By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, with contributing items from the Ohio High School Athletic Association and its outstanding Director of Communications, Mr. Tim Stried
Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio - The first time I saw Jimmy Andrews in a Saint Ignatius uniform was during his freshman season of 2013.
Along with the powerful running style, quick bursts and exceptional vision, this veteran reporter was thoroughly impressed with Jimmy's passion for the game and a team-first maturity that you don't always see from someone fresh off an eighth-grade CYO season.
I first heard about Jimmy when he was playing his grade-school football at Our Lady of Angels in West Park. Everything my West Side gridiron gurus told me about the then very young Andrews came to fruition as his football career progressed at Saint Ignatius.
The talent and drive were obvious, my friends, but even more impressive is the character that Jimmy has carried with him for four seasons.
And that character was put to a severe test when Jimmy's football career at Saint Ignatius came to an end in the Wildcats' ninth game this season, a 31-14 victory at Cincinnati St. Xavier.
Having an outstanding season, one that saw him rush for 637 yards and 7 touchdowns on 104 carries (6.1 yards per carry) and haul in 8 receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown, Jimmy suffered a broken arm in the fourth quarter of that late October Saturday afternoon encounter under a blue-gray sky on St. Xavier's Tom Ballaban Field.
Wildcats All-District and All-Ohio senior tight end/linebacker James Leyden, obviously upset just minutes after Jimmy's injury, said he and his teammates would be playing for Jimmy and would "win it for him."
"It" is a 12th OHSAA State Football Championship and Leyden and the rest of the 'Cats are just one more victory away from adding No. 12 to what are already an OHSAA-record 11 state football titles at Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School.
Friday night in Ohio Stadium, the home of Coach Urban Meyer's The Ohio State University Buckeyes, Saint Ignatius will take a 10-game winning streak and a record of 13-1 into the Division I State Championship Game matchup with none other than the 9-5 St. Xavier Bombers, winners of their last five games (See the corner's State Championship Game preview from Wednesday morning).
And there will be no bigger supporter on the Wildcats' side of "The Horseshoe" than a young man named Jimmy Andrews.
"I've had northing but support from them," Jimmy said of his teammates and classmates. "Since freshmen year, we've been saying that we want to win a state title and our class is proving it. Hopefully, we'll bring one home."
Jimmy, who has been at practice every day since his injury, said his recovery is going very well, that he has another doctor's appointment next week and should get his splint off and then work on getting his mobility and strength back.
"In the games, especially the St. Eds playoff game (a 38-31 overtime victory), I've just tried to motivate the guys from the sideline. I think we're ready (for No. 12) at this point. I have a lot of faith in our guys, especially the senior leaders and captains (Adam Shibley, Johnny Velotta, John Spellacy and Matt Wiegandt). They're a great group of guys."
And there is none greater than that big-hearted kid from OLA.
Honorary Captains named for this week's/weekend's State Championship Games
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Greater Columbus Sports Commission has announced the honorary captains for each of this weekend’s OHSAA football state championship games, which kick off Thursday night at Ohio Stadium. The honorary captains will be involved in various pregame activities, including the coin toss, and will be available for media interviews in the press box after their halftime interview on the OHSAA Radio Network.
“We are excited to bring these standout people back to Ohio Stadium for the football state championships,” said Brian Timm, director of corporate partnerships with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission. “This has become a fun tradition during the last three years that the football state championships have been in Columbus. The honorary captains are well-known from their playing days, and afterwards have added an additional element to the game. And two of our captains this year, Frank Stams and Jeff Backes, are former state champions, so this will be extra special for them, as well.”
State Championships Schedule and Honorary Captains (see bios below)
Home Team Listed First. Pairings are shown with overall records.
Thursday, Dec. 1
7:30 PM — Archie Griffin — Div. II: Massillon Perry (12-2) vs. Cincinnati La Salle (12-2)
Friday, Dec. 2
10:00 AM — Brian Hartline — Div. VI: Cuyahoga Heights (14-0) vs. Maria Stein Marion Local (13-1)
3:00 PM — Tom Cousineau — Div. IV: Columbus Bishop Hartley (12-2) vs. Steubenville (13-1)
8:00 PM — Jeff Backes — Div. I: Cincinnati St. Xavier (9-5) vs. Cleveland St. Ignatius (13-1)
Saturday, Dec. 3
10:00 AM — William White — Div. VII: Minster (10-4) vs. Warren John F. Kennedy (13-1)
3:00 PM — Frank Stams — Div. III: Trotwood-Madison (12-2) vs. Akron Arch. Hoban (13-1)
8:00 PM — Boom Herron — Div. V: Canton Central Catholic (10-3) vs. Coldwater (13-1)
Honorary Captains Bios
Game 1 - Thursday, December 1, 7:30 p.m.
Archie Griffin, Eastmoor High School
2 time Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State … 7 years with the Cincinnati Bengals … Senior Advisor for Advancement, The Ohio State University
Game 2 – Friday, December 2, 10 a.m.
Brian Hartline, Canton GlenOak High School
Wide Receiver at Ohio State 2006-2008 … 7 seasons in NFL with Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns … Owns and operates two convenience stores with a partner in Columbus
Game 3 – Friday, December 2, 3 p.m.
Tom Cousineau, Lakewood St. Edward High School
2 time All-American at Ohio State, 1978 Big Ten MVP … Played with Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League and Cleveland Browns … Will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday … VP Business Development at HMC HealthWorks
Game 4 – Friday, December 2, 8 p.m.
Jeff Backes, Upper Arlington High School
2000 OHSAA Division I State Champions … Cornerback at Northwestern 2002-2004 … Orthopedic Surgeon at Orthopedic One
Game 5 – Saturday, December 3, 10 a.m.
William White, Lima Senior High School
All-Big Ten Defensive Back at Ohio State … Started in Super Bowl XXXIII for Atlanta Falcons. Also played with Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs … Vice President Midwest Region, Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Game 6 – Saturday, December 3, 3 p.m.
Frank Stams, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
1981 and 1982 OHSAA Division III State Champions … All-American on Notre Dame's 1988 NCAA National Championship Team … Executive Director, The First Tee of Akron
Game 7 – Saturday, December 3, 8 p.m.
Boom Herron, Warren G. Harding High School
Rushed for 2,946 yards at Ohio State between 2008-2011 … While at OSU played in Fiesta, Rose, Sugar and Gator Bowls … NFL career includes stints with Bengals, Colts and Bills
Media Coverage
Time Warner Cable SportsChannel will televise the seven state championship games live, and live streaming for TWC subscribers will be available at www.TWCSportsChannel.com. In addition, the OHSAA Radio Network will broadcast all seven games. More information is posted at: http://www.ohsaa.org/news/radio. Playoff Coverage Home: http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/football/2016/2016-fb-coverage
NOTE FROM THE CORNER: Senior Brendan DeVenney and junior Matt MacKenzie will bring you Friday night's Wildcats versus Bombers Division I State Championship game live over the Saint Ignatius Student Broadcast Network. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 8 PM and Brendan and Matt will be on the air with their pre-game show a half hour before the kickoff.
Tickets
Single-game tickets are available at the participating schools for $10, or at the Ohio Stadium ticket office before each game for $15 (club level, with indoor access) or $12 (reserved). Single-game and all-session tickets are also available online at http://go.osu.edu/OHSAAFBTix
Two options for all-session ticket books are available for the football state championship games. All-session tickets in the club level, which are the chair-back seats on the west side of the stadium, are $105 each (includes all seven games) and also permit indoor access into the Huntington Club before, during and after each game. All-session reserved ticket books on the east side of the stadium, which don’t include indoor access, are $84 each (includes all seven games). Tickets can also be purchased at the Schottenstein Center box office or by calling 1-800-GOBUCKS.
SOME FUN NUMBERS TO RECALL
Ohio Stadium is hosting the state championships for the third-straight year before the finals go back to Canton and the new Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (formerly Fawcett Stadium) in 2017 and 2018.
FROM THE CORNER: When Saint Ignatius and Cincinnati St. Xavier meet on Friday night, it will mark the first time that the Division I state championship game hasn’t been on a Saturday since 1991, when it was played on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 2 PM in Fawcett Stadium and Saint Ignatius won its third state title by defeating Centerville, 24-21. Ah, the legendary "All-Purpose Ponies," Dean Lamirand's 72-yard catch and run for a touchdown, and the Eric Haddad to Mike Sako 38-yard halfback pass for the game-winning touchdown off a savvy call by veteran Offensive Coordinator Nick Restifo.
SUNDAY, SUNDAY FROM THE CORNER: With Wildcats Hall of Famer, the late Dick "Zip" Zunt '50, and this now old-timer in double coverage for the then great Cleveland Plain Dealer, Saint Ignatius won its first two state football championships (1988 and 1989) on Sunday afternoons in Ohio Stadium, defeating Cincinnati Princeton, 10-7 in 1988 and Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, 34-28 in 1989. The 1989 season also resulted in the first of the Wildcats' three National Titles. The other two came in 1993 and 1995.
This year's Division VI matchup is the only state championship game featuring two No. 1 seeds. Three of the title games are rematches from the 2015 state championships (in Div. II, IV and V). Trotwood-Madison (Div. III) is attempting to become the third No. 7 seed to win a state title since the OHSAA expanded the playoff field to eight teams per region in 1999. Only one team that was ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press polls has advanced to the state championship games (Maria Stein Marion Local in Div. VI). Coldwater (Div. V) is attempting to win its fifth-straight championship and 25th consecutive playoff game, both of which would be state records.
The 2016 state championships include four of the state’s all-time playoff wins leaders, including No. 2 Saint Ignatius (70), No. 3 Coldwater (69), No. 4 Maria Stein Marion Local (66) and Steubenville (61). Newark Catholic leads the state with 72 playoff wins, but was knocked off in the state semifinals by Cuyahoga Heights, which is now in the state championship game for the first time in school history.
For the third-straight season, the Midwest Athletic Conference has sent three teams to the state championship games, including Coldwater in Div. V, Marion Local in Div. VI and Minster in Div. VII. Those three schools all won state titles in 2014, marking the first time a conference produced three state champions in the same season. A straight line spanning 19 miles could connect Minster, Marion Local and Coldwater high schools. Those three schools own a combined 16 state football championships.
Another Geography Lesson
Just five miles separates La Salle and St. Xavier along North Bend Road in Cincinnati. La Salle is in Green Township (Cincinnati’s West Side) and St. Xavier is considered Springfield Township (a more central part of the city). Courtesy of Mike Dyer, WCPO-TV.
Canton Central Catholic and Massillon Perry have different street addresses, but both of their football stadiums sit on 13th Street and are located 1.9 miles apart.
Defending State Champions
Four defending state champions are back in Ohio Stadium seeking to defend their titles, including Cincinnati La Salle (Div. II), Akron Archbishop Hoban (Div. III), Columbus Bishop Hartley (Div. IV) and Coldwater (Div. V).
Most OHSAA State Championship Game Appearances
(Updated Nov. 27, 2016)
1. Newark Catholic, 14
T-2. Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, 13
T-2. Saint Ignatius, 13
T-4. Coldwater, 12
T-4. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 12
6. Maria Stein Marion Local, 11
7. Versailles, 9
OHSAA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
1. Saint Ignatius, 11
2. Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, 9
T-3. Maria Stein Marion Local, 8
T-3. Newark Catholic, 8
T-3. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 8
6. Benedictine, 7
T-7. Coldwater, 6
T-7. Delphos St. John’s, 6
T-7. St. Henry, 6
T-7. Versailles, 6
T-7. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, 6
Rematches in Division II, IV and V
The Division II, IV and V state championship games are all rematches from 2015. Last year in Div. II, Cincinnati La Salle beat Massillon Perry 42-0. In Div. IV, Columbus Bishop Hartley beat Steubenville 31-28. And in Div. V, Coldwater beat Canton Central Catholic 35-18. Coldwater and CCC have met in the Div. V state championship game the last three years.
Consecutive Playoff Wins
Last, year, Maria Stein Marion Local reached the state championship game for the fifth-straight year and set a new OHSAA record for consecutive playoff victories with 24 before falling to Kirtland in the Div. VI state championship game. Now, fellow-MAC member and four-time defending state champion Coldwater has tied that record with 24 straight playoff wins entering the state championship game against Canton Central Catholic.
No. School Years
* denotes streak is still active. Updated Nov. 27, 2016
24 Maria Stein Marion Local 2011‐12‐13‐14-15
*24 Coldwater 2012‐13‐14-15-16
23 Saint Ignatius 1991‐92‐93‐94‐95‐96
17 Youngstown Ursuline 2008‐09‐10‐12
17 Newark Catholic 84‐85‐86‐87‐88
16 Delphos St. John’s 1997‐98‐99‐2000
15 Versailles 1993‐94‐95‐96
13 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller 1975‐76‐77‐79‐80‐81
SUPPORT CITY: As of Wednesday afternoon, Saint Ignatius has filled six Fan Buses for Friday night's State Championship Game versus St. Xavier in Ohio Stadium.
A SPECIAL GESTURE: The corner tips its cap to the fine people at Otterbein University, who will be feeding the Wildcats before they make the short trip from Otterbein to Ohio Stadium.
Otterbein University 's Memorial Stadium did a wonderful job in hosting the Wildcats' Week 8 victory over Archbishop Moeller.
We'll see you at the home of the Buckeyes, my friends. Can you say Dre'Mont Jones? I'll bet you the Michigan Wolverines can.