SATURDAY NIGHT'S DIVISION I, REGION 1 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BETWEEN SAINT IGNATIUS (10-2) AND MENTOR (11-1) WILL BE PLAYED AT LAKEWOOD STADIUM. THE KICKOFF WILL BE 7 P.M. SAINT IGNATIUS IS DESIGNATED AS THE VISITING TEAM BECAUSE OF MENTOR'S HIGHER SEEDING.

THE WILDCATS AND THE CARDINALS MET DURING WEEK 3 OF THE REGULAR SEASON AND MENTOR CAME AWAY WITH A 38-24 VICTORY AT THE CARDINALS' JEROME T. OSBORNE SR. STADIUM.

SAINT IGNATIUS PLAYED AT LAKEWOOD STADIUM DURING WEEK 10 OF THE REGULAR SEASON, DEFEATING ST. EDWARD, 20-17. THE WILDCATS ADVANCED TO FACE MENTOR BY ELIMINATING ST. EDWARD LAST NIGHT, 20-17, IN A REGIONAL SEMIFINAL MATCH UP AT BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL'S JUDY KIRSCH STADIUM (SEE THE CORNER'S STORY BELOW). YES, THE SAME FINAL SCORE IN A SPAN OF 15 DAYS.

THE WILDCATS LEAD THEIR ALL-TIME SERIES WITH MENTOR, 8-4, BUT COACH STEVE TRIVISONNO'S CARDINALS HAVE WON THE LAST TWO MEETINGS. THE PERENNIAL BIG-SCHOOL FOOTBALL POWERS HAVE MET TWICE IN THE POSTSEASON. SAINT IGNATIUS DEFEATED MENTOR, 38-13, IN A REGION 1 FINAL IN 1992 AND THE CARDINALS HANDED THE WILDCATS A 31-0 SETBACK IN A REGIONAL SEMIFINAL IN 2003.

****THE CORNER WOULD LIKE TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO BRUNSWICK HIGH SCHOOL AND ITS STAFF, WORKERS AND VOLUNTEERS FOR THE WONDERFUL JOB THEY DID HOSTING LAST NIGHT'S REGIONAL SEMIFINAL BETWEEN THE WILDCATS AND ST. EDWARD. AND WHAT AN IMPRESSIVE FACILITY THE NEWLY RENOVATED JUDY KIRSCH STADIUM IS!

HERE'S HOPING THE OHSAA CONTINUES TO MAKE BRUNSWICK ONE OF ITS MAIN POSTSEASON VENUES.