Storms were in the forecast and we were prepared. With ponchos, umbrellas, plastic bags and rubber boots in tow, we headed to Chardon to watch Notre-Dame Cathedral Latin take on Lake Catholic at home. From the moment we pulled into the parking lot, there was nothing but a sea of black. It was NDCL’s blackout night. Not far behind them were the waves of white as Lake Catholic fans filed into the stadium. Without a doubt, they were ready to watch some football. The Geauga News team was too. But first, the seniors and their parents were introduced and walked across the field. There is a link to photos from Senior Night at the bottom of this page.
Lake Catholic was set to kickoff the ball to NDCL to start the off the game. The whistle was blown and Jordan Bonchek sent the ball deep. Aaron Hammer made decent a return. The offense hit the field and they were ready to make their mark. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to do much on the opening drive. Alec Kresnye came out on the field to punt the ball to the Cougars. With a great return, Lake Catholic was set up for a scoring opportunity. They took advantage of it with a 2 yard rushing touchdown from Chad Stalnaker. Bonchek’s kick was good, giving them a 7-0 lead.
The Lions knew they had to answer back. They started the drive on their own 30 yard line. NDCL ate away those 70 yards when Brandon Mounts took the last 15 yards in one bite with a touchdown run. Kresnye sent the ball through the uprights tying up the game at 7-7. Lake Catholic was set back to receive the kickoff. Kresnye’s kick was deep, but returnable, and Connor Robinson did just that. He ran the 82 yards to the Lions’ end zone for a touchdown. Bonchek completed the kick giving the Cougars a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
NDCL’s quarterback, T.J. McKiernan started off the second quarter the right way. He connected deep with Brendan Leininger for a 64 yard touchdown reception. Kresnye’s kick was perfect, making the score even at 14-14. The rest of the quarter was a lot of defense. Neither team could make anything happen. The Lions and Cougars headed to the locker rooms to prepare for a second half of football. The bands hit the fields to entertain us with some dancing and playing. After the NDCL senior band members showed us what they had, the teams ran onto the field ready to finish this rival game.
The second half started out with NDCL kicking off to Lake Catholic. With the longest drive time of the night, the Cougars struck first. Took them a little over 6 minutes off the clock to send Justin Sanders into the end zone with a 5 yard run for a touchdown. The point after was completed by Bonchek, and Lake Catholic took over the lead again 21-14.
It only took one minute for the Lions to answer back. With the longest rushing touchdown of the night, Harrison Richardson ran 27 yards to give NDCL 6 more points. Kresnye did his job tying the score up at 21-21. Not wanting to end the third quarter without the lead, Lake Catholic’s quarterback Chad Stalnaker kept the ball and ran it in the last yard for a touchdown. Keeping his streak intact, Bonchek made the point after, giving the Cougars the lead again at 28-21.The whistle blew ending the third quarter. The teams swapped sides and it was time for the final quarter of the night.
Lake Catholic started out the quarter with the ball. Stalnaker took advantage. He had his second touchdown of the night with another one yard run. Bonchek’s kick was called good and the Cougars took a bigger lead with a score of 35-21. Being the boys they are, NDCL didn’t quit fighting and made sure they answered back. Richardson did that for them when he finished off the drive with a 2 yard touchdown run. Kresnye sent a perfect kick through the uprights bringing the Lions closer with a score of 35-28. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to hold the Cougars off. As the minutes ticked away, Lake Catholic put one last score on the board when Bonchek sent the ball 22 yards for a field goal making the final score 38-28.
Even though Notre-Dame Cathedral Latin lost this game, they need to make sure they keep their heads up. There were some bad plays throughout the night, but they always fought back. Fumbles happened, but they fought to make sure nothing became of it. Hammer left his mark with his speed on kick returns, receptions, and anywhere else he was put on the field. He is a small guy who can drag several defenders with him. Then you have Nick Wagner, who you could tell was taking a beating through the night, but still went out there time after time making the plays he needed to for his team.
These young men played until the last whistle. Even with injuries and cramping, they still went out there every play and left everything they had on the field. They showed what perseverance was. They showed what heart was. The Lions may have lost on the field Friday night, but they didn’t lose the love of Geauga County and their fans. I know they will be back this week ready to take on Benedictine in Cleveland. I’m sure they will have a sea of blue and gold right behind them. Good luck NDCL! As for us, we will be at Grand Valley watching Ledgemont take on a rival of their own.
More NDCL news can be found on their school page.
CLICK HERE to see more photos from the game and senior night festivities.
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Author: Trent Ford
Trent is a graduate of Madison High School and a new resident of Geauga County. He enjoys spending time with his family, history, and the outdoors, but his passion is sports, both local and professional.