Lake Catholic Football Team's Title Quest Begins With Dominant Win Over Benedictine

’s Richie Miller couldn’t decide which of his five highlight plays was his best on Friday night, so he decided not to choose among them.

Nonetheless, no matter where you looked, Miller was there, catching a pair of touchdown passes, running one in for a score, making an interception or bailing out running back Evan Gormley with a timely fumble recovery to maintain a scoring drive.

The senior’s efforts equaled Benedictine’s entire offensive output and helped kick off his team’s march towards a state high football championship with a 47-21 victory in the Division III, Region 9 quarterfinals at .

Miller contained his excitement for playoff football and the role he played in the victory by remembering that his individual efforts happen in a team context.

“I honestly couldn’t even tell you,” Miller said of which play was his favorite of the evening. “It’s great to be out here every Friday night with my brothers and just playing games and having fun. My focus is on nothing but football at the moment.”

The No. 2 seed Cougars (10-1) will face the winner of Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. matchup between third-seed University School and sixth-seed St. Vincent-St. Mary. The regional semifinal game will be held Friday at a site yet to be determined.

Seventh-seeded Benedictine ended its season at 7-4 by falling to its North Coast League rival for the second time this season.

Whatever chances the Bengals had of avenging their earlier 30-6 loss to the Cougars in a torrential downpour at Bearcats Stadium five weeks ago went begging quickly.

Cougars junior quarterback Mark Baniewicz threw for a season-high five touchdown passes and found Miller for a 27-yard TD pass on the team’s opening drive at 10:31.

Then in short order, Baniewicz threw two TD passes within a span of 40 seconds hitting Aaron Phillips for a 39-yard TD pass and connecting with Ryan Fyffe from the same distance at 3:54 of the first quarter after Justin Kravchuck pounced on a fumbled Bengals’ exchange between quarterback Dan Piascik and running back Bryan Lacey.

Baniewicz found Miller again for another score, this time for 54 yards, as the Cougars ran out to a 27-0 lead at 9:16 of the second quarter and effectively ended the game.

Baniewicz finished with 202 yards on 7-for-11 passing and has 10 touchdown passes in his last three games but had just two for the season before this stretch. Baniewicz gives much credit to the guys up front.

“Makes things real easy when the offensive line, with Sean Wynne and Evan Grosel, is getting a great push like they were tonight,” Baniewicz said. “They were punishing guys up front today.”

Finding the right balance has been what Lake Catholic head football coach Mike Bell has been searching for all season, and he’s seeing it come together under Baniewicz’s leadership.

“The entire passing game is a work in progress, everything from the protection up front to the ability and confidence of our quarterback. Those guys have shown steady improvement throughout the course of the year which is what you want. Mark’s a very intelligent young man. He’s really proven what kind of a tough player he is,” Bell said.

Late in the first half and early in the second, the Bengals mounted a brief 14-point rally.

Lacey, who finished with 100 yards on 26 carries, broke several tackles and skipped into the end zone for a 24-yard TD run at 6:27 of the second quarter. Richard Allen’s 2-yard TD plunge finished off the Bengals’ drive that opened the second half and drew them within 27-14.

But Miller ran a reverse 68 yards through the Bengals’ defense, and Phillips caught a 22-yard TD pass from Baniewicz for a 40-14 lead at 3:39 of the third quarter.

Piascik hooked up with Mike Roberts for a 36-yard jump ball that he ran in from 15 yards out in the third quarter, but Lou Vettel’s 2-yard run countered the score in the fourth.

Gormley finished with 91 yards on 15 carries to lead the Cougars in rushing.

Benedictine       0   7  14  0  21

Lake Catholic   21  6  13  7  47

First Quarter

Lake Catholic – Miller 27 pass from Baniewicz (Korb kick)

Lake Catholic – Phillips 39 pass from Baniewicz (Korb kick)

Lake Catholic – Fyffe 39 pass from Baniewicz, (Korb kick)

Second Quarter

Lake Catholic – Miller 54 pass from Baniewicz (kick failed)

Benedictine – Lacey 24 run (Leahy kick)

Third Quarter

Benedictine – Allen 1 run (Leahy kick)

Lake Catholic – Miller 68 run (run failed)

Lake Catholic – Phillips 22 pass from Baniewicz (Korb kick)

Benedictine – Roberts 36 pass from Piascik (Leahy kick)

4th Quarter

Lake Catholic – Vettel 2 run (Korb kick)