From Saint Ignatius head football coach Chuck Kyle (’69) to the last player on the Wildcats’ roster, the sentiment was the same late Saturday night – enjoy this one for a few hours, stay focused and then it’s right back to work.
The Wildcats, with their defense playing another sound game and senior tailback Mike Anter and senior quarterback Andrew Holland keying a fourth-quarter flurry on the ground, turned back a talented Saint Edward team, 34-12, in a regular-season finale. The game attracted a standing-room crowd of nearly 11,500 to Parma’s Byers Field.
It was the 44th meeting between the staunch West Side rivals, with Saint Ignatius now leading the series, 23-20-1. Fans, coaches and players won’t have to wait long for the 45th encounter.
By virtue of the Wildcats’ victory, Coach Kyle’s team finished 9-1 and earned the top seed for the Division I, Region 1 quarterfinal playoffs, which begin this Saturday night. Saint Ignatius will turn right around and face Saint Edward (6-4), the eighth seed, at 7 p.m. at Byers Field. It marks the first time the Wildcats and the Eagles are meeting in the postseason.
Under the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s playoff format, the top four teams in each of the state’s 24 regions are awarded a home game in the quarterfinals. It is a format that pits No. 1 against No. 8; No. 2 versus No. 7; No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5. Strongsville, Mentor and Glenville are the two, three and four seeds, respectively, in Region 1.
''In a few minutes, this game will be forgotten,’’ said Kyle after his Wildcats extended their winning streak to nine games. ''You wait 365 days to play games like this, and now we prepare all over again.
''It doesn’t matter if you’re seeded first, seventh or eighth, the playoffs are truly a new season. Heck, when we won our last state championship (2001) we were seeded seventh. What is the benefit of being seeded No. 1? You tell me. It certainly isn’t a bargain to be playing Saint Edward, not at all.’’
As for the Wildcats versus the Eagles, Round 1, Saint Ignatius took a 6-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by senior safety/tailback Pat Hinkel. Hinkel’s score was set up by a 41-yard punt return by senior all-purpose back Frank DeSico to the Saint Edward 12 and an 11-yard run by Anter.
Saint Edward hurt itself in the early going as the Eagles were called for running into Wildcats punter Mark Myers after forcing Saint Ignatius to punt from deep in its territory.
The penalty gave the Wildcats a first down at their 30 and, on the very next play, Holland and standout senior wideout Joey Parris combined on a 70-yard touchdown strike with 2 minutes, 12 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Trailing, 13-0, the Eagles were threatening after gifted junior defensive back/wideout Latwan Anderson returned the ensuing kickoff 64 yards to the Saint Ignatius 31. Three plays later, however, Hinkel read a deep route and came up with an interception along the left sideline at the Wildcats’ 11.
Saint Ignatius’ defense continued to be at the right place at the right time, as junior linebacker Scott McVey scooped up a Saint Edward fumble and, with an escort of blockers, went 58 yards for a touchdown. Following the ensuing extra-point kick by senior Seamus Hennessey, the Wildcats led, 20-0, with 9:12 to go in the first half.
The game featured solid performances by two of the premier linebackers in Northeast Ohio – McVey and Eagles senior middle backer Brian Boland.
Saint Edward, under the direction of second-year head coach Scott Niedzwiecki, caught a break late in the first half when an Eagles punt hit a member of Saint Ignatius’ return team after bouncing off the turf. Saint Edward recovered the ball at the Wildcats’ 22 and, on fourth-and-7 from the 8-yard line, Eagles junior quarterback Alex Lavisky rolled right and found senior wideout Max Warren open in the corner of the end zone with 32 seconds left in the half.
After a third quarter in which both defenses dominated, Saint Ignatius turned to Holland and Anter to get the ground game in gear and, at the same time, eat up the clock.
Holland led a six-play, 58-yard drive that was capped by his 19-yard sprint around the right side with 10:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. He set up his touchdown with runs of 16 yards on a third-and-9 from the Wildcats’ 43 and 17 yards on a first-and-10 from the Saint Edward 41.
Anter, who led all rushers with 111 yards on 16 carries, helped put the game away with a 48-yard run that led to a 15-yard TD pass from Holland to Parris off a fade route. In the second half, Anter gained 73 yards on just seven carries.
''It was an easy play for me,’’ Parris said of the fade route. ''Because Andrew put it right there.’’
Anderson closed out the scoring by running through would-be tackles and going 78 yards off an end-around for the Eagles' second touchdown.
Hinkel, who also made a key tackle off a fake punt, echoed Parris’ feelings when he said the Wildcats will have no difficulty putting this victory on file and focusing on another tremendous challenge from an excellent Saint Edward team. Parris added that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles change up their defense and disguise some of their coverage.
Saint Ignatius is making a state-best 21st consecutive playoff appearance and Saint Edward is in the playoffs for the 15th time overall and the eighth time since 2000