Elder Panther Football - 2004 

 

Playoffs

Head Coach: Doug Ramsey (Career Record: 79-19)

Captains (l-r): Eric Kenkel, Rick Stautberg, Nick Williams, Craig Carey

Final GCL-S Standings

On their way to winning two consecutive state championships the last two seasons, the Elder Panthers faced and defeated the formidable Colerain Cardinals in the Regional Championship game. This year, destiny brought the two teams together in the first game of the season, as part of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown. Ranked Number 1 in the pre-season polls locally, and highly-ranked nationally, the Cardinals were determined to gain a measure of revenge for their past losses to the Panthers, and they proved to one and all that they were a force to be reckoned with. Behind new quarterback Dominick Goodman and led by a stifling defense, the Cardinals topped the Panthers 21-3, to become the first Ohio team to beat Elder since St. Xavier in the 2001 Regional Final. The Panthers were held to only 6 first downs and 60 total yards, including 81 passing yards and -21 rushing yards. New senior quarterback Craig Carey was sacked six times while completing 8 of 16 passes. Elder's only score came in the first quarter on a 32-yard D. J. Hueneman field goal.

The Panthers faced another tough team in Week 2, the 2-0 Highlands Bluebirds, as part of the I-Wireless Prep Classic at Paul Brown Stadium. (The game, as well as the previous game between Moeller and Louisville St. Xavier, was telecast live on local TV for the first time.) Elder had beaten Highlands twice before, both at PBS, so the Bluebirds were trying to gain their first victory over the Panthers, in addition to making a statement about Kentucky football versus the Ohio game. After stopping the Panthers on their first series, Highlands QB Chase Cecil hit TE Ben Guidugli with a 58-yard TD pass. The score remained 7-0 until the second quarter, when the Panther offense finally got on track and scored three quick TDs. The first was a 24-yard TD pass from Craig Carey to Ben Wittwer, the second was a 39-yard bomb again from Carey to Wittwer, and the third was a 43-yard surprise from Wittwer to Bill O'Conner after Wittwer had taken the ball on an end-around handoff from Carey. Entering the locker room, the Panthers led 18-0, as all three point-after attempts (two kicks and a 2-point conversion pass) failed. Highlands' defense scored in the third quarter, as they sacked Craig Carey, forcing a fumble which was picked up by Isaac Scherrer who ran 30 yards for the score. A two-point conversion made the score 18-15. The Panther defense controlled the remainder of the game, however, allowing the offense to score one more TD, a 2-yard pass from Carey to Bill O'Conner. D. J. Hueneman's PAT was good, and the game ended 25-15. The Panther defense was led by Brian Bailey (who returned an interception 24 yards), co-captain Nick Williams (who also picked off a Cecil pass), and Mark Menninger (who recovered a Bluebird fumble).

Game 3 brought the 76th meeting between Western Hills and Elder. Elder led the series entering the game, 56-17-2. The Mustangs brought a new coach and a new spirit to the game, but it was clear from the outset that they were overmatched. The Panthers scored 29 points in the first quarter and never looked back, winning 64-6 and setting a new school scoring record in the process. The tone of the game was set early, when Parker Smith blocked a Mustang punt out of the endzone for a safety. The Panther offense then rattled off four TDs, a Nick Zeiser 1-yard run, a Ben Wittwer 44-yard reception from Craig Carey, a Zeiser 5-yard run, and a 28-yard Wittwer reception from Carey. Three D. J. Hueneman PATs and the score at the end of the first quarter was 29-0. The juggernaut continued in the second quarter, as Zeiser scored twice (on runs of 22 and 15 yards) and Wittwer scored once (on a 45-yard TD pass from Carey). Three more Hueneman kicks made the halftime score, 50-0. The reserves played the entire second half and added two more scores, Mike Priore on a 10-yard run and Albert Biggers on an 80-yard kickoff return. Two more PATs by Hueneman made the final Elder tally 64 points, breaking the former record set in 1954 when Elder defeated Woodward, 59-6. D. J. Hueneman's 8 PATs in the contest also set a new school record (breaking Jim DeFranco's old mark of 7 set in 1971). Biggers' TD was Elder's first score on a kickoff return since Ricky Brown's 84-yard return against Oak Hills in 2001. Elder's nine TDs tied the school record, set in 1954 against Woodward and matched in 1975 against Hughes.

Indianapolis Bishop Chatard returned to The Pit for Game 4, for the third matchup between the two teams. An opening on-side kick gave the Panthers good field position for their first drive, and they capitalized on the favor, scoring on a 7-yard pass from Craig Carey to Ben Wittwer. D. J. Hueneman's PAT made the score 7-0. Chatard responded on the next series, however, and drove for a quick touchdown. A Panther offside penalty on the PAT attempt gave the Trojans an improved chance for a 2-point conversion, and they were successful, taking the lead, 8-7. The Panthers again took the lead, 14-8, on a Billy O'Conner 3-yard run in the second quarter. But again Chatard battled back, scoring on a 59-yard pass play from QB Tony Rago to RB Joe Holland. Elder regained the lead as the first half wound down, scoring on a Craig Carey 10-yard run (his first score of the season). D. J. Hueneman added the extra point and the halftime score was Elder 21, Chatard 15. Both teams came out determined for the second half, but both defenses dominated and no team could gain an advantage. Chatard came close to scoring several times, but defensive stops by the Panthers, including a fumble recovery on the Panthers' 13 -yard line and the fourth-down block of a Rago pass, both by senior co-captain Nick Williams, sealed the Panthers' third victory of the season.

Former Elder Head Coach Tom Grippa returned to The Pit for the first time since leaving Elder in 1997 at the helm of the La Salle Lancers. (Grippa coached at Fairfield from 1997-2002, then moved to La Salle in 2003.) In last year's match-up between the two coaches, Ramsey's Panthers dominated Grippa's Lancers, 42-7. But this year, La Salle brought a 4-0 record and a talented QB named Tyler Sheehan to the contest, and La Salle fans buzzed that this would be their first win over the Panthers since 1992. Panther fans might have agreed half way through the second quarter, when La Salle led, 21-0, as the Lancer offense seemed to move the ball at will and their defense forced numerous 3-and-out series for the Panthers. The Panthers finally put together a scoring drive late in the second quarter, as Nick Zeiser put Elder on the scoreboard with a 3-yard run. Late in the period Brian Bailey picked off a Sheehan pass deep in Lancer territory and several plays later Craig Carey ran for a TD to make the score 21-14 at the break. The second half was a different game as both teams moved the ball furiously and the defenses took a back seat. The Panthers tied the game at 21 on a Nick Zeiser 5-yard score. La Salle matched the TD, and regained the lead, 28-21. But Elder responded with two TDs, on runs by Ben Wittwer (14 yards) and Zeiser (32 yards), as Elder took the lead for the first time, 35-28, with about 5 minutes left. Aided by several Panther penalties, the Lancers again scored with just under four minutes to play and the game was tied at 35. Elder was stopped on the next series; La Salle was also stopped on their next drive. The turning point came on a bad snap on La Salle's punt attempt, deep in Panther territory, and the punt went only ten yards. Elder took over on the Lancer 16, and kicker D. J. Hueneman kicked a 26-yard field goal to win the game as time expired, 38-35. The Panthers rushed for 279 yards on 47 carries, led by Zeiser's 23 carries for 125 yards. Carey completed 11 of 20 passes for 98 yards, and also rushed for 114 yards on 19 carries.

Game 6 brought the St. Xavier Bombers to The Pit. Both teams had identical 4-1 records and were tied for 6th in the Harbin rankings. Both teams brought high-powered offenses led by tall, talented quarterbacks: Craig Carey for Elder and Robbie Schoenhoft for St. Xavier. Both were 1-0 in the GCL and anxious to prove their supremacy. New Bomber coach Steve Specht was facing the Panthers for the first time, while Doug Ramsey entered the game 3-6 against St. Xavier, but having won the last three. The Panthers were carrying a 20-game home winning streak, last defeated by (you guessed it) the Bombers in 2000. A sold-out Elder Stadium buzzed with anticipation as the game began, and the teams did not disappoint them. The Bombers came out fast and scored quickly, but the PAT attempt was blocked, making the early score, 6-0. Elder responded later in the first quarter, as QB Craig Carey run 3 yards for the score, but St. Xavier returned the favor, blocking D. J. Hueneman's extra point attempt, and the score was tied at 6. St. Xavier scored twice in the second quarter, while the Bomber defense held off the Panthers, making the halftime score, 20-6, St. Xavier. The Panthers regrouped during the brreak and scored three successive touchdowns in the second half. Craig Carey hit Ben Wittwer with a 12-yard TD pass early in the third quarter, Craig Carey ran 10 yards for a TD, and Carey again hit Wittwer for a score, this time from 3 yards out. Hueneman's 3 PATs put the Panthers up, 27-20. But the Bombers answered late, adding a TD and extra point to tie the game and send it into overtime. The defenses held in the first OT period, and neither team scored, with both missing long field goal attempts. The Panthers got the ball first in the second OT period, and D. J. Hueneman hit a 23-yard field goal, but Schoenhoft hit Jeff Lindeman on a 16-yard pass play and RB Chris Cionni ran for the game-winning score a few plays later, giving the Bombers the victory, 33-30.

In what had become a painful pattern, the Panthers fell behind early in Game 7 to the Moeller Crusaders, this time by a score of 27-0 late in the thrid quarter. Elder launched its attempt at another miracle comeback with 2:16 left in the third, when Craig Carey ran for a TD from 3 yards out. The Panthers scored twice more, one following the successful recovery of an onside kick, as Carey hit Ben Wittwer with TD passes of 13 and 10 yards. With under a minute left, the score was 27-21, but Moeller recovered the Panthers' final onside kick and ran out the clock. Carey set new school records for Most Passes Attempted in a Game (48), Most Passes Completed in a Game (31), and Most Passing Yards Gained in a Game (396). The yardage record broke Craig's brother Collin's record of 382 yards set in the memorable 11/13/99 playoff game against Centerville.

The Covington Catholic Colonels visited The Pit for the second time in Game 8, looking to redeem themselves after last year's 49-21 rout. And they almost handed the Panthers their third consecutive defeat. The teams battled scoreless in the first quarter and through half of the second, until Elder executed a successful series culminating in a 5-yard Nick Zeiser touchdown run. D.J. Hueneman then kicked what would prove to be a critical PAT and the score was 7-0 Panthers. CovCath's Tony Roch kicked a 33-yard field goal late in the first half and the score was 7-3 at the break. Hueneman responded in the third stanza with a 22-yard field goal, putting Elder up 10-7. The Panther defense then held off the Colonels until mid-way through the fourth quarter when they scored a TD but missed the extra point following a bad snap and a block by senior Eric Kenkel. Neither team could gain an advantage until the closing minutes, when CovCath drove into Panther territory and Roch attempted a 45-yard field goal with four seconds left, which went wide left.

In preparation for the upcoming playoffs, the Panthers needed a big win, and got one at the expense of the Chaminade-Julienne Eagles in Game 9. The Panthers started out slowly, with only a D. J. Hueneman 30-yard field goal in the first quarter. C-J took the lead on a 1-yard run from QB Matt Bruggemann, but Elder responded with 18 unanswered points to retake the lead. Junior RB Nick Zeiser picked up 2 TDs on short runs, Hueneman added another field goal (this time of 29 yards) and an extra point, and Ben Wittwer added a 2-point conversion run. At the break, Elder led, 21-7. Zeiser completed a 27-yard pass to Craig Carey to pick up another TD, while running for a third TD himself. C-J added another TD in the third quarter, but ran out of gas, allowing the Panthers to add 13 more points in the fourth quarter, on TDs by Ben Wittwer (on a 5-yard run) and Gerald Walker (3-yard run). Final score, Panthers 48, C-J 14. Zeiser had 101 yards rushing on 22 carries, while Carey added 96 yards rushing and 131 yards passing.

The Oak Hills Highlanders brought 18 games of frustrating losses to The Pit for Game 10, and kept the game close in the first half, but the Panthers pulled away to win 49-19 on the strength of Craig Carey's three touchdowns. Carey put the Panthers up 7-0 on a nine-yard TD run early in the first quarter, but Oak Hills tied the game shortly thereafter. Carey scored again, on a 1-yard run, and Oak Hills again responded, but the extra point attempt was blocked, and the score was 14-13 Elder. Elder scored again before the break, as Carey ran for a TD from 10-yards out, and D. J. Hueneman kicked his third PAT to make the score 21-13 at halftime. The Highlanders scored first in the second half, but the 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete and Elder led, 21-19. That was as close as Oak Hills would get, as the Panthers rattled off four consecutive scores, 2 from Nick Zeiser (on runs of 9 and 1 yard), one from Gerald Walker (9-yard run), and one from Ben Wittwer, on a 41-yard pass from Carey. Hueneman's 5th, 6th, and 7th PATs for the game were good, and the score ended, 49-19.

The Panthers ended the regular season in sixth place in the Harbin rankings, pitting them against third-place Colerain in the first round. Other first round match-ups are St. Xavier (#1)-La Salle (#8), Mason (#7)-Centerville (#2), and Lakota West (#5)-Moeller (#4). In the game against Colerain, the Panthers kept it close in the first half, allowing Colerain only 10 points and picking up a D. J. Hueneman field goal just before the break, but quick scores by the Cardinals early in the third including two interceptions which were returned for touchdowns were Elder's undoing, making the final score, 38-3.

In other first-round games in Region IV, St. Xavier defeated La Salle, 14-3, Moeller defeated Lakota West, 38-7, and Centerville defeated Mason, 34-7. In the second round, Colerain topped Centerville, 35-0, and Moeller edged St. Xavier, 10-7. In the regional final, Colerain defeated Moeller, 34-6. Colerain earned its way into its first state final game by defeating Worthington Kilbourne in the semi-final, 34-3. In the state championship game, Colerain defeated Canton McKinley, 50-10, becoming the first Cincinnati public school to win a Division I state championship since Princeton won in 1987. Against McKinley, Colerain quarterback Dominick Goodman ran for 259 yards on 21 carries, breaking Elder's Bradley Glathaar's record of 252 yards set last year.

Final Regular Season Individual Leaders (10 Games)

Team Roster

Underlined players' names are links to their statistics.