As he addressed the student body, his teaching colleagues and the school’s administration, Saint Ignatius football coach Chuck Kyle spoke of what the 2008 Wildcats prayed for as they entered Saturday night’s Division I state championship game against Cincinnati Elder.
''The energy, the enthusiasm and the spirit to do great things,’’ said Kyle (’69), whose inspirational words during Monday afternoon’s rally drew thundering ovations that echoed off the walls in Sullivan Gymnasium.
Coach Kyle’s Wildcats found all of the above and answered the final challenge in their fall to recall with a 28-20 victory over Elder in front of a crowd of more than 20,000 at Canton’s legendary Fawcett Stadium.
In bringing home the football program’s 10th state-championship trophy, Saint Ignatius added another chapter to what has been the greatest story in the history of the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s big-school playoffs.
The 10 state titles, the 21 consecutive playoff appearances and a test-of-time streak of five straight Division I crowns (1991-95) are all Ohio records, marks achieved during Coach Kyle’s 26 seasons as head coach.
Saturday night’s victory was the 14th consecutive triumph by the ’08 ‘Cats, who finished at 14-1, were fourth in the final Associated Press big-school state poll, second in The Plain Dealer’s seven-county Top 25 and moved up three spots to seventh place in this week’s ESPN/Rise Fab 50 national poll. It is possible the ‘Cats could move up higher in the Fab 50, which won’t be final for at least another week.
As Coach Kyle pointed out, there was no better example of Saint Ignatius’ motto, ''men for others,’’ or the key verse in the Jesuit school’s alma mater, ''We’re Ignatius men forever,’’ than last week’s Thanksgiving Day practice. It is a playoff tradition that dates back to the first state-championship season of 1988, a celebration in which all former players, and all graduates for that matter, are invited to attend the Thanksgiving morning practice and lend their memories and encouragement to the current Wildcats.
''Clearly over 300 past graduates, past players came down and showed their support of this team,’’ Kyle said. ''You would have been amazed, guys who actually played in the ‘60s came down and guys from the state championships of 1988 and ’89 brought their children with them.
''Thanksgiving is a day to be with your family, and in their minds, they were with their family. That is just truly inspiring.’’
Before presenting the 2008 championship trophy to President Rev. John F. Libens, S.J., and Principal Peter H. Corrigan, Jr. (’69), Coach Kyle emphasized that the success of all of the Wildcats’ athletic teams stems from the school’s faith.
''You better have great faith in what you are doing and you better have great faith in the people you are working with,’’ said Kyle, who preferred to refer to his staff as “great friends,’’ not just assistant coaches. ''That’s the magic formula, believe it, because I’m here to tell you that it works.’’
Kyle paid tribute to Coach Mike McLaughlin (’85) and his soccer team, which captured its third state championship since 2004 this fall, and he and Principal Corrigan also pointed out the accomplishments of the golf and cross country teams in their state competitions, the Crew team, which again was the best in the Midwest, and Coach Brad Ganor’s varsity baseball team and its state runner-up finish last spring.
The ’08 football and soccer teams had a special trait in common – a relentless defense.
Principal Corrigan spoke of the roles Saint Ignatius’ virtues play when it comes to excellence in academics and athletics, that it is the ''Magis’’ the school on Cleveland ‘s near West Side strives for. Magis is a Jesuit phrase that means ''the more.’’ It is a philosophy of doing more for Christ, and therefore for others.
As expected, Principal Corrigan, with the student body chanting ''free day, free day,’’ drew his own thunderous ovation when he announced that in celebration of the school’s academic and athletic accomplishments, there would be no school this coming Monday, Dec. 8th.
After the rally, senior football standouts Ryan Carr and Frank DeSico, two young men who epitomized the resolute spirit of the ’08 'Cats, shared some of their lasting feelings from their championship season.
''We talked about winning a state championship for four years,’’ said Carr, one of top nose tackles in Northeast Ohio the past two seasons. ''We worked as one, as a team. The linebackers helped the D line, the D line helped the safeties and the safeties helped the cornerbacks. And the offense did a superb job too.’’
DeSico, who made a tremendous impact as a receiver and a punt and kickoff-return specialist, said he used the disappointment of last spring’s loss to Saint Edward in the state baseball finals as a motivational tool this fall. A gifted third baseman, hitter and base runner, DeSico has earned a baseball scholarship from the University of Notre Dame.
''I didn’t want that again, that letdown feeling, it’s unexplainable,’’ said DeSico, who set a school record by returning two punts, each of 72 yards, for touchdowns in a Week 8 victory over Cincinnati La Salle. ''But Saturday was absolutely the best day of my life, I was just so overjoyed.
''Looking around at my teammates, kids I will never play with again, it is kind of sad. Especially for me, since I will never play football again. But to go out, to end my (football) career with a state championship, that is something special.’’
Special, exceptional, or, as All-Ohio senior quarterback Andrew Holland put it, a group of guys who were all together on one goal.
Those are just some of the words that will come to mind when recalling the 2008 Division I state football champions, the Saint Ignatius Wildcats.
IN CLOSING: This corner would like to say thank you to my childhood neighbor on West 103rd St., Rev. Libens, Mr. Pete Corrigan, Athletic Director Rory Fitzpatrick, Associate Athletic Director and head varsity basketball coach Sean O’Toole and Coach Kyle and his “great friends’’ – all of the assistant coaches – for the opportunity to cover and write about one of the greatest group of kids I have ever come in contact with. And that includes my 36-plus years as a sports reporter for The Plain Dealer.