Holy Name High School

Holy Name Football Dominates Thursday Night Lights, Defeating Parma Rivals Normandy 55-12

Parma, OH- After a round one exit in the 2024 season, Holy Name looked to begin the 2025 campaign on a high note. They did just that, beating Normandy 55-12. This win is the first week 1 win since 2022 for the Green Wave.

The game started with a bold play from Normandy-an onside kick. After the ball was bobbled by HN, the Invaders quickly pounced and took the football. However, the Normandy offense could not get rolling. Nick Nemeth had a TFL while Kae’Leon Cleveland sacked the Invaders quarterback Jakob Muniak.

Holy Name wasted no time on their opening drive as the offensive unit found good rhythm and balance. Eso Gonzalez helped Holy Name quarterback Connor Jamison by making a big 15-yard catch. That reception would set up Xavier Rodriguez to score the Green Wave’s first touchdown of the new year on a 27-yard rush. With 8:38 on the clock in the first, HN led 7-0.

Muniak was able to find a receiver to begin the Invaders’ second drive, but Blake Troy and Tommy Ontko forced a fumble that was recovered by Noah Wallace. Receptions from Brendon Preisel and Nemeth set up Kayden Parker for a one-yard rushing score, putting Holy Name up 14-0. To follow it up, the Namer defense remained strong, forcing a three-and-out.

On the following drive, Gonzalez would make two catches. The first went for 12 yards while the second was a 21-yard touchdown. This score gave Holy Name a 21-0 lead heading into the second quarter. For context, the Green Wave averaged 14 points per game in 2024. Additionally, they scored 21 points the last time they played Normandy.

The Invaders’ fortunes would seemingly change for the better as Cameron Hayden would catch a long throw from Muniak, getting a 43-yard gain in the process. Jai Hebebrand would take his only carry to close out this drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Normandy opted to go for two, but came up short. With 9:12 left in Q2, Holy Name led 21-6. Parker would run for a first down on the following drive, but a sack from Fernando Acevedo stalled the HN offense. A Nemeth punt pinned Normandy within its own 10-yard line. Nemeth wouldn’t be done as he ended the Invaders’ drive with an interception. However, Ray Brown would force a fumble, giving his offense a chance to strike back.

Normandy would get their second big break of the second quarter as Nick Williams caught a 54-yard pass from Brown. This set up Acevedo for a two-yard rushing score. Just like the first attempt, the two-point try was unsuccessful for the Invaders. With 4:07 on the clock in the first half, HN led 21-12. Both sides would trade fumbles, bringing the Namer offense back onto the field. Nemeth had a few knocks in this game, but he bounced back nicely with a 20-yard rushing touchdown. Then, he returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown. At halftime, Holy Name led 34-12.

Williams would come back for another highlight reel play in the third quarter as he hauled in a 33-yard reception. Once again, however, HN had the last laugh as Preisel would pick off Muniak. Nemeth would continue his stellar game as he had 14 and 12 yard receptions along with 19 and 4 yard rushes, with the latter rush being a touchdown. Luke Hudak would join the INT parade with one of his own on the following drive. Parker would find the endzone after Holy Name got the ball back. Just like his first touchdown, his second came on a one-yard rush. That put Holy Name up 48-12.

The Green Wave would end their excellent scoring night with some fireworks. Noah Wallace returned an interception 30 yards for a pick-six, the second of the game for HN. However, it would be Troy who caught the final interception of the game for the Green Wave. Troy’s INT marked six on the night for the Namers. Hudak would come in for Jamison to close out the game as Holy Name earned its first win of the next season, 55-12.

Last season, Jamison had some trouble with interceptions. In total, he had 12 in 10 games during the 2024 season. He looked more comfortable and adjusted in the pocket and had good awareness. After the game, Holy Name head coach Dan Wondowlowski talked about the fact that Jamison should be nearing some division one offers, as he has the talent and frame. The rest of the Namer offense was improved as well. Players such as Parker, Rodriguez, and Nemeth acted as ‘gadget guys’ who moved around given the different formations.

As for the Invaders, Muniak had a couple of good passes downfield. Mario Stewart, Hayden, and Williams proved they have the talent and ability to be big weapons for the junior quarterback this season. The bulk of Brown’s carries came late in the game, potentially indicating a change in game plan heading into week two against Ravenna. Holy Name will have its penultimate home game at North Royalton’s Serpentini Chevrolet Stadium next Friday against 2024 standouts Gilmour Academy. The Lancers open up their season on Saturday against Benedictine.

The Healthiest You Chiropractic Center Player of the Game: Nick Nemeth (Holy Name- 3 Touchdowns, 2 INT’s)

Watch the Full Game Here: https://www.youtube.com/live/WuZMgh6qFDI?si=fjfJdn1obiS7IDsw

SmeeSports to Broadcast Home Games + Week 1 for Holy Name Football

Parma Heights, OH- It is with great excitement that we have reached an agreement to broadcast home games, along with week one, this Fall for Holy Name Football.

I got my start in sports media back in 2021 with Holy Name football. For three years, I covered every single game in some capacity. During this time, I got to see two trips to the regional championship game and one final-four game. The 2023 season got cut short as results around Northeast Ohio knocked the Green Wave out of the playoffs late into the night. Since then, I have not called nor been to a football game for HN. However, I am excited to say that will change on August 21st as Holy Name takes on Normandy at Byers Field.

SmeeSports would like to extend shout-outs to Mr Mike Tworzydlo and Mr Joe Kucera for helping us make this partnership a reality. We also thank athletic director Rich Kozub and head coach Dan Wondolowski for having us cover Namer Football this season. You can catch the five home games, along with the Normandy game, live on the SmeeSports YouTube Channel. The SmeeSports Pregame Show will begin at 6:15 PM before each 7 PM kickoff.

New Beginnings: Johnny Faddoul Hired as Next Holy Name Boys Basketball Head Coach

Parma Heights, OH- When the news broke near the end of April that Ryan Patton would not return as the Holy Name boys basketball head coach, the biggest question being asked was who would replace him? The answer is the former professional basketball player and alumnus of Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, Johnny Faddoul.

Faddoul has worn a ‘number of hats’ throughout his time in basketball. He was a star player for NDCL in the late 2000s. During his 2008/2009 senior season, he was the North Coast League Co-MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and a First-Team All-Conference Member while also being the Lions’ captain. Following his time at NDCL, he took on the role of a walk-on at Cleveland State University.

Following his time at CSU, he played professional basketball for the Hoops Basketball Club in Lebanon. After the 2012/13 season, he jumped right into coaching. From 2015 to 2021, Faddoul was an assistant coach at Lutheran East. During his time with the Falcons, he won seven district titles, five regional championships, and two state titles. He helped lay the foundation for Lutheran East to become a yearly title contender. His most recent role was at Lake Erie College as an assistant coach.

Stepping out of OHSAA and NCAA basketball, Faddoul has coached in the Adidas Guantlet Circuit for the Ohio Basketball Club (2016-2019), the Under Armour Circuit for Ohio C2K (2019-2021). Finally, he has been a trainer and AAU director for HoopTech.

Holy Name athletic director Richard Kozub expressed his excitement about hiring Coach Faddoul as he remarked,

“I am extremely excited about Coach Faddoul being at Holy Name. We had a large number of highly qualified applicants. Coach Faddoul’s experience at both the high school and collegiate levels, both as a player and coach, is exactly what we were looking for as a leader of this program. I am really looking forward to seeing him in action for the Green Wave!”

Holy Name is coming off a 4-17 campaign, which saw a lot of close games go against the Green Wave. Drew Styers, who is committed to playing basketball at John Carroll, headlined a mass exodus of seniors who made up the backbone of the squad in the 2024/25 campaign. Young players such as Chris Hyatt and Pat Kelley are expected to have increased roles in the upcoming season.

While questions such as who will HN play outside of the NCC, will they play in showcases, and will this team be able to make a deep playoff run still remain a mystery. However, the question of who will be leading them into this next chapter has been answered.

High Flyers Welcome Scrappy #23 Seed for OHSAA Baseball District Semis

Gates Mills, OH- On May 27, #6 Hawken will welcome #23 Holy Name for an OHSAA Division 4 District Semifinals clash. In years past, this game would have been played at a neutral site. However, the additions of divisions five, six, and seven spread the playoffs out more. Neutral sites now begin in the district finals.

The Hawks enter play posting a 19-5 record along with a CVC championship after an 8-2 league campaign. Additionally, they dominated Akron Springfield 14-0 to begin postseason play. As for the Green Wave, they sit at .500, with a 13-13 record. For the second season in a row, the Namers are playing on ‘borrowed time’ as they upset #14 Cloverleaf 6-1 in the Sectional Finals. This round has been a tough roadblock for HN to overcome. Last season, they fell to STVM 8-1 in this round. Their prior two appearances in the District Semifinals saw them lose to Tallmadge and Elyria Catholic in 2022 and 2019, respectively.

Similar to last year, Holy Name found a rhythm down the stretch after a rough start. With a 2-8 conference record, a lot of expectations were undershot. After losing to Elyria Catholic on May 7, the Green Wave found their wakeup call. Since then, they are 8-3 with big wins over Gilmour and Padua thrown in the mix.

Hawken has been a model of consistency all season. One look at their offense tells the story of their success–runs, runs, and runs. Averaging 9.08 runs per game while having a team batting average of .328, the Hawks have dominated at the sticks. Stars such as Miles Hamilton (.379 average) and Asher Kimball (.362 average) have led by example.

Looking at the ballpark, the Hawks have one of the most unique in the state. If you take a look at the outfield, you’ll find a soccer field and a softball field. Given these dimensions’ obscurities, Hawken has still hit five home runs this season.

Defensively, both squads have stellar pitching staffs. Ethan Gibson started for Hawken against Springfield. In four innings, he allowed 1 hit while striking out 8 batters. Holy Name threw their ace, Dom Marchetta, against Cloverleaf. With his 12 strikeouts, Marchetta now sits second on the career strikeout leaderboard at Holy Name.

Based on the stats and the season so far, Cole Twardokus or Billy Butler will most likely be on the mound for the Hawks. As for Holy Name, it has been confirmed by coach Mike Masetta that Harrison Frank will be starting. Frank pitched in HN’s Sectional Final win over Canton South in 2024. He threw a complete game while allowing 4 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 2 batters.

The game will begin at 5 PM at Hawken, with the winner advancing to the District Championship against the winner of #1 Lake Catholic and #27 Northwest.

You can watch the game on the SmeeSports YouTube channel with Nathan Smee and Cameron Ragazzo on the call starting at 4:50 PM with pregame.

Watch Hawken Vs Holy Name Baseball: https://www.youtube.com/live/pSWZ4zfGPDI?si=Sli4-b-KK6xHOms3

SmeeSports is Officially an LLC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Strongsville, OH- After a long period of thought and deliberation, I have decided to register SmeeSports as an LLC. Back on May 1, the official approval came through as Ohio’s Secretary of State Frank LaRose signed off. With all of the legalities taken care of, I thought this would be the best time to officially announce this joyous milestone.

While this will not change much on the surface, other than LLC being added to my email signature along with social media handles, a lot of behind-the-scenes work is and will take place. This is not the culmination of all of the work SmeeSports has done over the past few years, but just the start of more hard work and determination. However, I know what this can become by going the extra mile, and I thank God for the opportunity to go that extra distance.

Speaking of faith, I owe a lot of my success to Holy Name High School. Specifically, AD Rich Kozub, assistant AD Kim Luthman, President Shelbrey Blanc, and the coaches and staff who believed in me while building Holy Name Broadcasting. The foundation formed at HN is the same base I used to create SmeeSports. Our motto of Faith, Family, and Sports runs in a similar way to HN’s Triple Threat of Mind, Body, and Spirit.

I am excited for this new chapter of SmeeSports LLC, and I look forward to partnering with more teams, leagues, and competitions to truly showcase the best of Cleveland and Stark County’s athletes.