Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin celebrated Men of Latin Night with a 35-7 victory over Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy on Friday, Oct. 9, combining a strong defensive performance with a balanced offensive attack to move atop the conference standings with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
The evening brought added significance to the home contest as NDCL recognized its Cathedral Latin heritage while the Lions delivered a complete team performance.
NDCL limited CVCA to just 149 yards of total offense while generating 310 yards offensively, including 151 rushing and 159 passing. The Lions established control early and carried a 14-0 lead into halftime.
Braeden Ryan capped NDCL's opening possession with a short touchdown run to give the Lions an early advantage. Quarterback Brady Capel added another short rushing touchdown in the first half to extend the lead.
The offense continued producing after halftime as Capel connected with Blake Dummermuth for a 30-yard touchdown pass. Senior offensive and defensive lineman Joe Penny also reached the end zone, recording his first rushing touchdown.
NDCL closed the game with a sustained, time-consuming possession led by Ryan, who finished the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the evening.
Capel completed 12 of 17 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing score. Ryan finished with 72 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries and contributed six tackles defensively.
Dummermuth caught three passes for 63 yards and a touchdown, while Austin Otero recorded nine tackles and added two receptions for 40 yards.
The defensive effort proved equally important, consistently limiting CVCA's opportunities and allowing the Lions to control the pace of the contest.
The victory provided a fitting conclusion to Men of Latin Night, connecting NDCL's present-day student-athletes with the school's Cathedral Latin tradition.
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Lions sit atop the conference standings and will look to continue their momentum when they host Elyria Catholic in their next contest.
