Elder Panther Football - 2005 

 

Head Coach: Doug Ramsey (Career Record: 83-25)

Captains (l-r): Nick Zeiser, Kyle Rudolf, Adam Baum, Brandon Singler

Final GCL-S Standings

Senior Nick Zeiser moved from running back last season to quarterback to lead the Panthers in the 2005 season. Zeiser shared the rushing duties with junior RB Patrick Williams, and the Panthers' offense impressively marched up and down the Nippert Stadium turf in the day's final matchup of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown against the Huber Heights Wayne Warriors. The Warriors scored first, on a 25-yard field goal, but the Panthers quickly responded with an extended drive, culminating in a 23-yard TD pass from Zeiser to sophomore Nick Olthaus. The point-after attempt was blocked, and the Panthers led, 6-3. Elder scored again in the second quarter, this time on an 18-yard Zeiser run. The two-point conversion was good, a pass from Zeiser to senior TE Jake McQuaide, making the score, 14-3. The score remained 14-3 until the fourth quarter, when Wayne scored its first TD of the game, a 25-yard run by QB Alex early. The all-important conversion pass play was successful, bringing the score to 14-11. The Panthers again responded, this time with a 14-play, 64-yard drive which ended with a 6-yard Zeiser TD run. Senior Matt Siefke kicked the PAT and the score with about 4 minutes left was 21-11. The Warriors drove and kicked a 32-yard field goal, but the ensuing onside kick was covered by Zeiser and the Panthers held on for the win. (It was a clean sweep for the GCL in the Showdown's other contests. La Salle beat Sycamore, 35-7, Moeller topped Withrow, 38-6, and St. Xavier shutout #1-ranked Colerain, 7-0).

Heading into this season, the Panthers were 4-0 in Paul Brown Stadium, but 0-4 against Massillon Washington, their opponents in Game 2. One record or the other was going to be broken, and unfortunately for the Panthers, it was the former. The Tigers came out fighting and on Elder's second possession, senior cornerback Troy Ellis picked up a Panther fumble and ran it back 20 yards for a TD. Massillon scored again in the first quarter, but the teams battled scoreless until halftime, and the score was 14-0 Massillon at the break. The Tigers scored twice in the third quarter to go up 28-0, and it looked pretty grim for the Panther faithful. Elder finally scored in the third quarter on a 25-yard Zeiser-to-T. J. Ramstetter pass, but the Tigers responded shortly thereafter and the score was 35-7 at the end of three. But then it was time for another Panther comeback. The Elder defense held the Tigers on a fourth-and-inches from the goal line, and Zeiser led the Panthers to a score on a 2-yard pass to sophomore Kyle Rudolph. Matt Siefke's second PAT made the score 35-14. The Panther defense stiffened, held the Tigers, and returned the ball to the offense, which marched to a TD on a Zeiser 2-yard run, followed by a 2-point conversion. The Panthers then recovered an onside kick and drove to another TD, this time on a 7-yard Zeiser run. The Siefke kick made the score 35-29, with about 1 minute left. The Tigers smothered the next onside kick, but fumbled the ball and Steve Hengehold recovered the fumble. The Panther comeback was stopped when the Tigers intercepted a Zeiser pass and ran out the clock, giving the Panthers a safety in the process. Final score, 35-31.

The 1-1 Panthers visited the 2-0 Oak Hills Highlanders for Game 3, and the Scots were anxious to break a 19-game losing streak to the Panthers. The fired-up Highlanders scored on their first posession, and led 7-0, but Elder responded with three straight TDs. The Panthers' first score came after a 10-play, 65-yard drive on a 5-yard run by Nick Zeiser. Patrick Williams scored on a 25-yard run following an Oak Hills fumble, and Williams scored again with 38 seconds left in the first quarter. Matt Siefke's first three PATs made the score 21-7 at the end of one quarter. Zeiser scored in the second quarter on an 8-yard run; Oak Hills responded with a 27-yard Brian Weimer field goal, and the score was 28-10 at the half. Siefke scored his first TD of the season in the third quarter on an 11-yard reception from Zeiser; sophomore Nick Olthaus scored in the fourth quarter on a 22-yard pass from Zeiser. Oak Hills added a third period TD, but the Panther defense stopped them the rest of the way, and the game ended with Elder's 20th consecutive victory over Oak Hills, 42-16. Zeiser completed 6 of 7 passes for 86 yards and 2 TDs; Patrick Williams led the ground game with 23 carries for 146 yards and 2 TDs.

The Panthers finally played their first home game in Game 4, inaugurating their new synthetic turf and welcoming the #7-in-the-state Lakewood St. Edward Eagles. [The Panthers last faced the Eagles in the 2003 state championship game, defeating the Eagles, 31-7.] The game was an up-and-down battle for three quarters, with the teams exchanging the lead three times. The Eagles fumbled on their opening drive, but scored first on their next possession to lead, 7-0. The Panthers were held to a 26-yard Matt Siefke field goal, and the game went into halftime at 7-3. The Panthers scoed first in the second half, with a 70-yard Nick Zeiser-to-Jeremy Brinck TD pass, to take the lead, 10-7. The Eagles countered with a 30-yard TD pass, but missed the extra point and the score was 13-10. Later in the third quarter Elder scored on an 11-yard Zeiser run, making the score 17-13, Elder. St. Edward scored quickly following a fumbled punt, and twice more in the fourth quarter, to close out the Panthers, 34-17.

Game 5 took the Panthers to the home of the La Salle Lancers, carrying a winning streak which dated back to 1992. The Lancers highly-rated quarterback, Tyler Sheehan, had broken his collarbone in Game 1, but was cleared to return for the game against the arch-rival Panthers. And Sheehan did not disappoint his fans, completing 11-of-28 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns and rushing six times for 77 yards and another score, on the way to a 40-20 victory. The Panthers couldn't stop the tandem of Sheehan and wide receiver Mike Reed, who connected 10 times for 230 yards. The Panthers were successful through the air, with Nick Zeiser completing 15 out of 26 passes for 226 yards, but couldn't get the ground game going, picking up only 57 yards rushing on 27 carries.

Ranked #1 in the city and #1 in the state, the St. Xavier Bombers showed the Panthers why as they handily won Game 6 of the season, 44-10. After posting a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, the Bombers surrendered a Matt Siefke 27-yard field goal in the second quarter, but controlled most of the game, adding 31 unanswered points until junior QB Derrick Ventre hit senior wide receiver Ryan Kistner with a 19-yard touchdown pass late in the game. The Bombers scored again on the last play of the game, as the Panthers were trying to score from the Bombers' 1-yard line, but an interception by Bomber linebacker Kevin Wolf was returned 100 yards for a touchdown as time ran out.

Elder hosted the Moeller Crusaders for Game 7, and the game stayed close throughout the first three quarters. Moeller opened the scoring with a field goal, and the Panthers' Matt Siefke's 29-yard field goal tied the score at 3. Moeller scored a TD after an extended drive, and the Panthers again responded, with a 9-yard TD pass from Nick Zeiser to Siefke. On Moeller's next play from scrimmage, however, sophomore Tim Uecker scampered 85 yards for a TD, and Moeller led 17-10 at the half. Moeller scored again to open the second half and led 24-10; Nick Zeiser picked up a TD on a 17-yard run and at the end of three the score was Moeller 24, Elder 17. Moeller senior running back scored twice in the fourth quarter on runs of 27 and 15 yards, and Moeller started to pull away. Derrick Ventre hit Jeff Brinck with a 17-yard TD pass, but an 89-yard interception return for a TD maintained Moeller's lead. Moeller scored another late TD, and the game ended, Moeller 45, Elder 30. The Panthers finish 0-3 in the GCL-S, winless in league play for the first time since 1984.

The Panthers ended their 4-game skid in Game 8 against the Indianapolis Bishop Chatard Trojans in convincing fashion, 35-13. Elder picked up 419 yards offensively, with Pat Williams gaining the lion's share of those on the ground with 24 carries for 161 yards. Williams also scored 4 of Elder's five touchdowns; the fifth was scored by T. J. Ramstetter on a 28-yard pass from Nick Zeiser. The Trojans scored twice in the second quarter, to make the score 21-13 at halftime, but the Elder defense kept the Trojans out of the endzone for the rest of the game, despite an impressive effort from their junior running back Joe Holland, who picked up 223 yards on 26 carries.

Game 9 brought a new opponent to The Pit--the Cleveland Benedictine Bengals. The two teams traded the lead back and forth throughout the game, with the Panthers taking the lead first on a 25-yard Nick Zeiser-to-Jeff Brinck TD pass, followed by Matt Siefke's successful PAT. The Bengals then tied the game later in the first quarter. The Panthers scored next, on another Nick Zeiser TD pass, this time a 6-yarder to sophomore Kyle Rudolph. Benedictine answered with a 100-yard kickoff return for a TD, but the Panthers scored again before the half was over, as Zeiser ran 6 yards for a TD to make the score 21-14 Elder at the half. The Bengals scored on a 76-yard run to open the second half; the Panthers scored later in the third quarter on another Zeiser run, this time of 14 yards. As the final quarter began, the score was 28-21, Elder. The Panther defense couldn't hold the lead, however, as Benedictine scored twice in the last quarter to win the game, 34-28. The loss ensures the Panthers' first losing season since 1986.

Determined to end their season on a positive note, the 2005 Panthers scored on their first two possessions and never looked back as they shutout the Western Hills Mustangs, 48-0. After stopping the Mustangs first drive, the Panthers scored on their first play from scrimmage as Nick Zeiser ran 58 yards to the end zone. The Panthers also scored on their next play from scrimmage as Patrick Williams scampered 17 yards for a touchdown. Nick Olthaus scored on a 39-yard pass from Zeiser before the end of the first quarter, and Elder led, 21-0. Coach Doug Ramsey began subbing players into the game, and Williams scored another TD, and Adam Baum and Corey Asman added rushing TDs, and the score was 41-0 at the half. Elder added one final touchdown on another Asman 5-yard run, and Matt Siefke added his 6th PAT on the night to end the scoring.

Final Regular Season Individual Leaders (10 Games)

Team Roster

Underlined players' names are links to their statistics.