There’s been an awakening at Lake Catholic

There’s been an awakening ...

Have you felt it?

Yeah, yeah, the trailer for “Star Wars, The Force Awakens” came out back in 2015.

But those words also apply to what happened on Nov. 14 at Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium.

Come to think of it, those words apply to what has happened all fall at 6733 Reynolds Road in Mentor, Ohio.

There’s been an awakening ...

and it’s the Lake Catholic football program.

After a decade of relative dormancy, the Cougars beat Bloom-Carroll, 17-10, on Nov. 14 in a Division IV state semifinal.

The win puts Lake Catholic in the state championship game for the first time since 2001.

Lake will play Van Wert on Sunday, Nov. 22, in a state championship game that, at season’s start, many believed the Cougars wouldn’t be at without first purchasing a ticket.

“From being a 12-seed to here, a lot of people doubted us, but we never did,” said senior linebacker Simon Taraska. “People picked against us. We used that as motivation. We love and play for each other. This is Cougar football and it’s back forever.”

The trek to the state championship game was a unique one — unfathomable to many.

After going 4-6 a year ago and not sniffing the Division IV playoffs, the

Cougars started their 2020 season by trailing Kirtland, 31-0, after three quarters and gaining only 62 yards to that point.

But that’s when Lake Catholic put its foot in the ground and said, “No more.”

Since that openinggame loss, a game in which Lake scored two late touchdowns to make it a manageable 31-15 margin, the Cougars have gone 8-1. The only loss was a 4228 shootout to Division II Walsh Jesuit.

“Because we were down 31-0 early in the season and played good teams like that, games we had to gut out to win, that’s why we were in this game,” said Coach Marty Gibbons of his team’s appearance in its first state semifinal since 2010. “If we don’t go through those types of challenges and struggles, I don’t think you find yourself in these games when it’s time to respond.”

But Lake Catholic’s success this season is more than that.

It’s an intangible belief. A reason to believe when so much says you shouldn’t.

This was a Lake Catholic roster that was by and large the same as last year’s — a roster that didn’t have a ton of success.

This is a team that didn’t drip with big-time college recruits like previous Lake Catholic great teams that featured Joe Jurevicius, Ricky Stanzi, Eric Kettani and the Hounshell brothers.

But what this team had was heart.

And belief. “Those players believe in each other, that’s the number one thing,” Gibbons said. “It’s the players and the assistant coaches. Those two groups coming together are why we are where we are.”

Lake Catholic trailed Bloom-Carroll, 10-7, at halftime of the Nov. 14 state semifinal. Aside from a 48-yard touchdown run by Joe Malchesky, the Cougars didn’t get much going offensively.

Defensively, Bulldogs battering ram Hobie Scarberry was chewing up hard-fought yards.

But Lake never quit believing.

“It’s one thing to say those things, saying at halftime we’re going to do it,” Gibbons said, “It’s another thing to do it and prove it.”

The Cougars did it and proved it in the final 24 minutes, outscoring the Bulldogs, 10-0, getting a clutch fourth-andgoal stop inside the 5-yard line and then running out the remaining time on the clock.

There was no immediate celebration. The Cougars sprinted to the locker room, did a little cheer and then headed home to attack the next obstacle.

A state championship game no one believed they’d be playing in. Besides themselves. And to the them, that’s all that matters.

“This has been a long time coming,” Taraska said.

Oh yes, there’s been an awakening for sure.

The Lake Catholic Cougars are back.

Believe it.