DAN GRACE AND TIM MCCOY COMBINE FOR FIVE TOUCHDOWNS AND ERIC WILLIAMS IS AGAIN SOLID THROUGH THE AIR.
BY EDDIE DWYER, COPYRIGHT SEPTEMBER 2011
It was a performance that at times was dominant, but also a performance that Saint Ignatius head football coach Chuck Kyle described as “kind of sloppy.”
The Wildcats, opportunistic, if not artistic on Saturday, wore down the John Adams Rebels, 49-19, in front of a Senior Parents Appreciation Night crowd at Parma’s Byers Field.
Although it improved to 4-1 and has totaled 191 points in those five games, Saint Ignatius realizes it will have to take its game up more than a few notches next Saturday when the talent-laden Glenville Tarblooders pay a visit to Byers Field. It will be a match up that will have a huge impact on the playoff picture in Division I, Region 1.
“We weren’t wired up real well, at times,” said Coach Kyle, whose team got an emotional lift from senior tailback Dan Grace. “Next week will be a playoff-caliber game. There is no question about that.”
The Wildcats, ranked fifth in the latest Plain Dealer Top 25 area poll, took advantage of a fumble recovery by senior nose tackle Ed Cleveland at the John Adams 37-yard line and jumped to the early lead on a 15-yard touchdown run by Grace and the first of seven extra-point kicks by senior Tim Shenk.
“Danny Grace is a veteran who didn’t get a chance in preseason because he was coming off mono (mononucleosis),” said Coach Kyle. “We wanted to get him back into the flow. He’s a good football player.”
Saint Ignatius continued to jump on the Rebels’ mistakes, as they turned a poor punt by John Adams into a 24-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Eric Williams to senior wide receiver Tim McCoy. It was a play that saw McCoy make a nice adjustment to the ball in the left corner of the Day Drive end zone.
The Wildcats’ defense, which was up and down most of the night, came to the fore late in the opening quarter.
Under heavy pressure from senior safety Mike Svetina and senior end Mike Ryan, Rebels senior quarterback/safety Tevin Griffin lost control of the football and it was recovered by senior linebacker Zack Ryan at the John Adams 11.
From there, Grace carried the ball three consecutive times and his third rush resulted in a 3-yard touchdown with 2 minutes, 18 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
“I hadn’t been hit in a while and that was the big part of having mono,” said Grace, who is one of Coach Kyle’s four captains. “My spleen was enlarged, that’s why I couldn’t get hit. Tim (junior safety/tailback Tim McVey) took my place and stepped up big for us
“Tonight, coming out and getting a feel for running the ball again felt really good. I feel I’m ready to go now, 100 percent.”
John Adams (2-3), which has some talented two-way players, put together a lengthy drive that included two pass-interference penalties on Saint Ignatius. The Rebels got back in the game on a leaping 5-yard touchdown reception by junior wide receiver/defensive back Carl Dowdell Jr. along the back line of the Day Drive end zone. Dowdell Jr.'s stretch for six came off a fourth-and-goal.
The Wildcats wasted little time in regaining the momentum.
Taking possession on its 28-yard line, Saint Ignatius got three strong carries from Grace that set up a 31-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Matt Hoyer to senior wide receiver Clay Bishop.
The score stayed 28-7 entering the third quarter thanks to two interceptions by the Rebels, including one near his goal line by John Adams’ hard-nosed senior linebacker/fullback Amir Muhammad.
Saint Ignatius, which also defeated the Rebels in the 1977 City Championship Game at John Marshall Field, 27-0, left no doubt in the third quarter.
Fueled by a strong return with the second-half kickoff by junior Conor Hennessey, the Wildcats covered 56 yards in five plays and just two minutes and six seconds. Grace’s determined running set the table again, this time for another 24-yard TD pass from Williams to McCoy. McCoy laid down a couple of Lenny Moore moves on two defenders after making the catch.
It was more amazing Grace in the third quarter, as Dan hooked up with Williams on a scoring play that saw Williams roll to his right and direct Grace to go further down the sideline. Grace hauled in the throw from Williams, juked two would-be tacklers and was off to the races for a touchdown that covered 46 yards. Dan finished with more than 100 yards rushing.
Saint Ignatius ‘ third-quarter barrage also included a 7-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Daniel Way and John Adams added two scores in the final 12 minutes – a 1-yard run by Griffin and a one-handed interception by senior defensive back/wide receiver/kick returner William Doyle that Doyle returned 55 yards into the Day Drive end zone.
VARSITY SOCCER: Senior co-captain and University of Akron recruit Matt Foldesy had a goal and an assist and senior forward Noah Toumert tallied his 11th goal of the season in leading the Wildcats to a 2-0 victory over Massillon Jackson on Wasmer Field Saturday night.
Ranked 10th in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and No. 1 in the Ohio coaches poll, Saint Ignatius (10-1) won for the 33rd time in its past 34 games.