This Week in Benedictine Football History

Week 3

September 9, 1966

Benedictine 20, St. Edward 0

After a scoreless first half, Benedictine broke open a defensive struggle by making big plays on defense. Three St. Edward turnovers resulted in all three Benedictine touchdowns.
The ability to create and take advantage of turnovers helped the Bengals to a 20-0 win over the Eagles in a non-league season opener in front of a large crowd at St. Edward Field.
With about eight minutes left in the third, Bengals junior defensive back Tim Russ picked off a St. Edward pass at the 23 and ran 77 yards untouched for the first score of the game. Larry Zelina kicked the extra point to give the Bengals a 7-0 lead.
Five plays after regaining possession, St. Edward fumbled and the Bengals senior All-Scholastic linebacker Bob Mack recovered on the Eagles 30.
It took only one play for outstanding senior quarterback Jim Betts to find senior back Bill Rini for a 30-yard scoring pass. Zelina’s kick made it 14-0.
On the first play following the kick-off, St. Edward once again fumbled it back to the Bengals. Bob Mack was in the right spot at the right time and recovered the loose ball at the Eagles 26.
It took nine plays but the Bengals managed to put the ball into the end zone. Junior back Ray Sadd punched it over from three yards, but the extra point was missed.
Neither team crossed midfield until about four minutes remained in the second quarter.
For the game, Benedictine outrushed the Eagles 103-90. Bengals quarterback Jim Betts completed five passes for 64 yards while St. Edward completed only one pass in 10 attempts.
The Bengals had a 9-6 first down advantage.
Benedictine’s Larry Zelina sat out most of this game with a bruised shoulder that was injured in the previous week’s scrimmage. He was available for punting, kick-offs and conversions. He was put in for two rushing plays for short yardage. But Coach Augie Bossu saw that Zelina was still in pain and removed him from the game.
Zelina, an all-Ohio running back, later played a key role on Ohio State’s 1968 national championship team. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round in the 1971 NFL draft, but was one of the last cuts made by the team.
The 1966 Benedictine team went 9-1 with the only loss coming to Massillon, 20-6. The Bengals ran the table in the East Senate and then on Thanksgiving morning defeated South High 32-6 in the annual Charity Game in front of 35,327 fans at the old Cleveland Stadium.
That gave Benedictine its second straight and ninth overall Cleveland City Championship.


Wally Mieskoski ’71
Benedictine Football Historian