storied series, 28-24-1.

As for Saturday’s 23rd meeting in the annual Jesuit showdown between the now 4-5 Bombers and the Wildcats, Saint Ignatius took command with a 21-point second quarter.

The Wildcats, whose second consecutive victory over the Bombers tightened the all-time series to 12-11 in favor of St. Xavier, got an outstanding performance on both sides of the ball from senior tight end/linebacker James Leyden.

Leyden, whose 62-yard, second - and third-effort catch and run down the visit-ing sideline of Ballaban Field for a touchdown not only was the offensive play of the game, but is sure to find its way to Saint Ignatius’ 2016 season highlight video come January.

Leyden’s big-time play and the ensuing extra-point kick by junior Matthew Trickett, which came with 3 minutes and 54 seconds remaining in the first half, extended the Wildcats’ lead to 24-0 and seemed to take some of the fire out of the Bombers’ faithful.

“Pre snap, I saw the linebacker was staying in so I went in the flat, Pat (Ryan) hit me and I turned up field,” Leyden said of a play that drew a roar from the Wildcats’ faithful. “I saw an open space, there was a little bit of a scrum and somehow I broke through. I’m not really sure what happened and then I just ran the rest of the way.

“Our defense, we’re very confident right now,” Leyden continued. “We think we can stop anyone in the state and that’s how we’re going to play every snap, that we can stop them. We have confidence in our offense, too, that we’re going to control the clock. It’s gets tougher and tougher each week, but it’s a challenge and I love it.”

Coach Kyle’s Cats racked up 240 of their 386 total offensive yards in the first half, which ended with Saint Ignatius leading, 24-7. St. Xavier got on the board off a 1-yard keeper by its promising junior quarterback Chase Wolf with 19 seconds left before halftime.

The Wildcats’ staff was treated to several outstanding efforts on both sides of the ball, including 225 yards and three TDs through the air by senior quarter-

back Patrick Ryan. Patrick was 8-of-13 passing and, along with the memorable play to Leyden, he threw a touchdown strike of 48 yards into the sure hands of senior wide receiver Mike Lehto on the first play of the second quarter and fired an in-stride, 47-yard scoring pass to multi-skilled junior wide receiver/defensive back Connor Kennedy in the fourth quarter.

Another Ryan-to-Ken-nedy pass set up a 7-yard touchdown run by hard-nosed and talented junior tailback Mark Bobinski in the second quarter.

Trickett, who opened the scoring with a 32-yard field goal in the first quarter, was also 4-for-4 on his extra points. Matt doubles as defensive mainstay for Coach Mike McLaughlin’s state and nationally acclaimed soccer program.

Saint Ignatius’ defense continued to show why it is among the best units Ohio has to offer, as the defensive front of senior linemen Mike Chime, Joe Gibbons, Mike Czaja and Patrick Viancourt, and senior linebackers Leyden, Johnny Ve-lotta and Adam Shibley, were a nightmare for the St. Xavier offensive line.

The Cats’ underrated secondary was also flying to the ball all afternoon and came up with highlight-reel interceptions from senior cornerback Alex Ringfield and Kennedy, with Kennedy’s pick coming in the end zone and deflating any comeback aspirations that Wolf and Company had in mind.

Wolf did throw a 26-yard touchdown pass with six seconds remaining in the game and accounted for 208 yards, 178 passing.

Ryan and Saint Ignatius’ 1-2 running punch of senior tailback Jimmy An-drews and Bobinski will be the first to tell you that they operate behind a big and special offensive line that is anchored by All-Ohio senior center and East Carolina recruit John Spellacy, and heavily recruited 6-foot-6, 315-pound junior left tackle Darian Kinnard.

Speaking of Jimmy Andrews, who is as special a young man and teammate that any team or coach could hope for, Jimmy suffered broken bones in his left arm in the fourth quarter, an injury, according to late Saturday night reports, that will require surgery. We ask that you keep Jimmy in your prayers.

“Jimmy has been a tough runner since his sophomore year,” said Leyden, who knows more than just a little bit about being tough on the gridiron. “Now that Jimmy is out, someone is going to have to step up and take his reps. We’re going to do this for Jimmy now, the rest of the way. He deserves it and I think we’re confident we can win. Maybe he can come back, we’ll see.”

FROM COACH KYLE: “We threw to him in the flat to get a first down and then he took it from there,” Coach Kyle said of Leyden’s exceptional effort. “It was an unbelievable play, he kept fighting, I’m very proud of him because he realized he was a key guy in what we were doing.”

After congratulating St. Xavier’s standout junior kick returner Cameron Specht, the son of Coach Kyle’s friend and colleague Steve Specht, the Bombers’ highly successful head coach, Chuck turned his attention to Patrick Ryan.

“Pat Ryan did an awesome job,” said the man who has also guided his Wild-cats to three national titles (1989, 1993 and 1995) and a national runner-up (2008). “They (the Bombers) always have a tough defense with their coverage and blitzes. They can unnerve the best of quarterbacks and Pat was just fine today. He kept his composure, took off and got some great runs. He was a major weapon today and that’s great to see.”

Eddie Dwyer’s Corner: A History of Wildcats FootballBy Eddie DwyerCleveland, Ohio - On September 11, 2015, the Saint Ignatius Wildcats added

another milestone to their illustrious football legacy by playing their 1,000th game.Coach Chuck Kyle’s Wildcats, scoring all of their points in the first half, defeated

the Valley Forge Patriots, 41-0, on Byers Field in Parma’s Robert. M. Boulton Stadium.

Although the early years of Saint Ignatius football were not laden with the success Wildcats faithful have grown accustom to, the man who put the football program on the local map was Mr. Ralph Vince, a graduate of Martins Ferry High School and Washington & Jefferson University who studied law at Western Reserve University.

The astute and eloquent Coach Vince guided his Golden Tornado, as Saint Igna-tius was known then, to a City Championship in 1925, a 15-game winning streak and an overall record of 29-6 from 1923 through 1926. Those 29 victories included a City Runner-Up finish in 1926 and 19 shutouts. Coach Vince’s legendary 1925 team yielded just 25 points all season and compiled 25 consecutive shutout quarters.

In 1925 and 1926, the Golden Tornado posted 8-1 seasons.Although the makeup of Ohio High School Football changed dramatically

in 1972 with the birth of the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Harbin Postseason Computer Playoffs, Saint Ignatius continued to enjoy success on the area gridirons.

And directing a huge portion of those winning ways were Saint Ignatius Hall of Fame inductees, Coaches Mr. John J. Wirtz and Mr. Paul Nemec.

From 1951 through 1970, Coach Wirtz led his Wildcats to four City Cham-pionships and an overall mark of 146-40-6. Coach Wirtz put together one of the greatest teams in the history of area high school football - the 10-0 Hall of Fame City Champion Wildcats of 1964.

Behind one of the most storied all-around athletes ever to come out of Ohio - senior quarterback/safety Brian Dowling - Saint Ignatius capped its dominant ‘64 season with a 48-6 victory over Benedictine in the annual Thanksgiving Morning City Championship Charity Game at old Municipal Stadium. A crowd of 41,183 witnessed the Wildcats’ dominance, as on the second play from scrimmage Dowling called his own number and rambled 71 yards for a touchdown.

Dowling’s athletic careers at Saint Ignatius and Yale were so legendary that he became a regular character, “B.D.,” in the Doonesbury Comic Strip.

Coach Nemec, who succeeded Coach Wirtz, also produced four City Champion-ships. In 1972 and 1973, Coach Nemec’s Wildcats finished 9-1. Paul put together an overall record at Saint Ignatius of 42-16-2.

Prior to Coach Wirtz and Coach Nemec, Coach Fred George compiled a record of 19-6-3 and won two City Titles while directing Wildcats football from 1948

through 1950.As impressive as the records of Coach Vince, Coach Wirtz, Coach Nemec and

Coach George teams were, Saint Ignatius Football would reach a whole new level of state and national recognition under one of Coach Wirtz’s All-City tailbacks - Hall of Fame Coach Mr. Chuck Kyle.

Taking over his alma mater’s football program in 1983, Coach Kyle has set a standard that most high school coaches can only dream about.

Saint Ignatius had never qualified for the OHSAA playoffs until 1988, when Coach Kyle began what is one of the greatest runs not only in football-rich Ohio, but the entire nation.

From his 14-0 Division I State Championship Team of 1988 came a string of an Ohio-best 11 big-school state football championships, including a record five row from 1991 through 1995. The ‘Cats were state runners-up 1996.

The most successful coach in Cleveland area high school football and the most successful Division I coach in Northeast Ohio with 321 career victories entering the 2016 season, Coach Kyle has also guided the Wildcats to National Champion-ships in 1989, 1993 and 1995, and a National Runner-Up in 2008.

The ‘Cats enter 2016 seeking their 27th OHSAA playoff appearance.In what is one of this seasoned reporter’s fondest memories in covering and

reporting on Coach Kyle’s teams for The Plain Dealer came moments after the dramatic 10-7 victory over Cincinnati Princeton in the Division I 1988 State Championship Game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, which produced Saint Ignatius’ first undefeated and untied season since 1964.

In the ‘Cats’ locker room at Ohio Stadium, Coach Kyle, while celebrating the dramatic goal-line stand that sealed the victory, lifted up his blue-and-gold sweater and pulled out two small gold footballs linked to a chain.

“They’re from my grandfather’s letter sweater when he played on a state championship team in Alabama in 1918 and from my dad’s letter-sweater when he competed on a state-championship team in Indiana in 1937,” Coach Kyle said. “I think I called on both of them in the end.”

Last Week’s Game:Saint Ignatius: 31 St. Xavier: 14Saturday, October 22, 2016

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 TotalSaint Ignatius 3 21 0 7 31St. Xavier 0 7 0 7 14

1st Quarter07:36 SIHS - Trickett 18 field goal2nd Quarter11:52 SIHS - Lehto 48 pass from Ryan (Trickett kick)07:35 SIHS - Bobinski 7 run (Trickett kick)03:54 SIHS - Leyden 62 pass from Ryan (Trickett kick)00:19 X - Wolf 1 run (Rookwood kick)4th Quarter06:39 SIHS - Kennedy 47 pass from Ryan (Trickett kick)00:06 X - Moeller 26 pass from Wolf (Rookwood kick)

SIHS XavierFIRST DOWNS 16 17RUSHES-YARDS (NET) 40-161 27-53PASSING YDS (NET) 225 178Passes Att-Comp-Int 13-8-0 43-24-2TOTAL OFF. PLAYS-YARDS 53-386 70-231Fumble Returns-Yards 0-0 0-0Punt Returns-Yards 6-27 5-78Kickoff Returns-Yards 1-6 3-111Interception Returns-Yards 2-20 0-0Punts (Number-Avg) 6-36.7 7-39.3Fumbles-Lost 2-1 0-0Penalties-Yards 4-29 4-43Possession Time 35:07 24:53Third-Down Conversions 4 of 11 7 of 18Fourth-Down Conversions 0 of 0 2 of 4Red-Zone Scores-Chances 2-2 1-3Sacks By: Number-Yards 3-18 1-8

RUSHING: Saint Ignatius- Bobinski 15-78; Andrews 14-53; Ryan 9-31; TEAM 2-(-1) Xavier- Wolf 13-30; Earley 12-24; Payne 2-(-1) PASSING: Saint Ignatius-Ryan 8-13-0-225 Xavier- Wolf 24-43-2-178RECEIVING: Saint Ignatius- Kennedy 3-89; Lehto 3-64; Leyden 2-72; Xavier- Moeller 8-67; Farrar 6-64; Wittrock 4-27; Fox 3-14; Earley 1-8; Specht 1-5; Payne 1-(-7)INTERCEPTIONS: Saint Ignatius- Kennedy 1-20. Xavier- None. FUMBLES: Saint Ignatius- Ryan 1-1. Xavier- None.

This will be the third time that the Wildcats will pay a visit to FirstEnergy Stadium, home to the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns. The other two visits that Saint Ignatius made were in 2010, when the Cats lost to Lake Catholic, 28-21, and 2012 when the Wildcats beat Cardinal Mooney, 31-7. Both of those games were part of the Cleve-land Browns’ High School Football Charity Game. Construction on FirstEnergy Stadium began in May 1997 when it was announced that the Cleveland Browns were making a comeback to the city in 1999. It officially opened on September 12, 1999 when the Browns hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers. The stadium is a natural concrete and glass structure, us-ing precast and concrete for the upper concourse structure. The construction of the base and structure took more than 6,000 truckloads of concrete. The playing surface is Ken-tucky Bluegrass. FirstEnergy Stadium is one of the few NFL stadiums that has natural grass as its playing surface. It does have an underground heating system for the cold Cleveland winters and when there is snow on the field. In January of 2013, after Jimmy Haslam bought the Cleveland Browns, he announced that the naming rights of the stadium would be sold to FirstEnergy Corporation, an Akron-based electricity service. Haslam soon after an-nounced major renovations to the stadium, which included a new audio system, two new scoreboards that are the 4th largest in the NFL, adding more seats to the lower bowl, improving concessions, installing WiFi around the entire stadium, more video screens around the stadium, and en-hancing the premium club suites.

TODAY’S VENUE:FIRSTENERGY

STADIUM

SAINT IGNATIUS TEAM STATS

SAINT IGNATIUS OFFENSIVE STATS

SAINT IGNATIUS DEFENSIVE STATS

SAINT IGNATIUS GAME-BY-GAME STATS

OPPONENT GAME-BY-GAME STATS

2016 COMPOSITE SCHEDULEOpponent Aug 26/27 Sept 2/3 Sept 9/10 Sept 16/17 Sept 22/23/24 Sept 30 / Oct 1 Oct 7/8 Oct 14/15 Oct 21/22 Oct 28/29

OPEN

Bellflower (CA) Saint John Bosco

L, 34-0

Gibsonia (PA) Pine-Richland W, 28-27

Akron Archbishop Hoban W, 10-7

Glenville W, 41-0

Cincinnati Elder L, 15-6

Buchtel W, 42-14

Naperville (IL) Central

W, 35-14

Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller

W, 21-14

Cincinnati Elder W, 31-7

Louisville (KY) St. Xavier Tigers

Massillon Perry PANTHERS

St. Edward L, 24-21

Bay L, 14-13

Lakota West W, 47-14

Huber Hts Wayne L, 35-17

William Mason W, 17-14

Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco

W, 20-14

Cincinnati St Xavier L, 21-14

Cincinnati LaSalle L, 55-14

Green W, 49-20

Saint Ignatius- 34 GlenOak-17

Jackson L, 35-10

Rocky River L, 31-13

Holy Name L, 7-0

Lake W, 35-28

McKinley W, 19-2

Valley Forge W, 21-0

Toledo Whitmer L, 29-20

Akron Saint Vincent-Saint Mary

L, 10-3

Columbus Bishop Watterson L, 27-14

Padua Franciscan L, 34-10

Notre Dame Cathedral Latin

L, 21-3

Akron Archbishop Hoban L, 21-0

Benedictine L, 38-7

Bay L, 34-0

Normandy INVADERS

Sterling Heights (MI) Stevenson

W, 42-0

Toledo Whitmer W, 29-7

Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice

W, 28-21 (2OT)

Brantford (ONT) Pauline Johnson

W, 47-0

Orchard Lake (MI) Saint Mary’s Prep

W, 28-7

Warren (MI) De La Salle

W, 17-7

Elyria Catholic L, 56-7

Garfield Heights L, 42-0

Valley Forge PATRIOTS

Cincinnati Saint Xavier L, 20-7

Euclid L, 37-27

Shaker Hts W, 41-0

Solon L, 37-8

Medina W, 35-32

Strongsville W, 42-26

Normandy INVADERS (0-9)

Saint Edward EAGLES (7-1)

Parma Senior L, 28-7

Holy Name L, 49-14

Bay L, 30-0

Rocky River L, 44-7

Elyria Catholic L, 41-0

Shaw L, 39-14

Rocky River L, 48-13

Elyria Catholic W, 14-13

Canada Prep Academy W, 35-7

Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller

W, 24-21

North Olmsted L, 39-14

Mentor CARDINALS (5-4)

Valley Forge PATRIOTS (0-9)

Walsh Jesuit WARRIORS (1-8)

Parma Senior REDMEN (5-5)

Canton GlenOak EAGLES (6-3)

Brunswick W, 22-16

Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller CRUSADERS (3-6)

Cincinnati Elder L, 30-28

Saint Ignatius- 38 Moeller-7

Royal Imperial Collegiate of

Canada RAIDERS

Cincinnati Saint Xavier BOMBERS (4-5)

Warren Central (IN)

L, 19-18

Saint Ignatius- 31 St. Xavier-14

Cincinnati Colerain L, 20-14 (OT)

Mentor W, 20-7

Cincinnati LaSalle L, 17-14

Novi (MI) Detroit Catholic Central SHAMROCKS (9-0)

St. Michael's (ONT) College

School W, 49-7

Saint Ignatius- 21

DCC-28

Athol Springs (NY) Saint Francis RED

W, 23-21

Saint Ignatius- 30 Walsh Jesuit-0

Elyria PIONEERS

Parma Senior L, 21-0

Orchard Lake St. Mary's

W, 17-14

Lake Catholic COUGARS

Holy Name L, 35-25

Saint Ignatius- 45

Normandy-0 Eastlake North

L, 42-6Richfield Revere

L, 56-0

Massillon Washington

W, 50-31

Saint Ignatius- 49

Mentor-7

Indianapolis (IN) Cathedral W, 34-29

Newport News (VA) Woodside

W, 42-17

Massillon Washington

L, 24-21

Buchtel W, 13-12

Hoover W, 28-0

Richfield Revere L, 49-33

Saint Ignatius- 49

Valley Forge-0

Saint Ignatius- 49 Parma-0

Olmsted Falls L, 33-18

North Royalton W, 36-21

John Marshall W, 40-0

Normandy W, 28-7