11/27/2011
CHAD AERNI, TOMMY FANNING, MIKE SVETINA AND ZACH BAKER KEY THE SECONDARY AND SENIOR LINEBACKERS RUSTOM KHOURI, ZACK RYAN AND JAMES SHEEHAN LEAD A RELENTLESS CHARGE UP FRONT.
THE WILDCATS, WHO WILL FACE PICKERINGTON CENTRAL IN NEXT SATURDAY'S TITLE GAME, WERE LED OFFENSIVELY BY EXCEPTIONAL TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS FROM CONOR HENNESSEY AND TIM MCCOY, THE POWERFUL LEG OF TIM SHENK AND THE GAME-SEALING WILL OF TIM MCVEY AND THE O-LINE.
BY EDDIE DWYER, COPYRIGHT NOVEMBER 2011
Mansfield, Ohio – Standing in the back of a locker room so loud that it sounded like a good day on Wall Street, Saint Ignatius senior middle linebacker Rustom Khouri placed the stock he puts in the Wildcats' defense into words that were very direct and, oh my, so true.
"I think the biggest thing is that we know that every game has to be dictated by what we do," said Khouri, just moments after Saint Ignatius wrapped up what will be a 12th appearance in the Division I state championship game by defeating a highly touted Toledo Whitmer team, 17-6, in a semifinal match up at Arlin Field on Saturday night.
"And furthermore with that, we (the defense) try to focus on two things – doing your job and being physical."
The 9,427 fans who made their way into Mansfield Senior High School's football- rich facility, witnessed just how well Khouri and Co. carry out their roles, and the physical and relentless intensity that accompanies their every move.
Coach Chuck Kyle's Wildcats, with the "D" setting the tone from the get-go, kept yet another high-powered offensive team under control and are now one victory away from fulfilling their goal of an 11th state championship in 2011 – "Eleven in '11," if you will.
Saint Ignatius (12-2), which has won a record 10 big-school state titles under Coach Kyle '69, including an Ohio-best five in a row (1991-95), and was a state runner-up to Lima Senior in 1996, will face Pickerington Central (11-2) next Saturday night at 7 in the Division I championship game at Canton's legendary Fawcett Stadium.
"So you understand, that's a credit to the kids," said Coach Kyle, when reporters asked him how much of an inspiration it was to get back to the playoffs after missing the postseason in 2010, the first time Saint Ignatius wasn't part of the playoff picture since 1987.
"The kids channeled it into work," Coach Kyle continued. "Let's get in the weight room and let's work hard. They channeled that energy into improving. I think when you have a disappointment like that, and that's life, you channel it the right way. And I think our kids did.
"If you stumble, there's a magnifying glass on it. But that's all right. Our kids are resilient and our kids know that all you can do is get back at it and work. They worked hard on strength and speed, and they set goals. They set big goals."
In describing his defense as "unbelievable," Coach Kyle watched as hard-nosed and athletic senior free safety Chad Aerni made the first of his two interceptions and strong returns, an effort that set up an 18-yard, diving touchdown reception by junior wideout/kick returner Conor Hennessey. After gifted senior kicker Tim Shenk sent the extra point through the uprights, the Wildcats led, 7-0, with 9 minutes and 34 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Following the recovery of a fumbled punt, Whitmer (13-1), which entered the semifinal averaging nearly 400 yards of offense and 42 points per game, was knocking on the door inside the Saint Ignatius 3-yard line.
But just when Mr. Momentum was leaning toward the program from Region 2, Wildcats junior cornerback Tommy Fanning, reading the play all the way, stepped in front of a pass at the goal line, intercepted the ball and returned it to the Saint Ignatius 31.
"Honestly, I'm just numb right now and it's the greatest feeling ever," Fanning said. "Nothing's going to stop us now."
As for his momentum-changing pick, Fanning said he was in the end zone, saw the ball come out of the quarterback's hand and told himself, "Man, this is mine."
Whitmer, which was also eliminated by Saint Ignatius in the 1988 state semifinals, was threating again in the first half after Panthers senior safety Mark Myers intercepted a pass and returned the ball to the Wildcats' 38.
However, the 'Cats' defense, behind the passionate and aggressive pursuit of Khouri, senior outside linebackers Zack Ryan and James Sheehan, junior safety Zach Baker, Aerni and Fanning, dictated the situation again and the Panthers were turned away.
Coach Kyle's defense also came up big in the final minutes of the first half, when Khouri fought for and won a fumble-recovery battle at the Whitmer 45. Khouri's determination resulted in a 51-yard field goal by Shenk.
An Air Force recruit, Shenk now has 18 field goals on the season and has the two longest field goals in the program's history - 55 and 51 yards. He set the Jesuit school's all-time, single-season mark for number of FGs by kicking a 32-yard field goal as time expired in the 20-17, regional-semifinal victory over St. Edward. That dramatic boot was No. 16 for Shenk.
Following Aerni's second interception return, Saint Ignatius took a 10-0 lead into its locker room at halftime.
"It's overwhelming how much this means to us,' said Aerni of the Wildcats' bounce-back season. "Last year, we were so disappointed. We felt like we let down the whole Saint Ignatius tradition."
That was last season and, as Aerni and his teammates emphasized, there is still one more major road to cross. The focus is on finishing 2011 in style.
Whitmer, ranked second in the final Associated Press big-school state poll for 2011, got back in the game on a highlight-reel, 90-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Jody Webb with the second half not two minutes old. It was Webb's 30th touchdown of the season.
However, with many of the Panthers' faithful on their feet, a defense directed by veteran coordinator Dan Corrigan '78, Ryan Franzinger '02, Bryan Massinen '98, Mark Sullivan and Jim Reginelli '97 recovered from its only major mistake.
Following a sack by Zack Ryan, who teams with his cousin Mike (a senior end) on the starting "D," Whitmer was forced to punt from deep in its territory.
Starting on the Panthers' 49, Saint Ignatius needed just five plays to reach the end zone.
After a 17-yard pass to Hennessey, an 11-yard swing pass to junior tailback Tim McVey and a 9-yard completion to senior tight end and Ohio State recruit Blake Thomas, senior quarterback Eric Williams connected with senior wide receiver Tim McCoy on a 12-yard touchdown strike, a play that saw McCoy outmaneuver the defender and make a nice adjustment on the ball.
With his two touchdown passes, Williams has 21 TD strikes on the season and is now tied with Scott Mutryn and Brian Hoyer for eighth place on Saint Ignatius' all-time list for touchdown passes in a season.
After Shenk accounted for the game's final point with his second PAT, the Wildcats, behind some solid run support by Baker and All-Ohio senior safety Mike Svetina, sealed the deal on a fumble recovery by Svetina with 6:49 left and the tough and time consuming running of McVey.
Williams ran out the clock by kneeling down at the Whitmer 2.
"We all have our own duty on defense," Aerni added before he boarded the bus back to Cleveland. "And I think we do that very well."