Opponent Preview: St Ignatius (Week 2)

This is the second of my previews of Mentor's opponents for the 2019 season.  See the Week 1 preview on St Edward here.

Week 2

Who: St Ignatius Wildcats

What: Non-league game

Where: Jerome T Osborne Sr Stadium

When: September 6th at 7:00pm

Opposing Coach: Chuck Kyle (37th season, 11 state titles)

History: Mentor and St Ignatius are entering their 15th consecutive year in this series that started in 2005. After last season's win by Mentor, St Ignatius still has an edge (8-6) over the Cardinals in the regular season series. Since 2003, Mentor has won four of five against the Wildcats in the playoffs. Coach Trivisonno currently has a 10-9 advantage in games coached against the legendary Chuck Kyle. Unless they meet again in the playoffs, this will be the last game ever between these two coaches. 

Looking Back...
The Wildcats began the season 0-2 after falling to Hoban (undefeated state champions in DII) and Mentor. The home loss to Mentor (28-7) brought rumblings of certain doom for Chuck Kyle's squad. The Cats squashed the doubters and ran the table in September and October, which included a Week 10 win at Browns Stadium against St Edward. St Ignatius' season came to a close as they fell to the eventual state champion Eagles, 21-19, in the first round of the playoffs. Since 2008, St Ignatius has been bounced from the playoffs seven times. Six of those seven losses were against teams the Cats had beaten earlier in the regular season. St Ignatius boasted five players (all seniors) on the All-District 1st Team in 2018. 

Schedule...
St Ignatius will once again have one of the toughest schedules in Ohio. They open the season against Loyola Academy, the defending big school state champions from Illinois. That is followed by road games at Mentor and Hoban, two teams that handed St Ignatius their only regular season losses last year. Weeks 4-6 feature three winnable games against DeMatha (MD), Canada's Football North Academy, and Rockledge (FL). St Ignatius beat Clarkson Football North 45-13 last season. Rockledge, a playoff qualifier in Florida in 2018, is new to the schedule. In Weeks 7-9, the schedule is hit with a heavy dose of more of the best in the state: St Edward, Moeller, and St Xavier. Those three schools have combined for nine state titles since 2005. St Ignatius gets a breather in Week 10 against Canada's West Toronto Prep, a team the Cats blanked 45-0 last season. Needless to say, Chuck Kyle's squad will be battle tested for the playoffs with three defending state champions and a few other big hitters. 

2019 St Ignatius Outlook...
Offensively, St Ignatius brings back some key returnees from last season. Power back Jack Welsch has a lot of varsity experience the past two seasons. After sharing carries as a sophomore and junior, he will be the primary ball carrier this season. Receiver Connor Cmiel received 2nd team All-District honors in 2018. The 6'2, 175-pound receiver has big play capabilities and will be one of the most talented at his position in the area. Senior TE Sam Daugstup (6'5, 285) is one of the most highly recruited players at his position in the Midwest. On the line, the Wildcats should be solid. A couple starters return, including Nick Schwitzgebel (6'3, 285). The senior guard has several DI offers. Offensive line is often a strength for the St Ignatius. As for QB, it will not be a surprise if Chuck Kyle once again goes with a first year senior starter. Griffin Hanna was the backup last season and proved to be efficient (14-27, 155 yards) in his limited opportunities to throw. Expect him to be the starter, but a pair of sophomores could be in the mix with a strong August camp. The Wildcats should be pretty balanced with talent and experience returning in the running and passing game. 

Defensively, it won't be easy to replace LB Tommy Eichenberg, who is at Ohio State. Senior linebackers Connor Francz and Michael McNamara (Kent State baseball recruit) are returning starters in the middle of St Ignatius' vaunted 3-3 stack defense. Despite huge roster numbers, Kyle is not hesitant to put some of his most talented athletes on both sides of the ball. Daugstup could see time at defensive end in addition to his offensive duties. Key offensive players Welsch and Cmiel were two-way standouts last year, so expect them to make an impact in the secondary this year. 

A grueling first few weeks of the season will test the Wildcats. If they can get one or two wins out of the gate, this will be another playoff season. St Ignatius has some size, speed, and talent at key positions. Finding a playmaker to lead the defensive charge will be key. The Cats develop QB's as good as just about anybody in Ohio, so expect the offense to be efficient. Mentor has had their hands full with Ignatius over the years, so expect 2019 to be no different. This team will be on the short list to seriously challenge St Edward for the Region 1 title. 

Next Preview: Clarkson Football North (Week 3)