After a crushing defeat in their rivalry game just a week ago against Sacred Heart Cathedral, things were not looking good for St. Ignatius. With an offense that couldn’t seem to find its rhythm for more than a few plays, and a defense that looked strong but had lapses from time to time, playoff chances seemed bleak. But that all changed last Friday night.
Facing the challenging task of beating Archbishop Mitty on their own field in San Jose, not many gave the Wildcats a chance of victory, especially after what had happened the week before. However, it all finally came together for St. Ignatius, who fought tooth and nail en route to a 24-21 victory.
“Our goal each week is to win the week,” said longtime St. Ignatius head coach John Regalia. “Our expectations are to move forward, taking all we can from our past experiences to learn and grow forward. The players and coaches have done an outstanding job of that each week this season. That's why we have shown great improvement and growth each week.”
With the game tied at 21-21 late in the fourth quarter, St. Ignatius knew it was now or never. Sophomore quarterback Soren Hummel kicked things off with a 21-yard dart to Pierce St. Geme, and the Wildcats followed that up with a flurry of runs from the backfield duo of Jarius Hogan and Cameron Jones to set the kicking squad up at the one-yard line. Despite two timeouts to ice him, Cooper Lucey made no mistake on the 18-yard field goal, sealing a big upset for the Wildcats.
“I’ve been working the past four years, every day just kicking by myself on the small field,” Lucey told The San Francisco Standard. “Icing doesn’t really do much. I knew I was going to hit it, my teammates knew I was going to hit it.”
Things finally clicked for the St. Ignatius offense. Hummel impressed yet again, passing for 235 yards and three scores. The three-sport athlete displayed his stellar athleticism and vision, making passes from the pocket as well as making throws across his body on the run, including a 65-yard connection with Monroe Barnum for a score.
The other two touchdown passes went to his fellow sophomore Hogan, who formed a lethal duo with Jones in the backfield. The two caused problems for Mitty all night long, finding holes and exploiting them for big gains. Jones finished with 96 yards rushing. Together, they posted the most points against the Mitty defense all season other than Serra.
“We have a very strong backfield and we are starting to see that come together in game. Every player we have offers something different to the position group,” said Regalia. “Soren represents what we see in all of our players - hunger to compete and a focus on ways to improve. He showed that Friday night and will continue to work that way as we move forward”
The Wildcats’ defense impressed yet again, holding Mitty to their second lowest point total of the season. Anchored by a strong defensive line led by sophomore John Mills and senior captain Santino Franco, the Wildcats made Mitty earn every yard. Mixing up their coverages, they kept the Monarch offense on their toes the entire night. The defense, undoubtedly the strong point of the Wildcats for the past two seasons, will continue to be crucial as the Wildcats look to secure a playoff spot.
“I am very proud of the work, first of our defensive coaches,” said Regalia. “They have been working hard each week to grow and build skill, scheme and situational awareness in this group. I am very proud of seeing our defensive players embrace their learning and put it into action confidently on the field. We have seen this growth over the past weeks.”
At home this Friday against Serra, St. Ignatius (3-5, 2-3 WCAL) will look to keep their upset streak alive, this time against an unbeaten Padres side. They’ll be heavy underdogs again, but the Wildcats proved that doesn’t faze them.
“We have shown much improvement as a team,” said Regalia. “But what I know in our full group, we are not satisfied with where we are.”
