WILDCATS GOLFERS END UP IN FIFTH PLACE AS A TEAM (637) IN THE ANNUAL TOURNAMENT ON THE SCARLET COURSE AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY.
CHRISTIAN WAGNER FINISHED WITH A 158, MATT GERARD TOTALED 160 AND CONOR MCKIERNAN AND JOE MALONE SHOT 169 AND 176, RESPECTIVELY.
THE TOP FOUR TEAM SCORES IN DIVISION I WERE DUBLIN JEROME 623, CENTERVILLE 626, UPPER ARLINGTON 629 AND DUBLIN COFFMAN 636.
WILDCATS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM BRINGS HOME THE STRONGSVILLE DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP (SEE AFTER FOOTBALL STORIES).
VARSITY AND JUNIOR VARSITY FOOTBALL
ST. XAVIER (7-2) WRAPS UP A PLAYOFF SPOT IN DIVISION I, REGION 4 AND RINGS THE FIRST CANNON BELL IN THE STORIED JESUIT SCHOOL RIVALRY.
THE WILDCATS (7-2) HAVE TO PUT THE LOSS BEHIND THEM AND FOCUS ON ST. EDWARD, A GAME THAT WILL HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON THE ‘CATS’ PLAYOFF POSITIONING.
BY EDDIE DWYER, COPYRIGHT OCTOBER 2011
In his 29 seasons as the head football coach at Saint Ignatius High School, Chuck Kyle ’69 has seen it all when it comes to dramatic endings or strange plays.
In fact, in the days leading up to Saturday’s annual showdown with Cincinnati St. Xavier, Coach Kyle spoke several times about the one, two or three big plays that always seem to decide the outcome between the Wildcats and the Bombers.
Simply put, big plays are nothing new to either tradition-rich Jesuit School program.
But what happened in the final seconds of St. Xavier’s 14-12 victory at John Carroll University on this blue-gray sky and sunshine –laden late October afternoon, left even a seasoned veteran like Coach Kyle with a deep expression of disappointment carved in his face.
Saint Ignatius, driving for what appeared to be an opportunity to attempt a game-winning field goal, had some miscommunication on the snap from center at the St. Xavier 36-yard line.
The Wildcats, behind the scrambling and passing of senior quarterback Eric Williams and the receiving of senior wideout Tim McCoy, junior wideout Conor Hennessey and senior wide receiver Jake Mooney, drove from their 29-yard line to the Bombers’ 36 with 30 seconds remaining.
Saint Ignatius lined up to run another play in hopes of giving senior place kicker Tim Shenk a few more yards and a better opportunity. Shenk holds the school record with a 55-yard field goal against Detroit Cody on opening night this season.
As Williams was canvassing the field and barking out the signals, the ball was snapped, appeared to hit Willliams near his shin, rolled on the ground and was recovered by St. Xavier with 21 seconds remaining. The Bombers ran out the clock and now lead their all-time series with the Wildcats, 10-8.
The victory completed an impressive two weeks for St. Xavier, which last weekend defeated nationally ranked St. Edward, 17-10, in the Queen City.
Saturday’s victory was quite satisfying for Bombers coach Steve Specht and his staff, as St. Xavier accomplished it without standout senior tailback Conor Hundley and starting quarterback Griffin Dolle, both of whom were injured in the St. Edward game and could not answer the bell at John Carroll.
It’s hard to imagine that anyone could have filled the void better than the Bombers’ Trey Kilgore, a wide receiver and backup quarterback who ran 80 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first play from scrimmage. After Shenk cut the deficit to 7-6 with the second of his two first-half field goals, Kilgore highlighted an 80-yard drive by scampering 29 yards for a touchdown.
Kilgore rushed for 131 yards on 16 carries and Hundley’s backup, C.J. Hilliard, carried the ball 26 times for 105 yards.
Trailing, 14-6, at halftime and by the same score after three quarters, St. Ignatius misfired on a 27-yard field-goal attempt with 11:33 left.
The Wildcats, who entered the game in second place in the Division I, Region 1 computer-playoff ratings, set the stage for the late drama by scoring on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Mooney with 7:14 remaining.
Following Mooney’s ninth TD reception of the season, Saint Ignatius attempted to tie the score on a 2-point conversion pass. But the throw in the right corner of the end zone was just a bit wide.
Both defenses were solid, as junior end Kevin Kavalec and senior middle linebacker Rustom Khouri led the charge for the Wildcats. A special-teams fumble recovery by senior safety Dan Jones resulted in Shenk’s first field goal and ‘Cats’ junior cornerback Tommy Fanning had a key interception deep in Saint Ignatius territory.
Williams completed 15 of 31 passes for 200 yards and junior tailback Tim McVey rushed for 94 yards on 20 carries.
Coach Kyle will now prepare his team for St. Edward, which also stands 7-2 after its impressive victory over Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles will host the Wildcats in the regular-season finale on Saturday night at 7 in legendary Lakewood Stadium, A.K.A., the “Madhouse on Madison.”
Saturday’s game will be televised by SportsTime Ohio.
JUNIOR VARSITY STANDS 9-0 AFTER A SATURDAY MORNING THRILLER ON WASMER FIELD.
DAMEON WILLIS JR., MCHAEL SIRAGUSA, JACK HYLAND, KYLE DAUGENTI AND A DETERMINED DEFENSE KEYED BY KYLE BERGER HELP THE JV ‘CATS OUTLAST THE BOMBERS.
POSTED BY EDDIE DWYER
For the first time this season, Coach Ryan Franzinger’s team was pushed to the limit.
And the JV ‘Cats responded in a manner one associates with a group of young men who are not only gifted, but willing to leave it all on the field.
Trailing, 20-14, with 9 minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Saint Ignatius responded with the second of two outstanding kickoff returns by Jack Hyland and went on to edge the JV Bombers from Cincinnati St. Xavier, 21-20.
Following Hyland’s return to the St. Xavier 49-yard line, the Wildcats got a strong carry from tailback Kyle Daugenti, the pride of St. Thomas More in Brooklyn, some exceptional second-effort power running by tailback/safety Dameon Willis Jr., and scored the game-winning seven points on an 8-yard pass from quarterback Peter Mahoney to sure-handed receiver Michael Siragusa and the ensuing extra-point kick by Matt Colella with 5:57 left. The touchdown saw Siragusa make an exceptional adjustment on the ball in the right corner of the end zone.
From there, Saint Ignatius would preserve the victory on clutch interceptions by cornerback Scott Arthrell and Willis.
The Wildcats, who will close their season on the road Friday night at 6 against the talented JV team from St. Edward, took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 3-yard blast over the right side by Willis and Colella’s first extra point. The TD was set up by a 30-yard pass from Mahoney to wide receiver Nicholas Fabian.
Despite some excellent defensive play by linemen Christopher Keane, Joseph Khoury and Daniel Cartolin, safety Matt McVey and linebackers Kyle Berger, Sean Luskin and Patrick Hopkins, St. Xavier cut the deficit to 7-3 with 2:03 left in the first half.
The Bombers closed to 7-6 by halftime by coming up with their third interception of the first 20 minutes.
With Willis fueling the first possession of the second half, Saint Ignatius moved to a 14-6 lead on a 37-yard, pick ‘em up and lay them down power run of 37 yards by Willis and another extra point Colella with 6:28 to go in the third quarter.
St. Xavier refused to become unglued, however, as the Bombers turned a blocked punt into seven points with 9:37 remaining to be played and, on the strength of a sack and a fumble return for a touchdown, led, 20-14.
But just when St. Xavier’s faithful were in strong voice, Hyland made his authoritative return up the middle and the stage was set for the game-winner.
CROSS COUNTRY
IT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR THE STATE'S TOP-RANKED TEAM.
CONGRATULATIONS GO OUT TO SAINT IGNATIUS' VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY TEAM, WHICH ADVANCED TO THE TIFFIN REGIONAL BY TAKING FIRST PLACE AT SATURDAY'S STRONGSVILLE DISTRICT.
THE WILDCATS POSTED A TIME OF 1:26:02.30, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 17:12.46.
MITCH BAUM GARNERED FIRST PLACE IN THE 5K RUN (16:48.3), JACK MILLER WAS SIXTH (16:55.2), DREW GALANG 11TH (17:16.7) AND JOE ARQUILLO 16TH (17:23.6).