No. 9 St. Edward

St. Edward enjoyed a magical 2010 season and is back for another title run.

File photo by Scott Seighman

The winds have change have swept across northeast Ohio. Gone is the St. Ignatius hegemony. St. Edward, which captured its first state title last season, is build to last as a local and national power.

Entering only his third season, head coach Rick Finotti has the foundations for another very strong team in 2011.

Multiple starters on both the offensive and defensive lines will make the Eagles extremely strong in the trenches once again; it was the team's line play that drove the 2010 squad.



Tyler Orlosky, Sam Grant, and Ohio State-commit Kyle Kalis lead the way on offense while Darryl Render, Tom Lally, and Greg Kuhar return on the defensive line. Both units are talented and very experienced.

6-foot-3 quarterback Henry Hilow, who nearly won the starting job last fall, gives the Eagles an unproven commodity, albeit a highly-regarded one. Dwayne Aaron will likely see most of the carries, though St. Edward will have other options.

St. Edward has made tremendous strides in the weight room and has done a great job developing players. If the team's secondary develops, and if Finotti can find a playmaker on offense, the Eagles will be a major threat for another state title.

Local look: "I think the general feeling is that Finotti has the program set for the long haul, that last year wasn't just a fluke year. They're going to have a very strong foundation on the line and they'll be physically strong year in, year out. It's a matter of wait and see whether or not they get the skill kids in each class to keep the momentum going. I think everyone in northeast Ohio expects them to be one of the strongest team in the region, if not the strongest." - Tim Warsinskey, Cleveland Plain-Dealer

Continue to School Profile
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School size: Division I


Enrollment: 850 (approx.)




2010 finish: 15-0, Division I state champion


Head coach: Rick Finotti


Career record: 19-6


Years at school: 2


Notable players coached:
DB Ashante Williams (Illinois)
DL Deonte Gibson (Northwestern)

Continue to Key Returners
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No. of starters returning: 3 (offense), 3 (defense)

Key losses:
DL Deonte Gibson
RB Terrell Bates
RB Reggie Terrell



Key returners:
OL Kyle Kalis
OL Tyler Orlosky
TE Sam Grant
DL Darryl Render

Key newcomers:
QB Henry Hilow
RB Dwayne Aaron
DB Soloman Warfield
ATH Shaun Crawford




Continue to Season Outlook
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Toughest game: Don Bosco Prep. This game will feature a match up in the trenches that will be hard to top. Don Bosco Prep is loaded on the defensive line and will make it hard for St. Edward to dominate in the run game.

Local outlook: Northeast Ohio will feature traditional powers Glenville and Solon as well as an improved St. Ignatius team that will be hungry to dethrone St. Edward.

Overall outlook: St. Edward will thrive on the offensive and defensive line, and should be fine at quarterback. The question will be how well the Eagles' young skill players step up to bigger roles. On offense in particular, if some playmakers can emerge, St. Edward will be dominant once again in 2011.

Continue to Video of Returning Players
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