Four Months Until Kickoff

With 122 Days remaining until kick-off of the 2012 season at Boardman, the Bengals continued to train with focus and intensity.  While we may not have Spring Football in Ohio, the efforts of our young men in our off-season program are a source of great excitement for the upcoming season.

Some highlights of yesterday's work-out included:

Matt McCarthy training on the narrow-grip bench press using band-resistance:

Side-to-Side Pull-ups by Marshall-Howell:

And, to conclude the workout, a team even that incorporates strength and conditioning under the pressure of  competition:

Special thanks to Junior, DeVante' Lockinour, our manager, for the filming of work-outs.

Champion's Football Camp (July 16-July 19)

In what will be one of many firsts for Benedictine this Summer and Fall as the school celebrates the opening and use of Bossu Field, Benedictine Football is excited to offer its first on-campus Champions' Football Camp for young men entering 5th through 8th Grades.

The four-day camp will begin on Monday, July 16, and will last from 9:00 AM until Noon each day.  At camp, the Bengal coaching staff will help young men develop their football skills, instruct them in speed and strength development, and offer team and individual competitions.

Please click the link below for a clinic brochure:

Champions Football Camp Brochure

 

Bengals Training To Become Champions

As the beginning of March signals the transition from Winter to Spring sports and the beginning of a new training cycle for the young men participating in Football's off-season training, let us take a moment to recognize the outstanding efforts of the young men who have committed themselves to becoming champions.


Specifically, the football program wishes to recognize the following young men for their outstanding achievements during this training cycle:

Champions Club	200 Pound Bench	200 Pound Front Squat	175 Pound Clean
Matt McCarthy	Peter Cvijanovic	Peter Cvijanovic	Peter Cvijanovic
Jaylen Funches	Nick DiGeronimo	Nick DiGeronimo	Jaylen Funches
Nick DiGeronimo	Jaylen Funches	Jaylen Funches	Jerome Baker
Vince Calabrese	Marshall Howell	Darcell Collins	Matt McCarthy
Alex Heil	Darcell Collins	Jovon Dawson	Nick DiGeronimo
Jerome Baker	Matt McCarthy	Alex Heil	Darcell Collins
	Alex Heil	Dan Piascik	Antonio Robinson
	Jerome Baker	Matt McCarthy	Dan Piascik
	Jordan Hawkins	Antonio Robinson	Malik Carter
	Dominic Monaco	Xavier Bertelsen	Marshall Howell
	Dan Piascik	Malik Carter
	Antonio Robinson	Terrell Clark
	Will Woodson

Mike Roberts, Joe Nawalaniec Sign National Letters of Intent

Congratulations to Mike Roberts and Joe Nawalaniec on signing National Letters of Intent today at Benedictine High School.  Roberts, a standout receiver and third-team All-Ohio selection, will commit to attend and play football at Ohio University, and Nawalaniec, a two-way starter whose efforts earned him the Fr. Florian Award and third-team All-Ohio honors, will commit to attend and play football at Notre Dame College.

Post-Season Award Winners

Congratulation to our post-season award-winners!

Fr. Florian Award:           Joe Nawalaniec

Joe Rufus Spirit Award:   David Porter

All-NCL:

First Team:                      Bryan Lacey, Senior

Rich Allen, Senior

Joe Nawalaniec, Senior

Mike Roberts, Senior

Second Team:                 Marshall Howell, Junior

David Porter, Senior

Jaylen Funches, Junior

Hon. Mention:                 Gianni DiPaola, Senior

All-Northeast District:                                           

First Team:                      Bryan Lacey

Mike Roberts

Joe Nawalaniec

Second Team:                 Marshall Howell

Rich Allen

William Cloud

Gianni DiPaola

Honorable Mention:         David Porter

Daniel Piascik

Jaylen Funches

Jovon Dawson

Owen Reilly

This Week in Benedictine Football, Week 15

December 9, 1950

Charity Game

Benedictine 14, St. Ignatius 14

                After a major snow storm crippled the Cleveland area in the early hours of November 25, the 20^th annual Charity Game became the only title game to be postponed.  

                Here’s how Tim Hudak described the weather conditions of that day in his book, The Charity Game, a history of Cleveland’s biggest annual high school football game.

“Early that morning it started to snow, and to snow, and to snow. The Plain Dealer called it, “one of the worst blizzards in modern times…” Twelve inches had already fallen by noon on the 25^th with no let-up in sight. By nightfall the total had risen to 21 inches. It would take five full days just to clear the main streets – and that was with the help of 600 National Guardsmen and some 100 Army vehicles. Schools were closed until Monday, December 3.”

                For those fans and friends who attended the game when it was finally played on Saturday December 9, it was worth the wait…as both teams could claim the title.

                No doubt, one of the happiest persons at Cleveland Stadium on that day had to be Benedictine’s Joe Kostelac. He converted one of the most important extra point kicks in Benedictine history.

                But more on that later…

                St. Ignatius was favored in this game as they were riding an 18-game winning streak. The Wildcats also had a sizable weight advantage on both offense and defense. The Wildcats offensive line averaged 192 to the Bengals 174, and 201 to 176 on defense.

                Ironically, while both teams were mostly known for their outstanding running attacks, the game turned into an air show.

                Benedictine quarterback Jack Slekar, who would be voted the game’s Most Valuable Player, completed six of 12 passes for 177 yards and one touchdown. The Bengals ground game could manage only 32 yards and did not help themselves by losing four fumbles.

                St. Ignatius passers completed nine of 24 for 136 yards and had three throws intercepted by the Bengals. The Wildcat runners gained only 45 yards.

                Benedictine jumped out to a quick lead as Slekar found Ben Stefanek for a 67-yard pass play that put the ball on the Wildcats 18. Running back Ed Yemec carried twice for the Bengals and scored from the six. Joe Kostelac kicked the extra point to give the Bengals a 7-0 lead.

                That lead was carried into halftime.

                St. Ignatius got on the board in the third on a 19-yard scoring pass and extra point kick to tie the game at 7-7.

                Then, with five minutes left in the game, St. Ignatius took the lead 14-7 on a 29-yard touchdown pass and extra point kick. It looked as if the Wildcats were on their way to victory. But there was another star-in-the-making for the Bengals.

                Benedictine moved the ball to the St. Ignatius 40. On a fourth-and-six, Slekar flung a pass to sophomore halfback Bob Konkoly, who was playing in his first varsity game after being promoted from the junior varsity squad. Konkoly gathered it in at the 10-yard line and crossed the goal line untouched with two minutes left in the game. His clutch touchdown reception put the Bengals in a position to tie the game.

                Now the game rested on the kicking foot of Bengals senior lineman Joe Kostelac.

                “My feet were frozen and my knees were shaking as we lined up,” said Kostelac. “It was a great feeling when I saw the kick was good,” he told the Plain Dealer.

                Not surprisingly, Kostelac, a stalwart on the Bengals line at 200 pounds, said it was the most important kick of his high school career.

                That kick gave the Bengals a 14-14 tie with the favored Wildcats and a share of the Cleveland City Championship.

                That prompted Benedictine coach Joe Rufus to declare, “We stopped their winning streak, we’re the champs.”

Who could blame him? If nothing else, his Bengals had earned a moral victory.

                NOTES: This game on December 9 is the latest date a Benedictine game was played.

                Bob Konkoly, Joe Kostelac and lineman Bob Radel are all members of the Benedictine Athletic Hall of Fame.

                If you are looking for a Christmas gift for someone else or yourself, you should consider The Charity Game book, by Tim Hudak. It is a very thorough, year-by-year look back at the Charity Game played as the season-ending game from 1931 until 1968.

                With its large number of appearances in the title game, Benedictine is mentioned prominently in the book with lots of photos. For more information go to:  www.sportsheritagepublications.net

# # #

Wally Mieskoski ’71

Benedictine Football Historian

This Week in Benedictine Football, Week 14

November 25, 1965

Charity Game

Benedictine 29, South 8

                CLEVELAND – Voted unanimously as the top team in the Cleveland area by The Plain Dealer, Benedictine was a heavy favorite to return to championship glory in the 35^th annual Charity Game against South High at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

                After the game, you would not get any arguments from South High coach John Gentile after his Flyers lost to the Bengals 29-8 in front of a crowd of 36,202 fans.

                “They deserve to be No. 1. They’re tough all the way around,” he said.

The victory increased Benedictine’s record to 7-4-2 in these title games.

In a three-minute span late in the second quarter, the game turned in favor of the Bengals

A bad snap from center on a punt by South gave the ball to the Bengals on the four and then Larry Zelina took it in from there. His place kick gave the Bengals a 7-0 lead with 3:56 left in the second.

Forcing South to punt, the Bengals struck again covering 57 yards in just four plays. Halfback Glenn Novak burst through the line, after a great fake by quarterback Jim Betts, and raced 38 yard for another Bengals touchdown. Zelina’s extra point gave the Bengals a 14-0 halftime lead.

With South driving to the Bengals five-yard line, the Benedictine defense made the play of the game. On a fourth down play, the Flyers all-scholastic halfback Mickey Gallegos took a flip and tried to skirt right end. He was met four yards behind the line of scrimmage by all-scholastic 240-pound tackle Tony Russ, who was backed up by five other Bengals defenders.

Benedictine then drove 91 yards to reach the end zone once again on Zelina’s one yard run. His extra point kick made it 21-0 with 45 seconds left in the third.    

Zelina had three big plays in the drive, a 13-yard dash, a 19-yard run, and a 49-yard pass reception from Betts.

Zelina set up the Bengals final score as he ran 50 yards to the South one. From there, Novak took the ball over. A surprise two-point pass from Bill Scanlon to Glenn Novak gave the Bengals a 29-0 lead.

With less than one minute remaining in the game, South finally got on the scoreboard with a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Don Lamka, who also threw for the two-point conversion.

Zelina, who won the game’s MVP award, finished the game with 101 yards rushing on 14 carries and two touchdowns. Glenn Novak added 95 yards rushing on 15 carries and two scores.

This was the highest scoring team to date in Benedictine history with 380 points in 10 games while allowing only 97 points.

Only a 29-12 loss to Massillon in the second game of the season marred a perfect record.

Glenville coach Phil Crawley, whose Tarblooders played both teams, said, “I think if Benedictine and Massillon were to play again, Benedictine would take them apart. Benedictine played Massillon too early,” he added.

Massillon was the Associated Press wire service state champion.

Even Augie Bossu, who was not known for his use of superlatives, admitted that “this team has to rate with our best. It’s ONE of our best. You can’t compare teams of different years. This one had more depth than our ’57 team which won the state championship.”

NOTES: Larry Zelina won the game’s MVP award and did it again in the next season in the Bengals 32-6 victory over South High. He is the only player in Charity Game history to win two MVP awards.