On Wednesday, Declan Mangan and Aidan Hubbard solidified their place in the prestigious history of Saint Ignatius football.
Mangan and Hubbard became the 185th and 186th Saint Ignatius football players to be given the distinction of All-Ohio.
The Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association and the OHSAA announced the Division I All-Ohio Team on Wednesday. For the 32nd straight season, members of the Wildcats made the cut.
This year, Mangan and Hubbard represent the Wildcats. Mangan was selected to the First Team Offense as a placekicker, while Hubbard was chosen on the Second Team Defense as a linebacker. Both enjoyed excellent seasons.
Mangan joined the pantheon of outstanding Saint Ignatius kickers. In a great junior campaign, Mangan knocked home 6 field goals, showing great range. The 5'11, 165-pound kicker converted from 47, 48, 49, 53, and 56 yards. His 56-yarder now stands as the 2nd longest kick in Wildcats' history, behind only Matt Trickett's 59-yarder. As it so happens, Trickett was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year earlier today.
Besides field goals, Mangan also handled kickoff and punting duties. The Westlake native averaged 34.6 yards per punt on the year as the team's primary punter. Mangan notched 34-of-52 kickoffs for touchbacks.
Mangan is the latest in a long line of amazing kickers to walk the hallowed halls of Wildcat High. He's the ninth kicker or punter to be named All-Ohio, as well as the fourth Wildcat kicker to earn 1st Team honors (Tim Shenk, 2011; Matt Colella, 2013 & 2014; Matt Trickett, 2017).
The junior also keeps alive a lengthy streak. The Wildcats have boasted a first-teamer every season dating back to 2006.
Aidan Hubbard joins a similarly elite group. The junior is the 11th member of Ryan Franzinger's Linebacker Legion to be named All-State. That's nearly one per year since Franzinger joined the coaching staff as linebackers coach in 2007.
Hubbard broke onto the scene this season as an athletic, hard-hitting linebacker. The 6'4, 218-pound playmaker topped the team in tackling with 40.5 tackles. The Rocky River native added 10 tackles for loss and 3 sacks, too.
With Mangan and Hubbard's selections, the Wildcats have now had All-Ohioans in every season since 1988. The last time the Wildcats had two juniors on the first time was 2012, when Jimmy Byrne and Matt Colella earned the distinction.
As it so happens, Wildcats fans can keep watching Hubbard and Mangan. Both made the varsity basketball team, and will be important pieces for the Basketball Cats this season. And of course, both will be back on the football field next season. You may even see them play Division I college football one day.
Congrats, Declan and Aidan!