Cleveland, Ohio - The kickoff on Ridge Road and Day Drive will be 7:30 pm, as Hall of Fame Head Coach Chuck Kyle '69 will lead his state and nationally acclaimed program into its 28th OHSAA playoff appearance since its impressive postseason run began in 1988.
Along with their 11 State Championships, the Wildcats have achieved three National Titles (1989, 1993 and 1995), a National Runner-Up (2008), two State Runner-Up Finishes (1996 and 2016) and a record of 70-16 in the OHSAA playoffs.
Saint Ignatius was the Division I State Runner-Up to Cincinnati St. Xavier last season and the Perry Panthers finished as the Division II State Runner-Up to Cincinnati La Salle in both 2015 and 2016.
The Panthers of highly respected Head Coach Keith Wakefield will be making their ninth OHSAA playoff appearance and are 14-8 overall in postseason play. Perry moved up to Division I this season under the OHSAA's new Competitive Balance system.
Here is a corner's view of the storied Federal League's Panthers, who feature an offense you don't see very often in today's brand of football - the Wing-T.
"It's hard to practice that," said Coach Kyle of the Wing-T. "Perry runs it with such precision that to gear up in practice for what our players are going to see is very difficult.
"They have three backs that are averaging plenty of yards per carry," Coach Kyle said of Panthers tailback Jarin Curtis (nearly 1,300 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns), fullback Richard Coleman (820 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing ) and quarterback/safety Max Baker (694 yards and four TDs rushing). "It's no secret that they want to control the football. They're happy with those steady drives going down the field, while your offense sits on the bench and watches.
"Perry will also handoff to the slot or the wing with misdirection," continued the man who has guided his alma mater to a record of 343-86-1 in what is now his 35th season as the head of the football program at Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School. "It's (the Wing-T) a challenge, the kids have to read their keys and not over penetrate and create a seam. Because the way they run their offense, if you create a seam, their backs are going to go right in there for a nice gain."
Coach Kyle also cautioned that if the 'Cats get too geared up for the run, Perry, which has big-game experience along its offensive line, will come with play action.
Although Coach Wakefield and his staff will be the first to tell you that they don't throw much, Coach Kyle said the Panthers will employ a pass as "kind of a changeup that can hit for a big play."
In its 24-7, regular-season finale victory over GlenOak, Perry totaled 423 yards rushing and limited the Golden Eagles to 36 yards on the ground.
Coach Kyle looks at Friday night's matchup as a good challenge for the 'Cats' defense, which was outstanding in both a 28-14 victory over defending big-school state champion St. Xavier on October 21st at Byers Field and last Saturday's 17-10 triumph over rival St. Edward in a packed Lakewood Stadium.
St. Xavier was dethroned from the top ranking in the Associated Press Division I State Poll with the loss to Saint Ignatius and the following week, St. Edward, which took over the top spot in Ohio from St. Xavier, surrender it to the Wildcats. Saint Ignatius won its ninth AP Division I State Poll under Coach Kyle in Monday's final voting for 2017 by a statewide panel of sports writers and broadcasters.
The Eagles of St. Edward (9-1), the Bombers of St. Xavier (9-1) and the Mentor Cardinals (9-1), whose only setback was to the Wildcats in Week 2 at the Cardinals' Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium, were ranked third, fourth and sixth, respectively, in Monday's final Division I AP poll. Along with its AP poll title, Saint Ignatius earned the top seeding for the Region 1 playoffs and the No. 1 ranking in Cleveland.com's final Top 25, seven-county area poll for 2017.
"When you get to the playoffs, all the gears shift," said Coach Kyle. "Our region is really tough. All eight of the teams are capable of going to the next level. These are the types of practices we have to have to challenge ourselves."
PERRY'S CASE FOR ITS DEFENSE: "Their defense, I would say if they blitz, they blitz for a reason," Coach Kyle said. "They're not just selling out trying to blow you up. They calculate what you're doing. Their approach defensively is to be very sound in what you do. They believe in it and they will find a way to make a play. Technically, they're very good. They anchor well and close the seams, and their secondary has some sound skilled kids that can run with you. The play a 4-4 front, and when you have four linebackers you can get to the hole quickly. We have to come with our A game and see how they adjust to some of the things we do."
The main anchor for Coach Wakefield's defense is senior end Zach Blackiston, a first-team All-Ohio selection in 2016. Blackiston is a quick and athletic penetrator. Zach leads a Perry defense that welcomed back eight starters from last season.
COACH RESTIFO ON PERRY'S DEFENSE: "From what I have seen they are tough and strong kids, they're not going to let anything get over their heads because they drop off really well," said Wildcats' veteran Offensive Coordinator Nick Restifo, a man who has produced 16 quarterbacks at Saint Ignatius who have received All-Ohio recognition. "They play a three-deep zone. They're solid and they'll try not to get out flanked. They stay balanced as much as they can."
AIR PALLOTTA: The one team that definitely attacked Perry with its strengths was Massillon Jackson at Jackson in Week 4.
The Polar Bears' gifted quarterback Jaret Pallotta fired four touchdown passes and one of his talented receivers, Brandon O'Quinn, totaled 249 receiving yards as Jackson handed Perry its only setback, 38-7. Pallotta, a UMass recruit, passed for 389 yards on 26 completions.
Jackson also did a solid job defensively, limiting the Panthers' Wing-T offense to 151 yards on 36 rushing attempts. Perry earned its playoff spot by running off six consecutive victories after the setback to Jackson.
The 8-2 Jackson Polar Bears will travel to 8-2 Euclid on Friday night for the other Regional Quarterfinal in Saint Ignatius' bracket. Last season, the Wildcats defeated Jackson, 35-0, in a Regional Quarterfinal on Byers Field.
BY THE NUMBERS IN OHIO CITY: Saint Ignatius' outstanding linebacker duo of senior Logan Joyce and junior Tommy Eichenberg show Logan with 38 solo tackles, 38 assists, 24 tackles for -minus 76 yards, 4 sacks for -minus 21 yards, a forced fumble, 3 fumble recoveries and 10 quarterback hurries.
Tommy checks in with 54 tackles, 31 unassisted, 15 tackles for -minus 71 yards, 6 sacks for -minus 39 yards, a fumble recovery, an interception, 6 quarterback hurries and 4 pass breakups.
Senior middle linebacker Andrew Keirn has 34.5 tackles, 18 unassisted, 8.5 tackles for -minus 32 yards, three sacks for -minus 23 yards, 5 quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Another senior mainstay, nose tackle Aidan Gill, has 19.5 tackles, 7 for -minus 39 yards, 5 sacks for -minus 36 yards and 6 quarterback hurries.
Standout senior cornerback Cam Toppin has 6 interceptions, including 2 highlight picks in the end zone and a momentum changer versus St. Edward last weekend, 35 tackles, 8 pass breakups and a blocked kick.
Senior safety Justin Sands, a Penn recruit, has 24 tackles, 19 unassisted, two for -minus 9 yards, a sack for -minus 8 yards, two interceptions and 5 pass breakups.
Junior cornerback Jett Elad has totaled 23.5 tackles, two behind the line of scrimmage, and a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown. Junior safety Danny Scelza has 31 tackles, 6.5 for -minus 13 yards, a fumble recovery, 3 interceptions that include game-changing picks versus Mentor and St. Edward, and 4 pass breakups.
GETTING HIS KICKS: Senior kicker/punter Matt Trickett, one of the best the entire Midwest has to offer, is 34-of-35 on extra points, 13-of-19 on field goals, including a 59-yard new school record versus GlenOak and a record-tying, 55-yard effort in The Pit at Cincinnati Elder, has kicked off 61 times for 3,608 yards and 46 touchbacks, and has punted 36 times for an average of 38 yards. On his punts, Matt has a long of 61 yards, 14 fair catches, 3 touchbacks, 2 efforts of 50-plus yards and has put 7 inside the 20-yard line.
PASS, CATCH AND RUN: Senior wide receiver Sammy Snyder shows the way with 49 receptions for 881 yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Danny Alexander has passed for 847 yards and 10 TDs, and Danny has rushed for 222 yards and 6 touchdowns.
"BO" GROUND CONTROL: Junior tailback Jahadge "Bo" Floyd has rushed for 752 yards and 6 touchdowns on 123 carries.
Have a great rest of the week, stay away from the kids' candy and we will see you at practice and on Byers Field Friday night for the start of another great playoff run.