Buffalo, N.Y. – Displaying the same composure they bring to the field, Saint Ignatius senior quarterback Andrew Holland and senior wideout Joey Parris talked about how important it was to “get into our game.’’

The Wildcats, whose offense sputtered at times in the first two weeks of the season, rode Holland’s arm and legs and the savvy receiving skills of Parris to a 40-0 victory over Canisius High School on Saturday at the Crusaders’ Robert J. Stransky Memorial Athletic Complex. It was Canisius' season opener.

“The past few weeks we weren’t in a rhythm,’’ said Holland, a tough competitor who offers no excuses, including the key injuries to his offensive line. “We weren’t clicking. But having a game like this really gives us a lot of confidence heading into the meat of the schedule.’’

A meaty portion of that schedule takes place on Saturday night, when Saint Ignatius (2-1) plays host to the deep and talented Mentor Cardinals (2-1). The kickoff at Parma’s Byers Field is slated for 7 p.m. Mentor, the Division I state runner-up in 2006 and ’07, defeated the Wildcats, 38-17, last season.

“It felt good just to come out and be in sync, get a couple of completions, get some yards and keep our defense off the field,’’ said Parris, whose brother, Robby (’06), was an all-state wide receiver for Saint Ignatius and now plays for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. “The last couple of games the defense has been on the field too long. It’s good to get a little momentum going into the Mentor game.’’

Holland got it going to the tune of 14 completions in 17 attempts for 276 yards and four touchdowns. Three of those TD strikes went to Parris, including a 45-yard effort that saw Parris leap and catch the ball at the 16 with a defender on his heels. He kept his balance, eluded a would-be-tackler across the 15 and outran the pursuit. Parris finished with seven receptions for 143 yards.

Also getting into the air attack were senior wide receiver Connor Ryan and senior all-purpose back Frank DeSico. Ryan made a highlight-reel catch along the sideline, stretching for the ball and dragging one foot in bounds as he was falling out of bounds. DeSico broke wide open down the middle and Holland hit him in stride for a 56-yard scoring strike that gave the Wildcats a 33-0 lead in the third quarter.

“We knew the passing game should step up, and it did,’’ said Saint Ignatius head coach Chuck Kyle (’69), who secured his 250th career victory. “It seemed like Joey was the guy finding the seams today. Sometimes it’s Connor (Ryan) and sometimes it will be Carozzoni (junior tight end Brendan Carozzoni). I don’t think we ever go into a game saying, ‘Oh, this will be a big day for this receiver.’ We don’t know how they’re going to do it.

“I thought the kids communicated very well today, really well. Connor told us about that long, beautiful catch that he made. He told us he had that route. And Frankie DeSico, when we threw it long (DeSico’s 56-yard TD), he was the one who yelled over, ‘Hey, this pattern is open. Either I’m going to be open or the tight end.’ OK, I believe you. Bang, we hit it for a big touchdown.’’

The Wildcats’ defense, which has been solid through the first three games, didn’t disappointment the Saint Ignatius faithful that made the three-hour trip to Buffalo.

First it was senior nose tackle Ryan Carr and senior safety/linebacker Dan Fox leading the charge on the game’s first possession, as the Wildcats turned the Crusaders away for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the 3.

Junior linebacker Scott McVey, who again was all over the field, blitzed and hit Canisius quarterback Sean Brady just as he was releasing the ball. Senior safety Pat Hinkel stepped in front of the intended receiver, intercepted the ball and went 40 yards for a touchdown that gave Saint Ignatius a 12-0 lead early in the second quarter. It marked the second time in as many weeks that Hinkel scored a defensive touchdown.

There were other defensive highlights, including two sacks by senior lineman Ted Kraft.

“They just play their game,'' Holland said of the Wildcats’ defenders. “They don't worry about what other people say. They go hard on every play, trying to put our offense in good situations.’’