Ohio City - No, it is not early any more.

The time has come for the 2013 Saint Ignatius football Wildcats to pick up the tempo.

With the summer mini camps coming to a close on Wednesday, Coach Chuck Kyle's Wildcats will rest for a few days and then gear up for the most telling part of the preseason - two-a-days.

The demanding daily-double practice sessions begin on Monday, as Saint Ignatius looks to fill those holes that resulted from graduation.

Among the major concerns is the running game, where the Wildcats will attempt to fill the void left by one of the most prolific offensive players in Saint Ignatius' rich gridiron history - Air Force bound Tim McVey.

However, despite the loss of the record-setting, two-time All-Ohioan McVey, the Wildcats' faithful can rest easy with the knowledge that the 2013 offense will be in good hands, literally.

"I think there is a lot that is expected of this group," said Saint Ignatius' wide receivers coach Josiah Kedzior '04 of the Wildcats' multi-skilled, battle-tested and big-play receivers. "With Mike (senior receiver Mike Siragusa) and Jack (senior receiver and captain Jack Hyland) returning, that is going to be a huge asset to our offense. They have the experience and they have played in the big games, like the Mentor games of last year. I definitely expect a lot from them."

A former standout wide receiver and kicker for Saint Ignatius and John Carroll University, Coach Kedzior firmly believes that this season's receiving corps ranks right up there with any in the Wildcats' history, a history that includes an Ohio-record 11 Division I state championships and three national titles.

"They are four and five deep, and that's across the board," said Coach Kedzior, who was known as "Juice" and "The Difference Maker" during those years when he was hauling in passes from former Saint Ignatius and Michigan State mainstay Brian Hoyer '04. Brian is currently competing for a spot on the Browns' roster.

"I'm excited," Coach Kedzior said. "I think there is talent and a lot of good things that can come out of this group."

One of the things that fuels Coach Kedzior's enthusiasm is the flexibility of the 'Cats' 2013 receivers.

"I think you are going to see a lot of new things this season that we are going to be incorporating in the offense," he said. "These guys put in a ton of work in the off season. Mike (Siragusa) worked on his speed and quickness and they were in the weight room all of the time."

Coach Kedzior also emphasized that the return of senior wideout Nick Fabian is "huge." A talented two-sport athlete, Nick worked on his promising baseball career as a junior after a big-play sophomore season as a receiver on the junior-varsity level.

"Nick is going to fit right in there, in the hole that was opened by Rocky," said Coach Kedzior, referring to Rocky Zingale '13, who put together a tremendous senior season in 2012. "Again, I'm excited. We have the size and everything."

As for some of the lesser known names among the Wildcats' receivers, senior Jake Helton has been outstanding in camp and junior David Shibley continues to display the soft hands and precise route running that he utilized so effectively on the JV level last fall.

"Going into the off season we looked at Jake as the guy who was going to play in case somebody got hurt," Coach Kedzior said. "But he has kind of put his name on the board in saying (with his performance), hey, I'm not that guy. I'm a guy who belongs on the field every day. He's deserved it, he's worked his butt off. And if Jake continues to make plays, the sky's the limit."

As for Shibley, Coach Kedzior pointed out how difficult it is going to be trying to replace Conor Hennessey '13 at the U-Back. And that is where David can really step up and take advantage of the opportunity.

In summing up his 2013 receiving corps, Coach Kedzior referred back to the 1-2 punch of Siragusa and Hyland.

"Juice" couldn't say enough about Jack's leadership and how deserving he is of the captain's role. As for Mike, or "Goose," as Siragusa is referred to by his teammates, it is about leading by example.

"Those two guys are going to be so crucial in making this entire corps, from sophomores on up, as successful as it can be," said Coach Kedzior. "Some of their best traits are off the field."

And does the coach see any of himself in Hyland and Siragusa?

"They're a lot better than I was," said "The Difference Maker."

See you at the final mini camp on Wednesday.