OHIO — Replacing a successful, long-time head coach is never easy. From being mindful of the traditions and winning ways that built the program, to the inevitable comparisons, yet still being true to yourself with your own personal touches.
Mentor’s Matt Gray (fourth season) and Wayne’s Roosevelt Mukes (fifth) know all about that, having taken over their programs for Steve Trivisanno and Jay Minton, respectively.
They each can relate to their opponents on Friday. Mentor hosts St. Ignatius, which saw Chuck Kyle retire after last season, his 40th as Wildcats’ head coach. He won 11 state championships, and four national titles to go with a 377-108-1 career record. One of his former players, Ryan Franzinger, began his tenure with a 27-11 loss on the road at Springfield in week one.
Meanwhile, Jeff Lomonico inherited the Pickerington Central program he’s been a part of as a player and then assistant coach for 34 of the past 40 years. The long-time defensive coordinator was promoted after Jay Sharrett retired last year, with two state championships and a 211-42 record to his resume.
The Lomonico era kicked off with a 28-17 win over Olentangy Liberty in the opener. He became just the third head coach, Jack Johnson, a legend in his own right, at the school since 1971. The Tigers host Wayne this week.
Both of these games comprise the Ohio High School Athletic Association Game of the Week schedule on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App. Northeast Ohio will see St. Ignatius at Mentor, while the rest of the state gets Wayne at Pickerington Central. Both games begin at 7 p.m.
While the Wildcats’ natural rival is St. Edward, there have been some great battles over the years with Cardinals, in both the regular season and playoffs. The two have played each year since 2005 (except for 2020), and in the previous 27 all-time meetings, the Wildcats hold a slim 14-13 advantage, including a triple-overtime triumph (26-20) in last year’s gathering.
Five times in the past 12 years, Mentor has met St. Ignatius in the postseason. The Cardinals have won four of those, but the Wildcats captured the last playoff meeting in 2021.
The history is much shorter between Wayne and Pickerington Central. The Warriors were 10-9 winners in the regular season a year ago in Huber Heights. Their only other recent meeting was in a 2016 regional final, which the Tigers came out on top, 17-14.
Both are trying to get back to championship level. Pickerington Central won it all in 2017 and 2019 under Sharrett and had a string of five-straight regional titles snapped two years ago.
Wayne is still seeking the school’s first-ever state championship, having reached the title game four times from 1999 through 2015.