Awards given at the 2009 Football Banquet

Transcription

1 Date H/A/N H H H A A H A H H A H N 9 Schedule and Results Other Notes Opponent Glenville Academic Campus Clayton Northmont Buffalo (NY) Canisius Mentor Buffalo (NY) Saint Francis Massillon Washington Warren G. Harding Inkster (MI) Cincinnati Saint Xavier Lakewood Saint Edward Youngstown Boardman Glenville Academic Campus All-District Team Selections First Team Quarterback Mark Myers Senior Tailback Bobby Grebenc Junior Offensive Line Chris Chapek Senior Linebacker Scott McVey Senior Linebacker Jacob Ryan Senior Defensive Back Kevin Hopkins Senior Second Team Offensive Line Stewart Ross Senior Defensive Line Pat Dowd Senior Defensive Back George Newrones Senior Honorable Mention First Team Quarterback Mark Myers Senior Linebacker Jacob Ryan Senior Second Team Tailback Bobby Grebenc Junior Linebacker Scott McVey Senior Special Mention Offensive Line Chris Chapek Senior Defensive Back Kevin Hopkins Senior Defensive Back George Newrones Senior Result W 4-3 W 7- W 5-8 W 47-7 W 3-4 W 6- W -7 W 43- W 3- W 8- W 7- L 3-3 Offensive Average: 7.8 pts./defensive Average: 3.3 pts. LB Owen Callahan (Sr.), DL Gerry Ramella (Sr.), DB/WR Anthony Luvison (Sr.), DB/WR Kory Gillissie (Sr.), WR David Joseph (Jr.), OL Mike Ramos (Jr.), WR Tucker Sorrell (Sr.), DB/RB Kevin Johnson (Sr.), OL Joe Lavelle (Sr.), K Jesse Franklin (Sr.), TE Brendan Carozzoni (Sr.) All-State Team Selections College Commitments from the Class of 9 (by National Signing Day, Feb. ): Mark Myers (QB, University of Pittsburgh), Scott McVey (LB, The Ohio State University), Jake Ryan (LB, University of Michigan), Stewart Ross (OL, Ashland University), Kory Gillissie (DB, Baldwin-Wallace), Kevin Johnson (DB/RB, Baldwin- Wallace), Brendan Carozzoni (TE, University of Pittsburgh) 9 In Review - Team Successes Saint Ignatius Football Media Guide 6 Week/Round Week One Week Two Week Three Week Four Week Five Week Six Week Seven Week Eight Week Nine Week Ten Regional Quarterfinal Regional Semifinal Saint Ignatius garnered the number one seed in Region I (Division I). This was the second consecutive year the team has taken the top seed in the playoffs. Four players on the 9 Saint Ignatius Wildcats were named national merit scholars. Those named were DL Matt Zupan, LB Giovanni Nardi, OL Thomas McGraw, and OL Chris Chapek. Team Leaders Passer 4-6-7, TD/8 INT Rusher B. Grebenc 54-4, 7 TD Receiver D. Joseph 3-656, 8 TD Tackler J. Ryan 4 (6 Unassisted) Sacks J. Ryan 8 Sacks By making the playoffs for the nd consecutive year, the team extended its own OHSAA Record for most consecutive playoff appearences. The Wildcats established a nearly two season long winning streak which was bookended by the Tarblooders. The Wildcats won the 9 OHSAA Championship following a week one loss to Glenville, resulting in a fourteen game winning streak. The Cats defeated Glenville week one in, but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Tarblooders. The result was the third longest winning streaks in the program s history 5 games. Saint Ignatius won the Ohio Associated Press' 9 Football Poll Championship following their first perfect regular season since. Saint Ignatius was the number one rated team in the Plain Dealer s Seven-County Poll the entire regular season. Saint Ignatius held the top spot in the Ohio AP high school poll for much of the year as well. The Cats could be found the top ten in multiple national prep polls throughout the season for the second straight year. Saint Ignatius rose as high as fourth in the National Prep Poll after starting the season -. The team rose as high as eighth in the USA Today's National High School Poll. Had the Cats remained perfect, they were ranked above the eventual National Champion Don Bosco Prep (NJ) in the National Prep Poll. All-District Awards Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Mark Myers (QB) Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Jake Ryan (LB) Co-Coach of the Year: Chuck Kyle Awards given at the 9 Football Banquet Most Valuble Player QB Mark Myers, Sr. Most Valuble DL DE Gerry Ramella, Sr. Most Valuble Back RB Bobby Grebenc, Jr. Most Valuble LB LB Jake Ryan, Sr. Most Valuble OL G Chris Chapek, Sr. Most Valuble DB S Kevin Hopkins, Sr. Most Valuble Receiver TE Brendan Carozzoni, Sr. Most Valuble Special Teams CB George Newrones, Sr. Scout Team Awards DL Conor Mathews, Sr. Bigger, Stronger, Faster Award LB/FB Kevin Moroney, Sr. RB Joe Gorczyca, Sr. Coaches Cup Award LB Scott McVey, Sr. Two captains are announced at the banquet for the season, they were OL Mike Ramos and RB Bobby Grebenc

2 Saint Ignatius Defensive Statistics Saint Ignatius Football Media Guide Defense TT Solo Asst Sack TFL INT Yds. FF FR Pass Def. TDs QB Hurries QB Hits Aerni, Chad Callahan, Owen Carozzoni, Brendan Chapek, Chris Ciancibello, Johnny 5 4 Dowd, Pat Dufala, Steve.5 Franklin, Jesse 3 Gallagher, Pat Gallagher, Trey 4 3 Garofoli, Anthony Gawryszewski, Pat Gibbons, Ryan 6 4 Gilles, Max Gillissie, Kory Gordon, Jake Grebenc, Bobby Hopkins, Kevin Johnson, Kevin Jones, Dan Joseph, David Kette, Tyler 5 3 Khouri, Rustom Krukemeyer, Tom Likavec, Dan Likavec, Doug 3 3 Loftus, Ryan Luvison, Anthony 7 6 Martin, Ben McVey, Scott Moroney, Kevin Myers, Mark Naida, Kyle Nardi, Gio 8 6 Newrones, George Omori, Sam Patterson, Glenn Previts, RJ 4 4 Primes, Marcus Ramella, Gerry Ross, Stew Ryan, Jake Ryan, Kevin Ryan, Zack Sarac, Nik 5 4 Sheehan, James Sodd, Vince Stacho, Keigan 4 Svetina, Mike Tracz, Eric 4 3 Ventling, Cameron Zupan, Matt 8 Team Leader Highlighted

3 Glenville Tarblooders WILDCATS CALL ON ANOTHER WILL TO WIN. Russo s clutch punt, Myers TD strike to Gillissie, Franklin s extra point and relentless defensive pressure down the stretch show the way in another dramatic victory over Glenville. As he stood outside the Wildcats locker room late Saturday night, Saint Ignatius gifted senior Kory Gillissie relished a moment most high school athletes can only dream about. Gillissie, wearing a smile that would have lit up Parma s Byers Field, yelled, Oh yeah, definitely, when asked if it was the biggest catch of his young athletic career. The catch, a diving effort in the back of the end zone off an outstanding, across-the-body throw under pressure by standout senior southpaw quarterback Mark Myers, and the ensuing extra-point kick by senior Jesse Franklin were the final points in a 4-3, heartpounding victory over the talent-laden Glenville Tarblooders. The decisive pass, catch and kick came with :6 remaining and, after Franklin sent the ensuing kickoff into the end zone, the Tarblooders, pinned deep in their territory, couldn t cope with a Saint Ignatius pass rush that was fueled by seniors Tom Krukemeyer, Cameron Ventling and Gerry Ramella. The dramatic victory was put on ice when junior linebacker Tyler Kette reacted quickly and broke up a fourth-down pass across the middle. In an opening-weekend game that matched the area s No. (the Wildcats) and No. teams, another large and enthusiastic crowd packed Byers Field. And, the majority of that crowd rose to its feet as Myers took the snap on a fourth-and-9 from the Tarblooders 6-yard line. Rolling away from Glenville s relentless pressure, Myers stepped forward and whistled a strike to Gillissie, who got behind the coverage and provided his quarterback with what Wildcats Coach Chuck Kyle 69 described as a second or third option on the play call. Once I cut it behind the safety, I saw Mark step up a little bit, I saw the ball coming and I knew, just catch the ball, said Gillissie, who is better known for his prowess as a defensive back and a special-teams player. Just get it in (my hands), that s all I had to do. It s like Coach Kyle always says. A football is in a weird shape for a reason. It bounces all different ways. And it bounced our way tonight. Coach Kyle, who watched his Wildcats win their 5th consecutive game, a mark that dates back to last season s record th Division I state championship, was quick to point out the effort of a young man who was called on in a crucial situation backup punter Peter Russo. After Myers, the regular punter, was shaken up a bit, Saint Ignatius was forced to punt from deep in its territory. Kyle called on Russo and the 6-foot-, 5- pound junior stepped up with a 57-yard kick that was downed at the Glenville 7 with 4:3 left. Losing yards against a defensive charge sparked by Wildcats senior linebacker Jake Ryan and Ventling, and committing some crucial penalties, the Tarblooders were faced with a punting situation from their end zone. Glenville Coach Ted Ginn Sr. also had to call on his second punter (junior quarterback Cardale Jones) after senior Christian Bryant, the Tarblooders Mr. Everything, was injured and helped from the field with just over three minutes to go. Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium Saint Ignatius Week One Glenville Academic Campus August 9, 9, Game One 3 4 With Saint Ignatius sending the house, Jones barley got off a shank punt that went out of bounds at the Glenville 7 and set the stage for the Myers-to-Gillissie tension toss. Every year, it just goes like this, great competition, said the 6-foot-5, 5-pound Myers, referring to the Wildcats past seven meetings with the Tarblooders, which included an 8-7 triumph by Saint Ignatius in last season s regional semifinals. Glenville had defeated the Wildcats, -7, in last year s season opener at Byers Field. They re great guys, a great team, Myers said of the Tarblooders, who entered Saturday s game ranked fifth in the National Prep Football Poll. It really is a great rivalry. Saint Ignatius, which hosts a talented and playoff-rich Clayton Northmont team on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. in Byers Field, had some other bright spots on Saturday night. There was the impressive inside and outside running of junior tailback Bobby Grebenc, the clutch interception by senior cornerback Kevin Johnson, the steady play of senior mike linebacker Owen Callahan, who came up with a key sack in the first half, and the big-time defensive stop by Ryan, who tackled Bryant inches short of a first down at the Wildcats 36 with just over six minutes left. Grebenc s hard-nosed runs helped set up the Wildcats first touchdown, a -yard pass from Myers to All-Ohio senior linebacker/fullback Scott McVey. The TD pass to McVey, which came off Saint Ignatius first offensive series, was also a fourth-down play. McVey did not play the final :8 after injuring a shoulder during a quarterback pressure. Although they committed more than yards in penalties, the Tarblooders flashed their credentials on two field goals by Bryant of 37 and 9 yards, and a blocked punt by senior wideout/defensive back Aaron Morris that resulted in a go-ahead touchdown by senior defensive end Chris Harvey with 3:39 remaining in the first half. After Morris came free up the middle for the block, the ball rolled more than 4 yards to the Wildcats, where Harvey scooped it up and took it into the end zone. A highlight-film scramble by Bryant, which saw Bryant pick up the loose football, avoid the rush of four defenders and fire a pass 8 yards behind the line of scrimmage that was deflected and caught on the run by junior tailback Robert Walton Jr., set up the 9-yard field goal by Bryant. The 9-yarder made the score 3-7 with slightly more than four minutes left in the third quarter. These are great games, aren t they? said Coach Kyle, who is in his 7th season as the head football coach at his alma mater. Coach Overton (Tablooders offensive coordinator Tony Overton), I saw him right before the game, and he said, Yeah, it s probably going to come down to one point. And I m not changing my story, Kyle continued. I said before, look, it s the first game. Whoever wins, that s good. They re going to get some computer points. I think last year, if you take a look, the losing team (Saint Ignatius) learned something. You play a game like this, you learn a lot. You really do. C. Bryant: C. Jones R. Walton L. Anderson L. Anderson: R. Walton A. Crutcher C. Bryant C. Bryant C. Bryant C. Jones 8 tckls, QB Hurry K. Johnson -4 Punting: Glenville Tarblooders (-) Saint Ignatius Wildcats (-) Punting: B. Grebenc K. Johnson B. Grebenc K. Gillissie S. McVey T. Krukemeyer P. Russo -3, 9 yds., TD/ INT 3-75 J. Ryan 5 tckls, Sack P. Dowd , TD -(-), TD S. McVey 9 tckls, Sack, FF K. Hopkins 5 Tckls,.5 Sack J. Franklin FG - / PAT / 5 TFL,.5 Sack , 4 yds., TD/ INT -, 6 yds., TD/ INT sacks,.5 tckls 4.5 tckls,.5 TFL FG - /, PAT - /

4 Northmont Thunderbolts A TESTAMENT TO CHARACTER AND COMPOSURE Ryan, Grebenc, Hopkins, Callahan, K.J. and Sorrell help Coach Kyle s Wildcats reach from within. There was no yelling or screaming in Saint Ignatius locker room during halftime on Saturday night. As Wildcats head coach Chuck Kyle 69 emphasized, We don t do that. Instead, Coach Kyle pointed out that there was no need to change a lot of things. What was important, he said, was to do those things right. Trailing, -, with 5 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the first half, Saint Ignatius corrected the mistakes that hampered it throughout most of the first 4 minutes and stormed back to defeat a very talented Clayton Northmont team, 7-, in another tense matchup on Byers Field in Parma s Robert M. Boulton Stadium. The Wildcats, who were coming off a dramatic onepoint, opening-night victory over perennial power Glenville, solved Northmont s defense with a 3-play, 78-yard drive in the final moments of the first half. A 3- yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Mark Myers to senior wideout Tucker Sorrell and the ensuing extra-point kick by senior Jesse Franklin enabled Saint Ignatius to cut the deficit to -7 by halftime. Sorrell, who made several clutch catches in the second half, did an exceptional job of grabbing the throw from Myers and keeping his balance in the right corner of the Day Drive end zone. We made so many mistakes (in the first half), lined up wrong some times or messed up a block, Kyle said after his team extended its winning streak to 6 games. When we just did things right, like the last drive of the first half, we were fine and everybody was settling down. Northmont (-), which lost just two games in 8 one to defending Division I state champion Saint Ignatius in the regular season and one to Division I state runner-up Cincinnati Elder in the regional playoffs stunned the Wildcats with the big play in the early going. The Thunderbolts, who have made four consecutive appearances in the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs, and seven in the last eight seasons, scored their first touchdown on a nice catch and run by junior Paul Winkler off a perfectly executed screen pass from junior quarterback Robert Sakosky. Northmont, which has won seven consecutive Greater Western Ohio Conference divisional titles, pulled off a text-book fake punt in pushing its lead to 3-. The fake came off a third-and- from the Bolts 33-yard line and saw senior defensive back Xavior Johnson run for a first down at the Wildcats 39. The fake helped set up a leaping touchdown reception by 6-foot-, 4- pound junior wideout Josh McClain, who caught the ball between two defenders before coming down with it in the end zone. Eight seconds later, Saint Ignatius fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Northmont sophomore linebacker Kaleb Ringer scooped up the loose ball and returned it to the Wildcats, where gifted senior cornerback/wideout Quintin Cooper scored on a counter reverse over the left side at the 5:8 mark of the first half. We knew if we came out in the second half and played Saint Ignatius football, we would be right back in the game, said senior strong safety and quadcaptain Kevin Hopkins, Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium Week Two Clayton Northmont Saint Ignatius September 6, 9, Game Two 7 who, along with senior outside linebacker Jake Ryan and senior middle linebacker Owen Callahan, led one of the strongest defensive charges in Wildcats history in the second half. Coach Kyle told us to put everything in the first half behind us and move forward. Saint Ignatius defense, which in the words of assistant coach Bryan Massinen 98 took over the game, played like it could have moved mountains in the second half. On the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, the 6-3, 5-pound Ryan nearly took the handoff as he blasted both the quarterback and the ball carrier for a 5- yard loss coming off the edge on a blitz. After Callahan, who made several key stops in both halves, tackled the ball carrier for a minus yard on second down, assistant coach Ryan Franzinger sent Ryan from the same blitz formation on a third-and-6 from the Northmont 4. Blowing past two would-be blockers, Ryan hit the quarterback with a pad-rattling tackle that could be heard on Day Drive, jarred the ball loose and standout senior defensive end and quad-captain Pat Dowd recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. Franklin s second extra point was high and true, and the Cats trailed, -4, with :8 remaining in the third quarter. Every single down we went percent, said Ryan, who after making 5 tackles against Glenville came up with seven solo stops on Saturday night. We were just really mad at ourselves at the end of the half. We came out in the second half and exploded." Callahan, who along with his teammates did his best in trying to make up for not having All-Ohio senior linebacker and quad-captain Scott McVey (sidelined by a shoulder injury), talked about how Saint Ignatius rebounded from the Thunderbolts quick strikes in the first half. We played okay (in the first half), but we could have played a lot better, Callahan said. We came out in the second half with the attitude that there was no way we were going to lose. We really stepped it up. It was a lot of fun out there tonight. The Wildcats had to step it up again after Northmont pulled off another fake punt that Johnson executed flawlessly by running for a first down at the Saint Ignatius 9. But just when the Bolts appeared to have recaptured the momentum, a solid shoulder tackle by Hopkins ( tackles) caused a fumble that was recovered by Wildcats senior cornerback/running back Kevin Johnson at the Saint Ignatius 3. From there, the Wildcats offense, keyed by the hardnosed, second-effort running of junior tailback Bobby Grebenc and some clutch receptions by Sorrell, marched 77 yards in plays. The 5-, 95-pound Grebenc tied the score on a 3-yard run over the right side and Franklin, who kicked the winning extra point against Glenville, put the ball through the uprights again for a - lead with :45 to go in the third quarter. Kevin Johnson also ran with authority down the stretch as K. J. gave Saint Ignatius some breathing room by capping off a six-play, 6-yard drive with an authoritative 6-yard TD run up the middle with 6:35 remaining to be played. Saint Ignatius Wildcats (-) 5-7, 39 yds., TD/ INT B. Grebenc 4-73, TD K. Johnson 7-3, TD T. Sorrell 5-5, TD K. Gillissie Tckls B. Carozzoni 3-4 A. Luvison -3 P. Dowd Sacks, FR for TD J. Franklin / FG 3/3 PAT Punting: 4-5 Northmont Thunderbolts (-) R. Sakosky 6-, yds., TD/ INT K. Hopkins Kerlin X. Johnson -6, 8 yds., TD/ INT X. Johnson -43 Winkler Tckls, FF T. Kette Tckls, TFL J. Ryan 8 Tckls, Sack, FF Q. Cooper 6-34, TD McClain -63, TD X. Johnson Tckls, INT B. Wright T. Chambers 5-39, TD 7 Tckls 7 Tckls,.5 Sacks K. Ringer 6 Tckls, FR D. Lieberman 3 Tckls, Sack -8 / XP Punting: Reynolds 6-76 B. Fischer R. Sakosky -()

5 Canisius Crusaders A couple of firsts highlight the Wildcats all-around performance against the Crusaders. Several players earn their Cat Paws, if you will, in a dominant triumph. Like many of his teammates, Saturday night was Anthony Mascia s time. Moments the 5-foot-9, 45- pound junior tailback/defensive back will cherish for years to come. Mascia, whose elusive, quick and strong-balanced runs were part of a solid 48-minute performance by the entire Saint Ignatius team, entered the lineup in the second quarter and left his mark on a 5-8 victory over the visiting Canisius Crusaders from Buffalo, N.Y. It s an unbelievable feeling, said Mascia, whose first varsity run from scrimmage resulted in a 59-yard gain to the Crusaders' 5-yard line, an effort that helped set up a -yard touchdown run by senior running back Joe Gorczyca. The first time I got out there, of course I was a little bit nervous. It was unexplainable, unexplainable! The good-natured Mascia, who took some kidding from his coaches for being tackled from behind on his first carry a run that was set up by a fumble recovery by junior linebacker Ryan Gibbons said he wasn t going to let it happen twice. In capping off his special night, Mascia rambled for a 54-yard touchdown with two minutes, four seconds remaining and classmate Mark Kuczmarski s extrapoint kick put the seal on the Wildcats 7th consecutive victory. I m happy that I got to go out there and that I had the opportunity to give it my all, Mascia said. I got the firstgame jitters out now. So hopefully the next time, if I get another opportunity, I can show them again what I can do. Saint Ignatius first-team wasted little time in showing what it is capable of as the Wildcats (3-), ranked th in this past week s National Prep Poll, came up with a -point first quarter. Standout senior middle linebacker Owen Callahan set the tempo by recovering a fumble off a botched punt attempt inside the Canisius 5-yard line and taking the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. Callahan s effort was followed by the first of four extra-point kicks by senior Jesse Franklin. A lineman in grade school at Gesu, Callahan revealed that Saturday night s touchdown was the first in his football career. It was great, said Callahan, referring to the ability of the starters to take care of business early and give their teammates and backups the opportunity to display their skills. They work so hard in practice, too. And not a lot of the fans get to see that. Yeah, it was great to see them get out there. A lot of them did well. Kids you never even heard about before, like Mascia, stepped up and that was good to see. After Callahan s memorable six, Saint Ignatius rode the strong left arm of gifted senior quarterback Mark Myers, the running of senior tailback Kevin Johnson and junior tailback Bobby Grebenc, and the sure hands of senior tight end Brendan Carozzoni, junior flanker David Joseph and senior wideouts Tucker Sorrell and Danny Kray to a 8- lead early in the second quarter. Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium Week Three Buffalo Canisius Saint Ignatius 5 September, 9, Game Three Myers scored the game s second touchdown on a - yard keeper, Kray hauled in a perfectly thrown ball by Myers for a 6-yard TD strike and Grebenc scored on a -yard blast over the right side. In his brief action, Myers was 5-for-5 passing for 96 yards. From there, Coach Chuck Kyle 69 turned to his bench and got several solid minutes from his reserves and junior-varsity call-ups. One of the other upperclassmen who also turned in a solid night was senior defensive back George Newrones. Newrones came up with an interception in the end zone in the final seconds of the first half and recorded an impressive hustle sack early in the second half. Mark Myers twin brother, Matt, a senior wideout, got in the scoring act by combining with junior quarterback Joe Greco on an 8-yard TD pass with 7:3 to go in the fourth quarter. Canisius (-), whose punting game betrayed it several times in the first half, avoided the shutout when All- Catholic running back Ricky Pringle scored on a 7- yard run with 5: remaining to be played. We got everybody in who was healthy, said Coach Kyle, whose attention is now focused on a very talented - Mentor team and its outstanding running game. Saint Ignatius travels to Mentor on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The Wildcats and the Cardinals have split their last two meetings, with Mentor coming on strong late in the first half and winning at home in 7. I wanted every kid to play quality football, Kyle said of the Canisius game. And a lot of the young kids did do some nice things. So that s good to see. Anthony (Mascia) leads off our 4x meter relay, so he s got speed. We kidded him a little bit when the guy caught him in the first run. But they didn t catch him the next time. Game Notes Every player on the Saint Ignatius team got into the game, and 4 players recorded a defensive statistic. Joe Greco had a perfect passer rating in this game. Sophomores and Juniors making their first career varsity tackle in this game included: Ryan Gibbons, Kevin Ryan, Rustom Khouri, Zach Ryan, Pat Gawryszewski, Keigan Stacho, Mike Svetina, Chad Aerni, Glenn Patterson, James Sheehan, John Ciancibello, Nik Sarac, Pat Gallagher, Steve Dufala, Sam Omori, Max Gilles, Ryan Loftus, Ben Martin, and Jake Gordon 8 Saint Ignatius Wildcats (3-) J. Greco A. Mascia Matt Myers 5-5, 95 yds., TD/ INT 7-37, TD J. Gorczyca 6-3, TD 3-3, TD -8, TD T. Kette 4 Tckls, TFL G. Nardi 4 Tckls, TFL O. Callahan 3 Tckls, FR for TD G. Newrones - J. Franklin 4-4 XP K. Johnson -() Canisius Crusaders (-) T. Eman 5-4, 78 Yds., TD/ INT R. Pringle 4-3, TD 6-58 T. Russell J. Gaines 5 Tckls, TFL I. Kamery 4 Tckls P. Rubino 3 Tckls 3 Tckls G. Davis 3 Tckls P. Rubino / XP, / FG Punting: P. Rubino -44 M. Kuczmarski / PAT Punting: P. Russo -9 T. Eman N. Farrar E. Watkins P. Rubino 4-4, 47 yds., TD/ INT T. Sorrell -5 D. Kray G. Newrones 5 Tckls, Sack K. Naida 5 Tckls -()

6 Mentor Cardinals Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium Mark Myers powerful arm, the soft and sure hands of Brendan Carozzoni and David Joseph, George Newrones nose for the ball and a Scott McVey-inspired defense. It all added up to a dominant response and a 4- point victory at Mentor s Osborne Stadium. Saint Ignatius football coach Chuck Kyle 69 stressed all week how his Wildcats needed more consistency. Friday night, Saint Ignatius traveled to Mentor s Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium and, after a couple of missed lines in the early going, the state s top-ranked Division I team put on a performance that was consistent, overpowering and deserving of the ovations it received from its faithful. The Wildcats, with senior quarterback Mark Myers firing five touchdown passes, senior defensive back George Newrones recovering two special-teams fumbles that set up TDs and All-Ohio senior linebacker Scott McVey doing his thing after missing two games with a shoulder injury, dominated the Cardinals, 47-7, in Northeast Ohio s non-league headliner. Saint Ignatius, which outscored Mentor, 4-, over the final three quarters, improved to 4- and ended the Cardinals -game home winning streak. The Wildcats, who lead their all-time series with Mentor, 8-, were also the last team to defeat the Cardinals at Osborne Stadium prior to the streak. Behind a pass-and-catch show by Rudy Kirbus and Robby Parris, Saint Ignatius won at Mentor, 55-35, in 5 It s just a great feeling, said Myers of the timing he had all night with his receivers, especially standout senior tight end Brendan Carozzoni and elusive junior wideout David Joseph. A 6-foot-5, 5-pound southpaw, Myers was -of-8 for 73 yards as the Wildcats extended their winning streak to 8 games, a mark that dates back to last year s record th bigschool state championship. Mentor (-), the Division I state runner-up in 6 and 7, held a 7- lead after junior tailback Mike Korecz scored on a fourth-and- and junior kicker Greg Klisuric tacked on the extra point. That score by the Cardinals, which came with 8 minutes, 7 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, was the last bright spot for the perennial Lake County power. Flashing its state-championship credentials, Saint Ignatius marched 8 yards in nine plays and tied the score on a perfectly executed -yard touchdown pass from Myers to Carozzoni. A 6-5, 5-pound University of Pittsburgh recruit, Carozzoni caught the ball in stride, powered his way into the end zone and the extra point by senior Jesse Franklin knotted the score at 7 with 4: left in the first quarter. Carozzoni, who helped set up his first touchdown of the night by making a smooth and authoritative catch of yards on a fourth-and-3 from the Mentor 35, finished with five receptions for 9 yards. He also was on the receiving end of a 7-yard TD toss from Myers early in the second half. At no time at all (this week) did we talk about streaks or breaking a streak, said Coach Kyle of Mentor s success at home. We ve played at a lot of away stadiums. I don t know what their streak is, I just know they re a good program and you have to find out a way to beat a good program, to just play football. Offensively and defensively, I was very pleased with what happened tonight. Week Four Saint Ignatius 47 Mentor 7 September 8, 9, Game Four With McVey, fellow senior linebackers Jake Ryan and Owen Callahan, and senior linemen Pat Dowd, Gerry Ramella and Cameron Ventling helping keep the Cardinals grounded, the Wildcats rode their special teams to a commanding lead. Mentor, which was coming off a four-point loss at Solon, couldn t handle a towering and deep punt by Myers. The ball was fumbled and recovered by Newrones inside the Cardinals 4. Two plays later, junior tailback Bobby Grebenc fought his way over the right side and into the end zone from 5 yards out. Franklin s second extra point made it 4-7 with 8:3 to go in the first half. Saint Ignatius senior safety Kory Gillissie got in the act by outmaneuvering the intended receiver and coming up with a text-book interception at the Wildcats 5. Gillissie redeemed himself right after he gave the ball over to Mentor on a fumbled punt. Coach Kyle s special teams then came to the fore again and leading the way was none other than the 5-9, 65-pound Newrones. Newrones was, as Time Warner Cable s talented color commentator Patrick Pierson said, Georgie on the Spot again as he pounced on another fumbled punt, this time at midfield. Newrones second fumble recovery led the way to a play that saw Myers avoid the rush, step up in the pocket and hit the 5-8, 6-pound Joseph in stride for a 5-yard touchdown. Myers and Joseph also hooked up on scoring passes of 5 and 64 yards, as the gritty, quick and sure-handed Joseph totaled four receptions for 59 yards. Time Warner Cable s Player of the Game, Joseph accounted for the final point with a kick that followed an impressive touchdown run by senior tailback Christian Sanders with 3:7 left. All of the Wildcats skill players singled out their offensive line, which put together another rock-solid game. I was just trying to get down the field as fast as possible, said Newrones of his two huge specialteams plays. I saw the ball, saw my opportunity and just pounced on it. Usually I have two guys on me. This week, it was nice, there was only one guy blocking me. This is awesome, just to play against the best teams, Newrones continued. Everybody wants to play and when they get the chance, it is full-go. No, I ve never had two fumble recoveries before. I don t think I ever had one. While the triumph over the Cardinals was one the entire team can enjoy this weekend, no one savored being part of it more than McVey. It felt great, oh God, said McVey of being able to get back on the field and compete in the game he loves and plays with a passion that is admired by his opponents. We came out a little slow, but it was a blast out there making plays and being in the huddle with all of my buddies. I needed that first big hit to kind of get me going again and hopefully I can progress and get back to where I was next week. Saint Ignatius Wildcats (4-) -8, 73 Yds., 5 TD/ INT Punting: Mentor Cardinals (-) S. Mayse 9-9, 39 yds., TD/ INT N. Kirschner - Punting: B. Urankar 7-48 J. Greco C. Sanders 3-35, TD D. Joseph 4-56, 3 TD B. Carozzoni 5-9, TD T. Sorrell -4 S. McVey 9 Tckls, TFL J. Franklin 5/6 XP, / FG D. Joseph / XP -4 (Long: 7) M. Korecz R. Hanzlik 7-3 A. Baucco 4-4 R. Rowe 3-85 V. Congelosi -3 N. Kirschner INT -, 6 yds. B. Grebenc 9-54, TD J. Ryan Tckls, Sack, 3 TFL P. Dowd 8 Tckls, 3 TFL O. Callahan 7 Tckls., TFL A. Luvison 5 Tckls, FF K. Gillissie - K. Gillissie -() 4-3, TD G. Mcknight 4-5

7 Saint Francis Red Raiders Strong second half sends the Wildcats home victorious. Grebenc's two touchdowns on the ground and Myers two through the air pace the 'Cats. ATHOL SPRINGS, N.Y. There were spurts in the second quarter and throughout the second half on Saturday night where Saint Ignatius resembled the football team that is ranked No. in Ohio in Division I by the Associated Press. But it was the inconsistencies and the inability to take advantage of early opportunities that left Coach Chuck Kyle 69 wanting. I thought we were sluggish in the beginning, said Kyle, after his Wildcats improved to 5- and extended their winning streak to 9 games by turning away a spirited St. Francis team, 3-4. No excuses. I don t care how long (three-plus hours) it takes to get to a game. We have to come out and play. Blown opportunities, Coach Kyle continued. That s the difference between the first half and the second half. When we had opportunities in the second half, yeah, fine, touchdowns. We were putsin around too much in the first half. Late in the first quarter, the Wildcats turned the ball over on downs at the Red Raiders -yard line. Early in the second quarter, Saint Ignatius, on the strength of a strong punt return by junior wideout David Joseph and a late hit on St. Francis appeared to be in business at the Red Raiders 9. The next three plays would produce just five yards, however, and the Wildcats settled for a 3-yard field goal by senior Jesse Franklin. Saint Francis (-), which has been dominated by Saint Ignatius in recent meetings, turned to the passing of quarterback Mike Chuchla and the receiving of versatile split end Adam Redden. With Redden making three big-time catches, Coach Jerry Smith s team marched from its 35 to a first-and goal at the 5. Redden finished with 93 yards receiving. After two inside running plays put the ball on the, senior outside linebacker Jake Ryan, who is having an all-state caliber season for the Wildcats, came firing up the middle and batted down a pass by Chuchla. Now faced with a fourth-and-goal from the, the Red Raiders elected to pass up a possible tying field goal and decided to go for the touchdown and the momentum. However, one of St. Francis' linemen jumped and now Coach Smith and Co. had to negotiate a fourth-andgoal from the 7. Again, the Red Raiders went for the touchdown and Chuchla s pass fell incomplete. It could easily be said the game was won or lost there. Saint Ignatius, riding the wave of its defensive stand, drove 93 yards in just six plays and took a - lead on a 6-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Mark Myers to senior tight end Brendan Carozzoni and an extra-point kick by Franklin. Helping key the drive was junior tailback Bobby Grebenc, who ripped off a 38-yard run over the left side on first-and- from the 7. Saint Francis High School Field Week Five Saint Ignatius 3 Athol Springs Saint Francis 4 September 6, 9, Game Five On the first possession of the second half, the Wildcats forced St. Francis to punt from the back line of its end zone. Taking over at the Red Raiders 37, Saint Ignatius, aided by a clutch reception by junior wideout Sean Nugent, took a three-score lead on a -yard TD strike from Myers to senior wideout Tucker Sorrell with 8: remaining in the third quarter. Myers was -of- passing for 85 yards. At that point, the Wildcats played a little special-teams surprise that seemed to take the air out of the St. Francis faithful. On the kickoff after Sorrell s score, Franklin got off a text-book pooch kick and the ball was recovered by standout senior safety Kevin Hopkins at the Red Raiders 3. Five plays layer, Grebenc, off what veteran offensive coordinator Nick Restifo described as a great read by Myers, swept the left side, juked a would-be tackler and tip-toed his way along the sideline and into the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. We called that right before (it happened), said Hopkins of the pooch kick. I said, Hey Jess, get me a good one. And he put the ball right at the kid s feet. It bounced around, Markus (senior defensive back Markus Primes) put a hand on it and knocked it down, and I just jumped on top of it. It was a great kick by Jesse. Chuchla, who completed of 48 passes for well over yards, put St. Francis on the board with a -yard touchdown pass to wideout Roland Kerr with :7 left in the third quarter. He also scored the game s final TD on a -yard keeper with 4 seconds remaining to be played. In between those Red Raiders scores, Grebenc, who carried the ball 4 times for 9 yards, gave the Cats a cushion by scoring on a -yard run in which he displayed exceptional balance and vision. The conditions (on and off again heavy rain) weren t great for passing, said Grebenc, who has been one of Coach Kyle s steadiest performers through five games. We did what we had to do. Grebenc, who emphasized the Wildcats have a lot of work ahead of them in order to be sharp for Saturday s 7 p.m. encounter with Massillon (5-) at Byers Field in Robert M. Boulton Stadium, credits his success to Saint Ignatius veteran running backs coach Dale Polick. We can t afford that (a sluggish start) next week and the kids know it, said Coach Kyle of what will be the last regular season meeting between Saint Ignatius and Massillon, at least for the time being. The Tigers will not be renewing the contract. If people think this is the same Massillon team as last year, it isn t, Kyle said, referring to last season s 49-7 victory at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. They re much better, they re good. So we re going to have a real battle ahead of us. J. Gorczyca -5 J. Ryan 7 Tckls, TFL S. McVey P. Dowd 5 Tckls, TFL J. Franklin - FG, 3-4 XP Punting: 4-9 St. Francis Red Raiders (-) Saint Ignatius Wildcats (5-) D. Joseph 4-66 B. Carozzoni -34, TD T. Sorrell -3, TD B. Grebenc -6 O. Callahan 6 Tckls, 3 TFL M. Chuchla -48, 57 yds., TD/ INT M. Chuchla 4-3, TD B. McClain 6-5 A. Redden -93 R. Kerr 5-33, TD N. Borgese -37 J. Smith Sack D. Howard Sack N. Borgese - XP Punting: N. Borgese 4- -, 85 yds., TD/ INT B. Grebenc 6-3, TD M. Primes 6 Tckls, Pass Def. 6 Tckls, Sack

8 Massillon Washington Tigers A Test of Faith Bobby Grebenc and Anthony Luvison help the Wildcats rally past the Tigers. Standing just outside the Saint Ignatius locker room, Bobby Grebenc said it was his offensive line and the adrenaline that kept him going on Saturday night. That, and a bundle of talent and hard-nosed courage came to the fore as the gritty and gifted junior put together one of the most impressive performances by a running back in Saint Ignatius rich football history. The Wildcats, with Grebenc carrying the ball 39 times for yards and four touchdowns, and senior captain Anthony Luvison excelling on both sides of the ball down the stretch, turned back an extremely talented and emotional Massillon team, 6-, in front of a crowd of more than, in Parma s Robert M. Boulton Stadium. Saint Ignatius, which trailed, -4, entering the fourth quarter, improved to 6- and extended its winning streak to games. Massillon, which trailed, 4-, with just over minutes remaining in the first half, lost for the first time in six games. It marked the last regularseason meeting between the Wildcats and the Tigers, at least for the time being. Massillon is not renewing the contract. And that s unfortunate because if ever there was a game in which both teams left it all on the field, the Wildcats and the Tigers did so in style Saturday night. There was a lot of momentum flying around in that game, said Saint Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle 69, whose program now leads the series with Massillon, -. Hey, they re a great football team and they re going to be in the playoffs. Who knows? We can try to work hard so maybe we can get together again (in the playoffs). The Wildcats and the Tigers have met three times in the postseason, all three being state-semifinal encounters. But none were more intense than the 3th matchup between the storied programs. Saint Ignatius, which entered Saturday s game ranked No. in the Associated Press Division I state poll, sixth in the National Prep Poll and No. in the all-important OHSAA Region computer ratings, controlled the early going behind an awesome display of power football. Dominating the line of scrimmage, the Wildcats put together drives of 7 yards on plays and 8 yards on 3 plays. The 5-foot-, 95-pound Grebenc, who is blessed with power, balance, vision and deceptive speed, capped off those marches with touchdown runs of and 3 yards. A clutch 3-yard reception by Luvison off a crossing pattern helped set up Grebenc s second TD. Saint Ignatius defense took center stage after Massillon elected to pass up a field-goal attempt and go for it on fourth down and yard to go from the Wildcats. Senior All-Ohio linebacker Scott McVey read the play perfectly and made a one-handed leaping interception in the end zone. Starting on its, Saint Ignatius turned to Grebenc again and drove into Tigers territory. However, a holding penalty and an incomplete pass on third down and less than a yard to go thwarted the drive and Massillon, behind the passing of senior quarterback Robert Partridge, captured the momentum late in the first half. Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium Week Six Massillon Washington Saint Ignatius 6 October 3, 9, Game Six Partridge, who finished with 63 yards passing and was intercepted three times, highlighted an 8-yard march by hooking up with the versatile Bo Grunder on a 5-yard scoring play with 4 seconds left in the first half. Carrying their momentum into the third quarter, the Tigers stunned the Wildcats with touchdown runs of 7 and 3 yards by sophomore tailback Alex Winters. Winters 7-yard burst came off a fourth down-and-less than a yard to go from the Massillon 9 and his 3-yard scoring jaunt was set up by an 8-yard pass down the left sideline from Partridge to multitalented junior wideout Devin Smith. Smith finished with four receptions for 3 yards. They made the adjustments and they were going to their receivers, said Coach Kyle of the Tigers secondand third-quarter surges. They ve got some skilled guys and that was a concern, obviously, for us the whole week. And they hit a few. We made some mistakes, things that were kind of demoralizing for a bit to be honest with you, Kyle continued. But the kids kept their faith. And we just kept banging it in. Helping supply the bangs were Luvison, senior wideout Tucker Sorrell and, of course, the resilient Grebenc. Luvison s perfectly timed interception at the Saint Ignatius 46 led to Grebenc s third score a -yard run with 8:4 left. Sorrell helped keep the drive alive by making a diving catch along the sideline on a fourth down-and-4 from the Tigers' 33. Luvison then combined with senior quarterback Mark Myers on a 3- yard pass play and two plays later Grebenc made it a one-point deficit, -. We just had to pull through and I owe a lot of credit to my offensive line (tackles Joe Lavelle and Stewart Ross, center Drew Gatian and guards Mike Ramos and Chris Chapek), said Grebenc, whose previous career high was 7 yards rushing against Clayton Northmont during Week. Without them, I would have had negative yards tonight. They were amazing.'' Saint Ignatius, taking advantage of a favorable bounce off a punt by the Tigers and a defensive holding call that wiped out a possible game-clinching interception by Massillon, scored the winning touchdown on a - yard run by Grebenc off a text-book draw play with two minutes remaining to be played. Luvison, one of the Wildcats four captains, sealed the deal when he made a quick move on the ball from his defensive secondary position and batted away a fourthdown pass with slightly more than a minute left. You know their crowd is going to be a huge factor whenever or wherever you play them, said Luvison of the Massillon faithful, who for the better part of the second quarter and the entire third quarter seemed to be in control of the noise level inside Boulton Stadium. You re doing everything you can to take that momentum back. I thought we did a very good job of stepping up, making plays and just battling the whole game. And what a battle it was. A will-testing encounter that we would all be fortunate to see again. A. Luvison K. Gillissie A. Luvison K. Gillissie Ignatius missed two -pt. conversion attempts D. Smith T. Miller A. White 7 Tckls -() Massillon Wash. Tigers (6-) Punting: Saint Ignatius Wildcats (6-) -3, yds., TD/ INT B. Grebenc 39-, 4 TDs 4-5 D. Joseph 3-9 B. Grebenc -5 K. Hopkins 8 Tckls, INT J. Ryan - K. Hopkins - S. McVey - J. Franklin - XP Punting: 6-5 R. Partridge 6-9, 63 yds., TD/3 INT A. Winters 7-97, TD R. Partridge 4- B. Grunder 3-9, TD B. Grunder.5 Tckls J. Remark J. Geier R. Partridge -36 T. Sorrell -8 6 Tckls, Sack, TFL S. McVey 7 Tckls, 6 QB Hurries 4-3 J. Olack Tckls S. Leno 9.5 Tckls 4. Tckls 3.5 Tckls 3-3 XP 5-64

9 Warren G. Harding Mollenkopf Stadium Cats thrive under pressure, again! Defense accepts the challenge and turns back a gifted Warren Harding team for. Week Seven Saint Ignatius Warren G. Harding 7 October, 9, Game Seven Saint Ignatius Wildcats (7-) 8-9, 5 yds., TD/ INT B. Grebenc 7-, TD 7- WARREN, OHIO As Saint Ignatius senior safety Kory Gillissie was making his way out of the Wildcats locker room on Saturday night, a reporter said to him, Well, the pressure sure fell on the defense. We like the pressure, he said. It s a lot of fun. Fun, exciting, gut wrenching, nail biting, you can take your pick. After the Wildcats turned back Warren Harding, -7, in Mollenkopf Stadium, the team some members of the local media have referred to as the one that sleeps with the angels, is resting comfortably this morning with a -game winning streak. Yes, the 9 Saint Ignatius Wildcats have had moments this season that have tested the faint of heart among their faithful. There was the one-point thriller over Glenville on opening night, the school-record comeback from a - point deficit against Clayton Northmont in Week and, of course, last week s 6- will-testing experience against the Massillon Tigers. So it certainly was nothing knew for the Wildcats D to respond after Harding, in its final drive, converted a fourth-and-9 from its 9-yard line into a first down in Wildcats territory. Harding s big play was the result of a highlight-reel leaping catch along the sideline by gifted 6-foot-3 junior wide receiver Edward Killingworth. With Raiders fans on their feet screaming for a victory, Coach Chuck Kyle s defense, on the strength of a sack by relentless senior outside linebacker Jake Ryan, had Harding against the wall again. This time Coach D.J. Dota s team was facing a fourth-and- from midfield with 3 seconds remaining. In what many Saint Ignatius followers will describe as the longest 3 seconds in their lives, the Raiders, in a last-gasp effort, completed a short pass to senior wideout/safety Andrew Zitnik and, two laterals later, were denied of a miracle finish at the Wildcats 3. Harding s last chance for romance with victory started after Saint Ignatius just missed converting a fourth-and- 9 pass into the end zone from the Raiders, a touchdown that would have put the game on ice for the Wildcats. Saint Ignatius, which played without senior tight end and University of Pittsburgh recruit Brendan Carozzoni (mild concussion), responded with its points in the second quarter. Junior tailback Bobby Grebenc scored on a -yard sweep over the right side to cap off an eight-play, 7- yard drive and senior Jesse Franklin was high and true on a 38-yard field goal with just over five minutes remaining in the first half. Grebenc finished with yards rushing on 7 carries. The Wildcats benefited from some strong play by 6-3 junior Zach Strippy and 6-4 sophomore Blake Thomas, who each filled in admirably for Carozzoni. Strippy set up Grebenc s touchdown with a 4-yard reception off a crisp deep route and Thomas got the 55-yard drive that led to Franklin s field goal started by hauling in an 8- yard pass from senior quarterback Mark Myers. Myers threw for 53 yards. Clinging to the 3-point lead, Saint Ignatius called on a team defense that was fueled by some strong pressure up front by Ryan and senior end Pat Dowd. We didn t do too well in the first half (defensively), said the 6-3, 5-pound Ryan, who is being recruited by most of the Mid-American Conference schools. We weren t playing Saint Ignatius defense. But we fixed it in the locker room, came back out in the second half and did our thing. "When the fourth quarter rolled around, we stood our ground. Dowd, one of the Wildcats four captains, singled out Harding s defense and the job it did bending, but not breaking, against Saint Ignatius balanced offense. We knew we had to step it up (defensively), said the tough, but good-natured Dowd. Overall, we responded very well. On the sideline, it wasn t, Come on, you re getting beat, it was, Come on, we got it next time. It s real important to stay positive and overall it was just an incredible effort by our whole defense. Call it what you want on angels wings or the strong shoulders and big hearts of some very resilient young men. All the 9 Cats know is that they will wake up this morning 7- and in first place in the all-important OHSAA Region playoff race. J. Franklin / XP, / FG Punting: 3-94 T. Sorrell 3-49 Z. Strippy -56 A. Luvison - B. Thomas -8 J. Ryan 3 Tckls, Sacks, FR O. Callahan A. Luvison 8 Tckls K. Johnson 5 Tckls Harding Raiders (4--) J. Miller D. Hymes -() 3-3, 9 yds, TD/ INT 3-5 E. Killingworth 3-83, TD M. Dorsey 4-54 A. Zitnik 4-4 D. Rodgers 3 Tckls, TFL T. Krukemeyer 7 Tckls,.5 Sack P. Dowd S. McVey 3 Tckls, 3 TFL 4 Tckls,.5 Sacks J. Miller 4-9 Sacks L. Coker Sack I don t think anyone on either side figured this was going to be a -7 game, said Coach Kyle 69, who praised the Raiders and their development under Coach Dota. I thought the winner would be at least in the s. Despite the final score, Harding and Saint Ignatius were able to move the ball. Two of the strongest teams in Division I, Region, the Wildcats and the Raiders (4- -) combined for more than 5 yards of offense. All of the scoring came in the first half as Harding struck in the first quarter on a 9-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jordan Miller to Killingworth. Killingworth did appear to push off and step out of bounds before making his athletic over-the-shoulder catch in the left corner of the end zone, but the officials ruled that Saint Ignatius forced Killingworth out of bounds. Miller was -of-4 passing for 88 yards. M. Sosa Reyes / XP Punting: C. Zadroski 4-

10 Inkster Vikings Cats offense operates on all cylinders. Myers gifted left arm, Grebenc s steady ground game and another rock-solid effort by the O-Line leads a dominant performance against the Vikings. Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium Week Eight Inkster (MI) Saint Ignatius 49 October 7, 9, Game Eight As he stood tall against a cutting wind in Parma s Saint Ignatius, which will face Cincinnati Saint Xavier (7- Robert M. Boulton Stadium on Saturday night, Saint ) next Saturday in a p.m. kickoff from John Carroll Ignatius senior defensive end and quad-captain Pat University s Don Shula Stadium, answered the Vikings Dowd put it in words that were right to the point and oh, scoring drive with another touchdown by Grebenc, this so true. time from 6 yards out. We just have to keep doing what we re doing, Dowd said after the Wildcats, behind a near flawless game by their offense, defeated Inkster (Mich.), 49-, on Boulton Stadium s Byers Field turf. What Saint Ignatius did on Saturday night was something every offensive coordinator at every level of football would love to bottle. The Wildcats, the top-ranked Division I program in Ohio by the Associated Press, totaled 433 yards of offense in improving to 8- and extended their winning streak to games. Saint Ignatius, which also holds down the No. spot in the all-important Division I, Region OHSAA Harbin computer ratings, was led by senior quarterback Mark Myers and gritty junior tailback Bobby Grebenc. Myers, a University of Pittsburgh recruit, completed 3 of his 4 pass attempts for 99 yards and three touchdowns. Grebenc, who hurt the Vikings inside and outside, totaled 4 yards rushing and four touchdowns on carries. Combining their God-given skills with what was a tremendous all-facet performance by the Wildcats underrated offensive line, Myers and Grebenc put up those numbers in less than three quarters. That was a real goal this week, the percentage with the passing, said Coach Chuck Kyle 69 of Myers efforts. When that happens, you get these drives that just continue and really get the defense off balance. Saint Ignatius balanced attack had Inkster (4-3) on its heels from the get-go. First it was a 75-yard march that featured six consecutive carries by Grebenc. On the sixth carry, Grebenc swept the left side for a 5-yard touchdown and senior Jesse Franklin s extra-point kick made the score 7- with 8 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. Then Myers left arm heated up as the 6-foot-5, 5- pound signal-caller fired a touchdown pass of 33 yards to junior flanker David Joseph and a perfect TD strike of 8 yards to senior wide receiver Tucker Sorrell. Leading, -, entering the second quarter, the Wildcats took advantage of a diving interception by senior safety Kory Gillissie at the Inkster 46. Eleven plays later, Grebenc followed his crisp blocking for a - yard score. Inkster, turning to the arm and legs of standout senior quarterback and University of Michigan recruit Devin Gardner, put together an impressive 4-play drive that was capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by junior tailback DaShawn Bell. Gardner, the fifth-rated quarterback in ESPNU s national 5, attempted to pass for a two-point conversion following Bell s TD, but was run down and sacked by Dowd. Dowd recorded two sacks against the tall (6-foot-4), strong and elusive Gardner and, after the game, praised Gardner s athleticism and said the multi-skilled quarterback seemed like a great kid. Gardner then flashed his national credentials in the final :3 of the first half by rolling to his left, getting to the corner and sprinting down the sideline for a 7-yard touchdown off a fourth-and- play. He followed with a two-point conversion pass to senior wideout Deon Butler and Inkster trailed the Wildcats, 35-4, at halftime. Bobby (Grebenc) has been like that in a lot of games (this season), said Coach Kyle of his hard-nosed tailback. And Mark was doing some nice check-offs when we needed to. We re used to being a passing and running team, because you never know when an opponent is going to take one away from you. That was also a goal this week that whatever a team gives you, let s go get it. Saint Ignatius got it going again in the third quarter and sealed the deal on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Myers to promising 6-foot-4, -pound sophomore tight end Blake Thomas and Grebenc s fourth TD of the night, a 3-yard run. Thomas and junior Zach Strippy did another exceptional job filling in for senior tight end and University of Pittsburgh recruit Brendan Carozzoni, who is expected to return this week after suffering a mild concussion. We did graduate some guys off the offensive line, said Kyle, who picked up his 7th career victory, all of those coming in his 7 seasons as the head coach at his alma mater. In the beginning of the year we were green (up front), but we knew we could do it. They re starting to be veterans. They re telling us what s going to work out there now. AFTER THE GAME In a touching moment after the game, players from Saint Ignatius and Inkster huddled together and presented game balls to Justin Winemiller and his family, who were guests of the Saint Ignatius players. Winemiller, who was attacked and beaten on his way home from last month s St. Rocco s Festival, is a senior at Rhodes High School in Old Brooklyn. Several of the Wildcats have launched a call for movement against youth violence and, as part of that, visited with Winemiller and his mother. You can read the moving story on the players and Winemiller by going to the Saint Ignatius Wildcats (8-) 3-4, 99 yds., 3 TD/ INT B. Grebenc -4, 4 TDs 4-37 Z. Strippy 4-56 T. Sorrell 3-59 D. Joseph 3-5 B. Thomas -3, TD K. Hopkins 8 Tckls, Pass Def. S. McVey 7 Tckls, TFL O. Callahan 7 Tckls, TFL P. Dowd 5 Tckls, Sacks M. Primes 5 Tckls, TFL K. Gillissie - J. Franklin 6/6 XP, / FG D. Joseph / XP Punting: -35 C. Sanders -() Inkster Vikings (4-3) D. Gardner 5-3, 55 yds., TD/ INT D. Gardner -, TD D. Bell 3-3, TD J. Taylor 4-36 D. Butler 3-5 V. Zanders -3, TD M. Wesley 7.5 Tckls D. Trammer 5 Tckls D. Lindsay 4.5 Tckls 4 Tckls., Sacks A. Hayes 3.5 Tckls Punting: T. Stevens 4-6 P. Dixon T. Stevens -()

11 Saint Xavier Bombers ANOTHER CLASSY AND WILL TESTING MATCHUP Behind a resilient and opportunistic offense, and a defense that adjusted at halftime, the Wildcats turn back the Bombers in what was the state s marquee game this weekend. We lost to a heck of a football team today. St. Xavier coach Steve Specht. Anthony Luvison s uniform was covered with fragments of turf. The green that clung to Luvison's dark-blue jersey spoke volumes for the effort he and his Saint Ignatius teammates left on the field Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats, rebounding from a tough start, came on strong in the second half and defeated a team that in many ways is a mirror image of what Saint Ignatius football is all about. With Luvison combining with gifted senior quarterback Mark Myers on clutch receptions, the Wildcats defense disrupting St. Xavier s offensive flow in the second half and junior tailback Bobby Grebenc finding that second gear time and again, Saint Ignatius prevailed, 3-, at John Carroll University s Don Shula Stadium. The Wildcats, the No. team in the OHSAA Division I, Region computer-playoff ratings, improved to 9- and extended their winning streak to 3 games. Coach Chuck Kyle s team entered Saturday s matchup with the Bombers having already clinched a state-record nd consecutive appearance in the big-school playoffs. St. Xavier (7-), which has locked up its 6th trip to the postseason out of Division I, Region 4, boarded the busses back to the Queen City knowing that its storied series with Saint Ignatius is now all even at eight wins apiece. It s an unbelievable experience, said Luvison of the opportunity to play against the Bombers, who, like the Wildcats, represent a Jesuit tradition. It s like Coach Kyle said about them, they do it right. And we do it right. We just play the game because we love to play it. "This is the epitome of a rival school, Luvison continued. Another Jesuit school, a great football program, this was just so much fun. The atmosphere was great today at John Carroll. I mean I just really enjoyed it. I loved it. And the Wildcats faithful were loving every moment after Luvison, a senior wide receiver, defensive back and quad-captain, hauled in an -yard pass from Myers on a fourth-and-6 from the St. Xavier 3. Following an incomplete pass and an illegal procedure penalty, Luvison ran another precise route and snatched a 4-yard bullet from Myers that set up a thirdand- from the. Myers converted the third down with a -yard keeper and three plays later the University of Pittsburgh recruit displayed his powerful left arm again by throwing a 9- yard touchdown strike to junior wideout David Joseph as two defenders were closing in on Joseph in the right corner of the end zone. Senior Jesse Franklin kicked the extra point and Saint Ignatius led, 3-4, with 8 minutes, 7 seconds remaining to be played. In improving his season totals to,44 yards passing and 5 TD passes, Myers was 8-of-8 for 7 yards. Luvison had four receptions for 45 yards and senior tight end and Pitt recruit Brendan Carozzoni grabbed three passes for 44 yards. Read the rest of this game story by logging on to and going to Eddie Dwyer's Corner. Don Shula Stadium at John Carroll University Week Nine Saint Xavier Saint Ignatius 3 October 4, 9, Game Nine St. Xavier, whose other setback this season was to Kentucky power Highlands, -7, answered Joseph s TD catch with a -play, 59-yard drive. Standout senior defensive lineman/fullback Nigel Muhammad scored on a -yard run and, after the ensuing extra point by senior Robert Leonard, the Bombers trailed by two points with 4: left. It was at that point the Wildcats flashed the credentials that have led Coach Kyle s program to an Ohio-record Division I state championships. Starting on its -yard line, Saint Ignatius, behind Myers and Grebenc, moved to a first down at the Wildcats 43. On second-and-nine from the 44, Grebenc slashed through a hole over right side, picked up another block and, displaying a second burst, outran the pursuit for a 56-yard touchdown with :47 remaining. Franklin s allimportant extra point made it a two-score advantage and the Saint Ignatius defense took care of the rest. We had a 4-99 called where Mark could either keep it, pass it or hand it off, said Grebenc, who finished with 35 yards rushing on carries and now has 5 touchdowns and,5 yards rushing on the season. Mark had a great read on it, our line did a great job, (senior wideout) Tucker Sorrell had an outstanding block on the outside and I just broke away. St. Xavier, which defeated the Wildcats by three points in triple overtime in 7 and lost to Saint Ignatius by three points in overtime last season, took a 7- lead in the first quarter off an impressive -play, 9-yard drive. Saint Ignatius then played opportunistic football as a fumble recovery by senior safety Kory Gillissie resulted in a 3-yard field goal by Franklin. After senior cornerback George Newrones and Gillissie helped force a fumble that was recovered by senior outside linebacker Jake Ryan, Franklin was high and true on a 3-yard field goal that cut the deficit to 7-6. Thanks to a leaping interception in the end zone by Wildcats senior cornerback/tailback Kevin Johnson, it stayed a one-point game entering halftime. K. J. was involved in tackles. We knew they were sort of hurting us in the middle on the running game, said Saint Ignatius veteran defensive coordinator Dan Corrigan 78 of a St. Xavier offense that was fueled in the first half by promising sophomore tailback Conor Hundley and senior quarterback and University of Cincinnati recruit Luke Massa. Because of their formation, our outside stunts weren t really getting there. (Senior linebacker) Scott McVey s our best guy, so we wanted to get in a defense where we could exploit Scott. And a lot of times they were worried about Scott and that opened up the seams for the other guys. A couple of times, their guys cut from Scott s attack and into an unblocked linebacker or defensive lineman. So it worked out pretty well, like we hoped it would and it did. Bombers head coach Steve Specht, who was Coach Kyle s defensive coordinator this past summer as Team USA rolled to the Gold Medal in the IFAF Junior World Championship, concurred with Coach Corrigan s assessment of the impact Ohio State recruit McVey had on the game in the second half. See note on the left. Saint Ignatius Wildcats (9-) 8-8, 7 yds. TD/ INT B. Grebenc -35, TD K. Gillissie 3-9 A. Luvison K. Johnson Tckls, TFL K. Hopkins Tckls, TFL O. Callahan 8 Tckls, TFL - J. Franklin 3/3 FG, 3/3 XP 3-3 L. Massa -3, 8 yds., TD/ INT C. Hundley -7 N. Ley 5-5 T. Vidal 4-3 A. Longi 4-35 K. Milligan -8 N. Weston 7 Tckls S. Daniels 6 Tckls, TFL W. Carroll 5 Tckls. C. Logeman 4 Tckls R. Leonard 3/3 XP Punting: C. Gradone -46 D. Joseph 4-6, TD B. Carozzoni 3-44 B. Grebenc 4-7 Z. Strippy T. Sorrell K. Johnson Punting: J. Ryan -6 7 Tckls, TFL, 4 QB Hit G. Newrones 7 Tckls, TD, INT Saint Xavier Bombers (7-) G. Newrones -34, TD W. Carroll 3-, TD N. Muhammad J. Kraemer -() L. Massa -4, TD J. Kraemer 5-98, TD -()

12 Saint Edward Eagles Wildcats turn to quick strikes, authoritative drives and defensive adjustments in defeating the Eagles for the fourth consecutive time. No tricks, but plenty of treats for the Cats faithful on Bunts and Madison. Saint Ignatius talented and tireless senior outside linebacker Jake Ryan made a few things clear after he and his teammates defeated their staunch rival St. Edward in front of a crowd of more than, in Lakewood Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Our front six are solid, Ryan said, referring to Saint Ignatius defensive line and linebackers. St. Ed s was all over the place, running the ball well. But we adjusted, we pursued. Pursued, tackled and eventually won the battle up front and, more importantly, the battle of wills. Saint Ignatius, putting together its first unbeaten regular season since, wore down the Eagles, 8-, in the 46th meeting in what is one of the state s more intense rivalries. The Wildcats (-), who have wrapped up the No. seed in Division I, Region, will make a state-record nd consecutive playoff appearance when they face the eighth seed Boardman (7-3) in a regional quarterfinal on Saturday night in Parma s Robert M. Boulton Stadium. St. Edward, hampered by the injuries and inconsistencies that accompanied its demanding schedule, was eliminated from any postseason competition at 4-6. It s always a good feeling, Ryan said after Saint Ignatius defeated the Eagles for the fourth consecutive time, including twice in 8, and improved its lead in the all-time series to 5--. We ll just take it from here. We re - right now heading to the playoffs. The Wildcats, who have now outscored St. Edward, 99-, in their last three meetings combined, had to adjust to the Eagles Wildcat offense in the early going. After forcing a punt, Saint Ignatius silenced some of the St. Edward faithful by putting together a six-play, 9- yard drive that featured a 5-yard touchdown burst over the left side by multitalented junior tailback Bobby Grebenc. We had a stretch called, said Grebenc, who finished with 3 yards rushing on 6 carries and now has,8 yards rushing on the season. Anthony Luvison (senior wide receiver/defensive back) pinned the cornerback inside, so the hole was as wide as I could hope for. The Wildcats, taking possession at their 3, needed just one play to get into the end zone as they struck on a perfectly thrown ball from senior quarterback Mark Myers to gritty and gifted wide receiver David Joseph. Joseph, a 5-foot-8, 6-pound junior, made a text-book catch along the left sideline, separated himself from the defender and outran the pursuit to complete a 68-yard touchdown. Senior Jesse Franklin kicked his second extra point and Saint Ignatius led, 4-, with 8 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Joseph finished with three receptions for 96 yards. Our goal is to come out and score on every drive, every possession, said Myers, who completed 3 of his 7 throws for 3 yards and will enter the playoffs having passed for,648 yards and 7 touchdowns. "The first drive was a huge hit for them and brought a lot of confidence to our team. We knew we could win at that point. Lakewood Stadium Week Ten Saint Ignatius 8 Saint Edward October 3, 9, Game Ten St. Edward, continuing to attack with The Wildcat and quarterback scrambles out of a shotgun offense, drove from its 5 to a first down at the Saint Ignatius 36. At that point, Wildcats All-Ohio senior linebacker Scott McVey came off the edge and recorded a quarterback sack for minus 9 yards. After an incomplete pass and a run for 4 yards, the Eagles attempted a 57-yard field goal that fell well short of its destination with 49 seconds left in the first half. We just had to change our mindset, knowing they we re going to try to run at us, said McVey, an Ohio State recruit. We knew we were just going to have to step up, stop playing on our heels and go after them. Saint Ignatius, which extended its winning streak to 4 games, took command by taking the second-half kickoff and marching 8 yards in nine plays. The threeminute, 39-second drive, which featured clutch receptions by senior wideout Tucker Sorrell, Luvison, Joseph and promising sophomore tight end Blake Thomas, was capped by a -yard touchdown run by Grebenc and another extra point by Franklin. We dominated them the whole drive, said Myers, a University of Pittsburgh recruit. It was pretty much a perfect drive. After senior end Gerry Ramella fueled another defensive stand with an impressive hustle sack, the Wildcats offense left no doubt by coming up with a march that took the fight out of the Eagles a 3-play, 79-yard effort that ate up more than six minutes. Joseph and junior tight end Zach Strippy hauled in passes from Myers that resulted in key first downs and Grebenc found the end zone one more time by grabbing a swing pass from Myers and rambling across the goal line from 3 yards out. Grebenc upped his season total to 8 touchdowns. You have to give (St. Edward) credit, their game plan was to keep our offense on the sideline, said Chuck Kyle 69, who has guided his Wildcats to an Ohio-best Division I state championships and three national crowns. St. Eds was eating up some clock. That drive (to start the second half) I am very, very pleased with, because the challenge was there at 4-. The wind s in our face and we drive right down the field. That was excellent, that s what we needed. Saint Ignatius totaled 38 yards of offense on 49 plays and the Eagles finished with 8 yards on 45 plays. After the game, the United States Marine Corps, as part of their Great American Rivalry Series, presented an impressive team trophy to Coach Kyle and his players, and a sharp-looking game MVP trophy to Grebenc. Saint Ignatius Wildcats (-) 3-7, 3 yds., TD/ INT B. Grebenc 6-3, TD J. Gorczyca 4-9 D. Joseph 3-96, TD A. Luvison -5 B. Thomas -4 T. Sorrell - Z. Strippy -6 N. D'Amico - J. Ryan 5 Tckls, 3 TFL O. Callahan Tckls. S. McVey 9 Tckls, Sack, 4 TFL H. Hopkins 8 Tckls., TFL P. Dowd 7 Tckls, 3 TFL J. Franklin 4/4 XP, / FG Punting: -3 Saint Edward Eagles (4-6) R. Smith 3-7, 44 Yds., TD/ INT T. Bates -55 G. Woods 7-46 O. Prunty 6-3 R. Smith 8-(-5) O. Prunty -4 P. Barry -7 A. Marrero -6 N. Stanley Jr. - B. Staples 4.5 Tckls M. Haney 3 Tckls M. Newman 3 Tckls., TFL R. Coury.5 Tckls A. Bailey.5 Tckls Punting: M. Corcoran 4-4

13 Boardman Spartans LED BY GIFTED JUNIOR DAVID JOSEPH, THE WILDCATS RECEIVERS STEP UP AGAINST THE SPARTANS. DEPTH ALSO PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN THE SHUTOUT VICTORY. Displaying the same composure he brings to the field, Saint Ignatius gritty and sure-handed junior wideout David Joseph talked about the one thing you must have when it comes to playoff football in the talent-rich state of Ohio. We have depth, and that s what you need, Joseph said. Everybody steps up. When you re called upon, you step up. And no Wildcat took bigger steps on Saturday night than the 5-foot-8, 6-pound Joseph. Saint Ignatius, making a state-record nd consecutive playoff appearance, defeated a tough Boardman team, 7-, in a Division I regional quarterfinal on Byers Field in Parma s Robert M. Boulton Stadium. With the victory, Coach Chuck Kyle s Wildcats improved to -, extended their winning streak to 5 games and advanced to next Saturday s regionalsemifinal showdown with the talent-laden Glenville Tarblooders (-). The kickoff in Lakewood Stadium will be 7 p.m. Saint Ignatius defeated Glenville, 4-3, on opening night this season and, en route to its record th Division I state championship, edged the Tarblooders, 8-7, in a 8 regional semifinal at Lakewood Stadium. Boardman, the big-school state runner-up in 987, wrapped up its seventh postseason appearance with a very deceiving record of 7-4. It s all about hard work, said Joseph, who finished with four receptions for 9 yards, including a fabulous 79-yard catch and run for a touchdown, an effort that gave the Wildcats a two-touchdown lead in the second quarter. Every single day at practice Coach Kyle makes us work as hard as we can. We work hard and fast so we can leave it all on the field. And that s what we do every game. As is his nature, Joseph was quick to point out some of his teammates who stepped up against Boardman, including sophomore tight end Blake Thomas, who was filling in for standout senior and University of Pittsburgh recruit Brendan Carozzoni (knee injury), junior offensive tackle Mason Halter, who for the second straight week did a solid job in place of senior mainstay Stewart Ross (knee injury), and sophomore linebacker James Sheehan, who admirably filled the void left by a thumb injury to senior linebacker and leading tackler Jake Ryan. Carozzoni, Ross and Ryan are listed as probable for next weekend s Glenville game. The 6-3, 5-pound Thomas wasted little time in making his presence felt as he made a quick read on his route and hauled in a -yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Mark Myers. Senior Jesse Franklin kicked the extra point and Saint Ignatius led, 7-, with 53 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The 3-yard drive was set up by a -yard punt by the Spartans into a stiff wind. With Boardman employing an eight-man front on defense that was designed to control Wildcats junior tailback Bobby Grebenc and his previous,8 yards rushing, the pressure fell on Coach Kyle s receivers and the powerful left arm of Myers, another Pitt recruit. Byers Field at Robert M. Boulton Stadium Round One Boardman Saint Ignatius 7 November 7, 9, Game Eleven The top-ranked team in both the Associated Press Division I state poll and The Plain Dealer s sevencounty Top 5, Saint Ignatius is no stranger to pressure. Taking possession at their 4 with four minutes, 58 seconds left in the first half, the Wildcats covered the 86 yards in just five plays. After a holding penalty resulted in a third-and 9 from the, Myers dropped back, stepped to his left and hit Joseph in stride at the 5. Joseph never stopped as he separated himself from the cornerback, picked up a key block and outran the pursuit into the end zone. Franklin s extra point was high and true, and Saint Ignatius led, 4-, with 3:3 to go in the half. The play was designed, everybody was doing flies, Joseph said. I was open and Mark hit me early, which is good, so I can run with the ball. Tucker Sorrell (senior wideout) had a great block for me and as soon as I got around that guy Tucker blocked, I knew I had it. Joseph's hookup with Myers is the second-longest touchdown pass in Saint Ignatius' playoff history. In the 989 state-championship game victory over Cincinnati Moeller, quarterback Joe Pickens '9 combined with his lifelong friend Mark Ruddy '9 on an 8-yard TD strike. The Wildcats, whose current 5-game winning streak ties for the third-longest in the school s rich football history, behind streaks of 39 and 38 games, pushed its lead to 7- on a 3-yard field goal by Franklin with :57 to go in the third quarter. Franklin s effort was set up by a 33-yard punt return by multitalented senior safety Kory Gillissie, who had a strong night returning punts. Saint Ignatius, which was slowed down in the second half by a fumble at the Spartans 4, untimely penalties and an aggressive Boardman defense, kept the Youngstown-area school at bay behind some sound defensive pressure. Helping show the way were senior linebacker and quad-captain Scott McVey, senior end Gerry Ramella, senior cornerback Kevin K.J. Johnson, senior safety and quad-captain Kevin Hopkins, senior corner George Newrones, senior middle backer Owen Callahan and Sheehan, who had a huge sack in the fourth quarter. Along with Joseph s big night, senior quad-captain Anthony Luvison totaled yards on four receptions. Grebenc finished with a hard-earned 77 yards on the ground and Myers was -of-6 through the air for 73 yards, upping his season totals to,9 yards and 9 touchdown passes. The Spartans, who snapped the Wildcats 38-game winning streak in Week 5 of 994 at Boardman, got 54 yards passing from versatile senior quarterback Rob Boyd. Boyd was victimized by some dropped passes and was under constant pressure from McVey and Co. Saint Ignatius now leads its series with the Spartans, 5-3. They play tough, they re a good football team, Coach Kyle said of Coach D.J. Ogilivie s Spartans and Boardman s eight-in-the-box defense. We felt with Mark (Myers) that we were going to find some seams here and there. We ended up getting a few big plays because a lot of times it was pretty much one-on-one with our receivers. And you have to take advantage of that when it happens." Saint Ignatius Wildcats (-) -6, 73 yds., TD/ INT B. Grebenc (-3) D. Joseph 4-9, TD A. Luvison 4- T. Sorrell -3 B. Thomas - B. Grebenc -9 S. McVey Tckls, Sack O. Callahan 9 Tckls J. Sheehan 8 Tckls, Sack K. Hopkins 7 Tckls, 3 Pass Def. K. Johnson 6 Tckls. J. Franklin / FG, / XP Punting: 4-64 Boardman Spartans (7-4) R. Boyd 7-38, 54 yds., TD/ INT N. Buonavolonta 4-58 Punting: T. Blangero -(-) R. Boyd 8-(-4) C. Hammond 6-6 D. Hammond 4-38 V. Robinson - T. Blangero -5 JT Moore Tckls,.5 Sack D. Fernback 5.5 Tckls, TFL C. Hammond 5.5 Tckls, TFL R. Phillis 5.5 Tckls, Sack C. Tarantino 5 Tckls T. Ragen 8-68

14 Glenville Tarblooders Turnovers put a disappointing ending to an otherwise memorable chapter in Saint Ignatius storied football history. Lakewood Stadium Round Two Glenville Academic Campus 3 Saint Ignatius 3 Saint Ignatius Wildcats (-) -3, 6 yds., TD/5 INT B. Grebenc 8-39 The talent-rich Tarblooders cash in on five of the Cats eight miscues. 7-8 November 3, 9, Game One B. Carozzoni 5-77 Anderson, who enrolled at Glenville in late winter of Although the disappointment and the tears were carved 9 after attending St. Edward High School and D. Joseph 3-6, TD in his face, Saint Ignatius gritty senior safety Kevin playing football for the Eagles, came up big again in Hopkins congratulated and consoled his teammates, B. Grebenc -8 the second quarter as he intercepted another pass and and thanked his coaches for everything they did for returned the ball from the Saint Ignatius 33 to the him and the rest of the 9 Wildcats. O. Callahan 8 Tckls, TFL Wildcats. On the next play, Tarblooders 6-foot-5, -pound junior quarterback Cardale Jones scored on J. Ryan 5 Tckls, TFL keeper up the middle with 8:59 left in the first half, and Coach Ted Ginn Sr. s team appeared to be coasting at J. Sheehan Tckls., TFL 3-. K. Hopkins 3 Tckls. In a time when it would have been just as easy, and understandable, to say nothing, Hopkins displayed the same strength and character he brought to the field every day for the past two seasons. Coach (Chuck) Kyle 69 is one of the most inspirational coaches I ever played for, Hopkins said, moments after Saint Ignatius was defeated by the big, strong and quick-striking Glenville Tarblooders, 3-3, in a Division I regional-semifinal football game at a packed Lakewood Stadium on Saturday night. He makes you play above and beyond what you are capable of, and you don t get that from many other coaches. "Coach Kyle is not all about football, it s the life lessons, Hopkins continued. Those are the things I m going to carry from here, and do my best with what Coach Kyle gave me and the rest of this football team. Saint Ignatius, which has won a record Division I state football championships and has made an Ohiobest consecutive playoff appearances in Kyle s 7 seasons as head coach, was, by its own admission, far from its best on Saturday night. And that can be attributed to a Glenville team that came out with relentless passion on defense and, when it was all said and done, took advantage of almost every one of the Wildcats uncharacteristic eight turnovers. The Tarblooders (-), who now lead their series with Saint Ignatius, 5-4, advance to next Saturday s 7 p.m. Region championship game against the Solon Comets (-) on Byers Field in Parma's Robert M. Boulton Stadium. Saint Ignatius, which saw its 5-game winning streak come to an end, closed its memory-filled fall at -.The 5-game streak, which dated back to last year s state-championship season, ties for the third-longest in the program s rich history. The Wildcats put together victory streaks of 39 and 38 games from the late 98s through the mid-9s. That was a disastrous first quarter, said Coach Kyle of his team s four turnovers in the first minutes, three of which resulted in a 7- deficit. Glenville struck on a -yard fumble return for a touchdown by senior linebacker Rodnell Pierce with minutes, 6 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, turned another fumble into a 5-yard field goal by alleverything senior Christian Bryant and went up by three scores on a -yard, second-effort touchdown run by junior tailback Robert Walton Jr. with :54 to go in the first stanza. Walton s effort was set up by a 5-yard interception return by one of the most coveted college recruits in the nation senior safety Latwan Anderson. When you begin the playoffs, you always talk about how you can not have a bad quarter, Kyle said. High school football is 48 minutes. It s not 5-minute quarters. Mistakes are made, but when you take a whole quarter and do that, oh my God. Taking the ensuing kickoff, Saint Ignatius, behind a clutch reception by senior tight end and University of Pittsburgh recruit Brendan Carozzoni, put together an 83-yard drive that was highlighted by a perfectly executed 48-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback and Pitt recruit Mark Myers to junior wide receiver David Joseph at the six-minute mark of the second quarter. With just :57 to go in the half, the Wildcats covered 73 yards in seven plays and cut the deficit to 3-3 on a 6- yard scoring run by Myers that was fueled by a perfect pump-fake. Myers TD scamper was set up by a razzledazzle play out of the Wildcat formation that saw Myers line up as a receiver, circle back into the backfield, take a pitch and fire a pass to junior tailback Bobby Grebenc, who made an exceptional catch along the left sideline at the Glenville 3. Despite the rough start, Saint Ignatius actually outgained the Tarblooders, 89 to 48, in the first half. Glenville s average field position in the first 4 minutes was the Wildcats 3-yard line. The second-quarter rally didn t come without a price, as the Wildcats lost two mainstays to injuries All-Ohio senior linebacker Scott McVey and all-district senior offensive tackle Joe Lavelle. Saint Ignatius, which defeated the Tarblooders by one point in last year s Region semifinal at Lakewood Stadium and by one point on opening night of this season, was threatening again after standout senior cornerback George Newrones returned an interception to the Glenville 9 with 6:7 remaining in the third quarter. Newrones put together another solid game as he also blocked a field-goal attempt, partially blocked a punt and downed a punt inside the Tarblooders. After Newrones interception, which came off a heavy pass rush by the Cats, Ignatius moved to a first-andgoal at the 9. However, just when it looked as though the Cats were going to cut the deficit to three or seven points, Anderson made the play of the game and what the Tarblooders' faithful might look back on as the play of a state-championship season. On third-and goal from the 9, Anderson stepped in front of a pass at the and, in a blur, raced down the left sideline for a 99-yard interception return. Bryant s extrapoint kick was true, and Glenville led, 3-3, with 4:3 left in the third quarter. The Tarblooders would go on to seal the deal on a 54- yard pass from Jones to speedy junior wideout Shane Wynn, which came off a first-and- from inside the Glenville -yard line, and interceptions by Bryant and Anderson, Anderson s fourth pick of the night. We should be down by one score, with at least a field goal, said Coach Kyle of Anderson s 99-yard pick-6. G. Newrones 9 Tckls, INT G. Newrones -3 J. Franklin / XP, / FG Punting: 4-8 P. Russo -3 B. Grebenc -() -() Glenville Tarblooders (-) 8-, 47 yds., TD/ INT C. Jones -5, TD C. Jones T. Foster R. Walton -3 C. Bryant S. Wynn S. Belle L. Anderson Tckls, 4 INT, INT for TD C. Bryant 3 Tckls, INT A. Crutcher C. Bryant Tckls, Sack A. Sturdivant.5 Tckls, Sack / FG, 3/3 XP Punting: C. Bryant 5-7 "Our defense, I thought, really played well in the end. But their secondary, wow! They swarmed like bees to the ball. After the game, Coach Kyle stood near midfield, congratulated the Glenville players and told them they have what it takes to represent Cleveland with a state championship. Anderson and Bryant went out of their way to shake Kyle s hand and give the veteran coach a hug. The Tarblooders, who are making their th playoff appearance, are still seeking that elusive big-school crown. I wouldn t be surprised if they won it all, said Hopkins, who served as one of the Wildcats four captains this season. If they play the way they did tonight, I think they will. Right after last season, people were saying we didn t have anybody, Hopkins continued. We kind of took that as motivation throughout the year and put it to use this whole season.

15 9 Team In Review - Offensive Statistics Saint Ignatius Football Media Guide PASSING Mark Myers Joe Greco Vinnie Marriotti Kory Gillessie TOTALS RUSHING Comp Attp Yards TD INT 8 Lg YPG Comp % YPA Bobby Grebenc Anthony Mascia Joe Gorczyca Kevin Johnson Christian Sanders Mark Myers Kory Gillessie Scott McVey Joe Vavro Joe Greco Attp Yards, Avg Lg TD 7 YPG TOTALS OPPONENT ,75, David Joseph Tucker Sorrell Brendan Carozzoni Bobby Grebenc Anthony Luvison Zach Strippy Blake Thomas Kory Gillissie Matt Myers Scott McVey Sean Nugent Danny Kray Nick D'Amico Kevin Johnson Jake Ryan Anthony Mascia Rec Yards Avg Lg TD YPG TOTALS OPPONENT 47 9,, RECEIVING TOTAL OFFENSE Mark Myers Bobby Grebenc Anthony Mascia Joe Gorczyca Kevin Johnson Joe Greco Christian Sanders Kory Gillessie Scott McVey Joe Vavro Vince Marriotti TOTALS OPPONENT Plays Rush 56, Pass, Total,83, YPG ,75,33,,84 3,95 3, QB Rtg Bobby Grebenc hits paydirt with this run against Saint Edward. He ran for 7 touchdowns in 9 and,4 yards. In 9, Saint Ignatius returned no wide receivers with receptions. This season, David Joseph (3 catches, leading receiver), Nick D'Amico ( catch), Bobby Grebenc ( catches), Zach Strippy ( catches), Blake Thomas (5 catches), and Anthony Mascia ( catch) have caught passes. Myers drops back to throw. He fired touchdowns and,7 yards his senior year.

16 9 Team In Review - Special Teams Statistics Saint Ignatius Football Media Guide Punts/Kickoffs Mark Myers Peter Russo Jesse Franklin David Joseph Kicking 9 Yards Punts 37 5 Avg Long 7 58 Inside 3 KO 54 Yds. 948 Avg Lng FGM-FGA XPM-XPA Jesse Franklin David Joseph Mark Kuczmarski Pts. 49 FG % 67% n/a n/a XP % 97% % 5% TOTALS OPPONENT % 5% 94% 88% Kory Gillissie David Joseph PR 8 FC 5 Yds 9 Avg..6 Long 33 5 TD TOTALS Anthony Luvison Kevin Johnson Anthony Mascia George Newrones Jake Ryan Christian Sanders Zach Strippy David Joseph Andy Grayson KR Yds Avg Long TD TOTALS Punt Returns Kick Returns Top Photo: Jesse Franklin continued in a line of strong Saint Ignatius kickers. Joe Greco is the holder. On the left, Kory Gillissie looks in before the snap (Gillissie was the Wildcat's top punt returner.) Scott McVey, now at Ohio State, looks info the backfield before the snap. The second photo above shows the Wildcats swarming to the ball carrier (with junior linebacker James Sheehan coming free on the left side to make the tackle.)

17 9 Team In Review - Team Statistics Saint Ignatius Football Media Guide Team Stats Saint Ignatius Opponents Scoring Points Per Game First Downs 6 54 Rushing Passing Penalty 4 9 Rushing Yardage Rushing Attempts Average per Rush Average per Game Rushing TD's 3 Passing Yardage 84 Completions-Attempts Average per Attempt Average per Completion 5 3. Average per Game Passing Touchdowns 7 Passing Interceptions 8 Total Offense Total Plays Average per Play Average per Game Kickoff Returns-Yds Average per Return Kickoff Return Touchdowns Punt Returns- Yds Average per Return.3.3 Punt Return Touchdowns Fumbles-Fumbles Lost 7- - Recoveries - Yds. 6-(-3) -3 Average Yards per Recovery -..4 Fumble Recovery TD's Interceptions 7 Interception Return Yds Average Yds. Per Int Interception Return TD's Penalties -Yds Average per Game Punts - Yds Average per Game Defensive Sacks - Yds Field Goals Made-Attempted PAT Made-Attempted PAT kick made-attempted PAT run made-attempted - - PAT pass made-attempted -3 - Third Down Efficiency Made - Attempted Fourth Down Efficiency Made - Attempted Turnover Ratio - Saint Ignatius had a balanced offense, with only two more rushing first downs than passing (97 to 95) Further evidence of offensive balance; Saint Ignatius had two more touchdowns in the air than on the ground (3 to ). The strong arm of Mark Myers allowed the Cats to open up the passing game, gaining 8. yards per attempt. Even with two less plays over the course of the 9 season, Saint Ignatius outgained opposing teams by nearly, yards. Saint Ignatius was very disciplined in 9, committing nearly half the penalties their opponents committed. Pat Dowd, Scott McVey, and Jake Ryan leading the defense and a strong Offensive Line on offense, the Cats outsacked opponents by 4 in 9. Saint Ignatius had sacks in all games but two. The Glenville playoff game, and the Xavier game at John Carroll University. 7 The Wildcats were featured by a number of media outlets in 9