The 2025 season will open up in Ironton, Ohio vs. @moellerfootball in the Ironton Gridiron Classic, August 30th at 1 pm.. The only meeting between the Caravan and Crusaders came in 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. The Caravan won 20-7 to open an undefeated 14-0 season.
Caravan Opener vs Moeller
- Thread starter MC63
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I love to see it. MC will represent well.
Would have love to see the rematch with ESL as well week 1 had NJ not been in play. Maybe next year.
Would have love to see the rematch with ESL as well week 1 had NJ not been in play. Maybe next year.
This will be a monumental challenge. Moeller brings back their QB who was named Mr. Ohio/POY and had 56 TD passes. Lynch definitely likes to open with a test: '21-'22 Rita, '23 Flyer, '24 NJ, now this.
I think that helps later on in the year.
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Ironton is on the Ohio River, near Huntington, WV. It is a beautiful area, located in the foothills of Appalachia. There are some tough SOBs come out of that part of the state. If any of you get a chance to go to this, I'd highly suggest it. Great stadium, passionate and very knowledgeable fan base, and about as polar opposite from the Southside as you can get.
I think they had MC beating Hun by some ridiculous score like 42-14
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All... Yes . Early season projections can be tricky. Especially between teams that don't have a past playing each other. Ratsy
And zero or very very little recent history of any common opponents.
MC just picked up three-star receiver Jamari Brown, a transfer from Ft. Wayne, Ind. This adds even more weaponry to a high-powered offense. I'm calling it now. 8A in '25.
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Now it’s LWE turn to answer with another transfer
Will have to keep an eye on house sales in Frankfort since no one would transfer without buying a house in the district first.
No one knows anything!!!!
I think we still have some cap space left. LOL
Of course not! He knows nothing and kids just show up at his doorstep
Two Catholic High Schools who have had their head coach go on to become the HC of Notre Dame. Terry Brennan ( 1954-58, 32-18) from MC who succeeded the legendary Frank Leahy and Gerry Faust was the first Head Coach at Archbishop Moeller (1981-85, 30-26) and he followed Dan Devine . Neither became legendary but both faithfully represented the University of Notre with great character. As well as these two schools are doing, I don't think that Marcus Freeman has to worry about being replaced just yet.
If they feel compelled to recruit at the high school level, I sincerely hope they go after Moeller HC Bert Bathiany and leave Lynch out of it. The Crusader coach can be reached at [email protected]
I got that from you a few years ago. Between you and YouTube, I've seen most of the games on my list.
Here is one I've been waiting to see, the semifinal game at St. Rita, 1988. No sound, but it's a good, old-fashioned brawl in the mud. Rita was Rita, but that year's Caravan was a team of destiny.
People know that Rita and MC were knotted at 12-0 going into that game. Some may remember that Rita had a Kingsbury on the team. They played us tough, but as Frank says in the video, MC marched through the playoffs like Sherman through Atlanta, knocking off four undefeated teams in a row.
Here is one I've been waiting to see, the semifinal game at St. Rita, 1988. No sound, but it's a good, old-fashioned brawl in the mud. Rita was Rita, but that year's Caravan was a team of destiny.
People know that Rita and MC were knotted at 12-0 going into that game. Some may remember that Rita had a Kingsbury on the team. They played us tough, but as Frank says in the video, MC marched through the playoffs like Sherman through Atlanta, knocking off four undefeated teams in a row.
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And the rich get richer, part two.
Allow me to introduce 4-star offensive lineman Claude Mpouma (pronounced pooma, the m is silent), a transfer from Phillips who's a junior. At 6'7 and 308, the guy's a monster, a pancake artist who will flatten anyone who tries to get near Dowling. But he's also nimble and light on his feet--light enough to grab seven rebounds in a recent basketball game against Brother Rice. Claude, a native of Cameroon, has received offers from, among others, Forida and Notre Dame.
Allow me to introduce 4-star offensive lineman Claude Mpouma (pronounced pooma, the m is silent), a transfer from Phillips who's a junior. At 6'7 and 308, the guy's a monster, a pancake artist who will flatten anyone who tries to get near Dowling. But he's also nimble and light on his feet--light enough to grab seven rebounds in a recent basketball game against Brother Rice. Claude, a native of Cameroon, has received offers from, among others, Forida and Notre Dame.
First time I met coach Faust was on a Sunday in late august 1978. I was driving by accident past Moeller High on a Sunday afternoon and behind the school there were about 250 high school kids practicing football . I stopped in the lot and went down and talked with coach Faust that afternoon. Amicable guy and wildly successful At the prep level but the offense just did not translate to D1 football.
Their quarterback
I think Ponatoski, their QB, is ranked 17th nationally among all players. It will be a good game. He will certainly test the secondary. And yet I wouldn't be surprised if he were outdueled by Dowling.
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If the new DC does a Dave Lenti, the D will stifle their QB and win the game in the trenches.
Is not Dan O'Brien still the DC, while Grubisich went from LB coach to DL coach?
All.... 57 but who's counting (lol) along with 4,217 yards passing. Bluegrasspreps.com had a little blip from a poster about the team. Moeller does lose all of their offensive lineman as well as two solid db anchors due to graduation. I imagine though they know how to reload. Should be a great game. Ratsy
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