Lake County Sentinel
Cougars stop Green Wave 35-14
BY JOEY SCHNEIDER
STAFF
(MENTOR, OH) - Cheers, celebration, and finally prayer after the Lake Catholic Cougars defeated the Holy Name Green Wave 35-14 in their home game season finale at Jerome T. Osbourne Stadium in Mentor on Friday night.
"We have such a great mix of juniors, seniors, and underclassman right now. We have leaders all over the field. The kids have such a great week. They were focused all week long, challenging each other in practice. They are always focused, but they had something a little extra this week. We knew the challenge coming in. Holy Name is a great team, and I respect Coach Wondolowski for what he's done this season and with that program, they are tough. Our players know what is at stake though. There is only one week left before the playoffs and they have to be ready for every team." Lake Catholic head coach Marty Gibbons said before the start of the game.
Lake Catholic started the game off strong as they took the opening drive down the field and scored on a 30-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Max Pisano to wide receiver Pete Malchesky. Their first of two touchdown connections in the game. Their second came before the half on a seven-yard out pass. Pisano finished the game with over 200 throwing for three touchdowns and two rushing scores, both from ten yards out.
Holy Name would answer right back on a one-yard touchdown, but wouldn't score again until late in the fourth quarter as the Cougar defense hunkered down thanks in large part to senior wide receiver and defensive back Marty Loncar. Loncar had five pass deflections as well as running side line to side line making big hits not letting the Green Wave get things rolling offensively. "The (Holy Name) quarterback was looking where he was throwing all game and our defense was getting a really good rush so he didn't have much time and I knew wherever he looked that's where it was going and I tried to get there as fast as I could." said Loncar post game. Loncar also caught a 9-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, really showing his two way effectiveness.
"The first half, I don't know what wasn't clicking, but the second half, we have to work on that" said Pete Malchesky after the game. "Our coaches have been saying it all week in practice, you have to come out firing right at the beginning at put them away right in the first half and I think we did that today." Max Pisano added. "We were hungry" said offensive lineman and Cincinnati Bearcats commit Nathan Zappitelli. He finished with, "It's our last Friday night lights at JTO (Jerome T. Osbourne Stadium) so we wanted to win."
Post game Marty Gibbons was proud of his team. "Competition was everything this week in practice. It's huge when our kids are looking to get better as you get to this part of the season, their looking to get hot when you get to the playoffs."
Lake Catholics win moves them to 7-2 on the year with their final game of the regular season against their rivals, the NDCL Lions, in a game that is dubbed the "Eastside Holy War." Holy Name drops to 5-4 on the year and will finish off their regular season at home against Padua Franciscan.
POSTED 10/17/2025 23:57
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. Photo by Joey Schneider
