The Saint Ignatius Varsity Gold wrestling squad competed in Sullivan Gym for the 2017-18 season, and made quite an impression upon the home fans in attendance.
The Mat Cats roared to victories over Madison and Strongsville, showing off depth and skill in a great day for the men of Mark Sullivan.
Here is how the tri-match unfolded for the Wildcats:
Saint Ignatius vs. Madison (W, 55-18)
The Wildcats’ match with Madison began with easy points for the hosts, as the Mat Cats claimed a victory by forfeit at 106 pounds.
The battle began in full at 113 pounds. The Wildcats’ Jack Bush and Blue Streaks’ Drew Bailey fought for the full seven minutes, clashing until the very end. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Bailey finishes with a narrow 4-3 victory to get Madison on the board.
The Mat Cats responded in kind, with Matt Isaac attacking Jason Davidson. Isaac notched an early 2-0 lead, setting the tone for a hard-fought match. Isaac ended with a 7-4 advantage, riding his opponent late in the match to prevent an escape and a closer ending.
Next, DJ Huff, wrestling down at 126, secured an easy pin to advance the Wildcats’ lead. Huff attacked his foe with ferocity, tallying the pin just 42 seconds into the contest. However, the Blue Streaks got the points back, as Matthew Whipkey was pinned by Jeff Brichford. Whipkey was wrestling up to 132 for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats got back on track at 138 pounds. Captain Patrick McGraw dueled with Fabian Ruiz-Diaz, gaining the upper hand with a 4-0 lead less than a minute into the first period. McGraw sealed the win with a pin 33 seconds into the second.
With Zach Tomford out sick, Mario Rini filled in at 145 pounds. The sophomore fought valiantly, but Doug Bailey of Madison dealt him an early 2-0 deficit, and eventually pinned Rini in the second period.
The action between the Wildcats and Blue Streaks continued into round two. Saint Ignatius’s Zach Morgan and Madison’s Shayne Magda began what would be a thrilling second round.
Morgan and Magda clashed in an enthralling 152-pounds matchup. Magda opened the advantage with an early 2-1 lead, stretched to 4-1 by the end of the second. Morgan nearly came back, earning two points and fighting for a couple more all the way up until the bopper hit the referee’s back at the end of the third. The 4-3 victory brought the Blue Streaks within 21-18.
Najee Lockett and David Thompson then did battle at 160 pounds. Lockett showed more aggression out of the gate than in his first match against his Strongsville opponent. The sophomore opened up a big lead, growing to 9-0 by the end of the second period. Early on in the third, Lockett upped the score to 13-0. Thompson notched a point, but Lockett emerged with a 13-1 victory in the end.
Logan Toth wrestled next at 170, making quick work of his foe. Toth pinned his opponent at :41 of the first period.
Tommy Gill also won by pin, though it took the junior a little more time. The younger Gill brother notched a 5-0 lead by early in the second, advancing to 7-0 and winning the riding time battle. Gill earned the pin in the third after plenty of work, placing the contest nearly out of reach for the Blue Streaks.
The winning continued at 195 pounds. Michael Drobnick attacked his opposing Blue Streak, using a beautiful move to win the match by pin with 34 seconds remaining in the first.
Aidan Gill also won by pin at 220 pounds. The senior nearly pinned his foe in the first minute, but Derek Zirkle fought hard to avoid it. Gill finished off Zirkle with 1:03 left in the first to earn the victory.
The final match, coming at 285 pounds, proved to be a fun one. Toby Engel faced off against Dominick Zirkle in an entertaining heavyweight bout of epic proportions. Zirkle used a wily move early on to nearly pin Engel at the edge of the mat. However, Engel fought through it and counterattacked later in the following action. After narrowing the deficit to 4-3, Engel won by pin in dramatic fashion with 1:07 on the clock in the 1st.
Engel’s pin ended a fun dual match between the two squads, with the Wildcats winning in the end, 55-18.
Saint Ignatius vs. Strongsville (W, 71-3)
The Wildcats started off strong against the Mustangs, wrestling the heavyweights to start off the match.
Zach Morgan wrestled Adam Banal at 152 pounds, which started off quietly. Banal built a 5-0 start by the end of the first period. However, Morgan fired out at the start of the second. The junior seized on an opportunity and pinned Banal with 1:18 left in the second. Morgan’s victory granted the Wildcats an early 6-0 lead.
Najee Lockett then did battle with Zach Savage at 160 pounds. Lockett proceeded deliberately, using a more tactical approach with Savage. Strongsville’s contender opened a small 2-1 lead after the first three minutes. After Banal chose neutral, the score evened out at 2-2, where the score stayed through the end of the second. Lockett hung on at the end of the third period, using the upper advantage to earn the 4-3 victory.
After the Lockett’s win, Logan Toth (170), Tommy Gill (182), and Michael Drobnick (195) all claimed victories by forfeit.
Aidan Gill resumed the action with a great match at 220 pounds. The senior three-sport athlete pinned his foe in the second period, advancing the Wildcats’ even further. The Wildcats completed the sweep of the heavyweights with Toby Engel’s win by forfeit at 285 pounds.
After the Wildcats’ lightweights battled Madison, the Wildcats’ smaller wrestlers took a break before facing off with Strongsville’s lightweights.
Entering the second half of competition with Strongsville, the Wildcats held a 39-0 lead. The Wildcats would extend the lead significantly before the end of the match.
Freshman Grayson McLellan received a chance to wrestle for the varsity gold squad for the first time in his young career at 106 pounds. McLellan more than held his own, limiting his opponent to one point in the bout. McLellan emerged with a 3-1 win to add three points onto the board for the blue and gold.
Bush, Isaac, and Whipkey all recorded wins by forfeit to add 18 more points on for the Wildcats. Huff tallied six more with a pin of his foe at 132 pounds. The junior recorded several points before the fall came 1:18 into the match.
The Wildcats’ lone loss to Strongsville came at 138 pounds, as McGraw ran into a tough opponent. McGraw fought hard, but the Mustang earned the win in the third period for three points for Strongsville.
Mario Rini wrapped up the day for the Wildcats. Rini secured a victory via tech fall with a strong set of moves in the third period to end the day on a high note for the Wildcats.
The Look Ahead
Following the victories over Madison and Strongsville, the Wildcats will have a few days to prepare for Thursday’s dual match at St. Edward. After battling the vaunted Eagles, the Wildcats will participate in the Brecksville Holiday Tournament on Friday, December 29 and Saturday, December 30.