High school football preview: Elyria Catholic Panthers
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ELYRIA — There’s definitely some high expectations surrounding Elyria Catholic’s football season.
But if you ask third-year coach Ben Malbasa or his players, that’s just par for the course.
“We’re one of the few programs in the state that can say we’ve won multiple state championships (in 1976,’83 and ’84),” Malbasa said. “Some of the players on this team have family members who were involved in those titles. There are always high expectations at Elyria Catholic. Every team at EC expects to be a great team, and this team is no exception.”
It’s not just the folks around EC that have those high expectations. There’s some outside sources who believe huge things are in store for the Panthers as well.
J.J. Huddle’s publication, the Ohio High School Magazine, predicts that the Panthers will not only make the playoffs, but advance all the way to the Division IV state championship game.
Why all the attention on the Panthers? Well, when you have nine starters returning on defense and seven more returning on offense, six of whom were
All-Ohio selections, that should give you a hint.
“All the guys are planning and working towards winning a state title,” said senior
two-way lineman Jared Schuster, a first-team All-Ohio selection last season. “We’re all getting into the mind-set that we need to work hard and we need to prepare now for it.
“I think we have the chance to make the playoffs and play for the state title. That is, if we stay focused as a team and play hard each and every day.”
The Panthers reached the playoffs for the 13th time in school history in Malbasa’s first year on the job. Last season, after graduating a large group of seniors, the Panthers went 6-4 (3-1 in the North Coast League White Division) and had strong individual performances that landed them a ton of postseason awards.
EC has five All-Lorain County selections (Schuster, Josh Russ, Alex Alicea, Nick Ksenich, Adam Kirsch, and Buddy Davlia), nine All-NCL selections (Schuster, Russ, Alicea, Ksenich, Kirsch, Mike Betka, Davila, Zach Rogers, Corey Campbell and Danny Reaser), seven All-District selections (Schuster, Russ, Reaser, Davlia, Ksenich, Rogers and Alicea) and six All-Ohio selections (Schuster, Russ, Rogers, Ksenich, Reaser and Davlia) returning to the squad.
“In three years, we always had good defensive players and performances, but this is the first time I really felt the defense could be the anchor of our team,” Malbasa said. “Their energy on the football field is something. They love the physical nature of the game and that makes it fun to coach.
“My defensive coordinator (Mike Polevacik) is outstanding. He’s ready to be a head coach somewhere and he’s a big part of why we have a great defense. He also brings that passion and enthusiasm and that is infectious with our team.”
Schuster and Russ, a receiver/defensive back who’s already committed to the University of Cincinnati, were first-team all-state selections. Russ was among the top five in a seven-county region in receiving yards last season.
“Josh Russ is going to Cincinnati for a reason,” Malbasa said. “He’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever coached and to see how he’s responded to becoming a scholarship player is great. That can go a lot of ways. But Josh wants to prove it. Every day, every sprint, every drill, he looks better and better.”
Schuster has not committed to a college yet, but Malbasa was quick to name him one of the four captains of this year’s team.
“Jared is one of the top offensive linemen I’ve ever coached,” he said. “I haven’t seen a more productive and disruptive offensive lineman with other defenses than Jared in a long time.
“I can’t stress enough about how good he is. The most telling example of this is how often we run behind him or with him pulling, which is roughly 85 percent of the time.”
Schuster is relishing his captain status, joining Betka, Kirsch and Ksenich as the team leaders.
“Since grade school, I’ve always tried to lead and be a leader,” Schuster said. “It’s just natural to me.”
The high expectations placed on the Panthers by their fans and others are nothing new for the players.
“My whole family went to Elyria Catholic,” Schuster said. “At Elyria Catholic, it’s a family thing. The EC community is like one big family. Past players come to games. You want to strive to be better to continue your legacy.”
Contact Dan Gilles at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.
ELYRIA CATHOLIC PANTHERS
• COACH: Ben Malbasa, 3rd year
• CONFERENCE: North Coast League, White Division
• 2008 RECORD: 6-4, 3-1 North Coast White
• FAST FACT: The Panthers’ home game against Shaker Heights on Sept. 17 will be one of FS Ohio’s state-wide Thursday telecasts.
SCHEDULE
• Aug. 28 Collinwood
• Sept. 4 Southview
• Sept. 11 Cardinal Mooney
• Sept. 17 Shaker Heights
• Sept. 25 at Thomas Aquinas
• Oct. 3 at VASJ (at Euclid)
• Oct. 9 at Akron Hoban
• Oct. 16 Chanel
• Oct. 23 Trinity
• Oct. 31 at CCC
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