by Carter Spearry ‘16
It’s October 1st and I don’t know if we are going to make the playoffs.
The Wildcats come into the weekend standing at 3-2, riding high off an emotional comeback win against Walsh Jesuit on Saturday. Wildcats fans were expecting a comfortable victory over a quality team, but there was nothing comfortable about the game; the Wildcats fell behind by 4 points with 53 ticks on the clock. With minimal time remaining, Dennis Grosel led the ‘Cats down the field and sealed the game with a long-distance touchdown strike to Jimmy Berger with eight seconds left. And the Wildcat faithful breathed a collective sigh of relief.
So what happened? The defense has been in question all year. The Wildcats gave up 63 points to the Mentor Cardinals, 35 to Saint Joe’s Prep (PA), and 27 to Walsh Jesuit. The issue is clear, but how to fix it?
As surprising as it may seem from a distance, the Wildcat defense is still very talented individually. The defensive line has had a tough time duplicating the success they had last year when it was anchored by Ohio State recruit Dre’Mont Jones and the stalwart defender Ray Brown. However, Tito Vasquez ‘16, Nate Keirn ‘16, and Joe Gibbons ‘17 have shown flashes of defensive dominance. Senior linebackers Ben Cray, Alex Maruna, and Nick LaVigna are top-quality athletes and deserve to be trusted as the core of the defense. The secondary has lacked any star-quality, but work together as a unit to defend the air waves. Overall, the defense has lacked continuity and leadership which is necessary if the ‘Cats want to be playing deep into November.
The offense, on the other hand, has been in rhythm since the beginning. Led by senior quarterback Dennis Grosel, Nick Restifo’s offense has been scoring points in bunches this year. Grosel has elite weapons in his arsenal, featuring the likes of senior wideouts Jack Cook and Cal Grbac, and is consistently accompanied by Jimmy Andrews ‘17 in his backfield whenever going to the ground is the better option. Grosel has been protected well this season by his offensive line which features Notre Dame commit Liam Eichenberg among a very sturdy line. Restifo’s unit has stepped up to the call this season, with incredible levels of offensive efficiency against Mentor and Walsh Jesuit. This team can certainly score, that we know.
High school football is all about computer points, and our schedule does not help our playoff chances in the least. Also, due to a teacher strike in Canada, one of our scheduled opponents from “up north” is unable to make the trip this year, leaving our regular season schedule at only nine games. Teams such as Valley Forge, Normandy, Walsh Jesuit, and Parma have a combined record of 4-16 after five weeks of the season. Assuming the ‘Cats knock off the Parma Redmen tomorrow night, they will need to win two of their last three games of the year. That’s not an easy task. Coach Kyle’s team will have to knock off at least two of Saint Xavier, Archbishop Moeller, and Saint Edward in the last three weeks of the season if they hope to make the playoffs.
What can you expect from a team who has ultimately failed to live up to the state championship expectations? Let me tell you: unparalleled dedication to deliver an end-product on the field which will electrify crowds and resurrect our place in the state standings. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going, and it is time to see how tough we can get as the ‘Cats chase the state tournament once again.
