The Wildcats stormed to a 35-0 lead with 3 minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the first half and Coach Chuck Kyle '69 emptied his bench from that point on.

Mike Vitale and Kyle Daugenti led the early dominance on the ground and the first-team defense was rock solid, as Saint Ignatius closed its regular season at 6-4.

****Computer playoff guru Joe Eitel has the Wildcats finishing 11th in the final Division I, Region 1 ratings. That will send the 'Cats to Canton's legendary Fawcett Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9 to face the 9-1 Bulldogs from McKinley in a first-round playoff match up at 7 PM. The official OHSAA playoff pairings and sites will be released on Sunday.

HERE IS THE FOOTBALL GAME STORY FROM BYERS FIELD IN PARMA'S ROBERT M. BOULTON STADIUM, ALONG WITH THE REPORT ON THE WILDCATS' CROSS COUNTRY EFFORTS AT THE STATE RACE.

PARMA, OHO - Senior tailback/kick returner Kyle Daugenti can easily be described as the prototypical Saint Ignatius football player.

They have come in bunches at Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School, those young men who won't overwhelm you with their size or speed, but have a heart that won't fit on any statistical sheet and a mental toughness that can't be timed by a watch or a computer.

Daugenti, a player who from the time he was a freshman has always been there when called on, helped his teammates settle the issue early on Saturday evening at Byers Field and, as a result, send the Wildcats into a remarkable 25th OHSAA Division I playoff appearance. The first of those 25 trips to the postseason took place in 1988, when Coach Chuck Kyle's storied program brought home the first of its Ohio-record 11 Division I state championships.

With Daugenti scoring three first-half touchdowns, Saint Ignatius roared to a 35-0 lead with just over three minutes remaining in the first half and went on to defeat the Pinehurst School (St. Catharines, Ontario) Canada Prep Football Academy, 35-14.

The Wildcats, who completed their demanding and injury-riddled regular season at 6-4, will now focus on Saturday's Region 1 first-round playoff match up with the Canton McKinley Bulldogs (9-1). The kickoff from Canton's atmosphere - and history-rich Fawcett Stadium will be 7 PM.

Although McKinley and Saint Ignatius have established a summer tradition of meeting in a preseason "Jamboree" at Fawcett Stadium, they haven't played in a game that counts since 2003, a 34-14 victory by a Wildcats team that was directed by Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer '04. Saint Ignatius leads its all-time series with the Bulldogs, 10-6, including 10-4 under Coach Kyle. McKinley and the 'Cats have split four postseason encounters.

The corner will preview Saturday's match up and lend a little Wildcats-Bulldogs nostalgia on Tuesday night.

"This means a whole lot to us, to be battling adversity week after week with all of these injuries," said Daugenti of the one-for-the-record books 25th OHSAA postseason appearance in 26 seasons. "Going out 6-4 and into the playoffs, now it is 0-0 and everything is wiped out."

Saint Ignatius accomplished pretty much everything it set out to do in its regular season finale.

Taking the opening kickoff, the Wildcats, behind the strong inside and outside running by one of running backs coach Terry Fergus' other Italian Stallions - senior tailback Mike Vitale - and a 34-yard reception by senior wide receiver Nick Fabian, drove 74 yards in eight plays. Vitale powered his way over the right side for a 2-yard touchdown and the ensuing extra point by senior Matt Colella pushed the score to 7-0 with 8 minutes and 58 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

With Saint Ignatius' first-team defense making things even more uncomfortable than Mother Nature's rain, sleet and cutting winds, senior linebacker Jake Maruna pounced on a fumble at the opponent's 16-yard line. Maruna's effort resulted in a 13-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback John Thomas to junior wide receiver David Shibley, a play that saw Shibley make a diving catch in the video scoreboard end zone off a tipped pass. Colella's extra point was high and true, and the 'Cats led, 14-0, with 2:51 left in the opening quarter.

After Pinehurst School Canada Prep made a visit to Shank City off a punt, Saint Ignatius took possession at the Spartans'/Raiders' 32. Five plays later, the 5-foot-8, 174-pound Daugenti scored the first of his three TDs by slicing his way into the Day Drive end zone off a fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 9:22 to go in the first half.

With their defense keeping the team from Canada searching for answers, the Wildcats made it a 28-0 game on a perfectly executed 45-yard screen pass from Thomas to Daugenti and Colella's fourth PAT. Daugenti, a product of the legendary St. Thomas More CYO program, caught the toss from Thomas in stride and galloped down the left sideline and into the Day Drive end zone after eluding a defender near the 10.

"The line stepped it up and Mike Vitale got it started," said Daugenti, who credited the block on the outside by standout senior wide receiver and captain Jack Hyland for helping spring him loose on the screen pass.

A botched snap on a punt attempt saw the 'Cats, led by senior safety Evan O'Malley, swarm all over the punter at the 9. From there it took Saint Ignatius one play to reach the Day Drive end zone, a 9-yard sweep over the right side by Daugenti. Colella punched home his fifth extra point and it was 35-0 with 3:15 left in the first half.

In what was truly a team defense by the No. 1 unit, some of the many who made their presence felt included linemen Chris Keane, Ray Brown, and Dre'Mont Jones, linebackers Maruna, John Gibbons and John Simeone, defensive backs Jack Lavelle and Nick Malarik (diving interception at the 'Cats' 23) and safety Dan Jamieson. Jamieson appeared to be all over the field. The Wildcats also benefited from some strong punting by Corey Griffith against adverse weather conditions.

Coach Kyle and his staff were able to employ several players throughout the second half, including some of the numerous junior varsity 'Cats who were just promoted this week.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WILDCATS ATHLETICS DIRECTOR RORY FITZPATRICK '88 SAID TICKETS FOR THE PLAYOFF GAME AGAINST MCKINLEY WILL NOT GO ON SALE MONDAY. RORY SUGGESTS YOU CHECK THE SAINT IGNATIUS ATHLETIC WEBSITE FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON WHEN TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE.

HONORED BEFORE THE GAME: Members of Saint Ignatius' 1993 state and national championship team, along with their families. It was a reminder once again of how privileged I was to cover and report on the '93 Wildcats for The Plain Dealer. I know the late Dick "Zip" Zunt '50 was looking on from a special place.

HERE IS THE REPORT ON SAINT IGNATIUS FROM SATURDAY'S 85TH BOYS STATE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS AT THE NATIONAL TRAIL RACEWAY IN HEBRON, OHIO.

Wildcats head coach Dr. Mike Gallagher '71 watched his harriers race to a time of 1:23:01.12, with an average time of 16:36.23. That effort gave the 'Cats a seventh-place finish in the state in Division I.

Elliot Thorkelson and Jim Rogers placed 50 and 51 with times of 16:25.88 and 16:26.41, respectively.

Sophomore Tim Trentel was 65th at 16:36.04 and fellow sophomore Luke Wagner was 79th at 16:40.44.

Tom Sullivan ran a 95th-place 16:52.35, John Nemes was 101 at 16:57.26 and Jeff Foerg finished 125 in a time of 17:30.

As we reported on Saturday afternoon, Cincinnati St. Xavier raced to its second consecutive big-school state championship and fifth overall with a time of 1:19:02.13 and an average time of 15:48.43.

McDonald reclaimed the Division III state title and Division II Defiance earned its first state championship. St. Xavier’s team point total of 46 is the second-best in the history of the Division I race, just two points shy of the record of 44 points set by Kent Roosevelt in 1980.

Mark Hadley from Boardman was the top individual among the boys' Division I runners with a time of 15:10.

Congratulations from the corner go out to Coach Gallagher and his big-hearted and gifted harriers on what was a special season, truly a fall to recall.