How to watch Saint Ignatius vs. Archbishop Hoban
Date: Friday, September 20, 2024
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Video Stream: https://fanvu.tv/video/920-nps-saint-ignatius-at-archbishop-hoban
SIBN Stream: https://boxcast.tv/view/saint-ignatius-football---saint-ignatius--archbishop-hoban-cdir6qlqek5hcswnpweu
OHIO CITY, OH - The Saint Ignatius Wildcats (1-3) are coming off a game they would like to forget after falling to the Walsh Jesuit Warriors (4-0) 42-7. There is no time to dwell for the Wildcats; their next three opponents are coming off State Championship appearances in 2023, two of which won a championship (Toledo Central Catholic and St. Edward).
A week ago, the Wildcats' miscues escalated quickly in Cuyahoga Falls. After being knotted at seven after the first quarter, the Wildcats had a second and a goal from the Warriors one. Unfortunately, a false start stalled the drive, and Jackson Schaffer had his 23-yard field goal blocked.
From that point on, it was all Warriors. Aiden Henry would give Walsh Jesuit a 14-7 lead after a 15-yard touchdown reception. A bad snap on a punt went over the head of Schaffer that the Warriors fell on, and to end the first half, Milan Parris would score on a 35-yard connection from Kellen Moten to give Walsh Jesuit a 28-7 lead at the break. The Warriors added two more scores in the second half to institute the running clock, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of the Wildcats, who are heading to Akron this Friday.
"After the game, I told the guys three reasons why we were beaten: failure to execute in the red zone, failure to stop the run, and special team mistakes," explains Head Football Coach Ryan Franzinger '02. "We needed a stop immediately to start the third quarter, but we missed on that opportunity, and the game went their way."
The Wildcats will make their fourth trip to Dowed Field when they take on the Archbishop Hoban Knights (3-1). The Cats have a 2-1 record on Hoban's home field, visiting Dowed Field in 2017, 2019, and most recently in 2022. However, the Knights have the series advantage. They are 4-3 in the seven meetings and have won the previous two games.
Saint Ignatius Offense vs. Archbishop Hoban Defense
The Wildcat offense is looking to emulate their second drive of the game against Walsh Jesuit a week ago and find consistency moving forward. Early in the first quarter, the Wildcats were methodical, moving the ball down the field with an outstanding balance of runs and passes. This set up a 29-yard connection from Daniel Chalhoub to Marcus Tekancic, giving the Cats an early lead.It would be Tekancic's first career touchdown on the varsity level, showcasing his athleticism Saint Ignatius has come to know on the baseball diamond where Tekancic is a shortstop in the spring.
Three-time NFL Super Bowl champion and current Browns coach Mike Vrabel was honored in between the first and second quarter as Walsh Jesuit would retire his number 84 jersey, which gave the Wildcats more time to draw up a play near the goal line. But the Cats could not capitalize and a avalanche of miscues would plague the offense for the remainder of the night. The Wildcats could muster just 222 yards of total offense a week ago. The story line of last season's game against Hoban was their defense. They would limit the Wildcat offense to 102 yards of offense and force two pick-sixes. They would hold the Wildcat rush offense in the red, the Cats would finish with -12 yards rushing.
Two-way player Elbert Hill IV was one of the players for the Knights who recorded a pick-six against the Wildcats a season ago. Only a junior, Hill has received 30 Division I offers, most recently earning an offer from Michigan State University. Hill also holds offers to Ohio State, Alabama, and Oregon. As a sophomore, Hill had seven interceptions and ten pass breakups.
"We have done a great job securing the ball this season," says Franzinger. "Our primary focus on offense this week is to pick up first downs. Grant [Washington] and Owen [Colwell] will see an equal amount of time on the field early.
Middle linebacker Eli Lee, an Ohio State commit, is Bolstering Hoban's linebacking core. He and teammate Tanner Mintz had pick-sixes against Buchtel in week three. The other outside linebacker is Owen Turner. Rotating in with the Hoban linebackers is freshman Brydon Feister. The Knights defense has surrendered just 41 points through four games and will be the anchor for Hoban in hopes to capturing another State Championship.
Saint Ignatius Defense vs. Archbishop Hoban Offense
Fatigue played a factor in the defense's performance a week ago against Walsh Jesuit. The defense did a great job slowing down a tremendous Warriors offense for about a quarter and a half. Unfortunately due to the offensive miscues, the defense spent more time on the field, which limited the Wildcats from making needed adjustments.
Three-star recruit Milan Parris had a 64-yard touchdown reception and a 35-yard touchdown reception that put a massive hit on the confidence of the Wildcat defense. Senior quarterback Keller Moten would rush for 87 yards and led the Warriors in rushing. Walsh Jesuit accumulated 429 yards of total offense, and the Wildcat defense will look to improve heading into Hoban.
"Walsh gives their quarterback more responsibility, especially regarding the option. What you'll see with Hoban is more pulling off their offensive linemen," Franzinger explains. "Hoban has skilled players, including Payton Cook and Elbert Hill. My message to our defense this week is to keep it simple and to make a play that will force a takeaway."
The Knights will showcase two quarterbacks. Ethan Roksandich was the signal caller for the Brunswick Blue Devils a season ago but transferred to Hoban in the off season. Junior Trent Hayden has also earned time as the quarterback through the first four weeks of the high school football season.
The game Friday will showcase a pair of Ohio's best offensive linemen. Will Conroy is a four-star recruit in the Class of 2026 and is the 14th-ranked tackle in Ohio. For Hoban, junior four-star Sam Greer is the ninth-ranked tackle in Ohio. Like Conroy, Greer holds multiple Division I offers, including Michigan, Ohio State, and Tennessee.
Nate Cross has earned offers from the Army and Navy and is the Knights' starting center. The strength that Hoban has on the offensive line opens the door for sophomore four-star running back Brayton Feister.
Feister's potential was showcased early this season against Don Bosco Prep (NJ) when he rushed for 125 yards and accounted for all three of Hoban's touchdowns. He also rushed for 54 yards in last season's game against Saint Ignatius. Feister follows in the footsteps of Mr. Football in 2022 Lamar Sperling. Sperling left his mark on the high school football stage when he rushed for 356 yards in the 2022 State Championship game against Toledo Central Catholic. Only a sophomore, Feister has already earned scholarship offers from Wisconsin and Kentucky.
Tylan Boykin was the quarterback for the Knights in 2023 and led Hoban to another State Championship appearance. In 2024, the Eastern Michigan commit moved to wide receiver on the offense. Boykin is lined up wth Elbert Hill IV and Payton Cook. Boykin rushed for 43 yards in last season's game against the Wildcats. Boykin is a starting defensive back for the Knights as well.
Special Teams
The third and final facet of the game that the Wildcats will look to improve on is special teams. Two miscues by the special teams unit in last week's game against Walsh Jesuit turned the tide in favor of the Warriors. A 23-yard field goal attempt in the opening minutes of the second quarter would have given the Wildcats a three-point lead. However, Walsh Jesuit blocked Jackson Schaffer's kick.
The Wildcats looked to flip the field position later in the quarter, trailing by a touchdown. However, an errant snap would go over Schaffer, and the Warriors recovered for a touchdown.
Owen Colwell had a nice night in the return game, gaining 115 yards on five returns. Colwell has filled in nicely during the absence of senior Cody Haddad.
The Wildcats will look to pull even in the series match up against Archbishop Hoban on Friday at 7 p.m. from Dowed Field in Akron. FanVu will have the free video stream and the SIBN will have audio-only coverage. Next Friday, the Wildcats will return home to host the Toledo Central Catholic Fighting Irish at The George Finnie Stadium at 7 p.m. Hoban will host Mount Vernon (IL) at Dowed Field at 7 p.m.
Complete Week Five Game Notes
