For the third time since 2008, one of the nation's top high school gridiron rivalries will feature a postseason playoff rematch.
The Wildcats and the Eagles, my friends. Let the pre-game hype start all over again.
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit November 2016
Cleveland, Ohio - When they were just 11 years old, James Leyden and Adam Shibley were at Brunswick Auto Mart Stadium watching the Saint Ignatius Wildcats, on the strength of a 32-yard field goal by All-Ohio senior kicker Tim Shenk as time expired, defeat a highly touted St. Edward team, 20-17, in an OHSAA Division I second-round playoff matchup.
That brisk November, 2011 Autumn night on Brunswick High School's Judy Kirsch Field marked the second time in three weeks that the 2011 Wildcats defeated their longtime West Side rival. In route to their record 11th OHSAA Big-School State Football Championship, the Cats also defeated the Eagles by a 20-17 score in the regular-season finale at Lakewood Stadium.
The 2011 season brought about what was only the second postseason encounter in the storied Wildcats-Eagles gridiron rivalry.
In 2008, Saint Ignatius laid back-to-back defeats on St. Edward, 34-12 in Week 10 of the regular season and 37-0 a week later in the first round of the OHSAA regional playoffs. Those one-sided victories over the Eagles helped fuel the Wildcats' drive to OHSAA State Championship No. 10.
"I remember going to that 2011 game and watching him (Tim Shenk) hit that field goal," said Leyden, who is now a first-team Division I Associated Press All-Northeast Lakes District senior linebacker/tight end. "It was pretty awesome at Brunswick that night. Playing your rival is always special, the Saint Ignatius and St. Edward communities love it. So it's better to see St. Eds than someone else (in the Regional Final matchup)."
"Yeah, I was at that 2011 game, too," said Shibley, also a first-team Associated Press All-Northeast Lakes District selection as a senior captain/linebacker. "I just got an unbelievable feeling after that. I wanted to play for Saint Ignatius so bad.
"And now we're here, and we have the opportunity to do that ourselves," Shibley continued.
"That" is defeat St. Edward twice in the same season.
Just three weeks ago, the now 9-2 Eagles and 11-1 Wildcats met in front of a crowd of 18,000-plus at the Browns' FirstEnergy Stadium. That regular season finale saw Saint Ignatius turn St. Edward away on a highlight-reel, goal-line stand from the 1-yard line in the early going and go on to a dominant 34-7 victory over the two-time defending and three-time Division I State Champions.
Friday night at 7:30 on Stewart Field in Bedford Bearcat Stadium, it's Round 3 of the Wildcats-Eagles playoff encounters and Round 2 of the 2016 season, as the state's fourth-ranked (Saint Ignatius) and ninth-ranked teams by the Associated Press play for the right to advance to the OHSAA Division I State Semifinals.
"We just have to make sure that we finish off the season right, we can't stop here," said Shibley of the drive to what the Wildcats hope will end with a 12th Football State Championship for Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School. The Cats enter Friday night's 55th encounter with the Eagles leading the series, 29-24-1.
"Losing to Eds, I wouldn't want to come out of my house," Shibley said. "Playing Eds in the Regional Final brings about a lot more motivation."
What has fueled the above-mentioned motivation and drive is the combination every coach at every level strives for - a balanced offense and a relentless defense.
Leyden didn't hesitate when saying that Saint Ignatius came into the 2016 season with the attitude that they could become one of premier defenses in the state.
"And the past few weeks we've become even stronger," Leyden said. "We have trust in the linebackers and the D-Line, they trust us, too. So we work real well together and we're all really good friends."
Shibley refers back to a team get-together in the summer when some very specific goals were set.
"Last year was terrible, we wanted to flip that completely," Shibley said of a 2015 season that saw the Wildcats finish 5-4 after a 35-28 loss to St. Edward and fail to qualify for the OHSAA playoffs for only the second time since Saint Ignatius' incredible postseason run began in 1988. Along with the record 11 state titles, that run has produced three national titles (1989, 1993 and 1995), a national runner-up in 2008 and a state runner-up in 1996.
The Cats ran off five consecutive Division I State Football Championships from 1991 to 1995.
Both Shibley and Leyden point to the work of Wildcats Defensive Coordinator Ryan Franzinger '02, who "pushed us a lot in the summer," said Leyden. "His game plans are great. We're never shocked by anything we see in the game. He has us totally prepared."
Shibley recalls the first day of practice this summer when, said Shibley, Coach Franzinger told them the only way they could win a state championship was by becoming the best defense in the state.
"That really set the tone," Shibley said.
Entering Friday night's Regional Championship encounter with St. Edward on an eight-game winning streak, the Wildcats have featured a defense that has yielded just 97 total points in its 12 games combined, has racked up five shutouts and has limited the opponent in three other games to just 7 points.
Twenty-eight of those 97 points came in Saint Ignatius' only setback, a 28-21 overtime loss in Week 4 to currently 12-0 Detroit Catholic Central. That game took place in Novi, Michigan on the Shamrocks' impressive campus.
Also keep in my mind that the Wildcats' No. 1 defense sat out most of the second half in six games this season.
BY THE NUMBERS: Bedford High School Athletic Director Mark Zofka told this corner on Tuesday that the seating capacity of Bearcat Stadium is approximately 6,000, with a total capability of around 8,000 (standing-room and such).
FROM COACH KYLE: "Not a whole lot, other than some blocking schemes from different formations," Coach Kyle said, when asked if he has seen any major changes in St. Edward's approach from the October 29th regular season matchup in FirstEnergy Stadium.
"Maybe a few personnel adjustments," Coach Kyle continued. "Who knows, this part of the season when you get to the 12th and 13th game of the year there are times when you need to get people involved more."
One of the slight changes in the Eagles' offense is having Junior Varsity sophomore standout tailback Jordan Castleberry combine with gifted senior tailback Curtis Szelesta in giving Curtis a breather when needed. Curtis is coming off an outstanding game in the Regional-Semifinal victory over Stow.
"I don't think either team is changing a whole lot of things," said Coach Kyle. "Maybe there's a possibility of a trick play or two, to throw that in to spice up things a bit. But here we are, both teams are at the Regional Finals. It's been a good year for both teams, so you got to believe and have faith in what you're doing."
S-I-B-N: The Saint Ignatius Student Broadcast Network, with the golden tones of play-by-play man Matt MacKenzie '18 and Color Commentator Brendan DeVenney '17 describing the ebb and flow, will bring you the audio broadcast live from atmosphere-rich Bearcat Stadium on Friday night. Again, the kickoff on Stewart Field will be 7:30 PM.
Have a great rest of the week and weekend, and we will see you from the sideline on Friday night.