Last season, the Wildcats’ playoff run concluded in the Regional Final vs. a familiar foe – the Mentor Cardinals.
On Saturday, the Cardinals visit Byers Field for the annual Public-Private rivalry game between Saint Ignatius and Mentor.
The series began in 1989 with a 43-2 Saint Ignatius win and the annual regular season game started in 2005. The Wildcats hold the overall advantage, 13-9, having won two of the last three.
Coach Steve Trivisonno and Coach Chuck Kyle, great friends off the field, are legendary nemeses on the field. Since Trivisonno took the reins at Mentor in 1997, the series is split evenly at 9 wins apiece.
The Wildcats have won the last two regular season showdowns. During the last game between the two at Byers Field in 2016, the Wildcats stormed to a 49-7 win, the largest margin of victory by either team.
This year’s contest will likely be much closer. The Cardinals enter the game with experienced offensive and defensive lines and explosive young playmakers. The Wildcats bring relatively inexperienced lines, but boast veteran playmakers on both sides of the ball.
The Cards will offer a great early season challenge for the Cats, who will be looking to avoid the program's first 0-2 start since 1987.
MENTOR OFFENSE vs. SAINT IGNATIUS DEFENSE
During the reign of Trivisonno, the Cardinals have turned out plenty of successful quarterbacks. The next in line is sophomore Ian Kipp.
Following a successful JV season, Kipp is poised to develop into Mentor’s next great signalcaller. Kipp excelled in his debut vs. St. Edward, running for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns while passing for 114 yards.
Junior running back Brian Trobel is also to be feared. The young back galloped for 194 yards and 4 touchdowns in his varsity debut, showing off quickness and speed. Add in some weapons at wideout, and Mentor can do it all.
“They can go either way,” said Kyle. “So far with one game, they’ve had success running, but it’s the Mentor passing game, so they can go to it.”
Despite the wealth of offensive playmakers on the Mentor roster, the Cardinals’ top strength on offense may be its linemen.
Mentor’s offensive line is bookended by two large offensive tackles – 6’5, 280-pound Ryan Jacoby (an Ohio State commit) on the left side and 6’5, 275-pound Nick Samac (Michigan State-bound) on the right. Mentor’s big men up front will look to make a large impact on Saturday.
“You hope you use your technique and blitz packages to help put those guys on their heels to keep them guessing,” Coach Kyle said. “Sometimes that can disrupt the flow. But also, maintain your gap. If I’m assigned the “B” gap, no one says I have to blow through the guy and go five yards into the backfield. That’s not what we want to do. We want to maintain the gap and slide to the ball. Overpenetrating causes a lot of danger against Mentor. You get pumped up and you go flying in, they trap you and push you with your momentum, that opens a seam, and there goes the runner. Having size helps, but it’s all about technique.”
With its linemen, Mentor will utilize counters, power runs with pulling guards, and quarterback runs off fakes to the back. The Wildcats’ front six will need to maintain gap integrity and watch for the counter.
SAINT IGNATIUS OFFENSE vs. MENTOR DEFENSE
The Wildcats’ offense is just beginning to define its identity this season. Senior Patrick Delahunty is the starter at quarterback, with junior Griffin Hanna appearing in a series per half for a spark and to acquire reps under center.
At running back, Bo Floyd will see the majority of time, with Jack Welcsh mixing in as a power back. At wideout, Connor Cmiel, Luke Cooper, and Jack Kennedy form the top trio with Nigel Drummond II sidelined for now.
On the flipside, defensive end Noah Potter leads a solid Mentor defense that’s hungry for improvement after allowing 39 points to St. Edward.
The Cardinals use a variety of coverage schemes, but reliably use a 3-man front, 3-4 defense. Mentor does not often blitz, but isn’t afraid to do so.
“They’ll keep you guessing. They won’t let you realize everything they’re doing,” Kyle said. “They’ll blitz here and there. They’re not a team that blitzes for blitzing’s sake. When they’re blitzing, there’s a reason. You have to be careful about that.
SAINT IGNATIUS SPECIAL TEAMS vs. MENTOR SPECIAL TEAMS
The Wildcats will lean on Pat Otter in the kicking game, relying on Rory McConville for short field goals and extra points. Otter did well last week on punts and kickoffs. Look for Zach LaPorte and Nate Conry to have an impact on returns.
Mentor has a great kicker in Conor McIntosh. The senior can consistently hit field goals of 45 yards and in, and can boot the ball well on kickoffs.
Coach Kyle praised the Mentor special teams, especially its kicking game. As Kyle likes to say, special teams can make the difference in a game.