Vanessa Abrahamson Blog: No. 1 Cincinnati Moeller Football loses to No. 2 Lakewood St. Edward

Sunday, October 16, 2022

No. 1 Cincinnati Moeller Football loses to No. 2 Lakewood St. Edward

It could be a preview of the state semifinals, but for now it was a battle of the giants of Ohio Division I on Saturday afternoon in Norwood. No. 1 Moeller hosted No. 2 Lakewood St. Edward at Shea Stadium but failed to score, as the Eagles won 6-0.

Lavelle Benjamin’s field goals in the first and third quarters were all St Edwards would need as Moeller closed for the first time since Sept. 20, 2019, when Winton Woods kept them scoreless.

St. Edward dominated possession by nearly 17 minutes, overtaking the Crusaders 316-129. Junior quarterback Casey Bullock threw the ball just 10 times but was elusive with 156 yards on the ground, along with 109 from senior running back Marvin Bell. In 2022, Norwood saw good, old-fashioned football that could punch you in the face.

“Boy was that, wasn’t it?” said St. Edwards coach Tom Lombardo. “You talk about letting the ball go and finding a way to win. The defense is losing possession and keeping them in the red zone like we did, what a great game of football!”

The Eagles line had 6ft 7in, 320lb tackle Ben Roebuck and twins Deontae (6ft, 7in, 280lbs) and Devontae Armstrong (6ft, 5in, 286lbs).

They were among the talents of University of Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell and running backs coach Darren Paige, and Moeller junior running back Jordan Marshall. Marshall gained 106 yards but had a costly fumble in the final minutes of the game when it appeared the Crusaders were going for a touchdown with an extra point that could potentially tie the contest.

Earlier, Moeller defenseman Brandon Martin healed a fumble and brought it inside, only to have the game called back on a block in the back.

“You’re never in until you’re in!” Said St. Edward’s Lombardo. “We learned that the hard way from our only loss this year.”

Moeller head coach Mark Elder agreed it was a great football game but ignored the turnovers that proved to be a major factor in the Eagles’ Northbound victory.

“We need to be more careful with the ball and get the ball back better for our offense,” Elder said. “There were a few too many times where they were getting yards and taking time outs. Especially at the end. Ninety percent of the time if there’s a revenue discrepancy, it’s going to go to that team.”

Lombardo’s Eagles successfully chewed the final seven minutes of the game after Marshall’s goal-line mishap. The 6-0 win was St. Edward’s lowest performance since beating Cherry Creek (Colorado) 13-9 earlier in the season. The following week they defeated Elder of the Greater Catholic League-South 17-14.

St. Edward’s only loss now is to Division II Massillon Washington, whom Moeller defeated 49-31 in week one. The Eagles were Division I state champions last year, losing only to Moeller and finishing 15-1.

Before Friday, Moeller junior Luke Dunn led the GCL-South in passing and Marshall in fast traverse. Dunn was pinned for 86 yards and an interception on a 9-for-17 pass.

Lakewood St. Edward’s defense consisted of Northwestern commitment Michael Kilbane (edge rusher), who led them with nine tackles and a tackle for loss. For Moeller, Air Force commit Joe Ginnetti had 15 tackles and one tackle for loss, with senior Rashaad Glenn adding 12.

Moeller now has to drop by Michigan’s Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Shea next Friday night to finish the regular season. Then it goes into the playoffs, but no longer with a perfect record. At half-time, Moeller honored Steve Klonne, who coached the 1982 state championship team, the last Moeller team to go undefeated. Clones is a special assistant to Trainer Elder.

“We just have to go ahead and win the next one and start our playoff run at that point,” Elder said. “Hopefully we can string some wins together.”

St. Edward’s regular season finale takes place at the home of Division II league leaders Akron Hoban on Friday. Then the two powers might meet again in a month.

“They are very, very good,” said Lombardo. “The region is very, very good. Soccer is so crazy.

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