This Week in Benedictine Football, Week 9

October 20, 1946

Benedictine 26, St. Ignatius 0

Returning from World War II military service, Coach Norb Rascher came back to Benedictine to lead the Bengals football team in 1946. He coached the football squad in 1944 and then was called to serve his country. Joe Rufus coached the Bengals in 1945 and now Rascher returned to lead the team.

This Bengals victory broke a six-game losing streak to St. Ignatius.

Although both schools were members of the Cleveland Senate with Benedictine in the East Senate and St. Ignatius playing in the West Senate, this game did not count in league standings and was considered a non-league game.

After a scoreless first period, Benedictine got on the scoreboard when left end Ed Kubancik caught a four-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bob Keefe. That was the only score in the first half as the Bengals led 6-0.

Benedictine increased the lead to 12-0 midway in the third when left halfback Jerry Eckert broke through right guard for 31 yards and a touchdown.

On the last play of the third, the Bengals blocked the Wildcats punt which was recovered by Kubancik on the St. Ignatius 11.

Early in the fourth, fullback Ed Bellovay slashed four yards through center for another Bengals touchdown. Kubancik kicked the first of his two extra point kicks to give the team a 19-0 lead.

The last touchdown came on a pass interception by lineman Stan Cservenko, who rumbled in from 14 yards for another score. Kubancik’s kick made it 26-0.

The victory increased the Benedictine overall record to 3-1-1. In picking up the victory, the Bengals also helped ruin the Wildcats homecoming.

Benedictine finished the season with a 4-2-2 record. They finished with a 3-2-1 record in the East Senate for fourth place in the eight-team league.

 NOTES: Interestingly, Benedictine began and ended the 1946 season with 6-6 tie games. In the opener, the Bengals and Holy Name deadlocked and in the finale, the Bengals tied East Tech.

                Benedictine, Cathedral Latin, Holy Name and St. Ignatius were members of the Catholic League before joining the Cleveland Senate in 1937. As part of the Senate expansion, Benedictine and Cathedral Latin were placed in the East Senate while Holy Name and St. Ignatius became members of the West Senate.

                While Norb Rascher coached only two football teams at Benedictine, he made his mark on the Benedictine basketball program leading the Bengals to the Cleveland city title in 1946. That team was so good that they went 15-0, won the Cleveland city title and was ranked as the third best team in the country. With

6-5 center Mike Medich, who scored a state record 59 points in a game earlier in the season, the Bengals were invited to play in a charity basketball game against an East Coast power at New York’s Madison Square Garden on March 30, 1946. Despite pleas from the Mayor of Cleveland and the Governor of Ohio, the Ohio High School Athletic Association prevented the Bengals from playing, stating that the basketball season in Ohio ended on March 22.

                Ed Kubancik was elected to the Benedictine Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011 for his outstanding play in football and on the great 1945-46 basketball team. Kubancik was one of the designers of the current Benedictine “Flying B” helmet logo. Along with the late athletic director Joe Rufus and current Auxiliary Bishop Roger Gries OSB '54, Kubanick and the others patterned the new Benedictine logo after the Green Bay Packer Oval G insignia, after the Packers won the NFL title in 1961. The first use of the new Benedictine logo was on September 22, 1962 in a 44-6 victory over Parma Valley Forge.

# # #

Wally Mieskoski ’71

Benedictine Football Historian