by Sean Martin scored 3 touchdowns, and stopped a game sealing drive by Mentor with a pick, as St. Ignatius won in thrilling triple overtime fashion 26-20. This will go down as one of the greatest games in OHSAA history! It had more twists and turns then a heavyweight classic!
Martin, did it as a receiver, a running back and a defender. You cannot make up this kind of drama if you tried. A combined 8 turnovers, three blocked kicks and just every single wild play one could think of. In the end, it was Martin coming though in the clutch for a triple overtime walk off winner.
For Mentor, the loss won’t erase some huge numbers by the offense. Quarterback Scotty Fox went 14 of 29 for 174 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 costly picks. Tailback Mitchell Waite had 149 yards with a score. Wideout Jordan Stapleton had a tremendous night with 7 receptions for 126 yards.
The Wildcats opened up with the ball and began to carve up the Cardinal defense with large chunk plays including a 24-yard pass from Papesh to Brandon Webster to get inside Cardinal territory. A few plays later on a fourth and 2, it was Favazzo powering ahead with a four yard rumble up the middle.
The Wildcats faced a third and long from their 30, after a bad snap but then were bailed out as a Mentor Cardinal held their wideout inside the 10, which moved the ball ahead to the 15 on the 15-yard penalty. After a false start, the Wildcats responded with a screen pass that Sean Martin took 19 yards to paydirt to open the games scoring at 7-0 with 7:34 to play in the first quarter.
A few possessions later, a Ben Taliak interception of Scotty Fox, would give the ball back to the Wildcats at the Mentor 42-yard line. The Wildcats wasted no time as on the very next play it was Papesh finding Jonathan Merimee on a beautiful over the shoulder strike to make it 14-0 St. Ignatius quickly.
The Cardinals used a steady diet of Mitchell Waite as the Cardinals moved the ball down the field to open the second quarter. It looked for a second the Cardinals would cash in when Fox found Nick Jares at the 4-yard line, but right as he was about to score, he was stripped of the ball and the Wildcats pounced on it to get the fumble recovery at the 1-yard line.
Still down 14-0 when they got the ball back, the Cardinals went right back to the run with Waite. It worked well as they drove inside the 10, also aided by a few costly Wildcat penalties. They advanced to the 3-yard line for a 1rst and goal. The Cardinals cashed in with a 1-yard jaunt by Waite to cut into the lead 14-7 with 2:55 to play in the first half. The score would hold up as the game went to half as a last second drive by St. Ignatius was wiped out by a Papesh interception.
A three and out to start the half for the Cardinals deep in their own territory resulted in a short punt. A penalty on the kick was tacked on, and just like that, the Wildcats had the ball on the Cardinal 10 to start their first drive of the half. They couldn’t make it count however as Papesh was picked off in the endzone on third down.
The nightmare stretch for Papesh continued the next time the Wildcats had the ball, with his third straight interception. The Cardinals took it all the way back to the Wildcat 3 to set up shop. A play later, it was a slant pass from Fox to Henry Schenk to tie it up at 14. A rough quarter for the Wildcats as they went from looking at a 21-7 lead, and suddenly were tied at 14 with 3:47 to play.
The St. Ignatius woes would continue as the Cardinals forced another punt to take over on their own 16 with 51 seconds to go in the third quarter. The drive never got going and eventually the field would flip again as the Wildcats started the fourth quarter from their own 35 as backup quarterback Quinn Woidke checked in for the Wildcats. He couldn’t spark them however and it led to another punt.
This time, Mentor wasn’t messing around with the good field position. With 7:19 to play in the game, Fox launched a bullet to Jordan Stapleton over the middle where he scored a wide open touchdown to make it 20-14 as the Cardinals missed the extra point.
As the Cardinals had the ball back and were looking to salt the game away, Sean Martin stepped up with a huge interception, giving the Wildcats the ball back with 3:28 to go on the Cardinal 37 in stunning fashion. A wild flurry then saw Papesh check back in the game and hit Dunstan on a cross that he took down to the Cardinal 10. Seconds later, it was Sean Martin taking it from 10 to make it 20-20. Then, in wild fashion, Mentor blocked the kick, leaving the game tied at 20 as the game would then head to overtime.
After the initial overtime resulted in neither team gaining a yard, let alone a point, the second overtime began. The snake bitten Wildcats would turn it over again, this time, as Favazzo coughed it up and ended the Wildcat drive after one play.
The Cardinals picked up a few yards and then went for the field goal from 29 yards out to attempt to win it from Dylan Tackett. It was not to be as it was blocked as we went to triple overtime. Triple overtime began with a Fox interception, and the ball went back to Iggy with a chance to win.
The Sean Martin show continued with a 20-yard scamper to win it! What a night for Martin in a thriller!
Next week St. Ignatius travels to take on Mt. Saint Joseph in Maryland. Mentor will host Riverside.
The players of the game are
St. Ignatius RB/DB Sean Martin with 3 touchdowns, and an interception. Including the winning touchdown.
Mentor RB Mitchell Waite with 149 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Great game recap