This week, we check out a faculty that has produced 21 Ohio State soccer gamers since 1990: Cleveland St. Ignatius.

The primary of the Wildcats’ 21 Buckeyes was quarterback Joe Pickens, who made the 1990 roster. Ohio State has had 17 gamers from St. Ignatius gamers since 2000.

A soccer powerhouse within the state of Ohio and nationwide, St. Ignatius’ 11 state championships are probably the most in OHSAA historical past. The Wildcats have additionally received 4 nationwide championships. All of these titles have been beneath the management of head coach Chuck Kyle, who has been St. Ignatius’ head coach since 1983.

All-Ohioan Anthony Gonzalez credit his highschool for laying the inspiration for his success at Ohio State and past.

“St. Ignatius is an enormously difficult tutorial expertise. Any grade that you just obtained in a category at Ignatius is one that you just earned. There was no free lunch in that respect,” Gonzalez advised Eleven Warriors.

“I at all times felt like I used to be very lucky in that my highschool expertise and my faculty expertise had been very seamless. Or at the least it felt that means. And an enormous a part of that was the concentrate on teachers, for certain. But in addition the expectation that you just had been going to be competing for championships each single 12 months.”

Notable Buckeyes from St. Ignatius

C LeCharles Bentley (1998-2001)

Bentley turned the most effective heart in faculty soccer at Ohio State, profitable the Rimington Trophy and incomes All-American and Huge Ten Offensive Lineman of the 12 months honors. He was additionally named the Ohio State’s Offensive Lineman of the 12 months as a sophomore and junior, and was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Corridor of Fame in 2017.

Bentley was chosen by the New Orleans Saints within the second spherical of the 2002 NFL draft. He was named to 2 Professional Bowls throughout his NFL profession, which was reduce quick by a knee harm. Bentley is now the NFL’s Senior Advisor of Participant Efficiency and Growth, whereas he additionally has his personal sports activities company (AMDG Sports activities) and trains offensive linemen at his facility, LB O-Line Efficiency.

At St. Ignatius, Bentley was a three-year starter and an All-Ohioan.

WR Anthony Gonzalez (2003-06)

Gonzalez excelled on and off the sphere at Ohio State. He was an All-Huge Ten large receiver on the sphere whereas his efficiency within the classroom earned him Tutorial All-American honors in 2006.

Ted Ginn Jr. and Santonio Holmes obtained lots of the accolades throughout Gonzalez’ time with the group, however Gonzalez was additionally a gifted receiver that defenses needed to account for. His unbelievable leaping catch within the 2005 model of The Recreation enabled the Buckeyes to punch in the profitable landing with 37 seconds remaining on the clock. 

For his Ohio State profession as an entire, Gonzalez caught 87 passes for 1,286 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Gonzalez was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts with the ultimate choose of the primary spherical of the 2007 NFL draft. He spent 5 years with the Colts, by which he caught 99 passes for 1,307 yards and 7 touchdowns.

In highschool, Gonzalez was an All-Ohioan and The Plain Vendor’s Co-Defensive Participant of the 12 months. He completed his senior season with 71 receptions for 1,873 yards and 21 touchdowns.

DT Dre’Mont Jones (2015-18)

Jones began 37 video games for the Buckeyes from 2016-18 and was a constantly disruptive defensive sort out, recording 114 complete tackles with 22 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

In 2018, Jones turned the primary defensive lineman in Ohio State historical past to attain two touchdowns in the identical season and earned first-team All-American and All-Huge Ten honors.

The Denver Broncos chosen Jones within the third spherical of the 2019 NFL Draft. In his first three seasons within the NFL, Jones has recorded 86 complete tackles with 19 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks.

Jones earned All-Ohio honors at St. Ignatius regardless of taking part in solely two years of highschool soccer. He had 47 tackles, 21 tackles-for-loss, 4 sacks and 4 pressured fumbles as a senior.

Extra about St. Ignatius

The all-boys’ highschool was established in 1886 and was a six-year secondary faculty. Starting in 1902, St. Ignatius turned a four-year highschool and faculty. The faculty finally turned John Carroll College in 1923 and moved to College Heights within the Thirties.

The Wildcats compete as an unbiased program in Division 1, Area 1. Ignatius was 6–4 within the common season final 12 months and certified for the playoffs for the fifth time within the final six years. St. Ignatius defeated Mentor and Stow-Munroe Falls earlier than falling to Medina within the regional semifinals. 

With 11 state championships in soccer between 1988 and 2011, St. Ignatius has probably the most titles in Ohio historical past. This system received 5 straight state titles from 1991-1995, which can also be an OHSAA document.

Throughout all sports activities, St. Ignatius holds 42 OHSAA-sponsored state championships. Soccer and soccer have a mixed 22 titles. Hockey has received seven championships. The baseball, basketball, cross nation, golf, monitor and wrestling groups have additionally received OHSAA titles. Together with rugby and volleyball, the varsity has received 49 complete state championships.

Gonzalez credit the aggressive nature of his alma mater for laying the groundwork for his success.

“When you weren’t keen to place within the time to compete, you had been going to battle,” Gonzalez mentioned. “And I believe that’s a metaphor not only for teachers, however for skilled life as nicely. And so, that preparation is one thing that has caught with me. Not simply academically, however now professionally and each side of my life.”

The Wildcats’ longtime chief

Chuck Kyle started his soccer tenure with the Wildcats as an assistant coach within the fall of 1972. In 1983, Kyle took over the reigns of the Ignatius soccer program. It did not take lengthy for the all-boys’ prep faculty to realize success on the gridiron.

Between 1988 and 1995, the Wildcats received seven Division I state championships, with 1990 being the one season in that stretch and not using a title. Kyle’s squads additionally received state titles in 1999, 2001, 2008 and 2011. This system was named nationwide champions 4 instances between 1989 and 2008.

Coming into the 2022 season, which shall be Kyle’s final season on the sidelines, he has received 353 common season video games and has a 72-18 playoff document.

Gonzalez mentioned his life has been vastly impacted by the legendary coach, who additionally coaches monitor and discipline at St. Ignatius.

“Coach Kyle, not only for me, however for many of my brothers and my household has at all times been such an inspiring particular person,” Gonzalez mentioned. “Such a essentially respectable human being. I’m so honored to have performed for him.

“I can nonetheless hear a few of his pregame talks and a few of his speeches throughout observe to attempt to get guys motivated and hold us targeted. Past that, Coach Kyle was concerning the complete particular person. Not simply constructing your bodily or athletic capabilities, but in addition ensuring that academically you had been targeted and likewise spiritually.

“So I at all times contemplate myself enormously lucky to have spent a couple of years, each on the soccer discipline and on the monitor, with coach Kyle.”

Different well-known alumni

Along with the 21 Wildcats who’ve gone on to play soccer at Ohio State, there are many different alumni from St. Ignatius who’ve achieved success within the sports activities world and elsewhere, together with:

• NFL gamers Jacob Bell, Brian Dowling (inspiration for B.D. in Doonesbury), Liam Eichenberg, Dan Fox, Chris Hovan, Brian Hoyer, Oliver Luck (Andrew Luck’s dad), Scott Mutryn, Dave Ragone and Jake Ryan
• MLB gamers Mike Buddie, Derek Dietrich, Luke Farrell (not the previous Ohio State tight finish), Mike Hegan (TV and radio announcer for the Indians), Matt Kata, Nick Margevicius and Garry Roggenburk 
• Guardians proprietor Larry Dolan, Guardians fan John “The Drummer” Adams, Colorado Rockies TV and radio announcer Jack Corrigan 
• MLS gamers Justin Morrow and Barry Rice
• Actors Rory O’Malley and Jack Riley, comic Dave Hill

Why are Buckeyes previous to 1970 and a few walk-on gamers not highlighted or included within the rankings? Ohio State’s official rosters listed the hometown of gamers, however didn’t present their highschool on the roster earlier than 1970. The official rosters launched at the beginning of every season had been used, resulting from this, some walk-on gamers could not be listed as they weren’t on the season opening official rosters.