One Football team stands in the way of St. Ignatius' chance to play for a 10th state championship.

That team, North Canton Hoover, poses quite a threat, says St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle.

"They are very active on defense," Kyle said. "Their kids are running all over the place. They're not huge, but they're quick.

"Offensively, they run the ball very well. Erick Howard is the Offensive Player of the Year in that district. In the Canton area, they compare him to [former Canton McKinley, Ohio State and NFL player] Mike Doss. He's fast. He's elusive. He breaks tackles."

St. Ignatius and Hoover, both 12-1, will play in a Division I state semifinal at 7 p.m. Saturday at Massillon's Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The Wildcats won nine state titles from 1988 to 2001, all with Kyle as coach. They are ranked 11th nationally in the ESPN Rise Fab 50.

Howard, a 5-10, 210-pound junior tailback, has rushed for 2,304 yards and 30 touchdowns. He and the Vikings will face the 3-5 St. Ignatius defense that has allowed just seven points overall in three playoff games.

Despite Howard's excellence, Hoover has not dominated offensively during the playoffs, averaging 13.7 points in three games. The Vikings' 5-3 defense, though, has held its past five opponents to 6.8 points per game.

Kyle said safety Dan Fox has recovered from a concussion suffered on Nov. 8 and will play.

Quite a ride: The loss to St. Ignatius does not diminish what Strongsville accomplished this season.

The Mustangs won 11 straight games between their 37-36 season-opening loss to St. Edward and last Saturday's game. They defeated teams such as Mentor, Toledo St. John's Jesuit, Brunswick and Solon in the regular season, and Euclid and Mentor in the playoffs.

"First, I told the kids that was a great team we played," said Strongsville coach Russ Jacques, referring to St. Ignatius. "Second, in the playoffs, you're thrilled to get there, but unless you win the state championship, your last game is a loss. It doesn't take anything away from what we did."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mpeticca@plaind.com, 216-999-6177