by It’s one of the most historic rivalries in Northeast Ohio athletics. Tonight, Saint Ignatius took down Benedictine with a final score of 42-6.
Saint Ignatius’ undeniable offense was pitted against Benedictine’s strong defense. Ignatius was coming off of a shutout win at John Marshall, while Benedictine was coming off of a win against Lake Catholic.
The Wildcats and Bengals faced off at Don Shula Stadium in a game of aggressive football. Beyond the multiple injuries sustained on field, perhaps the greatest indicator of competitiveness were the fans in the stands: camouflage outfits and flashlight waving for Ignatius, towel waving and yelling for Benedictine.
The first quarter started with Benedictine possession of the ball after the punt. Much attention was on running back Kayden Forte, but the Saint Ignatius defense was too strong for him to get by. There were countless rushing plays where he kept getting stuffed and struggled to gain yards.
With 8:25 on the clock, Jacob Mikin of Saint Ignatius had a clever fakeout that resulted in a 22-yard rushing touchdown. Griffin Roberts made the extra point, setting the score at 7-0.
When Benedictine regained possession, quarterback Giovanni Iacampo had a breakout play to Kai Caldwell, helping them progress downfield. The momentum was starting to change for Benedictine, but a few botched plays in a row left them with zero points on the board.
After that point, the Benedictine defense was starting to find its groove. However, they were no match for the Saint Ignatius offense. Mikin threw a spiral to Billy Cole, who caught a slant route and ran 85 yards for a touchdown, setting the score at 13-0. With 2:40 on the clock, they ran into the endzone again for a two-point conversion, setting the score at a dominant 15-0.
The second quarter exposed the weaknesses of the Saint Ignatius offense. They struggled to complete long passes, until quarterback Dane Donovan had a breakthrough: a rushing touchdown of 5 yards with 7:40 on the clock that set the score at 22-0.
Rushing quarterbacks were the stars of the game tonight.
After a rowdy stint between the refs and coaches over a questionable call, running back Jovani Williams had his moment to shine when he ran in a touchdown for Benedictine from the 13 yard line. With 3:21 on the clock in the first half, the score was 22-6.
The rest of the second quarter showcased the strength of the Saint Ignatius defense, while highlighting inconsistencies in the Benedictine offense. Forte had a great run, and Iacampo had an excellent long pass, but the Wildcats intercepted a crucial pass thrown by Kai Caldwell, exposing the cracks in their passing game.
The third quarter was high-scoring for Saint Ignatius (17 points), while the Benedictine offense demonstrated lots of pre-snap motion. It usually works in their favor, but it was no match for the well-attuned Ignatius defense.
Forte tried to work his way down the field, but struggled to gain yards, a problem that persisted throughout the entirety of the game. The secret to the Wildcats dominance was their excellent field position and defense that powers their offense.
Tyler McMillan scored another touchdown for Ignatius with 4:13 remaining, putting the score at 37-6. After excessive penalties, the score went up to 39-6 after intentional grounding in the end zone that resulted in a safety.
In the fourth quarter, Ignatius scored a 34-yard field goal with 7:07 remaining, bringing the score to a decisive 42-6.
The key to Saint Ignatius’ success at Don Shula Stadium came down to three factors: consistency, offensive dominance, and field positioning.
Players of the Game:
Wide Receiver Billy Cole of Saint Ignatius racked up 104 yards on three receptions.
Running Back Jojo Williams of Benedictine had 7 carries for 47 yards and one touchdown.
