Cincinnati, Ohio - The Wildcats, the area's No. 1 team and the top Division I program in Ohio by the Associated Press, improved to 5-0 thanks to a game-sealing interception by standout senior corner Cam Toppin, an outstanding performance from senior kicker/punter Matthew Trickett that saw Matt tie Tim Shenk's record for the longest field goal in Saint Ignatius' rich gridiron history (55 yards versus Detroit Cody on August 27th, 2011), the arm and legs of senior quarterback Daniel Alexander, and another big day from the most underrated wide receiver in Northeast Ohio, senior Sammy Snyder.
Elder, which went toe-to-toe with the 'Cats all afternoon, slipped to 3-2 despite a big-hearted performance from its senior quarterback Danny Nieman, who passed for 303 yards and four touchdowns.
Here is a look at what was a true test of wills on Walter J. Bartlett Field in one of the most storied venues Ohio High School Football has to offer, "The Pit" of Cincinnati Elder.
NOTHING BUT THE HIGHEST PRAISE: That is what Saint Ignatius' Hall of Fame Head Coach Chuck Kyle '69 had for the Elder Panthers of veteran Head Coach Doug Ramsey following what was one of the top games in all of the Buckeye State this weekend.
Coach Kyle referred to Elder's perseverance and will, and how Elder kept calling on that will right down to the final minute. The man who has guided his alma mater to a record 11 big-school state football championships, thee national titles, two state runner-up finishes and a national runner-up, turned to the word resolve when describing his team's efforts, particularly the Wildcats' defense.
No high school coach in America appreciates more how much gutting out a victory like Saint Ignatius did on Saturday can serve as a true foundation for a championship team.
TRICKETT IS THE TICKET: Coach Kyle apologies if you heard this from him before, but he, his entire staff and all of the Wildcats' football faithful can't say enough about what senior kicker /punter Matthew Trickett means to his teammates.
If he isn't booming kickoffs deep into or out of end zones, he is providing big-time field goals and high and true extra points. And then there is Matt's punting, which like his kickoffs, time and again gives his defense great field position to work with.
On what was a warm, to say the least, late September Saturday in The Pit, Matt helped his team to a 17-14 lead by halftime with a booming 45-yard field goal and two extra points. The PAT's came off an 18-yard touchdown pass from Alexander to the sure-handed Snyder, which opened the scoring with 8 minutes and 52 seconds remaining in the first quarter, and a 1-yard TD run up the gut of the Elder defense by gritty senior tailback/Captain Mark Bobinski.
NIEMAN AND COMPANY: The Panthers' Nieman was equal to the challenge, as the cool and calm field general fired first-half touchdown passes to senior wide receiver Danny Faillace and junior wide out Kyle Trischler, who were tough matchups for the 'Cats all day. Faillace caught 10 passes for 151 yards and Trischler had eight receptions for 116 yards. Trischler's TD reception came with 5 seconds remaining in the first half.
MORE OF THE TRICKETT AND NIEMAN FACTORS: Matt opened the scoring in the second half with a 40-yard field goal, but Nieman and the Panthers wasted little time in responding, as Nieman found senior wide receiver Jack O'Brien in the back of the scoreboard end zone for a 20-yard touchdown toss. After Panthers sophomore kicker Sam Harmeyer was high and true on the third of his four extra points, Coach Ramsey's Royal Purple and White led, 21-20, with 4:40 left in the third quarter. Yes, The Pit was steaming like the weather.
It stayed a 21-20 game until Trickett came up with the kick he will remember forever, the record-tying, 55-yard effort that smiled at the right upright as it sailed by for three more of what was a 12-point day for Matt.
"I didn't panic, I just kept my composure and used my muscle memory," Trickett said of his shot at Shenk.
SAMMY STRIKES AGAIN: Saint Ignatius, which will host Mississauga, Ontario Canada's Clarkson Football North (2-3) on Saturday at 7 PM on Byers Field in Parma's Robert M. Boulton Stadium, appeared to be tempering The Pit's "Twelve Man" advantage when Alexander and Snyder hooked up again.
On what was a perfectly thrown ball by Daniel and another of Sammy's trademark in stride receptions, the senior combo clicked on a 50-yard scoring play that after another PAT by Trickett had the Wildcats' on top, 30-21, with 5:08 remaining in the fourth quarter.
NIEMAN AND THE PANTHERS STILL HAD PLENTY OF WILL IN THEIR WAYS: Nieman, who also left a positive impression on this old gridiron grinder, brought his team back one last time and was threatening to make more drama before one of the state's best coverage corners said not this time.
Directing his team on a 12-play, 80-yard drive that took 2 minutes and 58 seconds, Nieman found Trischler for a 5-yard TD pass that, after the PAT by Harmeyer, cut the deficit to 30-28 with 2:10 left on the clock.
Using all of its timeouts, Elder was able to force a punt.
Punting inside his 6-yard line, Trickett got off a soaring effort that forced a fair catch at the Panthers' 31 and the Nieman show was cancelled when Wildcats two-year mainstay in the secondary, senior cornerback Cam Toppin, stepped in front of a pass at the Saint Ignatius 27-yard line along the home sideline, did an athletic job of balancing himself and making sure that he got his foot in bounds, and then celebrated the hard-earned triumph with his teammates. It was Cam's fourth interception on the season.
SOME NUMBERS TO CHEW ON: Alexander was 11-of-17 passing for 190 yards and his two TD strikes to Snyder, and Daniel also rushed for 70 yards on 19 carries. Bobinski rushed for 72 yards and a TD on 11 carries, Jahadge "Bo" Floyd had 59 yards on eight carries, and Snyder hauled in five of Alexander's passes for 146 yards. Sammy now has 30 receptions on the season for 553 yards and five touchdowns.