CLEVELAND, OH - The Cats opened up the season this past Thursday, facing an early-season challenge against Avon at Huntington Bank Field. Both sides had excitement and some unknown heading into the game and the season. Avon, which had secured back-to-back OHSAA DII State Titles in the prior seasons, had a lot of unknowns heading into the 2026 campaign, had many talented starters who had graduated, and saw many fresh faces in the starting lineup against Ignatius. The Cats, on the other hand, were playing the first game under new Head Football Coach Tom Kaufman and his staff. Combine that with playing at the home of the Cleveland Browns, and there was a lot of buzz surrounding this football game. 

The Cats got the football first and established the running game while showing some early-season wrinkles, picking up multiple first downs, including one on a Billy Cole end-around and a fourth-and-one conversion courtesy of Cole as well. However, on the edge of the Avon red zone, the Cats were stopped short on fourth, and one promising drive came up with nothing for the Cats. Avon took over and had similar fortunes, moving the football downfield, picking up a big third-down conversion, but ultimately coming up empty-handed when Trevor Sykora was picked off by Anthony Anghilante in the end zone with Avon inside the Ignatius red zone. As a result, there was no score after one quarter of play.

The Cats were backed up field-position-wise to start the second and got some traction on their second drive, but with the long field ahead of them, it wasn't enough, and they had to punt it away. On the ensuing Avon drive, Trevor Sykora dumped it off to the Fin Jerdonek on third and three on a screen play, and Jerdonek did the rest, taking it right down the middle of the field for a 53-yard Avon touchdown, which gave them the first score of the ballgame with 6:47 remaining in the half. 

On the next Saint Ignatius drive, disaster struck as Dane Donovan was intercepted by Ryan Eaton on a screen play, setting up Avon with prime field position inside the Wildcat 25. Avon would take advantage of the short field, as Michael Colburn punched it in from four yards out to give Avon a two-score lead with 3:29 left to go in the first half. With Avon also getting the football to start the second half, the Cats needed a response. 
Jacob Mikin was now in at QB and had been rotating with Donovan throughout the first half as expected. Mikin found Brandon Paull a couple of times on screen passes, pushing the football inside the Avon 40. From there, the Cats used Billy Cole's versatility to their advantage, finding him on a screen design that gave them a first down, and then using him out of the backfield a couple times, where Cole broke off a 19 yard run on fourth and one to get into the endzone and give the Cats their first score of the game and of the season with 1:30 left to go in the first half. 

An awkward two-point attempt from the Cats following the touchdown was unsuccessful, and it stayed an eight-point game at 14-6. The next drive for Avon went nowhere, as they were set back after an intentional grounding under pressure from James Conrad, giving the Cats the football back on the punt right around midfield. The Cats got on the outskirts of field goal range with time dwindling down, but Griffin Roberts had his 45-yarder blocked by Jairel Fenton, and that put an end to the first half of action with Avon on top 14-6.

The second half began with stellar defensive play on both sides of the football, featuring five straight punts. Following the fifth punt of the half by Avon, a personal foul penalty on the Eagles set the Cats up just inside Avon territory. A big third-down catch from Trey Haddad on third and four allowed the drive to continue, and eventually set up Tyler McMillon's 14-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to two. McMillon's first varsity touchdown in his first varsity game came with 1:27 left in the third. The Cats went for two to try and tie it, and that's when Mikin, who played the whole second half at QB for the Cats, found Haddad again on this drive, this time in the end zone for the two-point conversion. After three quarters, the game was knotted up at 14. Much different than last year, when the week one matchup between Avon and Saint Ignatius was a one-score game at the half, and Avon ran away with it in the second half. 

Avon finally got something going offensively on their next drive, working the football all the way down to the Wildcat 41-yard line. However, on a critical third down, Sykora's pass got deflected by Gavin Foss and intercepted by Anghilante for his second of the night. The return put the ball just into Avon territory, giving the Cats great field position with the chance to take the lead with eight minutes left in the fourth. This is where the Cats once again leaned into their depth at running back, with JT Hummer getting the Cats into the Avon redzone, setting up McMillon to punch it in, this time from 15 yards out to give the Cats a 21-14 lead with 5:38 left in regulation.

The Avon offense had been stagnant in the second half, and early in what would be their final drive, they faced a crucial fourth-and-eight with time not on their side. Sykora was flushed, pressured, and delivered it downfield to Jackson Palmer for a big gain that put Avon at the Ignatius 37-yard line. Another completion to Palmer got Avon inside the 25, and a late hit on the quarterback, Sykora, a bit later in the drive, pushed Avon inside the ten-yard line. 

The Cats certainly didn't make it easy on Avon, but on third and goal, Michael Colburn punched it in from two yards out, putting Avon within one. Following the play, there was no hesitation from Avon, as they knew right away they were going for two. Sykora was pressured, bought time, and eventually found the man of the drive, yet again: Palmer in the end zone for the successful two-point conversion, giving Avon the lead with 14 seconds left. A perfectly executed squib on the ensuing kickoff not only bled time, but kept the Cats from getting prime field position, with Saint Ignatius getting the football around their own 30 with only eight seconds left. On the final play of the game, Mikin found Paull, but he was in bounds, and it was an illegal forward pass anyway, so either way, the game was over, and Avon escaped with a 22-21 victory in week one over the Cats.

While it certainly is a heartbreaking loss for the Cats, there are so many positives you can take away from this game on both sides of the football. Avon, despite some roster shuffling, is still widely considered one of the best teams in the state, and it went right down to the wire against them on Thursday, unlike in past years, when the game felt nearly over by the fourth. The Cats had big performances from so many guys on both sides of the football. The offensive line was the unsung hero of the night, and all four running backs the Cats used were productive. Cole finished with 46 yards on seven rushes, while Hummer added 49 yards on eight carries. 

Defensively, the Cats had big games from guys at all three levels, with James Conrad and David Hughes getting constant pressure all night and defending the run extremely well. Gavin Foss had a huge night for the Cats, and in the secondary, Anghilante and Mike Velotta were flying to the football all night. So while the loss stings, there was certainly plenty of promise shown.

The Cats will be back in action on Friday, the 28th, when they travel down to Columbus to square off against Pickerington North in the second leg of a home-and-home between the two squads, with the SIBN having live coverage of the night's action.