By Dean Eversole
MaxPreps.com
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It was the Holy War by the lake Saturday night, and when the smoke cleared Lakewood St. Edward stood victorious over Cleveland St. Ignatius, 21-13.
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Over 13,000 people packed into Parma's Byers Field to watch two of the state's top programs have at it and they were not disappointed.
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St. Edward running back Frank Edmonds experienced an emotional roller coaster ride in a game that severely tested his will power. The All-State running back put the ball on the turf twice in the contest in the first 16 minutes, but then came the dramatic swing upward.
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With his team down 7-0, thanks in part to his fumble, Edmonds took off on a 45-yard touchdown run. The extra point knotted the score at seven. The Eagles went up 14-7 in the second quarter, but St. Ignatius closed the gap to 14-10 as time ran down on the first half.
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In the second half, it was Edmonds and his play that doomed Ignatius. Following a Wildcat field goal that closed the deficit to one, Edmonds ripped off a 70-yard dash for his second touchdown of the night, putting his team up 20-13 midway through the third quarter. It proved to be the game's final points as the Eagles defense did the rest, propelling St. Edward to victory.
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"Yeah, our kids played with a lot of heart, but St. Ignatius did, too," St. Edward coach John Gibbons told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "[Wildcats senior tailback Matt Merletti] is a heck of a player. But it's awfully nice to have a home-run hitter like Frank."
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Even with the St. Edward win, the Eagles still find themselves in sixth place in the computer standings, one place behind St. Ignatius.
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Cincinnati schools Colerain and Sycamore will square off in a huge battle of unbeatens Friday night. Both teams are likely in the playoffs, so the prize for the winner is something more, a conference title and a first round home playoff game. It will be an uphill climb for Sycamore against a Colerain defense that is one of the state's best, but anything can happen on Friday nights in Ohio.
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Speaking of big games, none may be bigger historically than the Piqua-Troy matchup. This game is one of Ohio's oldest rivalries dating back to 1899. They have played 121 times and after all these years, Piqua holds a one-game, 58-57-6 advantage.
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This year Piqua comes into the game at 7-1, led by Ohio Mr. Football candidate Brandon Saine, and should be playing in week 11. Troy stands at 5-3 and has taken on the role of spoiler as they playoff hopes are bleak at best.
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Ohio Volleyball: It's Tournament Time!
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The regular season has wrapped up for most teams as they began tournament play over the weekend. For a small portion of the state there is still one more week before starting the tournament.
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This year's tournament appears to be wide open in all four divisions. In D-I Toledo Ursula (18-3) and Cincinnati Mother of Mercy (18-4) lead the pack as favorites, but with the likes of Cincinnati Ursula and Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame lurking it is anyone's title to capture.
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D-II might not be as open as preseason favorite Kettering Alter (19-3) has not given any reason to move them out of this position, although Cleveland Walsh Jesuit will certainly try.
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D-III might be the most difficult of the four divisions and it starts at the top with Anna and Versailles. Both teams tore their regular season undefeated and enter the tournament as the favorites. Looking to change this will be Albany Alexander and Smithville, both of which are also unbeaten on the year.
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D-VI has belonged to Sidney Lehman and St. Henry over the years and both are capable of long tournament runs, but neither is considered favorites in 2006. That title belongs to the Marion Local Flyers, who finished the year 18-3, losing to Versailles, Anna and Ft. Recovery. Frankfort Adena, New Knoxville and Newark Catholic look to pin one more lose on the Flyers.
