By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit August 2016
Cleveland, Ohio - Residing in the West Park area of Cleveland and attending Our Lady of Angels Elementary School on Rocky River Drive, Saint Ignatius' gifted senior tailback Jimmy Andrews grew up with the Wildcats' storied West Side football rivalry versus St. Edward High School.
You could see Jimmy's eyes light up as bright as the sun that hovered over Wasmer Field Monday evening when this corner assured him that this season's annual regular-season finale with the Eagles would be played in FirstEnergy Stadium, the home of the Cleveland Browns.
Yes, Saint Ignatius and St. Edward, whose rivalry has become a state-wide and national fixture, will meet for the 54th time on the Varsity gridiron when they take the field at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 29 at 6 PM.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series, 28-24-1, but the Eagles were victorious in the past two meetings, including a 35-28 victory at a packed First Federal Lakewood Stadium on Halloween of last year. Coach Tom Lombardo's Eagles rode that victory to the school's second consecutive Division I State Championship and third overall, as Coach Lombardo became the first coach in the history of the OHSAA football playoffs to win state championships at two different schools. Coach Lombardo guided the Lake Catholic Cougars to the Division III state title in 2001.
St. Edward's first two state football titles came under former Mayfield Defensive Coordinator Rick Finotti in 2010 and 2014. Coach Finotti accepted a coaching position at the University of Michigan following the Eagles' 2014 season.
Saint Ignatius, which is seeking a remarkable 27th appearance in the OHSAA big-school playoffs since 1988, has won a record 11 Division I State Championships under Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Kyle, including a state-best five in a row from 1991 to 1995. The 'Cats were state runners-up in 1996.
Coach Kyle, who has begun his 34th season as the head man of his alma mater's football program, has 321 career victories, which include three national championships in 1989, 1993 and 1995, and a national runner-up in 2008. The 'Cats' 10th and 11th state titles came in 2008 and 2011.
This year's game versus St. Edward will mark the third time since 2010 that the 'Cats will take the field at the home of the Browns.
In 2010, in what was part of a new doubleheader version of the historic Charity Game, Saint Ignatius was defeated by Lake Catholic, 28-21, at the Lakefront. In 2012, the 'Cats returned to Browns Stadium and dominated Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 31-7.
St. Edward squared off with Mentor at Browns Stadium in 2010 and the Eagles turned back the Cardinals, 35-28.
Old-timers like this corner will recall the fall of 1980, when the Wildcats and the Eagles met in part of a doubleheader at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Cold temperatures and a persistent rain ruled and St. Edward came away with an 11-0 victory at The Grand Lady on the Lake. The other half of the doubleheader that night saw Benedictine and Holy Name play to a 7-7 tie.
Despite the sub-par playing conditions, the Eagles' standout running back Kevin Graven solved the Municipal Stadium surface for 151 yards on the ground, including an 86-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Saint Ignatius made 13 trips to the legendary City Championship "Charity Game" at Municipal Stadium from 1945 through 1968, compiling a record of 4-7-2.
As for the rivalry with St. Edward, the most memorable and most documented game in the series, without question, took place in 1993, when Saint Ignatius prevailed in what stands as one of the most storied games in the history of Ohio High School Football, 35-34, in triple overtime in front of a standing-room crowd and then some at Lakewood Stadium, "The Madhouse on Madison."
After that Week 8 test of wills, Coach Kyle's Wildcats would go on to a 14-0 state and national championship season in '93.
"I think it will be great because of the amount of people who will be able to attend this year," said Andrews of a rivalry that is always one of toughest tickets in town, whether it is at Saint Ignatius' home field, Parma's Byers Field, or the home of St. Edward, Lakewood Stadium. The Wildcats are the home team for this year's matchup, which was originally slated for Byers Field in Parma's Robert M. Boulton Stadium.
"Maybe we could get 20,000-plus there (at FirstEnergy Stadium)," Andrews continued."I've watched these games from both sides growing up. I mean it's a big deal. For the seniors, it's our last one (unless the 'Cats and the Eagles were also to meet in the playoffs, as they did in 2008 and 2011). It's been on our minds ever since last year's seniors said, 'Remember this.'"
Last year's tough loss to St. Edward prevented Saint Ignatius from advancing to the playoffs for only the second time since its great postseason run began in 1988.
Andrews quickly recalls being at both the 2012 doubleheader at the Lakefront as an eighth grader at OLA and the Wildcats' 20-17 playoff victory over the Eagles in 2011, when he was in the seventh grade and still making up his mind whether it would be the blue and gold or the green and gold.
That 2011 playoff matchup took place in Brunswick Auto Mart Stadium on Judy Kirsch Field.
One of the most special and unique aspects of the Saint Ignatius-St. Edward rivalry is that despite the intensity that accompanies it, players from both teams have remained close friends.
And Jimmy Andrews was quick to mention two of his best friends from this year's St. Edward team, starting quarterback Kevin Kramer and starting safety Kevin Dever, also OLA products.
"I don't think it will affect our friendships at all," Jimmy said of the eventual Week 10 outcome in FirstEnergy Stadium. "We're too big for that."
HERE ARE SOME KEY NOTES OF INTEREST FOR FANS FROM BOTH SAINT IGNATIUS AND ST. EDWARD, AND FANS WHO HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO ATTEND THE RIVALRY IN PERSON, BUT COULD NEVER GET A TICKET.
Tickets will be available online, at the schools' athletics departments, and the box office on the day of the game (We're encouraging fans to go online: Here is the link: https://saintignatius-ticketroar.eventbrite.com
Saint Ignatius vs. Saint Edward Football Tickets
Saint Ignatius' students will sit in the Dawg Pound.
The lower bowl sits between 26-28,000.
There will be open concessions stands on both sides.
The Saint Ignatius Band will be allowed to perform on the field.
There will be no tape delay broadcast.
And yes, the Browns do have a home game the next day versus the New York Jets.