by Matt MacKenzie ’18

The Saint Ignatius Wildcats faced a must win game, on Saturday afternoon from Byers Field. In order to clinch a playoff berth, the ‘Cats needed to beat Saint Xavier and Saint Edward. The Bombers were their first task, and the Wildcats completed that task to perfection. Led by a resilient defense, the Wildcats defeated the Saint Xavier Bombers by a score of 34-20 and brought the Cannon Bell back to Saint Ignatius.

The game started off with special teams leaving their mark. The Wildcats were forced to punt on their first possession, which led to a blocked punt by the Saint Xavier special teams core. On the first play from scrimmage, Pete Rumpke ran it in for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 7-0. The Bombers weren’t done there. Nick Arcuri nailed a 51 yard field goal, to make it 10-0. Saint Xavier dominated the first quarter and would be threatening to score again, as we headed to the second quarter trailing 10-0.

The second quarter appeared to be more of the same at first sight. Connor Marciag connected on a field goal to make it 13-0 in favor of Saint Xavier. The Wildcat offense would soon come alive, in the later moments of the quarter. Ben Cray sacked Notre Dame commit Sean Clifford, forcing the Bombers to punt. The punt was downed at the Saint Xavier 40 yard line. Dennis Grosel would take advantage of the short distance between the ‘Cats and the end zone.

Grosel found Tyler Musbach near the sideline, who then broke a tackle and ran the ball to the three yard line. Elijah Wahib would do the rest on the next play, as he scored from three yards out making it 13-7. Following another fourth down stop, the offense led a drive down the field. It appeared that Jack Cook got a foot in for a touchdown, but the referees ruled it incomplete. Depending on the PAT, the Wildcats could have been leading going into the half. Instead, Matt Trickett capped it off with a field goal making it 13-10 with 1:04 to go before the half. This score would take us to halftime.

Saint Xavier would receive to start the half, but found themselves punting after just three plays. The offense took over at the Bomber 42 yard line and made the most of it. After narrowly missing a touchdown pass to Jack Cook, Dennis Grosel found Cal Grbac for a touchdown to give the Wildcats a 17-13 lead. This would be their first lead of the afternoon. Saint Ignatius would build on this, as another stellar offensive drive led to a Matt Trickett field goal. That would make it 20-13 in favor of the ‘Cats.

The Bombers faced a short third down, when Pete Rumpke escaped from the pile and ran it all the way to the Wildcats’ 35 yard line. Ben Cray made a touchdown saving tackle. That tackle would prove to be significant, as Nate Keirn sacked Clifford, for the third time. This sack pushed the Bombers out of field goal range and gave the Wildcats the ball off of a punt. Saint Ignatius’ offensive possession was capitalized by a Jimmy Andrews long run into opposing territory. Dennis Grosel would extend the lead on a short touchdown run to give the Wildcats a 27-13 lead with 0:28 seconds to go in the third quarter. That would be the score heading into the final quarter of play.

The way that the fourth quarter would play out, would decide the Wildcats’ playoff hopes. Let’s just say that Wildcat fans left with a smile on their face. A strange turn of events occurred following Keirn’s sack of Sean Clifford. A punt muffed by Jack Cook bounced into the end zone. Saint Xavier jumped on it and thought they had scored a touchdown. The referees conferred and ruled it a touchback instead, and the Wildcats would take over on their own 20 yard line.

The Wildcats were in business on the possession, but an Andrew Homer sack pushed the ‘Cats back and eventually forced them to punt. Fast forward in the quarter, the Bombers were threatening near midfield but had to go for it on 4th down. Clifford threw to his tight end, and Jack Cook made a big tackle, creating a turnover on downs. This gave Saint Ignatius the ball back with the clock on their side. After a punt with a little under three minutes to play, Jack Cook came up with the game clinching play. He intercepted Clifford’s pass taking it the distance for a pick six, extending the Wildcats’ lead to 34-13. At this point, the Wildcats had scored 34 unanswered points against the Bombers.

Sean Clifford scored a quarterback rush touchdown with two seconds to play, making it 34-20. Dennis Grosel would take the knee and send the Wildcats into a Halloween afternoon battle with their archrival Saint Edward, needing a win to send them to the playoffs.

Once again, the Wildcats defeat the Bombers 34-20 to keep their playoff hopes alive and bring the Cannon Bell back to Saint Ignatius.

by Matt MacKenzie ’18

The offenses scored early and often in this one, as the Saint Ignatius Wildcats fell in a heartbreaking loss to the Archbishop Moeller Crusaders by a final score of 55-52. The Wildcats were led by a fantastic performance from Dennis Grosel, who had six total touchdowns, but came up just shy of the victory, when the Crusaders nailed a field goal with 0:10 to go in the game.

It all started on the first play from scrimmage when Dennis Grosel connected with Cal Grbac on an 80 yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 in favor of the ‘Cats. Moeller quarterback and Pittsburgh commit Thomas MacVittie found his receiver Hausmann for a 57 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. You knew from that moment on, that it was going to be an offensive dominated game. The Wildcats answered on a touchdown run by Jimmy Andrews to give St. Ignatius the lead. MacVittie to Hausmann again made it 14-14 with 4:56 left to go in the first quarter. MacVittie ended up throwing six touchdowns on the night, A Trickett 23 yard field goal and a Grosel four yard touchdown run made it 24-14. This score would take us to the second quarter.

Dennis Grosel proved to be hard to cover yet again when he scored two rushing touchdowns, from four and eleven yards out, to give St. Ignatius a commanding 38-14 lead, with 4:58 to go before the half. Archbishop Moeller clicked as an offense after this, as Dotson reeled in a touchdown catch to trim the deficit. A surprise onside kick gave Moeller the ball back and allowed Butz to run it in for a touchdown. Finally, another MacVittie touchdown pass, this time to Ashmore, brought the Crusaders within three points. It was 38-35, as the ‘Cats were clinging to the lead, heading into the half.

The third quarter saw Archbishop Moeller complete its rally and take the lead momentarily, when Ashmore caught his second touchdown pass on the night to make it 42-38 in favor of Moeller. Dennis Grosel answered with his legs, when he scampered into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown to give St. Ignatius a 45-42 lead. It’s the second straight week, that Grosel has scored three or more touchdowns on the ground. Moeller was quick to answer though. Hausmann was the recipient of a 76 yard touchdown pass from MacVittie to give the Crusaders a 49-45 lead. After both teams traded interceptions on back to back plays, the Wildcats answered with 1:02 to go, as Grosel found James Leyden for a 24 yard touchdown and a 52-49 lead. This would take us to the final quarter of play.

There were answers on offense, as both teams had all night long. Archbishop Moeller controlled possession for most of the quarter, but didn’t break through until Coghlin sank a 36 yard field goal with 3:31 to go. That kick would tie the game. Coghlin would be relied on in the later moments of the game as well. The Wildcats were stumped on 4th down and 1 allowing the Crusaders to take over with time on their side. After running down the clock, Coghlin calmly nailed a 26 yard field goal with 0:10 to go, that gave Moeller a 55-52 lead. When the Wildcats took over, a desperation pass was intercepted and that would ultimately end the game.

The Wildcats will need to win their last two games of the season, against St. Xavier and St. Edward, to have a chance at making the playoffs. Once again, the Wildcats fell to the Crusaders in Dublin by a final score of 55-52.

by Owen Miklos ‘16

Rewind to last year for a moment. And for those of you who weren’t here, consider this: Our fall sports teams were killing it — cross country squad was making their presence felt at the state level, the golf team was playing well, and the football team had made the playoffs. But the focus was, deservedly, on the soccer team. There will always be those seasons where everything just clicks, and this season was one of those. Their back line talent was the stuff of legend, and, week-in and week-out, they were able to shut down opposing teams and find ways to get the ball in the back of the net. And as they kept winning, getting deeper and deeper into the postseason, the possibility of a state championship began to take form, and the anticipation, understandably, began to mount.

That they pulled it off was incredible. Considering the circumstances in which they did it, it was nothing short of surreal.

You see, a month earlier at Saint Ignatius, the atmosphere was far less jubilant. Fall sports hardly registered on the radars of the faculty and the student body at large; Mr. Jim Skerl ‘74 — the beloved theology teacher, and one of the biggest sports fans at the school — had just lost his battle with cancer. Known for his optimism and die-hard commitment to the soccer team specifically, Skerl’s passing registered with each and every player on the roster.

Said Coach McLaughlin, “His love for them is something that is going to be with them for the rest of their lives, helping them to do great things like he did.”

When asked about their mindset on the field, Hunter Gordon ‘16 responded, “We put our cleats on and forgot about everything but playing for Mr. Skerl. Everything was for him at that point.”

A year later, Gordon and three other fall sport athletes — Andrew Zawie ‘16, of the golf team; Patrick McGuire ‘16, from the cross country team; and Kaden Russell ‘17 of the football team — were front-and-center at the Sullivan Gym, being called on to carry on Mr. Skerl’s legacy for their respective sports. When Skerl played basketball at Saint Ignatius in the ‘70s, he wore the number 34. And since his passing, and with the distribution of the #34 longsleeves over the time since, it was only fitting that the sports programs honor Skerl as such.

When asked how this changed his pre-existing leadership mentality, the Skerl award recipient for the cross country team, Patrick McGuire ‘16, stressed the importance of “leading by example, and just trying to be and act like he would: staying positive and being a good sport on and off the field.”

Clad in a newly-stitched golf pullover with the number 34 embroidered on the sleeve, Zawie emphasized Skerl’s everlasting optimism as key to his success on the golf course. “Golf is such a mental game,” he said. “Remembering how Skerl kept his attitude up through good times and bad has made all the difference for me. Also, I’ve gained exactly 34 extra yards with my driver, so that helps, too.”

by Owen Miklos ‘16

The Saint Ignatius golf team entered this season with lofty expectations. Hungry after finishing fourth at the State tournament the year prior, the core group of seniors refined their games all summer long in preparation for another Columbus run.

Harrison Vonderau ‘16, the de facto team captain, came into the high school season fresh off top-10 finishes at nationally-ranked tournaments, and he would be the go-to man for leadership as the season got underway. After a sluggish start, the four-year varsity veteran found his groove with a 70 at Windmill Lakes, a 71 at Windmill Lakes, and a 73 at Hudson Country Club.

The most impressive player on the team is inarguably Andrew Zawie, whose consistent rounds in the mid- to low-70’s helped to establish his well-deserved spot atop the team ranking early in the season. Throughout sophomore and junior year, Zawie quietly improved his game from deep in the lineup, ensuring that he would clinch a spot on the state team his senior year. Rarely venturing beyond a 75, Zawie’s season has hitherto been highlighted by a stellar 72 at the always difficult Hawthorne Valley and 74’s at Windmill Lakes and Quail Hollow.

Rounding out the top 6 for Coach Becker’s Golf ‘Cats are Geoff Allman ‘16, Zach Morris ‘16, Owen Miklos ‘16, and Patrick Devine ‘16. Allman came into this season a question mark for the golf program, a brutal wrist injury from this past spring preventing him from practicing until the beginning of August. However, inspired by his post-season run from 2014, the hockey player-turned-golf impressed everybody by posting rounds in the low-70’s from the get-go, solidifying his spot on the state team within only a few events.

With two tournaments to go before Sectionals, the experienced Wildcats look to end their season on a high note at Maumee Bay on the 26th and Tartan Fields on 10/3.

by Carter Spearry ‘16

Ranked as the 4th best team from sea to shining sea by USA Today, Coach McLaughlin’s team is hungry for another state championship. Full of experience from last year’s triumph, this group is ready to hoist the ‘ship again at Crew Stadium.

Following the footsteps of standout goalkeeper Mikal Outcalt ‘15, Lodge Dils ‘17 will be the man between the sticks this season. Dils, a lanky ‘keeper who has an aura of calmness about him even in the biggest of games, has the ability to hold down his position as the “number one” as long as he stays consistent.

The back four consists of Adam Haas ‘17, Matt Trickett ‘18, Hunter Gordon ‘16, and Tommy Patacca ‘17. Trickett and Gordon make an excellent central pairing as both have terrific defensive instincts and can mark the quickest of forwards. Gordon’s experience will be the key for the defense this year, as he is the only returning defensive starter from the 2014 State Championship team. The two junior fullbacks are almost complete opposites of eachother: Haas is particularly good on the ball, even as a left back, and is able to push the play forward after winning the ball back for his team. Patacca on the other hand is a swashbuckler at right back – fearless to dive into the most acute tackles to win the ball.

Orchestra : Haas :: Rock band : Patacca

As strong as the defense is, the midfield may be the most talented unit on this team. Made up of John Duldner ‘16, Hayden Parente ‘16, and Stephen Milhoan ‘17, the three have 9 years of varsity experience between them. Parente is the epitome of a box-to-box midfielder – tackling an oncoming forward at one moment, and creating a goal at the other end the next. Duldner is another example of a player who can do it all. The hero of last year’s state championship game, Duldner plays with great passion and dedication, leading his team by example with his experience. Rounding out the midfield three is Stephen Milhoan, one of the best players in the state. Milhoan scored five goals against St. Edward on opening night, and hasn’t stopped there. The junior is dynamic on the ball, making fans and opposing defenders alike ooh and ahh with his foot skills. One would be hard-pressed to find a more composed goalscorer in Ohio than Milhoan.

Lawrence Karpeh ‘16 leads the front line with juniors John Vrablic and Riley Houde on the flanks. Karpeh is easily one of the most physically dominating players in the state; one who regularly leaves defenders for dead with his strength and speed. The pacey Houde is known to finesse his way around defenders and deliver dangerous crosses to the likelihood of Karpeh and Milhoan. Vrablic is a jack-of-all-trades, using his technical ability to maneuver around the box and find the open man. Although without an armband, Vrablic is a very vocal leader on the pitch who tries to motivate and get the best out of his teammates.

Other Notable Players:

Max Heath ‘17 (GK)- A goalkeeper of similar quality to Dils who will fight day-in and day-out for the starting spot as throughout the season.

Patrick Strauss ‘17 (CB)- His hair described by Seth Whitney as “some of the most luscious lettuce I’ve seen in awhile,” Strauss is the first defender off the bench and will serve as a trusty backup for both Gordon and Trickett.

Adam Collins ‘17 (AM)- Collins is an intelligent attacking midfielder who can make smart runs into the box and distribute the ball well from the outside. Look for Collins to pick up more minutes as the season goes on.

With the leadership of the seniors and under the guidance of the most successful coach in Ohio High School Boy’s Soccer, the table is set for another historic year for the soccer ‘Cats. Can they do it again?

by Ned Conry ‘16

With the bad taste of last year’s 6th place finish at the State Meet still in their mouths the Saint Ignatius Cross Country Team looks to capture the State Title for the fourth time in the program’s history and its first since 2009. Returning all top seven runners from last year, the team is one of the best in the state and the nation.

They are led by Senior captains Luke Wagner, Tom Sullivan, and Tim Trentel. Strong showings at the Tiffin XC Carnival and Trinity Invitational (KY), meet where they knocked off the fifth ranked team in the nation, have solidified the ‘Cats at the top of the state poll. The top seven consists of the senior captains named above along with Jim Rogers ‘16, CJ Ambrosio ‘17, Andrew Szendrey ‘17, and Colin Caniglia ‘17. However the XC Cats are not only a power at the varsity level, the team talent runs deep, with an equally strong JV squad and very impressive Open unit led by Trey Burke ‘17 and Nick Neroni ‘17.

Senior Captain Tom Sullivan explained , “We have already been voted the best looking team in the state by multiple sources, now it’s time to prove that we are the fastest too.” The team will look to do just that in Columbus on November 7th.