Playoffs
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Head Coach: Doug Ramsey (Career Record: 33-11)
Captains: Kyle Koester, Scott Pfirrman, Paul Rapien, P. J. Volker
Final GCL-S Standings
1.
ELDER 1.
Moeller 1. St.
Xavier 4. La
Salle
Season Highlights: The team opened the season ranked #1 in the city by both the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati Post, but was defeated by the Colerain Cardinals in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown, 14-7, at UC's Nippert Stadium on August 26. Led by senior QB Matt Scholl, the Panthers scored on their first drive, following two spectacular catches by senior WR Eric Renzenbrink and solid running by senior RB Kyle Koester, but the Cardinal defense held off the Panther offense for the rest of the game. Koester finished the contest with 93 yards on 22 carries; Scholl completed 12 of 24 passes for 153 yards. Ironically, the two teams have met only twice on the gridiron. Both times the game was played at UC, and both times the score was 14-7 in Colerain's favor. The first time the two teams met was in the playoffs in 1996; Colerain later forfeited that game for using an ineligible player. Game #1 Photos
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As Game 2 began, the Western Hills Mustangs were riding a nine-game winning streak dating back to last season (and their last meeting with the Panthers) but when the dust settled, the Panthers came out on top, 47-21. Kyle Koester dominated the contest, running for 201 yards, catching three passes for 78 yards, and scoring three TDs. QB Matt Scholl completed 9-of-14 passes for 183 yards and two TDs, and also scored himself on a 1-yard run. The defense was sparked by fumble recoveries by Justin Wendling and Brady Miller, and an interception by P.J. Volker.
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The nationally-ranked Highlands Bluebirds led 14-7 at the half in Game 3, but the Panthers' defense held them scoreless in the second half as QB Matt Scholl led Elder to two TDs and a 21-14 victory at Paul Brown Stadium. The crowd included over 18,000 paid fans, but almost as many were let in free as the ticket sellers could not keep up with the demand, even after the game was delayed for 30 minutes. Once the game finally started, the teams traded scores in the first half, with Elder's Kevin Sullivan scoring on a 11-yard pass from Scholl. Highlands led 14-7 at the break, but the Panthers responded with two scores from Kyle Koester on runs of 5 and 3 yards to ice the victory, the Panthers' second win over Highlands, last year's Kentucky state champions, in as many seasons. For the game, Koester carried the ball 30 times for 94 yards; Scholl completed 14-of-24 passes for 160 yards. Elder's defense held Highlands QB Gino Guidugli to 13-of-29 passing for a season low 135 yards. Senior DB Justin Wendling made a key interception in the game's final minutes to stop the Bluebirds' final drive. Game #3 Photos
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Kyle Koester broke Larry Parker's 32-year old school record with 304 yards in 28 carries as the Panthers defeated the visiting Bishop Chatard Trojans, 40-16. Koester scored three TDs, and Eric Renzenbrink and Kevin Sullivan added TD pass receptions from QB Matt Scholl. Jake Herrmann added the final score on the ground. Scholl completed 5 of 11 passes for 57 yards. Koester has now picked up 8 touchdowns on the season, and has a school record 39 touchdowns in his career. Game #4 Photos
In Game 5, Kyle Koester ran for 175 yards on 35 carries, scored two touchdowns on one-yard runs, and scored a two-point conversion to lead the Panthers to a tough win over the battling La Salle Lancers, 21-14. The game was tied, 7-7, midway through the second quarter, as the teams traded touchdowns; Elder's score came on a one-yard run by Panther QB Matt Scholl. But just before halftime, Scholl engineered a drive to a score on one of Koester's one-yard plunges; the PAT was no good, leaving the score 13-7 at the break. The Lancers scored in the third quarter and the PAT gave them the lead, 14-13. Elder responded in the fourth quarter with Koester's second TD; his TD conversion run made the score 21-14 Panthers. But La Salle would not quit. On what was to be their final drive, a completed pass that looked like a sure TD was fumbled at the goal line under pressure from DB Justin Wendling, and Brady Miller fell on the ball with 10 seconds left to seal the victory. For the game, Matt Scholl completed 13-of 20 passes for 121 yards. Game #5 Photos
The Panthers traveled to Galbreath Field to face the nationally-ranked Moeller Crusaders on Homecoming Night, but Elder put on a masterful show consisting of a stifling defense and a methodical, controlled offense to topple the undefeated Crusaders, 21-7. Stars of the Game were led by senior linebacker P.J. Volker, and junior linebackers Andy Ackerman and Brady Miller, who shut down Moeller's star running back Marcus Blanks, holding him to only 90 yards rushing for the game, a season low. Kyle Koester was the Panthers' offensive star, piercing the Crusaders' defense to gain 202 yards on the ground and two TDs on runs of 3 and 7 yards. The steady hand of quarterback Matt Scholl was also a major factor in the Panthers' win, as he completed 9 of 16 passes for 129 yards and one TD, to senior tight end Kevin Sullivan. Sophomore placekicker Mike Riga made his first appearance and kicked 3-of-3 PATs. Game #6 Photos
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The St. Xavier Bombers visited the Pit on Friday, October 13, and the night was unlucky for the Panthers, as St. Xavier achieved a tie for the GCL-South title with a 17-14 win. Tied at the half, 7-7, the Panthers took the lead 14-7 on a 12-yard pass from Matt Scholl to backup QB David Turner, who entered the game at TE following an injury to Kevin Sullivan. The Panther defense couldn't stop the driving Bombers, who scored early in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Elder began a drive for a score, but were stopped by St. X with under two minutes to play. The Bombers drove to the Elder 27, where Evan Nolan kicked the game-winning 44-yard field goal with 3 seconds on the clock. Game #7 Photos
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The Panthers' record fell to 5-3 as they traveled to Warren to face Harding and lost 24-19. Elder took and early lead on a 21-yard TD pass from Matt Scholl to David Turner, and led at the end of the first quarter 6-3. But Harding scored twice in the second quarter to take a 17-6 lead into the break. Elder got back in the game at the start of the second half following a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by junior Rick Brown, which narrowed the lead to 17-12. Harding responded with a TD later in the third quarter to go up 24-12. Elder scored once more late in the fourth on a Matt Scholl 1-yard run, but the Panthers' attempt to take the lead was stopped when, with two minutes to go, and Harding about to punt the ball away, the Panthers were hit with a penalty for having too many men on the field, giving the ball back to Harding. They then effectively ran out the clock. (Kyle Koester broke the school record for Yards Gained in a Season, formerly held by Larry Parker (1969) with 1283; Koester now has 1317.)
The Panthers ended the regular season with a 6-3 record following their 42-7 defeat of Oak Hills. Matt Scholl completed 11 of 19 passes for 190 yards and 3 TDs before giving way to Keith Bolger in the second half. Kyle Koester picked up 157 yards and 1 TD, a big part of the team's 434 total yards gained. Eric Renzenbrink led the passing attack, with eight receptions for 111 yards and 1 TD. Gary Maness (an 11-yard pass reception), Jake Herrmann (a 32-yard run), Dan Schroer (a 45-yard pass reception) and Nick Zieleniewski (on an interception in the end zone) all scored for the Panthers. Mike Riga was a perfect six-for-six in PATs. The Panthers finished fifth in the Harbin rankings, and will play the 10-0 Lebanon Warriors on Saturday, November 4 at Lebanon. In other Division I Region 4 matches, #1 Moeller (9-1) will host #8 Fairfield (7-3), #2 Colerain (10-0) will host #7 Anderson (8-2), and #3 St. Xavier (7-3) will host #6 Western Hills (9-1). Of the seven other teams in the playoffs, Elder played four of them during the regular season, winning two (against Moeller and Western Hills) and losing two (against Colerain and St. Xavier). If the Panthers defeat Lebanon, they will face the winner of the Moeller/Fairfield game. Game #9 Photos
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The coin toss was the only high note for the Lebanon Warriors, when they met the Panthers in their first Division I playoff game on Saturday, Novermber 4. They elected to receive, and following a 3-and-out pasting by the Elder defense, they met Kyle Koester. Koester carried the ball three consecutive times, scored on a 35-yard run, and the Panthers never looked back. The Warriors were stopped again on their next series, and Elder scored shortly thereafter, on a Matt Scholl-to-Eric Renzenbrink 7-yard pass. Mike Riga kicked the first two of six extra points on the night, and Elder had all the points they needed to take the game. Lebanon threatened early in the second quarter, scoring on a short pass play following a Scholl interception, but the extra point missed. The Panthers responded with another successful drive, as Koester scored again on a 2-yard run. Brady Miller intercepted a Charlie Rittgers pass (one of four for the Panthers) and returned it 33 yards for the score. Lebanon picked up their final tally late in the second quarter, but the two-point conversion try failed, and the score was 28-12 at the half. The Elder defense tightened up in the second half and held the Warriors the rest of the way. Sophomore Bill Poland took a 50-yard Matt Scholl pass into the end zone, and P.J. Volker picked off a Warrior pass and returned it 25 yards for the Panthers' final TD. Final Score: 42-12. Koester ran for 154 yards on 30 carries; Matt Scholl threw for 196 yards and two TDs, completing 7 of 20 passes. Playoff Game #1 Photos
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The Panthers squared off against former Head Coach Tom Grippa's Fairfield Indians in the second round of the playoffs, and the Panthers came out on top of a see-saw battle, 21-14. Kyle Koester's 230 yards on 37 carries and superb punting kept Fairfield's Earl Haynes from doing too much damage; he ran the ball 22 times for 112 yards and 1 TD. Koester scored two of the Panthers' three touchdowns, on runs of 29 and 53 yards. The game-winner was scored by Brett Bolger on a 40-yard punt return for a touchdown. Next, the Panthers faced the city-champion Colerain Cardinals who defeated St. Xavier, 35-30, for the regional championship. Playoff Game #2 Photos
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The Panthers' dreams for a state championship ended where they began in August, on the turf of Nippert Stadium, at the hands of the Cardinals, as the Panthers were defeated, 44-13. Colerain's option offense overwhelmed the Panther defense, and the Cardinal's early scores effectively eliminated the Panther running game behind Kyle Koester. Koester was held to only 81 yards on 16 carries. Matt Scholl completed 12-of-27 passes for 139 yards, but was sacked eight times. Elder's two scores came late in the first half, on a Matt Scholl one-yard run, and late in the game, on a Bill Poland 9-yard reception from Scholl. But the Cardinals were too strong for the Panthers, who finished the season at 8-4. Colerain, who won the City Championship with a 10-0 record, moved to 13-0 and the state semi-final. [Colerain lost the state semi-final game to Upper Arlington, 10-7. Upper Arlington went on to win their first state title by defeating Solon, 15-9.] Playoff Game #3 Photos
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Running back Kyle Koester went on to play at Indiana University. Offensive lineman Paul Rapien committed to Eastern Michigan.
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ASSOCIATED
PRESS ALL-OHIO ALL-STAR TEAM
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First
Team Offense
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Kyle
Koester
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Second
Team Offense
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Paul
Rapien
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Special
Mention
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P.
J. Volker
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First
Team Defense
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P.
J. Volker
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Second
Team Defense
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Steve
Naltner, Ricky Brown
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Special Mention |
Zack Fugman, Ben Hubert, Brady Miller, Andrew Ackerman |
Offensive Player of the Year |
Kyle Koester |
CINCINNATI
ENQUIRER ALL-CITY ALL-STAR TEAM
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First
Team
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Kyle
Koester, Paul Rapien, P. J. Volker, Steve Naltner, Ricky Brown
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Honorable
Mention
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Zach
Fugman
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CINCINNATI POST ALL-METRO ALL-STAR TEAM |
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First Team |
Kyle Koester, Paul Rapien, Steve Naltner, P. J. Volker, Ricky Brown |
Second Team |
Zach Fugman |
Honorable Mention |
Ben
Hubert, Eric Renzenbrink, Matt Scholl, Kevin Sullivan, Andrew
Ackerman, Scott Pfirrman, Joe Riestenberg,
Eric Schneider, Justin Wendling, Brady Miller |
Player of the Year |
Kyle Koester |
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Second Team Offense |
Eric
Renzenbrink, Matt Scholl |
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Second Team Defense |
Scott
Pfirrman, Joe Riestenberg, Eric Schneider |
Best
Defensive Back
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Ricky
Brown
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Punter
of the Year
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Kyle
Koester
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Co-Player
of the Year
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Kyle
Koester
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Academic All-Star |
Scott Pfirrman |
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Best
Defensive Back
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Ricky
Brown
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Best
Linebacker
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P.
J. Volker
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Best
Receiver
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Eric
Renzenbrink
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Most
Improved Player
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Zach
Fugman
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Mr.
Panther
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Andrew
Putz
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Mr.
Z. I. P.
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Michael
Berry
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(Individual stats are available by clicking on underlined players' names.)
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Dominic Acito |
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Landon Arnold |
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Nick Baird |
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Brad Bellissimo |
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Phil Bengel |
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Nathan Berning |
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Michael Berry |
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Mike Broxterman |
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Chris Chambers |
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Tim Chastang |
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Eric Corcoran |
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Ryan Dattilo |
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Mark Donahue |
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Dan Downing |
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Tony Fisher |
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Zach Fugman |
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Jason Hesselbrock |
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Ben Hubert |
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Dave Hyland |
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Ryan Jacamine |
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Sam Kinzeler |
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Don Kuchey |
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Matt Lawrence |
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Kevin Lipps |
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Brandon Lubbers |
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Tony Luca |
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Brian Lysaght |
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Jim Macke |
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Mike McKenna |
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Mike Menz |
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Keith Meyer |
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Kevin Morehead |
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Jared Paff |
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Evan Priestle |
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Joe Ramundo |
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Matt Schaefer |
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Matt St. Clair |
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Tim Stephens |
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Rob Stricker |
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Mike Sullivan |
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Kurt Thomas |
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Casey Trame |
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Brian Vater |
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Joe Volker |
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Jake Witte |
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Mike Witterstaetter |
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Nick Zieleniewski |
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