Lindsey's Post on the passing of my Mom

on family, my name and getting it...kinda...

post by Lindsey Morgan

It has been a really long time since I have attended a Morgan Family gathering, the extended Morgan Family that is…so long, I am sad to report I don’t think I can even recall the last time more than 2 or 3 of us were together. 

I know Uncle Greg stopped just a few months ago when he saw me in the parking lot at work, and  his son Wes is friends with the brothers of one of my youth groupers.  I might cross paths with Wes or Matthew 5 or 10 times a week in our small South Tampa community.  For all I know Wes and I could be standing at the same bar ordering drinks every now and then…

I remember a visit from Uncle Sundance to St. Louis, maybe, when I was in high school?  That was at least 12 or 13 years ago now.

I think the last time I saw Jim, we were living in Miami and we had Thanksgiving on Key Biscane…we beat Kunkle butt playing street football and Mary made Stouffers mac and cheese for Ben…because he was still an incredibly picky eater those days…not much has changed.

I honestly though don’t remember the last time I saw most of The Morgan Family. 

I remember when I was in preschool or early elementary school my dad teaching me the names of all of his siblings and memorizing them in age order…I guess the way he ran through them in his head as well.

Jimmy, Lynn, Wes, Greg, Dan, Rob

I had to include my dad in that list to remember everyone.

But…then I had to learn that Jimmy was really Sundance and Lynn was really Mary Lynn and Wes and Greg, though a year apart graduated together, and Dan took pictures and Rob would always be the youngest, no matter how old they all got.  AND THEN look at the baby and childhood pictures—they all looked the same with those HUGE coke bottle glasses!

I can give you the names…

Sundance and Iris have no kids (he was married once before her I think and Iris is a twin, something I always thought was kinda cool!)

Lynn has two sons Jimmy and Philip (both older than me)  Jimmy is now married with a beautiful daughter.  My dad, it seems, has always been close to Jimmy.

Wes, my dad is still married to my mom and my brother and I continue to plug along in our own little bubbles.  My little brother is engaged to be married sometime soon-ish…

Greg was married to Donda and had two sons, Wesley (named after my dad ) and Matthew (born on my dad’s birthday) but he is now remarried to Ellen and has 2 step-kids too…

Dan has now married his second wife Annette (no kids)

Rob has been married to Joy for almost as long as my parents have been married and they have 3 kids.  Megan, Tara and Kevin…I don’t know if I have ever met any of them.

You know what, come to think of it…I don’t think I have ever been in a situation where I was in the same place as my dad and his 5 siblings.  If I was, I certainly don’t remember it.  I only have fuzzy memories of my one visit to that stately home on Lake Eerie where my dad grew up.  I only know that place in pictures.  I remember playing with a red and blue electronic toy in a room upstairs.  I think the toy looked like a nutcracker.  I only vaguely remember visiting the house on Key Biscane with my family and Greg’s.  I remember spending more time swimming that visit than anything else.  I think most of those memories are from pictures though.

I don’t have lots of memories of The Morgan Family from growing up.  I remember a lot of everything…so I remember the stories my dad has told me…but it seems almost trivial now.

My dad saw all of his siblings last week.  I don’t know if he remembers the last time that happened.  When I saw the picture, ironically posted on facebook, I was honestly taken aback to see all 6 siblings standing there smiling with their father just in front.

Kevin, the youngest cousin on our dad’s side graduated from high school last week…but that is not what brought the masses together.

My dad’s mom died last week and it hurts a lot that it doesn’t really hurt.  I mean, that sounds wrong…and really is wrong…it hurts, but not the way I think it should.  I don’t feel like I lost something in my life.  Mary Francis Lawton Morgan did not play a big role in my life, but regardless of that—she was a huge part of my life. 

My heart hurt and my stomach churned 15 months ago when I found out two women I had grown up with, friends of my grandmother, parents of my mom’s friends passed away those cold February days…just hours apart.

When I woke to an email obituary from my dad announcing his 89 year old mother had passed away I surmised that was the cause for 3 early-morning missed calls on my cell from my mom.  I called her casually.  She confirmed her reason for calling.  I was not upset…not until I thought about the prospect of not being there for my dad.

This was in fact his mother…his one and only mother…and despite or maybe more accurately in spite of our non-existent relationship, it is because of her my dad is the man he is, why I am inherently the person I have become.

I have learned more about Mary Morgan in her death than I think I knew of her in life.

My dad is a great, succinct writer.  I am not.  I write where my head goes.  I use ellipses, unnecessary commas and strange punctuation.  Sometimes when I start writing I have no idea where I am going to end up.  Sometimes I start with one intention in mind and end up elsewhere entirely.  Most of the time I write with meaning, I don’t know why I feel the need to write.  I just do.

I don’t feel like I should be writing any great epic story of why family is important or how I can love my dad’s mom in spite of her seeming lack of care for me (or my brother—but my feelings are mine and not to be displaced on to him) my life, my successes, my growth, my achievements…I can’t say any of that because it is not true.  I didn’t know the woman to love her.

What I CAN share is what has been ruminating in my head and my heart since I read that email just over one week ago.

MANY years ago I sat in a session with one of my favorite teachers (MAF) and was walked through a process that left us discussing THE VALUE OF OUR NAMES.  In Judaism traditionally you name your children after someone that has passed away as an honor to their memory.  You hope that child will possess the qualities and characteristics so many loved about the person or people that have passed away.   I always got uncomfortable talking about my name.  Lindsey Lawton Morgan…well Lindsey is after my great grandfather Lou, but also a combination of Lynn and Wesley, my parents…Lawton was always a challenge for me though.  First off…when I was younger we lived in the northeast and all of my friends had middle names like Sarah and Rachel and Marissa and Beth…Nobody had “weird” maiden name middle names. “ Lawton is the maiden name of my dad’s mother,” I would always say.  “Your grandmother, you mean…” people would reply.  This would invite a conversation about how yes Mary was my grandmother…but I never really did those grandmotherly things with her…I don’t think I ever thought about calling Mary grandma vs. granny vs. grandmother…I mean, Jim and Mary were always just Jim and Mary.

I didn’t think about any of this really until I thought about this all through the lens of my dad.  No matter how I felt about her or our relationship…this woman was still my dad’s one and only mom.

She worked hard to raise 6 kids.

She earned a masters degree after 40.

She was active in the community.

She loved theater.

She encouraged my dad and his siblings to try new things.

            They played sports like hockey and football

                        Even though my dad was the runt!

            They explored different art expressions

                        Like painting

                        Like writing

                        Like photography.

                        Like music.

            They all ventured to different places in search of continuing education

                        My dad to Miami, Sundance to the military and “real world”

She made religious education a priority.

            Even if the nuns made my dad pee his pants…

I, for the first time see the things I love most about my dad and the relationship I have with him as a direct reflection of her.

I grew up listening to Broadway Showtunes...not on the family piano…but on the record player.

I begged for technique of the week all day Saturday and Sunday.

I thank God ALL the time for the cute little Irish nose and the genes that made it so.

My parents met because my dad went to Miami.

I know my parents love each other…through thick and thin…they WERE tested from the beginning…

I don’t know…I am who I am because he is who he is…and he is that way because she was who she was…

So I think now for the first time I can appreciate it….

I think more now than ever before I am proud to carry on the name…

Maybe I didn’t know her in life, but maybe this was meant to open our eyes and encourage us to take advantage of the time we do have…spend more time together….embrace the now…don’t sweat the small stuff…all those cliché’s.

It is what it is.

Posted by LM at 7:39 AM

Sent to me via e-mail June 2011 

LSP Docents go to KC

Laumeier Sculpture Park Docents trip to KC - February 14-15, 2014 (l to r - Maureen Jennings, Clara Coleman, Ray Flunker, Mary Brauch, Janet Petersobn, Holly Goldfarb, Jeanette Wamser) 

On the heels of our successful trip to Chrystal Bridges (November 2012) and with a new 2014 season approaching, LSP docent co-chairs Maureen Jennings and Wes Morgan, with the guidance of the park’s director of interpretation, Clara Coleman, decided to orchestrate a trip to Kansas City for Valentine’s Day, a Friday and the following Saturday. The trip by way of Amtrak train service on the River Runner Line to and from would allow for a civilized and cost-effective overnight from the Kirkwood Train Station.

We pulled into Kansas City on time at 2:55 and our complimentary shuttle from the Best Western Seville was waiting. A quick check in at the hotel and by 4:00 we were at the information desk in the new Bloch Building addition to the Nelson Atkins Museum. Taking advantage of the remaining sunlight in the day we ventured into the frozen snow and ice that covered the 22 acre Donald Hall Sculpture Garden. The heartiest of us managed to traverse the challenging terrain to get up close to 2 of the four shuttlecock sculptures by Claes Oldenburg, and several of the 13 Henry Moore sculptures strategically on display. Of course, all of us appreciated seeing Mark Di Suvero and Judith Shea works that seem like new looks at old friends since we are accustomed to talking about the works on display at our Laumeier Sculpture Park.

Our crew is well represented with June Shaw, Mary Brauch, Barb Flunker (and her husband Ray), Jeanette Wamser, Maureen Jennings, Wes Morgan and Clara Coleman. We’ll be catching up with Janet Peterson who opted to travel by car. Her sister is a docent at the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

We scheduled a docent tour with an emphasis on the sculpture collection and with that starting point we were given an overview of the park, sculpture, contemporary art and more – all in the context of the bigger picture. Misty, our docent understood immediately that our group of art lovers will be easy to engage yet a challenge to serve in only 90 minutes. She did this expertly. She managed to take our group, starting with the peace and calm of the space devoted to Isamu Naguchi to the upstairs balcony where we could see Aguste Rodin studies for the Gates of Hell and Balzac. We dined at the museum to a violinist along with couples celebrating a special setting for a Friday night Valentine.

The Kansas City Art Institute professor of sculpture Michael Wickerson was an awesome boost of energy for our Saturday morning visit to the KCAI campus. Michael had several students on hand to share what it is like to pour aluminum into sand casts but he is quick to point out that the studio and the furnaces need to be approached with careful planning and safety in mind. He and his students cannot hide their enthusiasm for art. Our group is thrilled to see emerging artists being nurtured by such a capable instructor.

The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is just a short walk down the street from KCAI and we manage to get a bite to eat before our final scheduled docent tour treat. Chijuly, Stella, Louise Nevelson, another Claes Oldenburg. We managed our time well and got to see a lot. Kansas City is a great Art destination (due in no small part to the Halls, Blochs, Kempers and the Ford Foundation).

This account does not do justice to the amount we were able to see but maybe it provides some insight into the spirit of our team and the passion of art lovers everywhere. Thank You KC!

Rodin's Thinker at Nelson Atkins Museum - KC 

Claes Oldenburg Shuttlecock at Nelson Atkins Museum KC

Michael Wickerson and Student at KCAI pouring aluminium mold at foundry

 

Holly Goldfarb and Maureen Jennings; June Shaw and Wes Morgan; Ends by Isamu Naguchi 1985

 

Barb Flunker and Wes Morgan at Nelson-Atkins Museum (KC) 

in front of George Rickey's Two Planes - Vertical/Horizontal

  

My Uncle David - Rest in Peace

Obituary: David William Morgan

By The Family on January 21, 2014 in Latest News, Lead News, News, Obituaries · (Darien Times)

David William Morgan, a resident of Darien for over 32 years who was active in town politics and community service, died peacefully at home surrounded by his wife Mary Louise and children Mallory and 

David Jr. on January 20, 2014. He was 85.

He had been battling Primary CNS Lymphoma for 22 months.

Mr. Morgan was born on July 6, 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the youngest of four boys born to Dr. John Benjamin Morgan, a urologist, and Bertha Amersbach Morgan. He grew up in the Lakewood section of Cleveland and attended St. Ignatius and Lakewood high schools. After spending two years at Wilmington College of Ohio, where in 1948 he was among the eight founding members of the Tau Kappa Beta fraternity, he transferred to La Salle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he received a B.A. in Sociology and Philosophy.

He moved to Los Angeles, California in the late 1950’s where he was the Director of Public Relations and Publicity for Catalina Swimwear. After declining the opportunity to be introduced to Marilyn Monroe at a party shortly before her death, he vowed never to miss another chance to talk to any interesting public person in the fields of entertainment, sports, business or politics. He developed the personal credo to “never ask for an autograph” and approach them as equals. From that point on he had over a hundred random and interesting encounters with many of the 20th Century’s biggest names including Norman Rockwell, Martha Graham, Bing Crosby, Mother Theresa, Joe Louis, Judy Garland and President John F. Kennedy.
Mr. Morgan always valued his time in California for the deep and lasting friendships he made with the eight men who shared a beachfront house with him in Santa Monica. In a speech written 20 years later he noted, “It is important that you try to keep the friends you have and reach out to as many new people as you can. Years ago we did not call it networking, we just liked the people we met and spent a lot of time with each other. Do not sink into a shell, you’ll need everyone you ever knew someday. However, it’s more fun if you like them!”

In 1968 he moved to New York City to work in sales for Harper’s Bazaar and Seventeen Magazine. He left publishing for television to become Director of Retail and Co- Operative Advertising at CBS in 1975, before founding Morgan Communications in 1978 where he independently produced sports features for television and radio. From 2000 to 2006 he represented the San Francisco 49ers at the NFL Draft in New York City, and was a frequent attendee at the National Football Foundation’s annual College Football Hall of Fame dinner.

He married his wife Mary Louise Fitzsimmons in 1971, and decided to relocate his family to Darien in the early 1980’s based on an excellent afternoon he enjoyed watching a Darien High School Football game. He would remain an enthusiastic fan and booster of Darien athletic teams both before and after his children Mallory and David Jr. moved through the school system.

Happy summers were spent in Spring Lake, New Jersey where he was a member of the Spring Lake Golf & Country Club and a longtime member of the Spring Lake Bath & Tennis Club. Locally Mr. Morgan volunteered as a YMCA Indian Guides Chief, Flag Football coach, Babe Ruth Baseball umpire and coach. He was a supporter and active member of the Cherry Lawn Community Gardens, and a member of the Piedmont Club.

He became involved with the Democratic Party in Darien during Christine Niedermeier’s campaign for U.S. Congress in 1986, and went on to volunteer for the successful campaigns of First Selectmen Ann Mandel, Fred Sammis, and Evonne Kein. In the early 1990’s he ran for election as Constable of the Town of Darien and held the post for twenty years through 2013.

In 2001, spurred on by a development threat to the Cherry Lawn Community Gardens and inadequate noise barriers along I-95. Mr. Morgan stepped away from the Democratic Party to run for First Selectman as an Independent, winning 9% of the vote and dwarfing all other Independent candidates for First Selectman in Fairfield County that year who failed to crack more than 1.5% of the vote. His campaign was lauded at the time for its innovative use of television commercials. He ran again as in Independent in 2003, and returned to the Democratic fold as a candidate and office holder for Constable and party volunteer. He was a frequent participant of the Thursday morning “Kitchen Cabinet” public affairs discussion group at the Sugar Bowl.
He is perhaps best remembered in Darien for the charity “Bikes For Bed-Stuy” he founded in 1986 and ran for 13 years. In 1985 Mr. Morgan was inspired by an article in the New York Daily News about NYPD officer who purchased a bicycle for a seven year old boy in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn after the child reported that his new bicycle had been ripped out of his hands and stolen on his first ride.
Touched both by officer’s generosity and the stark disparity between the affluence and safety of Darien and Bedford-Stuyvesant in the 1980’s, Morgan came up with an idea to collect used bicycles throughout the year in Connecticut, repair them, and gift them to needy children at the 81st Precinct Christmas party. What started as 60 used and repaired bicycles in the first year grew at its high point to over 200 bicycles being distributed to inner-city children each year. Although Morgan concluded his involvement with the group in 1999, people continued to call his home for years afterward to ask if they could donate their bikes.
In addition to his political and philanthropic interests, Mr. Morgan had lifelong passion for the visual arts — particularly in the areas of illustration and photography. His primary hobby was following collegiate football, professional football, collegiate basketball and his beloved Cleveland Indians. David Morgan was a dedicated and beloved husband and father.

The family will receive friends at the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien on Friday, January 24, 2014 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM., and 7:00 to 9:00PM. A Mass of Resurrection in Celebration of the life of David Morgan will be held at St. John Roman Catholic Church, 1986 Post Road, Darien on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Burke Rehabilitation Hospital – Outpatient Center. The Burke Rehabilitation Center, Attn: Development Office, 785
Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, New York 10605. www.burke.org/donate

Vin de Set 2014

Friday evening (January 3, 2014) at Vin de Set and Joe Mastroianni is once again playing host. He orders wine and invites conversation but never forgets to communicate important ground rules for AAF Advertising Award Judges. The ADDY Judges are Dan Barczak (Cincinnatti), Malvina Baker (NYC), Rick Riley (Cleveland) and Matt Horton (Minneapolis). Kristy Tucciarone and Wes Morgan round out the table for seven at the restaurant which has become something of a tradition over the past few years.

Dan is Creative Director at Hyperquake, a Brand Evolution Agency in Cincinnati. He has a design background. In another life he might have been a chef he says adding that early on he got shot down when he considered a Military career path (Marine Corps).

Malvina Baker is with Sterling Brands in New York. She surprised the group with a passion for surfing, an avocation that is difficult to pursue from her home base in Brooklyn, NY. She manages to get away to surf periodically and will be traveling to Puerto Rico in a couple of weeks.

Rick Riley is a copywriter turned creative director turned agency principal at MelamedRiley in Cleveland. He’s been thinking about a Children’s Book phonics based concept: part mistake (oops) and part zoo animals, Zoops would introduce children to creatures like the ChimpanZebra and KangaRooster.

Matt Horton of Morsekode in Minneapoplis would have stayed in radio as an on air personality if his early exposure to that career path introduced him to personalities who convinced him it was a bad way to make a living. So advertising, he reasons, (what his Dad did) seems a reasonable way to make a living. Matt is more than an ad guy though. His account of work for a non-profit called Imagine No Malaria dramatically illustrates how he thinks.   

Saturday is all business and start time at 8:00 a.m. at Anheuser Busch cafeteria where UMSL students and Ad Club officials Liz and Jaron have the work ready to view and the software ready to enter scoring. Joe prepared the group for the strategy of completing the review of hundreds of entries to minimize the impact of a Winter snowstorm heading for the Midwest. That being said, the judges came together late in the day with a good deal of consensus on what they saw as the best work. The winners will be announces in February during ADDY Week in St. Louis.  

Photos (top to bottom): Rick Riley, Matt Horton, Malvina Baker, Dan Barczak

ExecLink St. Louis Revisited

We  have come to know a lot of folks in the midst of one career crisis or another in the last few years. Gone are the days of the quick bounce backs for senior executives. With a background of nearly 30 years of progressive experience as account manager in advertising, leadership in corporate communications and marketing, I noticed our board struggling to make sense of it all. It’s no secret, the battlefield has changed. You are only as good as your last movie. That awesome list of career highlights that used to get you in the door and at the ground floor of negotiating your next career move isn’t matching up to the job description someone finally approved. Human Resources professionals aren’t in the mood to risk thinking outside the box. And networking, while still important, will not in and of itself land most of us at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy.

ExecLink St. Louis began in 2009 as an organization for senior level executives to network and retool for the new realities of the market. The original board members managed to forge a relationship with Washington University – St. Louis and schedule regular meetings with presentation/speakers ranging from the sales training to entrepreneurialism always with a senior level executive in mind as target audience. The organization has moved around to a variety of venues (i.e. Missouri Athletic Club, Maryville University, Webster University) and attracted over 600 people who signed up to be members. Meanwhile, the nature of the organization changed as members settled in to a variety of endeavors that may or may not have matched the  ambitious goals they originally set for themselves. It is becoming apparent to many members that their skills, while still in demand, are often best applied to pursuits very different than the niches inside of corporate conventions for which they had found comfortable career paths in the past.

So the ExecLink St. Louis board met over the holidays and made some decisions. The organization can and will change. We will move forward with our mission: Executives Helping Executives but with new leadership, a strategic vision and fewer/better programs.

Here are the actions of which our board is in agreement. A. formalize strategic plan (including leadership initiatives) B. execute fewer/better programs C. engage membership with two-way communication channels D. strengthen and reinforce our unique positioning E. leverage our experience.    

      

 

 

 

 

Mary Lawton Morgan, Theatrical Star

Mary Lawton Morgan in her mink coat in The Deadly Game (1964)

Mary Lawton Morgan, Theatrical Star

I was just eight years old when I saw my mom in a play at Lakewood Little Theater (now the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, Ohio). She appeared in The Deadly Game (1964). Her part was an important one but her appearance was at the end of the last act.  I remember her laughing and suggesting that the only reason she got the role was because she owned her own mink coat (which she wore in the show). Mom had been active in performing dramatic readings as a member or the Three Arts Club. I remember her rehearsing The Women in our living room. “Jungle Red Sylvia,” she read as her character had been to a manicurist at a salon in which the story revolves. I have since seen the 1939 movie The Women and read the play The Deadly Game. I can see why she was well cast in each.

Another movie helped me remember the plot of a play in which my mom appeared at LLT in 1964. The Best Man, of course, was a play before it was a movie starring Henry Fonda. Her next role at LLT was as star in Mary Mary in 1965 (Debbie Reynolds played Mary in the movie version). A few years later she was in Any Wednesday (1967) which was a comedy about marital infidelity.  Later she was in a play at LLT called What Did We Do Wrong? which was probably timely in 1968.

I remember mom preparing for her role in The Cactus Flower in 1970. She practiced the sort of sing-song-y phone reception her role called for as assistant to dentist Dr. Winston. “Doctor Winston’s Office,” she repeated as an efficient office manager. The role was played by Goldie Hawn in the movies.

Mom completed a Masters degree in Dramatic Arts at Case Western Reserve University in her early 40s and refocused her energies on directing. She was named director in residence at Clague Playhouse somewhere around 1970. In that role she would direct The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd; Man of LaMancha; The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and stay active in running the venue that seated fewer than 250 or so patrons a performance.

In 1977 mom returned to act at Lakewood Little Theater in Veronica’s Room. A role for which she was honored at best actress that season. (She had served as guest director for the play Gypsy at LLT but, I think, was happy to return to that stage.) She was Aunt Eller in Oklahoma at Lakewood Little Theater (later named the Beck Center). 

I saw my mom fill in for an actress who was sick once. Mom was director but was able to step-up like an under-study. She was a nun/school teacher in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. It was impressive to see her ability to perform at the drop of the hat like that.   

Of course, mom was a supporter of the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival (in fact, she was even invited to speak to a group about The Taming of the Shrew). Her talk was scholarly. She demonstrated her academic side. After all, she was now the holder of a Masters degree in Dramatic Arts. (A thesis paper on Othello was part of her coursework so she was a student of Shakespeare.). I was proud of my mom that day and so glad to be among the audience (with my dad). The event was staged outside the auditorium and dubbed the Rose & Crown Inn. (By the way an youngt actor by the name of Tom Hanks was earning his Actor's Equity card and was in that very production of The Taming of the Shrew,)

Somewhere around 1978 she played the part of Aunt Eller in Oklahoma. She was brave enough to even sing for that role. She also agreed to direct a production of West Side Story for St. Edward High School.  My parents started to spent more time in Key Biscayne, Florida and eventually moved there full time in 1985 when they sold their house at 15106 Edgewater Drive.    

Mom passed on in 2011. The wonderful people at The Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood dove in to the archives and recently shared some production stills from the Lakewood Little Theater period of which mom was so involved. (In addition to acting she was also a teacher in teen workshops/classes.)
Note: My brother Greg reminded me that mom also performed in Berea. My sister Lynn reminded me of mom directing a production of Laugh In at Wildwood.

Go John Caroll Blue Streaks!

In what was dubbed one of the most exciting and meaningful division III football games this season, the No. 1 Mount Union Purple Raiders narrowly defeated the No. 9 John Carroll Blue Streaks in front of a sell-out crowd of 8,104 at Mount Union Stadium, 42-34.

Both teams came into the game with undefeated records of 9-0, including 8-0 records in Ohio Athletic Conference play. The Blue Streaks and Purple Raiders also came into the game with the first and second ranked defenses in the nation, respectively. While the game didn't turn out to be a defensive showdown, it certainly lived up to the hype.

"Mount played very well, you have to give all the credit to them," said head coach Tom Arth. "I'm proud of our guys, I'm proud of the way they fought, I'm proud of the way they never gave up. They kept believing, but unfortunately we came up just a little bit short and that falls on me."
         
Myers, a Cleveland St. Ignatius alum, finished the game 31-56 with 451 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The junior quarterback also showed tremendous poise throughout the game, yet acknowledged that there is room for improvement from this game.

With the loss, the Blue Streaks will not enter the postseason as OAC Champions, but will likely earn an at-large berth. While players and coaches alike expressed disappointment, they also understand that the road doesn't end here.
         
"I've been telling you guys all year, it's a special group," said Arth. "Nothing has changed. They're still a special group. These guys have hearts like you wouldn't believe. They're confident, they have a lot of believe in themselves … They're going to come back, they're going to bounce back and this game's going to make us stronger. I believe that with my whole heart."

Thomas Edward Arth (b. May 11, 1981), coach and former player, currently the head coach of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He was head football coach at John Carroll University from 2013 to 2016. Arth was QB at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland and at John Carroll University, he started for four years at quarterback, and set 18 John Carroll football records.