CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Walsh Jesuit took “The Bell” from rival St. Vincent-St. Mary. Now, it renews an old rivalry with St. Ignatius coming to Conway Memorial Stadium.
The teams have not played since 2016, a 30-0 win for the Wildcats.
Their return signals how far Walsh Jesuit has come back under sixth-year coach Nick Alexander, who has guided the Warriors to two Division II regional finals in the last three years. Walsh (3-0) is now ranked seventh in the cleveland.com high school football Top 25 with the 10th-ranked Wildcats (1-2) coming off their first win at Dublin Coffman.
“We’re really trying to build up that schedule,” Alexander said in the preseason. “To see where we are at is huge.”
After holding off Youngstown Ursuline in the season opener, Walsh has been on a scoring tear with victories of 47-21 at Erie (Pa.) McDowell and 52-0 last week vs. St. Vincent-St. Mary. Aiden Henry returned the game’s opening kickoff vs. STVM for a 91-yard touchdown, sparking a 38-point run in the first half alone.
Senior running back Lucas Weaver rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries, while quarterback Keller Moten rushed for a score and threw for another in a short night’s work.
St. Ignatius returns to Northeast Ohio after bouncing back from two tough losses to No. 2 Avon and No. 3 Mentor. The Wildcats got a career-high 147 yards rushing and two TDs from junior Owen Colwell at Dublin Coffman. Senior running back Grant Washington had an early score, helping them to a 28-7 halftime lead.
If renewing this rivalry wasn’t enough, Walsh will honor Mike Vrabel by retiring his No. 84 jersey after the first quarter Friday night. Vrabel graduated in 1993 from the school before going on to his career at Ohio State and the NFL. He is back in Northeast Ohio with the Browns as a consultant this season.
RELATED: Full Week 4 schedule.
A look at more top games to watch this week will follow on Thursday, but here is more information on this matchup:
No. 10 St. Ignatius (1-2) at No. 7 Walsh Jesuit (3-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Conway Memorial Stadium at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls
Broadcasts: St. Ignatius Broadcast Network, Spectrum News 1
Next week: St. Ignatius plays Sept. 20 at Archbishop Hoban (2-1), Walsh Jesuit plays host Sept. 20 to Firestone (1-2)
Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on X (@mgoul), Threads (@mgoul) or email ([email protected]).
