Saturday will be a homecoming of sorts for Terry McLaurin.
Not that the Cathedral High School graduate sees Saturday’s Big 10 Football Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis in only that way.
“The best way to celebrate is to win,” he said on a midweek conference call.
McLaurin isn’t the only one with that feeling, nor is he the only player in Saturday’s game with strong ties to the host city – or to Cathedral.
McLaurin, a senior wide receiver, is one of three Cathedral graduates playing in downtown Indianapolis Saturday. Pete Werner – a 2017 Cathedral graduate – is a sophomore linebacker for the Buckeyes, who enter Saturday’s game 11-1 and ranked No. 6 nationally in the Associated Press Poll.
Jared Thomas, a 2015 Cathedral graduate, is a junior offensive lineman for Northwestern University. The Wildcats enter Saturday 8-4 and ranked No. 21 nationally by AP.
Thomas (6-feet-4, 275 pounds) is a two-time Academic All-Big 10 selection.
Werner (6-3, 236) has played in 12 games this season after playing 11 as a freshman. He has 53 tackles, including 36 solos, and also has seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, a quarterback hurry and six pass breakups. He was an honorable mention All-Big 10 selection this season.
McLaurin (6-1, 205), like Werner, has been key to the Buckeyes’ season.
The 2014 Cathedral graduate also has made his final collegiate season his best collegiate season, catching 31 passes for 591 yards and nine touchdowns with a pair of 100-yard games – four receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns in 77-31 victory over Oregon State Week 1 and four receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown in a 52-51 overtime victory over Maryland on November 17.
McLaurin also was a key special teams players for the Buckeyes this season, and Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer in early November said McLaurin might be the best special teams player he has coached.
“We actually love Lucas Oil Stadium,” said McLaurin, who has 70 career receptions for 1,134 yards and 17 touchdowns. “The turf is great ... it's a really fast field, and we hope to use our speed to our advantage. …
“Motivation won't be a problem, because there's a championship on the line.”
McLaurin, Werner and Thomas are fine examples of Cathedral’s dominant football program and history of athletic excellence. We are proud of these scholar athletes and we’ll be cheering them on this weekend!