The Wildcats played the annual Jamboree last night against Canton McKinley and won 24-12 in the three-quarter pre-season contest.
Boston College commit Tommy Eichenberg and the Saint Ignatius defense found themselves in the backfield often early on in the contest, picking up multiple sacks and forcing late throws. Jett Elad, Aidan Rechin, and Mitch Puhalsky also made big defensive plays or tackles early as Elad's consistency shined all night against the Bulldogs.
The Wildcats’ first drive began on the Bulldogs thirty-yard line. Despite graduating five seniors, the Wildcats’ offensive line was impressive on the first drive, as Bo Floyd carried the ball often, eventually crossing the goal line for a 7-0 Cats’ lead.
In case you were wondering, Floyd hasn’t missed a step from last season as he was already breaking tackles. Senior quarterback Patrick Delahunty was 1-for-1 on the opening drive for nine yards and showcased his running ability, too.
The Wildcats’ front seven continued to dominate the contest, as the first-team defense allowed only one first down and rarely let McKinley reach midfield. The Wildcats had good field position for the second drive, as fans saw another solid performance out of Delahunty. The offense couldn’t quite push it in, but junior Rory McConville booted one through the uprights to increase the lead to 10-0.
The other Wildcat quarterback in contention for the starting nod is junior Griffin Hanna. Despite not tallying any points, Hanna completed multiple nice throws and deftly avoided pressure, giving Wildcat fans confidence that whoever starts next week can get the job done. Another highlight of Hanna’s drives was the athleticism of two-way player Jack Welcsh, who once again should be all over the field for the Wildcats this year.
Delahunty went out for another drive in the second quarter. Star wide receiver/cornerback Connor Cmiel burned the Bulldog cornerback and was left wide open with plenty of time for Delahunty to deliver the ball for a big-play touchdown to make the lead 17-0.
On the defensive side of the ball in the second quarter, junior Michael McNamara shined, as the three-sport athlete showed his physical dominance on the field. Cornerback Charlie Kinzel also chipped in with some good coverage. The Bulldogs, however, found the scoreboard late in the half off a big play and the Cats led 17-6.
In the third quarter, the Wildcats were quarterbacked by junior Pat Keane. The West Park native made a few nice throws and only threw two incomplete passes. Keane caused two offsides on the defense with his hard counts and led a touchdown drive with the help of the wheels of senior Michael Mangan. The senior ran crazy when on the field, including his breakthrough touchdown run. Sophomore Michael Simcak and junior Jack Schroer did well in spot duty on the final drives, and Simcak also punched the ball in during the JV scrimmage. Mikey Sarko played well in the third quarter, going both ways for the Wildcats and impressing with his shifty moves at wide receiver.
With Keane and the third-team offense taking a knee, the Cats won 24-12.
The Wildcats will be back in action with a Week One contest against highly touted Archbishop Hoban next Saturday. Kickoff is 7 pm at Byers Field.