Ignatius, Ed’s and North Royalton headline High School Division I playoff wins

Two local mainstays did what they were expected to do in the Division I regional quarterfinals, while a surprising public school team kept doing just that.

St. Ignatius head coach Chuck Kyle won his 300th game as his Wildcats defeated Austintopwn Fitch 35-26 despite a handful of mental mistakes and five total turnovers. Ignatius (10-1) allowed 19 Falcon points in the fourth quarter, but it was quarterback Mike LaManna who — despite having three passes picked off — found wide receiver Rocky Zingale for a 69-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach.

The undefeated Eagles of St. Edward topped the much-discussed Mayfield Wildcats 55-27. St. Ed’s did not know who they would be playing until late this past week due to court injunctions and controversy, but handled the mystery in stride as they scored on their first three drives, putting up 20 points before Mayfield’s point total would even come close to deviating from zero.

And while the top seeds Ed’s and Ignatius held court, it was the North Royalton Bears who upset the previously undefeated Willoughby South, 38-35. South wide receiver Anthony Federico dropped a first-half touchdown pass that would have put the Rebels up by two scores. Instead, it was the Bears, led by quarterback Travis Tarnowski, who rattled off 21 points in the third quarter to close the gap and take the lead in the high-scoring affair.

The St. Ed’s Eagles will face 10-1 Mentor (who defeated Warren G. Harding 45-35) while the North Royalton Bears will face fellow 10-1 St. Ignatius Wildcats in a regional semi-final next weekend.