by Collin Kelly ‘17 and Carter Spearry ‘16

On January 3, Dre’Mont Jones ‘15 became the first Ignatian ever to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. The game, held annually since 2001, is a showcase of ninety of the best high school senior football players in the country and has featured many future NFL and college football stars such as Andrew Luck, Demarco Murray and Ndamukong Suh.

Dre’Mont, who was also invited to play in the Under Armour All-American Game, helped the West prevail 39-36 over the East. Dre’Mont and his West defensive teammates played a strong game allowing 57 net rushing yards. “He was really underrated by a lot of people. He’s one of the best defensive ends here at this game,” Athletic Director Rory Fitzpatrick said of Jones.

Dre’Mont’s biggest play of the game came when he deflected a pass into the air and West linebacker Ben Humphreys intercepted it and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown.

Jones commented on playing on such a huge stage saying, “I think playing on that stage was crazy, it was the biggest crowd I ever played in front of. I was nervous but excited the entire game. Throughout the game, sometimes it felt like I was in college.”

“He certainly showed that he’s one of the best in the county,” remarked Head Varsity Football Coach Chuck Kyle.

Dre’Mont has had the attention of colleges for multiple years with his athletic 6’4” 250 pound frame. On 247Sports.com, he received a 9/10 for his athleticism and pursuit and an 8/10 for his hand quickness and first step. The U.S. Army All American Bowl official website describes Dre’Mont as having “the frame and athletic ability to be a scheme-versatile defensive lineman.”

“With how hard he works and with how big, strong and athletic he is, I think he’s got a great career ahead of him,” commented Mr. Fitzpatrick.

Ranked as the 17th defensive end in the country and the 5th overall prospect in Ohio by ESPN, Dre’Mont received scholarship offers from nine schools including Florida State, Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame. In spite of all that, Dre’Mont elected to stay in Ohio and verbally committed to Ohio State on June 18, 2014.

After the Buckeyes’ win over Oregon in the National Championship, Dre’Mont couldn’t have been happier. And according to him, it’s only going to get better. “My thoughts on the future are overwhelmingly bright because of the players coming and staying and the staff there. We easily have a shot at the National Championship game again next year, plus I get to play with Kyle Berger ‘14 again.”

By Brian Sabath

Just picture this: Some guys playing hockey. Outside. On the first day of the New Year. In the middle of a minor league baseball field.

Not a common sight for a baseball field in the middle of cold winter. But, leave it to the Saint Ignatius hockey team to not only play in such special circumstances, but also win 3-1 over the visiting St. John’s Jesuit hockey team.

The game came with lots of excitement as many of the players were used to playing pond hockey when they were younger (as many still do); plus, it was on the very same day the NHL Winter Classic was played. This event has grown in recent years to match the audience of the college football bowl games that are usually played on New Years Day. The Winter Classic is played on makeshift outdoor rinks placed inside outdoor sporting venues.

The game, while played with the exact OHSAA rules, was very different compared to your “average” hockey game.

Mr. Pat O’Rourke ‘90, head hockey coach, said “We didn’t grow up in Canada, but some of the boys played on backyard rinks when they were younger, so it definitely connects us with the roots of the game. It’s nothing but fun for the whole team”

With the new environment the team had to adapt to its surroundings. A light wind blew across the rink, and even dusty snow swept across the rink. The puck would blend in with things that are located around the stadium. Used to playing in their traditional gear, the hockey team was in for a surprise when the cold air buffeted them from all sides, forcing them into a few extra layers.

For hockey players and fans alike, it doesn’t get much better than an outdoor hockey game. Whether it be because of the natural setting, or the added intensity of the game, all would agree that the game is an exciting one to watch and play with a few friends.

By Andrew Zawie ’16

It is no secret that the hockey and soccer teams have been two of the most successful sports programs in the past year. It first started off with the hockey team securing the State Championship in their seven-overtime thriller against Sylvania Northview. Even with all the joy and excitement from being state champs, the ambiguous result left many of them feeling unfulfilled. Throughout the season, especially the playoffs, the hockey team showed the entire school that hard work and dedication pays off in the long run. Perhaps the people who understood this best was our very own soccer team.

“Seeing the hockey team win last year made us see how hard work pays off and that led us to work even harder throughout the offseason and then into the postseason,” says Hunter Gordon ’16 of the soccer team.

Now that the soccer team, under the guidance of Coach McLaughlin ‘85, has secured the state record sixth state championship, the hockey team looks to secure back-to-back championships.

“Seeing the soccer team win its sixth state title was astounding. We want to build a dynasty just as they have done and the only way to do that is to win back-to-back state titles; our work is cut out for us but the soccer team may have just given us the spark that we need. We also want to be the only team to raise the trophy above our heads; we want to win it 100% this year” said Geoff Allman ’16, a defenseman on the hockey team.

As the hockey regular season comes to an end in the next month, all eyes will be fixed on them as they make yet another postseason run.

by Sam Watters ’18

Adding another star will not be the only change to the soccer team’s uniforms next year. Just like in years past, their kits (a more technical, “European” term for uniform) will be undergoing a drastic face­lift. But this is not at all surprising, considering the ‘Cats have had their look changed every year for the past several years. As it turns out, quite a bit of work goes into designing and producing these sweet threads.

The first step involves the true visionaries, the Steve Jobs of the uniform world, the juniors. According to Mr. McLaughlin, head soccer coach and director of Sophomore Service, next year’s senior players are the leaders when it comes to creating prototype unis. Hunter Gordon ’16, a member of the design group, said that next year’s uniforms should be “some variation of this year’s,” a clear indicator that the 2015 uniforms will bear a strong resemblance to the 2014 versions.

After the juniors have a proposed model, they present it to Coach McLaughlin and the rest of the coaching staff. If it gets administrative approval, the designs are sent to UN1TUS, a national brand that sponsors the soccer program and graciously allows them to design school personalized gear every year.

As for what to expect to see in 2015, Coach McLaughlin was not giving many hints. “There will be an all white kit for home games along with a blue kit and a gold kit, but aside from that I can’t get into too many specifics.”, he said. Note that he did say “all white”, so perhaps the jerseys seen in the State Championship in November could see some sort of comeback.

No matter what the final product looks like, the players and coaches for the soccer team look to win a seventh state title this year. So next time you are at a game and you see the Wildcats with that extra state championship star on the jerseys, remember all the work it took to get both the star and the jersey.