St. Ignatius running back Tim McVey, a Buffalo commit, was the difference in his team's 32-21 win over St. Xavier. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound senior rushed for 151 yards and four touchdowns.
Photo by Michael Noyes
and
St. Xavier (Cincinnati) know each other's programs very well – as much two high school teams can know each other being on the opposite sides of the state.
So there were no huge surprises Saturday afternoon at Ballaban Field in Cincinnati in one of the nation's most anticipated games of the week. A typical physical and intelligent brand of football was played on an autumn day in suburban Cincinnati and both programs respected what the other wanted to do.
"I think our kids and their kids know it's going to be a 48-minute battle," St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle said. "…A game like this pay huge dividends when you get to the playoffs."
St. Ignatius senior running back
Tim McVey rushed for 151 yards and four touchdowns – something he didn't expect – as the visiting Wildcats defeated St. Xavier 32-21. It was the 19th meeting between the two schools and St. X now leads the series 10-9.
Tim McVey scored three of his four
touchdowns in the second half.
Photo by Michael Noyes
St. Ignatius is ranked No. 4 nationally in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings.
"I think their (tailback), Tim McVey is as good a high school football player as you will find in the state of Ohio," St. X coach Steve Specht told the Cincinnati Enquirer earlier this week. "He's the key to what they do."
McVey, who is verbally committed to Buffalo, said he enjoyed playing in the atmosphere of St. Xavier Stadium where the student section was noisy for most of the game. It was the third time in his career he scored four touchdowns in a game.
St. X actually led 21-6 early in the third quarter and seemed to have a comfortable advantage before McVey and the Wildcats (9-0) rallied.
"(At) Ignatius we never give up," McVey said. "We come out with as much heart as we can and we lay it on the field."
Trailing 21-6 late in the third quarter, the Wildcats scored four unanswered touchdowns from the late third quarter and into the fourth.
St. Ignatius took the lead with 8:20 left when McVey scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on third down as the Wildcats held a 25-21 advantage.
St. Ignatius got an interception on the next St. X drive and the Wildcats converted on the turnover when McVey scored on a 6-yard run with 4:56 left that helped give St. Ignatius a 32-21 lead.
St. Ignatius had 430 yards of total offense including 304 yards passing. Defensively, the Wildcats were led by
Kyle Berger (eight tackles, 3½ sacks) and
Bryan Fisher (six tackles).
"They are awful good," Specht said of the Wildcats.
Quarterback Nicholas Tensing had three
touchdown passes for St. Xavier.
Photo by Michael Noyes
St. Xavier (5-4), which wore pink jerseys during the game Saturday for breast cancer awareness, entered Saturday ninth in the Division I, Region 4 computer points standings from the OHSAA.
The Bombers must defeat visiting Louisville St. Xavier next chance to have a chance at the playoffs.
"We got to put a full game together," Specht told the Enquirer.
St. X junior quarterback
Nicholas Tensing threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns for the Bombers on Saturday as one of the standouts.
The two programs are quite familiar with each other. Specht was the defensive coordinator on the Under-19 national team that won gold in the summer of 2009 in Canton under Kyle. Specht was the 2012 U.S. U-19 national team head coach this past summer.
St. Ignatius is ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Division I state media poll. St. Ignatius has won 15 consecutive games since a 14-12 loss to visiting St. Xavier on Oct. 22, 2011.
Kyle, in his 30th season as head coach at St. Ignatius, improved his record to 299-67-1 after the game.
The Wildcats, the reigning Division I state champion, came into Saturday after posting two straight shutouts to St. Francis (N.Y.) 56-0 and John Adams 49-0.
St. Ignatius concludes the regular season against No. 2-state ranked Lakewood St. Edward at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at Byers Field. Next week's game will be the 50th game in the series and St. Ignatius leads 27-21-1.
St. Ignatius receiver Rocky Zingale had a 46-yard touchdown reception.
Photo by Michael Noyes
St. Ignatius 6-0-13-13--32
St. Xavier 7-0-14-0--21
I-McVey 4 run (kick failed)
X-Fricke 5 pass from Tensing (Berry kick)
X-Ries 80 pass from Tensing (Bechtold kick)
X-Frey 9 pass from Tensing (Bechtold kick)
I-Zingale 46 pass from LaManna (pass failed)
I-McVey 14 run (Colella kick)
I-McVey 1 run (pass failed)
I-McVey 6 run (Colella kick)
Records: X 5-4, I 9-0
