University of Cincinnati head football coach Scott Satterfield was at Nippert Stadium Friday night to take in Moeller's 42-14 victory over Elder.
The Bearcats hired Satterfield in 2022 after Luke Fickell left Cincinnati for Wisconsin. In his first season, also UC's first in the Big 12, he led the team to a 3-9 record and just one conference win. So far in 2023, the team has already matched its win totals from last season, sitting at 3-2 (1-1 Big 12).
Satterfield's Bearcats have heavily featured local talent . Corey Kiner , his lead back the last two seasons, is a Roger Bacon graduate. One of the team's most recognizable stars, Dontay "The Godfather" Corleone, went to Colerain, as did Deshawn Pace, who transferred to UCF after last season. Elder graduates tight end Joe Royer and offensive guard Luke Kandra are major contributors. Same with linebacker Antwan Peek Jr., a graduate of Indian Hill, and backup running back Evan Prater, who graduated from Wyoming.
Satterfield spent a good part of Friday night scouting out more Queen City talent who could help his Bearcats in the coming years.
What do the Cincinnati Bearcats need from upcoming recruiting classes?
With the emergence of the transfer portal, college coaches can't feel safe even if they have multiple star underclassmen at a certain position.
That said, the Bearcats have some needs for upcoming seasons. With Kiner's eligibility running out after this season, the Bearcats will need at a new lead back. The defensive line could certainly become an issue should Corleone decide to enter the NFL draft or transfer portal after this season.
Receivers Xzavier Henderson and Jamoi Mayes are seniors this season, so wide receiver could be an area of future concern as well.
Which Moeller or Elder players might UC head coach Scott Satterfield have been looking at?
The obvious answer here is star Moeller quarterback Matt Ponatoski. Coming into Friday's game, Ponatoski had already recorded 1,654 passing yards and 22 touchdowns with just two interceptions. A little more than halfway through the regular season of his junior year, Ponatoski is Moeller's all-time leader in career passing yards and career touchdown passes. He's already received offers from UC, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Purdue and Vanderbilt with more offers to come.
Ponatoski is also a star on the baseball diamond. He verbally committed to play baseball at Missouri as an eighth-grader but decommitted earlier in 2024. Starting at third base for Moeller as a sophomore in 2023, he hit .391 with 34 hits and 33 RBIs.
Other uncommitted potential college prospects on Elder and Moeller include:
- Moeller senior receiver Jovan Love (6-foot-3, 190 pounds): Love is uncommitted but has offers from Army and Navy so far. As one of Ponatoski's favorite targets, he has recorded 351 receiving yards and six touchdowns this season.
- Elder junior linebacker Derek Uran (6-foot-2, 195 pounds): Uran is rated the 56th best linebacker in the class of 2025 by 247Sports. So far he has an offer from Central Michigan.
- Moeller junior tight end Cooper McCutchan (6-foot-4, 220 pounds): McCutchan has 19 Division I offers, including from UC, Texas A&M and West Virginia. He has caught 11 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown this season.
- Moeller junior tight end Sam Hamilton (6-foot-4, 230 pounds): Hamilton doesn't have an offer from UC yet, according to 247Sports, but he has been offered by West Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia Tech, among others. He's caught 12 passes for 168 yards and two scores this season.
More Elder and Moeller players may commit to Division I football, but these four are the highest-rated right now.
Which team showed out at Nippert Stadium?
Moeller controlled the game from start to finish. The Crusaders held Elder to 174 total yards (just four rushing yards) and gained 472 themselves.
Ponatoski was excellent as usual, completing 19-of-22 passes attempted for 331 yards and three touchdowns. Tyler Josleyn, who could have drawn Satterfield's attention, carried the ball 17 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Love had six catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns, including one highlight-reel touchdown catch.
Jonah Hayes had two sacks for Moeller, and Christian Harris added one for his team-leading fifth of the season.
On the Elder side, quarterback Kaden Estep completed 17-of-28 passes for 170 yards under constant duress and without a running game to open up the Crusader defense. Joey Thamann caught seven passes for 78 yards. Joey Ditulio had 10 total tackles for the Panthers.
With the win, Moeller finished off an undefeated conference season, clinching the 2024 Greater Catholic League-South title, their third in a row. They'll play Cleveland St. Ignatius next week. Elder hosts Maryland Riverdale Baptist at The Pit next Friday night.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC coach Scott Satterfield watched the Moeller-Elder tilt. Who could help the Bearcats?
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