WILDCATS LOSE THE BATTLE OF FIELD POSITION IN THE EARLY GOING AND FALL TO THE BOMBERS.
INJURIES ADD TO A ROUGH AFTERNOON ON BALLABAN FIELD.
POSTED ON 10/24/10 AT 12:46 A.M.
By Eddie Dwyer
Copyright, October 2010
CINCINNATI, OHIO – Providing all of the computer gurus are correct and all of the numbers add up, one of the greatest runs of success in the history of Ohio high school athletics came to an end late Saturday afternoon on Ballaban Field in St. Xavier Stadium.
It is, however, only a temporary halt.
If Saint Ignatius head coach Chuck Kyle '69 and his Wildcats have proven anything over the past 22 years, it is that resiliency always comes to the fore in the football program at West 30th and Lorain Avenue.
After coming up on the short end of a hard-fought and physical 19-9 battle with Jesuit-school rival St. Xavier, Saint Ignatius' remarkable and state-record string of 22 consecutive trips to the Division I playoffs appears to have been snapped. It is a run that has included an Ohio-best 10 big-school state championships, a state-record five consecutive Division I titles (1991-95), three national crowns (1989, '93 and '95) and 13 Region 1 championships, including nine in a row - 1991-'99.
While some of the Wildcats' faithful will take a look at Tuesday's OHSAA Region 1 computer playoff ratings for closure (the Eitel ratings have the 'Cats mathematically eliminated), Coach Kyle, his staff and the players will focus on next Saturday's regular-season finale against undefeated and nationally ranked St. Edward at Byers Field.
And then they will point to next season, a future that will be bolstered by the numerous underclassmen on this year's team, a tough and talented junior-varsity squad and a freshman nucleus that is filled with promise.
As Kyle stood near midfield in St. Xavier Stadium, it was obvious that, as always, he was thinking of his players and how disappointed they are. No one had to tell the man they call “Chico” that to a player, the 2010 'Cats wanted more than anything else to keep the playoff streak going “for Coach Kyle.”
“The defense did a nice job, they settled down,” said the Wildcats' 28-year head coach, moments after Saint Ignatius (4-5) lost for the ninth time in 17 meetings with the Bombers (5-4). “Give Xavier credit. We ran the ball pretty well on them last year (a 30-21 victory at John Caroll University). They made some adjustments and we felt we had a couple of little things (we could do today).
“But No. 8 kept making plays. He's a man. He would blitz and he would find a seam when we thought we had something.”
Coach Kyle was referring to St. Xavier's standout senior linebacker Steven Daniels, who made seven tackles, had three sacks and created havoc whenever possible. The 6-1, 230-pound Daniels now has 16 sacks on the season.
Field position told the story of the early going as the Wildcats couldn't move the ball after junior safety Mike Svetina, who is having an outstanding fall, came up with a leaping interception at the Saint Ignatius 8-yard line.
Forcing the Wildcats to punt from their end zone, the Bombers turned the short field into a 26-yard field goal by senior kicker/linebacker Sean Duggan with seven minutes, 53 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Shutting down the Wildcats' running game, St. Xavier again pinned Saint Ignatius deep and, following another punt, the team from the Queen City took possession at the Wildcats' 44. Four plays later, senior quarterback Max James powered his way over the right side and into the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown run. Duggan's extra-point kick was high and true, and the Bombers led, 10-0, with 5:09 to go in the opening quarter.
The 'Cats had their monents in the second quarter, including a 56-yard punt by senior Peter Russo, a fourth-down defensive stand that stopped St. Xavier inches short of a first down at the Saint Ignatius 21 and a second-effort catch and run of 16 yards by senior tailback and co-captain Bobby Grebenc.
However, Saint Ignatius also botched a couple of punt returns in the first 24 minutes and had some bad luck when Grebenc went down with an injury with 5:27 left in the half and junior Tim Shenk's 45-yard field goal attempt, which appeared to heading right down the middle of the uprights, got caught in a stiff crossing wind and went off to the left.
“Timmy hit a good one,” Coach Kyle said. “The wind shifted and it came across the field. When he first kicked it and looked up it was right down the middle.”
Shenk put his team back in the game when he delivered a 46-yard field goal with 8:50 left in the third quarter. The 3-pointer was set up by a 48-yard return by senior wideout David Joseph with the second-half kickoff and a nice catch and run by Joseph off a quick hitter from junior quarterback Matt Hoyer.
The Bombers, aided by an illegal-participation penalty (12 players on the field) as they were punting the ball to the Wildcats and an encroachment penalty on Saint Ignatius, got some breathing room on a 4-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Conor Hundley with 1:07 remaining in the third quarter.
A 37-yard field goal by Duggan, which came off the second of three interceptions by St. Xavier's active and athletic secondary, pushed the Bombers' lead to 19-3 early in the fourth quarter and Coach Steve Specht's team withstood a 25-yard catch and scoot for a touchdown by Joseph with 2:04 left to be played. Joseph's TD capped an eight-play, 80-yard drive.
The second half was more than a little physical, as senior quarterback Joe Greco, who replaced Hoyer with 8:13 to go, was shaken up by helmet-to-helmet contact as he was sliding to the ground in an attempt to get a first down. The play happened right in front of Saint Ignatius' bench and Coach Kyle couldn't understand why what appeared to be an obvious penalty wasn't called.
Greco had to be helped from the field and Hoyer returned to the lineup. Hoyer and senior offensive tackle Mason Halter were also injured late in the game.
The Wildcats completed 17 of 40 passes for 261 yards, including a 2-for-4 performance for 16 yards by Greco. However, Saint Ignatius netted -minus 15 yards on the ground in 15 rushing attempts.
Senior Fred Davis led the 'Cats' receivers with 7 catches for 93 yards and Saint Ignatius' defense got solid efforts from senior linebacker Tyler Kette (10 tackles, a sack and three tackles for losses), junior safety Chad Aerni (13 tackles, one for a loss), junior linebacker Zack Ryan (16 tackles) and Svetina (the early interception and nine tackles). These stats were courtesy of St. Xavier.
“We had to throw almost too much,” Coach Kyle said of his team's 40 pass attempts. “It's tough to play them here (the Bombers have won 34 of their last 38 home games). They get a lot of momentum right away, they always do.
“They're going to pin you down and get something if you don't move the ball and get out of it,” Kyle continued, referring to the 'Cats' poor field position in the early going. "That's a killer.”
WILDCATS JV SQUAD TOO DEEP, TOO STRONG FOR THE BOMBERS' JAYVEES.
Coach Ryan Franzinger's junior-varsity football team improved to 7-0 on Saturday morning by defeating the junior-varsity from St. Xavier, 35-7, in Cincinnati.
Among the Wildcats' highlights were a sack and a caused fumble by Tim McVey that resulted in a recovery and touchdown return by David Katusha, an interception by Conor Hennessey, touchdown passes from Mike LaManna to Ian Riley and Kevin Kavalec, and scoring runs by McVey and Mike Gibbons.
Saint Ignatius led, 21-7, at halftime.
The Wildcats will look to wrap up an undefeated JV season when they host the St. Edward Eagles on Friday night at Wasmer Field. The kickoff is 6 p.m.