Ohio City - Saint Ignatius and Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, two of the most storied names in the history of Ohio High School Football, will be renewing their gridiron rivalry in 2014 and 2015.
The Wildcats and the Fighting Crusaders, who have combined for 19 state championships, including a Division I record 11 by Saint Ignatius, have agreed to meet in Week 8 of 2014 and '15. Saint Ignatius Athletics Director Rory Fitzpatrick '88 said the games will be played in Dublin Coffman Stadium and that he is hopeful it will be a junior varsity-varsity doubleheader once the details are worked out. Dublin Coffman Stadium is a halfway point for both schools.
Archbishop Moeller won its eighth state championship in 2012 by defeating Toledo Whitmer in the big-school title game.
Coach Chuck Kyle's Wildcats are 4-0 in their previous meetings with the Fighting Crusaders. In 1989, Saint Ignatius and Archbishop Moeller met in the Division I state championship game in Ohio Stadium in Columbus. With Wildcats All-American senior quarterback Joe Pickens passing for 311 yards and three touchdowns Saint Ignatius turned back Moeller, 34-28, and brought home its second consecutive state championship and the first of three national titles. Pickens' efforts offset a 347-yard, two-touchdown performance by the Fighting Crusaders' outstanding signal-caller Adam Hyzdu.
Saint Ignatius won its fifth big-school state crown and its second national championship after defeating Moeller, 38-20, in the 1993 Division I state title match up on a snowy Saturday afternoon in Massillon's Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Senior quarterback Scott Mutryn and senior tailback Eric Haddad, arguably the greatest 1-2 offensive punch in the Wildcats' rich football history, helped show the way.
The 'Cats and the Crusaders also met in the regular season twice, with Saint Ignatius winning both of those encounters - 41-7 in 1994 and 24-12 in 1995.
The athletic rivalry between Saint Ignatius and Archbishop Moller was just recently re-fueled on the baseball diamond, as the Fighting Crusaders defeated the Wildcats, 7-1, in the Division I state championship game on Sunday, June 9 in Columbus' Huntington Park. Moeller captured its seventh state baseball championship.
The 10th consecutive Camp of Champions wraps up with another generation ready to mark its mark.
Wasmer Field - One of the things that makes high school athletics so special is the generation of familiar names that come along every year.
Of course you have to have put in the years, sort of speak, to appreciate what we're talking about.
As the annual three-day Camp of Champions Elite Quarterback/Receiver Academy was wrapping up on Wednesday, a young quarterback from Lakewood High School caught this old-timer's attention.
Rangers head coach Ron Lewis, one of the outstanding coaches working the Camp of Champions, informed this corner that the young man's name is Peyton Graham. As a bell went off in this battled-tested brain, Coach Lewis said, "Eddie, you might remember his dad, Eddie Graham, at Lakewood." Do I ever.
One of the best to ever deal the pigskin at Bunts and Madison, Ed Graham was a standout athlete for the Rangers. And now, here is Ed's son, Peyton, firing the ball for the purple and gold.
Talking with Coach Lewis about Peyton, he confidently stated that the young Graham will be his starting quarterback this fall. He said Peyton is a true leader and pointed to how he gathers his teammates together for workouts on non-mandatory days.
Well, I couldn't resist. I had to turn on the tape recorder, introduce myself and get a few comments from the junior-to-be as he was walking off Wasmer Field late Wednesday afternoon.
"I learned a lot from this camp," said Peyton Graham. "It was broken down into a lot of things about your technique, how you should square your shoulders and different stuff with your footwork. It has helped me a lot and hopefully I can take a lot back to Lakewood and win a lot of games this year."
Peyton emphasized that coming from a family that was successful, he wants the extension of his family - his teammates and his school - to be the same way.
"I just want to bring success back to Lakewood," he said. "So many players get caught up in the individual stuff. But the most important thing for me and our team this fall is to win."
Peyton emphasized that one area of his game he was able to hone a bit at the Camp of Champions was his "quick game."
"Just be able to catch the ball and get it out from the shotgun, catch and throw," Peyton said. "Slants, hitches, bubble screens, all of that kind of stuff."
WILDCATS HALL OF FAMER IN THE HOUSE: Former Saint Ignatius football, basketball and track great Jon Gannon '01 stopped by Wasmer Field on Wednesday afternoon. Jon and his bride-to-be were out buying a marriage license. Jon currently holds the position of Defensive Quality Control for the Tennessee Titans of the NFL and former Wildcat All-Ohio quarterback and basketball standout Dave Ragone '98, who is in town for Jon's wedding (see the corner's camp note from Monday evening), is the Titans' Quarterbacks Coach. Ah, that Chuck Kyle influence is everywhere.
CLOSING WORDS: As the Camp of Champions was coming to a wrap on Wednesday, Strongsville High School's veteran head football coach Russ Jacques and John Carroll University head football coach Tom Arth had a final message for the young athletes, whose homes stretched from Lake County to Summit County.
Coach Jacques emphasized to the young men not to be afraid of success. If the big play is there, take it he said. Russ also pointed out that a great deal of Saint Ignatius' success is because "they work their butts off."
For Coach Arth '99, a standout quarterback for Saint Ignatius, an All-American QB at John Carroll and a backup to Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers in the NFL, the message was to "believe in yourself and someone will believe in you."
SEE YOU AT THE WILDCATS' MINI CAMP ON THURSDAY, THEIR THIRD OF THE PRESEASON. THE JUNIOR VARSITY REPORTS TO WASMER FIELD AT 3 PM AND THE VARSITY AT 4:30.