The take-charge mentality of quarterback Griffin Hanna and tight end Sam Daugstrup, three touchdown runs by quick and determined tailback Declan Boldy, the sure hands of Henry Cook, a second-effort scoring run by John Schroer, and a solid performance by a deep and down right tough defense enabled the JV 'Cats to improve to 4-1 on what was a postcard-perfect early October evening in Slavic Village.
From Stefanski Stadium on the campus of Cleveland Central Catholic High School: As the sun was in its early setting stages Monday evening, Saint Ignatius' outstanding Junior Varsity Football Coach Paul Yappel talked about the performance his Wildcats put forth after making their short trip to the "Home of the Ironmen."
"First of all, I thought Cleveland Central Catholic played hard throughout the game, and they never quit," Coach Yappel said of a matchup that saw Saint Ignatius move to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and extend that margin to 35-8 by halftime.
"We were able to work a lot of guys in and that's always a good thing, because everyone works hard during the week and so this was their opportunity," Coach Yappel continued. "We just want to keep getting better. I think we're improving week to week and we want to keep heading down that same road."
The JV 'Cats wasted little time in riding the road to success on Monday evening.
Taking the opening kickoff after Central Catholic deferred, Saint Ignatius covered 56 yards in just three plays. First it was a gritty 5-yard carry by promising sophomore tailback James Crosby, followed by a sure-handed catch and run down the seam by strong and steady sophomore tight end Sam Daugstrup that gave the Wildcats a first down at the Ironmen 32-yard line.
Smooth and savvy sophomore quarterback Griffin Hanna then made an excellent fake, kept the ball and, after freezing a defender with a clever move, went 32 yards into the Third Federal Savings and Loan end zone of Stefanski Stadium. The extra-point kick by sophomore Rory McConville was as true as the blue sky and Saint Ignatius led, 7-0.
The Wildcats' defense then came to fore when DB/LB Jacob Davis pounced on a fumble at the Central Catholic 14-yard line.
Two more second-effort carries by Crosby put the ball on the 5-yard line and from there, Hanna rolled right and found Daugstrup in stride for a short TD strike. After another high and true McConville PAT, it was a 14-0 game.
Saint Ignatius' special teams then came into play as gifted sophomore receiver Henry Cook, McConville's cousin, returned a punt to the Ironmen 17-yard line.
On the very next play, tailback Declan Boldy followed the lead of his offensive line and bolted over the right side for another 'Cats' deposit in the Third Federal Savings and Loan end zone. "Money McConville" tacked on his third extra point and the first quarter ended with Coach Yappel's team in charge, 21-0.
After an authoritative sack by sophomore safety Merick Hartley helped Saint Ignatius to more excellent field position, Boldy found his way into the open end zone of Stefanski Stadium. McConville followed with another sure PAT and the Ironmen were now trailing, 28-0, with just over five minutes remaining in the first half.
As Coach Yappel emphasized, there was no quit in the young men from Baxter Avenue.
Ironmen sophomore quarterback/running back Kor'Juan McRae, all 5-foot-5 of him, broke free up the middle and, in almost one motion, bounced outside and outran the pursuit into the right corner of the Third Federal Savings and Loan end zone for a 19-yard score.
Still with plenty of fire in his will, McRae caught his second wind, swept the right side, broke a tackle, kept his balance, reversed his field and, after picking up a key block, again outraced the 'Cats. This time it was to the left corner of the Third Federal Savings and Loan end zone for a two-point conversion that cut the deficit to 28-8 with 2:51 to go in the first half.
The evening belonged to Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School, however, as Hanna and Cook combined on a highlight-reel, 51-yard touchdown pass that, after the extra-point by McConville and a sure pursuit tackle in space by sophomore defensive back Daniel Finnan, saw Saint Ignatius take a 35-8 lead into its halftime break.
After an extremely nice and classy gesture by the Central Catholic Cheerleaders that saw them come over at halftime and greet and salute the Wildcats' faithful, Saint Ignatius left no doubt by scoring on a strong 5-yard TD effort over the left side by sophomore John Schroer and a 15-yard TD sweep by Boldy, which capped his career-best game as a Wildcat. The 'Cats also got a key red-zone reception from sophomore James Spear.
Along with the young defenders mentioned earlier in this report, Saint Ignatius, which started going to its bench in the first half, had plenty of playmakers on defense, including sophomore defensive linemen Thomas Mullee and Ryan Beane, defensive back Tyler Hampu and sophomore linebacker Thomas Maloney.
Have a great rest of the week and we will see you at the Freshmen Game at GlenOak on Wednesday. The kickoff is listed on the Saint Ignatius Athletics Website as 6 pm.