It's tourney time at the corner of West 30th and Lorain. All five Saint Ignatius winter sports teams are about to begin OHSAA tournament play.
The Wildcats look to be poised for a fun month of tournament action, as each team has a legitimate chance at a deep run in the postseason.
Here is the postseason picture for every Saint Ignatius winter sports team:
Basketball:
Current Level: Sectional Final
Date: Saturday, March 3
Opponent: TBD (Winner of Brecksville-Broadview Heights and Valley Forge)
Time: 7 pm
Location: Sullivan Gym
Outlook: The Basketball Cats still have three regular-season games before the Sectional Final. The squad, currently 11-6 overall, will look to get healthy and in a groove before the start of tournament action. Following the Sectional Final, the road gets tough with likely matchups against Brunswick and St. Edward.
Bowling:
Current Level: Sectionals
Date: Saturday, February 17
Time: 8:30 am
Location: Wickliffe Lanes
Outlook: The Alley Cats have had a few weeks to prepare for the Sectional Tournament. The Wildcats finished the regular season at 4-5 in OHSAA points. The team practiced at Wickliffe Lanes last Saturday on the Kegel Sunset Strip pattern that will be in effect for Saturday. There are 14 teams competing in this Division 1 Sectional, with 4 teams and 4 individuals advancing to Districts on Sunday, February 25.
Hockey:
Current Level: 2nd Round of District Tournament
Date: Saturday, February 17
Opponent: Brooklyn Hurricanes
Time: Noon
Location: Brooklyn Recreation Center
Outlook: The Ice Cats completed the regular season (24-9-1) with a win over Everest Academy at the Barrow Tournament in Toronto last weekend. The Wildcats start the postseason on Saturday as the No. 1 seed in the Brooklyn District against No. 17 Brooklyn. The District Quarterfinal is set for next Tuesday, Feb. 20, the District Semifinal will be on Saturday, Feb. 24, and the District Final is on Saturday, March 3. Should the Wildcats emerge out of the Brooklyn District, the winner of the Columbus District awaits in the State Semifinal on Friday, March 9 at Nationwide Arena. The State Championship is on Saturday, March 10 at Nationwide.
Swimming & Diving:
Current Level: Districts
Date: Saturday, February 17
Time: 9 am
Location: Bowling Green State University
Outlook: The swimming & diving squad cleaned up at Sectionals last Saturday at Cleveland State, setting records and sending a host of swimmers and divers to the District Meet. The Wildcats have a solid team from top to bottom, with several superstars. Alex Claus and William Claus will both be divers to watch, and freshman Tyler Hong will look to keep up his record-setting pace. The Wildcats will hope to send a host of men to the State Meet, which begins on February 23.
Wrestling
Current Level: Sectionals
Date: Saturday, February 24
Time: 9 am
Location: Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School
Outlook: The Mat Cats are beginning to peak at the right time. The squad is nearly at 100%, especially with captain DJ Huff back in action. The Wildcats will see the bracket for each weight class after weigh-ins. Regardless of the brackets, the Wildcats will look to send a host of wrestlers to Districts on March 3 and then States the following weekend. Look for seniors Michael Drobnick and Aidan Gill to make pushes to return to the State Tournament at 195 and 220 pounds. Matthew Whipkey, Johnny Novak, Najee Lockett and Huff will all look to clinch berths to Columbus for the first times in their careers. The team looks in good shape for a deep run.
Are you a fan of Wildcat athletics? You can support your favorite team through the newly established Fr. Sullivan Fund for Athletics. Visit our website at www.ignatius.edu/give_now and designate your gift to the Sullivan Fund to help support our student-athletes and athletic programs.