Under the direction of Offensive Coordinator Nick Restifo, the Saint Ignatius offense has always employed a sophisticated offense. Quarterback reads at the line of scrimmage, run-pass options, and a refined passing attack are all hallmarks of an effective Wildcats attack.
This season, the team will employ the traditional Saint Ignatius offense, laden with some wrinkles, of course. But at the end of the day, the Wildcats will dare you to stop the run.
And with talented playmakers at running back, the Wildcats have the talent to do so.
Leading the Wildcats' skilled crop of backs is Jahadge "Bo" Floyd. The rising senior rushed for 1,078 yards and 8 touchdowns last season, joining a prestigious list of 15 Saint Ignatius running backs to surpass the century mark during Restifo's time at the helm. Floyd played an important role down the stretch after Mark Bobinski succumbed to a season-ending injury late in the season.
A jovial and kind young man off the field, Floyd is a beast inside the lines. The 5'7, 190-pound back can bowl you over or sidestep you to the edge.
But according to his position coach, Terry Fergus '72, Floyd's best characteristic as a running back is his vision.
"We have a lot of fun with Bo, because he's very laid back. But you give him the football, and he's not laid back," Fergus said. "He has the right attitude. He knows where he's supposed to be all the time. His feel for where the hole is going to be is uncanny. You rarely see that. It's not brute force, it's not just, 'I'm the fastest guy on the field and hopefully, I'll break one.' He can make his own holes."
While not a captain, Floyd is also a great leader for the Wildcats, as Fergus attests.
"He's not a rah-rah leader, he's more, 'Follow me, do what I do, and you'll be fine.' He works hard and he's very experienced because of what he had to do last year," said the longtime Wildcats coach.
Wildcats fans will certainly have fun watching Floyd run this season.
Behind Floyd, the team has two strong, athletic tailbacks – Jack Welcsh and Michael McNamara. Both saw time late last season, particularly in the playoffs.
Welcsh ran for 221 yards and 4 touchdowns in 7 games last season, often spelling Floyd when needed.
"Jack is only a junior, but because of what happened to Mark Bobinski, he had to step up as a sophomore. He'll play both sides of the ball and do well at both," said Fergus.
McNamara stunned fans at the Euclid playoff game, running over the Panthers in the third and fourth quarters. Then a sophomore, McNamara galloped for 60 yards on five attempts, reaching the end zone once.
"McNamara is a big dude," says Fergus. "He'll also play linebacker along with it."
Behind Welcsh and McNamara, senior Mike Mangan will be very helpful for the Wildcats. Also a Rugby Cat, Mangan is a great young man.
"You also have a senior in Mike Mangan, who is a great B running back. He knows what he's doing, he's a big, strong, fast kid," Fergus said.
The Wildcats also have talented young backs to look for in the future, particularly James Crosby, Mike Simcak, and Jack Schroer. As a whole, the Wildcats are very deep at running back.
In addition, the running backs as a group are very tightknit. Comparing this group to others, Fergus said this is a special group.
"Every kid is different. After 24 years at Ignatius and 40 years overall of coaching, you're never going to see the same kid twice in 1,000 kids. However, this is one of those groups you like that you get every so often that are closely knit," Fergus explained. "There's no ego. That's a carryover from last year. Mark Bobinski was a good leader and everybody did their part. Inside, you might feel, 'Gee, I wish I was carrying the ball more.' But you kept it inside. On the field, there's no fighting, no 'What about me, Coach?' It's all about, 'Can we move the ball forward?' They trust me and Coach Cahill to say who's best for that situation. That may be something that I've seen very rarely. We have different people for different situations, which makes us very strong."