Opponent Preview: St Ignatius (Week 2)

This is the second of my previews of Mentor's opponents for the 2015 season.  See the Week 1 preview here.

Week 2

Who: St Ignatius Wildcats

What: Non-league game

Where: Byers Field (Parma)

When: September 3rd at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Chuck Kyle (34th season, 11 state titles)

History: Mentor and St Ignatius are entering their 12th game in this series. St Ignatius has a slight edge (6-5) over the Cardinals in the regular season. After winning three of four against the Wildcats in the playoffs, Triv has an 8-7 lead head-to-head against the legendary Chuck Kyle.

Looking Back...
During Week 2 last fall, Mentor and St Ignatius had one of the most unforgettable offensive performances in NEO history. Offensive records were set. Defenses were destroyed. In the end, Mentor got the final score with a 63-56 win. It was by far the biggest highlight game of sophomore QB Tadas Tataruans (523 yards and 4 TD's). St Ignatius (5-4 in 2015) missed the playoffs for only the second time in 28 seasons. 

Schedule...
The schedule worked against St Ignatius last year. The Wildcats were easily a playoff caliber team. They were probably the 2nd or 3rd best team in the region, but the harbins were not in their favor. Playing the three Parma schools again doesn't help. Parma, Valley Forge, and Normandy went a combined 5-25 last season. Walsh Jesuit, Detroit Catholic Central, and GlenOak are challenging, but winnable games. The key to the Ignatius schedule is finding a win in their final three games against Moeller, St Xavier, and St Edward. 


2016 St Ignatius Outlook...
There is no question the Wildcats were an offensive juggernaut last season. QB Dennis Grosel (Boston College), OL Liam Eichenberg (Notre Dame), WR Jack Cook (Harvard), and WR Cal Grbac were All-Ohio talent. All four have graduated. Senior RB Jimmy Andrews is one of the few experienced players returning on offense. Senior RB Dean Stowers will also get some carries. The offensive line is led by John Spellacy, a 6'1 280-pound center committed to East Carolina. Senior Patrick Ryan is the likely starting QB for the Wildcats this fall. Defensively, the Wildcats had a down season in 2015. There were some bright spots, but a couple bad weeks against Mentor and Moeller stand out to the Wildcat faithful. Many of the starters from last year's defense do return. Growth and development on that side of the ball will be key to the season. Long-time media legend and St Ignatius reporter Eddie Dwyer is high on the linebacking core - keyed by Johnny Velotta, Adam Shibley, and James Leyden. There are some question marks, but the defense has to be significantly better for the Wildcats to reach their usually high expectations.

Next Preview:  St Xavier (Week 3)