ESPN RISE

Football - St. Ignatius

As the final seconds ticked off the clock during the Division I state finals, there was no Gatorade bath in sight for St. Ignatius head coach Chuck Kyle. It's OK; his team has grown so accustomed to winning, the tradition has been rendered an afterthought. After falling to Glenville in the season opener, St. Ignatius reeled off 14 straight wins, including an 8-7 victory in the rematch with the Tarblooders, before raising the championship trophy with a 28-20 defeat of Elder to clinch the school's 10th state title and its first since 2001. "The Glenville game was huge,"Kyle says. "The kids were focused on the state title and played with a lot of meaning." The defense was the driving force for the Wildcats, who limited their opponents to less than nine points a contest. Junior Scott McVey led the team in tackles and sacks, while senior defensive backs Dan Fox (6 INTs) and Pat Hinkel (7 INTs) combined to pick off 13 passes. The offense, under the direction of senior QB Andrew Holland, topped the 40-point mark five times. Holland was named AP Co-Offensive Player of the Year in Ohio. The tandem of senior Mike Anter and junior Kevin Johnson was instrumental in the Wildcats' rushing attack, while Ball State recruit Connor Ryan and senior Joey Parris were Holland's primary targets through the air. "It was a great senior class and it will be hard to duplicate what we did this year," Kyle says." It may be hard, but the Wildcats will be aiming to repeat next fall.

Gymnastics - Riverside (Painesville)

Riverside finished fifth last year behind a talented pair of sophomores in Maria Salvia and Lauren Bradshaw. Bradshaw is strong on the beams and has steadily improved in the vaults, adding a second event she can score regularly in. Salvia is a versatile and frequent contributor, competing at state in the beam, floor and bars. She led the team in scoring in each of her individual events at state last season. Veterans Stephanie Leoson and Amanda Magyar look to go out in style in their final year.

Boys' Ice Hockey - Walsh Jesuit

Walsh Jesuit began the season with a 2-2 mark this winter playing in the Ohio Jesuit Tournament. The Warriors earned a pair of wins against St. Xavier sandwiched around losses to St. John's and St. Ignatius. They looked to turn around their season with the help of several experienced skaters. Junior forwards Vince Gaglione and Daniel Filice are a lethal scoring combo, while juniors Nate Myeroff and Greg Shupe and senior Dick Lysaght anchor the defense in front of senior goalie Tyler Studer.

Girls' Basketball - Solon

The Comets will have a new look on the hardwood this winter. Solon welcomes back senior Kirsten Holmes (ACL) from an injury and adds senior transfer Melissa Thompson to a squad that won 21 games last season. Thompson, a Youngstown State recruit, averaged 12.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, three steals and 2.5 assists for Bedford in 2007-08. The Comets won the Valley Division title in the Northeast Ohio Conference and advanced to the regional championship before falling to Toledo Central Catholic.

BREAK OUT TEAMS

BOYS' BASKETBALL - BRUNSWICK
Brunswick boasts a superior defense that limited opponents to less than 50 points for the eighth straight season last year.

GIRLS' SWIMMING - FIRESTONE
The Falcons finished 12th in Division I and return four seniors from last year's squad.

BOYS' ICE HOCKEY - HUDSON
Senior Jake McHenry fuels the Explorer's offense and led the team with 54 points last winter.

GYMNASTICS - MAGNIFICAT
The Blue Streaks entered the season with 19 straight tournament appearances and have a young cast aiming for No. 20.