Vrabel's jersey retirement is the highlight of the OHSAA game of the week

OHIO – There are plenty of important numbers to watch for Walsh Jesuit on Friday as the Warriors host St. Ignatius in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Game of the Week on Spectrum News 1.

Let's break down those numbers, starting with number three. That's where Walsh Jesuit ranks in the Ohio Associated Press' first-round Division II high school poll, behind only Avon and Cincinnati Anderson.

With that high ranking comes expectations. The Warriors would like to end a 25-year drought since they last won their regional title in 1999.

It's been 42 years since Walsh defeated Jesuit St. Ignatius in football, a 15-6 triumph in 1982. Since then, the Wildcats have won the series five times in a row, the most recent victory coming in 2016.

The Warriors are off to an impressive 3-0 start and their offense is in full swing, scoring 45.3 points per game and collecting wins over Ursuline (37-35), McDowell, PA (47-21) and Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (52-0).

Finally – and perhaps most importantly – after the first quarter on Friday, the school will retire No. 84, worn by former Buckeye and NFL Super Bowl winner Mike Vrabel, who graduated from Walsh Jesuit in 1993. Spectrum News 1 will broadcast the ceremony live.

For St. Ignatius, it's a chance to get back to .500. The Wildcats opened with losses to Avon (42-21) and Mentor (20-14) before earning a win over Dublin Coffman (35-21) last week.

2023 was a rebuilding year under new head coach Ryan Franzinger, but St. Ignatius won two of its final three games to reach the postseason for the fourth consecutive year.

One player looking to help turn things around is safety Cody Haddad, who has committed to continuing his football career in Columbus at Ohio State.

While this contest is only for spectators in northern Ohio, in the rest of the state, Hamilton Badin will travel to the Columbus area to play against Bishop Ready at Franklin Heights High School.

The Rams (1-2) had their 38-game winning streak in the regular season snapped in the opener against Hamilton. After a loss to Columbus DeSales, Badin rebounded with a 17-7 win over Edgewood. The defense allowed an average of just 13 points per game.

Bishop Ready opened with an impressive 51-19 win over Newark Catholic before losses to Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and Licking Valley.

These schools met in back-to-back years over 30 years ago, and Badin won those games. The Rams won 24-10 in 1989 and 9-0 in 1988.

Both games begin at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News app.

Stay with Spectrum News 1 all season for the OHSAA game of the week, including live playoff action beginning Nov. 1 and the state championship games in Canton Dec. 5-7.