The 2019-20 season will be all about development for the Saint Ignatius wrestling program.

The Mat Cats are a youthful group this season, with only a handful of seniors, but a big crop of talented underclassmen. 

Overall, the numbers are strong. The program has 44 wrestlers, including 14 freshmen. And even for this year, Head Coach Mark Sullivan is confident that his team will mature over the course of the season. 

"By the end of the year, I think we'll have a good team," Sullivan says. 

Without a doubt, the leader of the pack is Johnny Novak. The senior returns for another season after qualifying for the State Tournament last winter. Novak finished in 7th at 106 pounds amongst a packed field of competitors. Novak looks to do even better this season. 

This season, Novak will move up a weight class to 113. He'll anchor the Wildcats as a leader on and off the mat. His teammates voted him as a captain, and for good reason. Sullivan expects the young wrestlers on the team to follow his example. 

"With Johnny coming back as a State placer, it gives a blueprint for the young guys to follow," Sullivan said. "They'll ask, 'What did he do to become a state placer? They can emulate his work ethic and so forth. We have some young guys with no experience, but we also have some young guys with a lot of experience."

Speaking of a young guy with experience, Timmy Putka will be important for the Wildcats this season. The sophomore earned some mat time last year, and will start the Cats off at 106 this season. His teammates voted on him as a captain, which is a rare feat for a sophomore. Expect Putka to develop as a wrestler and a leader this season.

The third and final captain is Anthony Santagata. The junior will be a strong contender for the Wildcats at 132. Santagata will fight hard every match, showcasing his quickness and strength. Look for him to be a key piece to the team this season. 

Two other important lightweight juniors will be Grayson McLellan and Jack Bush. McLellan and Bush will be the top men at 120 and 126, respectively, to start the season. Both are talented young men with bright futures on the mats. 

Calum Campolieti is another important junior for the Wildcats at 138. The younger brother of Caden "Feast" Campolieti, Calum will look to make his own impact this season.

At 145, Ethan Tomford returns to be a key piece of the Wildcats' middle of the order. Tomford earned playing time last season, and he'll enjoy plenty of opportunities on the mats in 2019-20. The senior will be an important cog in the machine.

One of the Wildcats' most promising wrestlers is at 152. Jarell Young is a bright freshman with loads of talent. Sullivan is particularly excited to watch Young grow this year. As Young works harder and harder, he'll be increasingly tough for opponents to vanquish.

A strong senior contingent weighs in at 160 and 170. Three of the seven seniors on the roster are at these two weight classes to start the season. Evan Arko opens as the starter at 160 and Tommy Buckles starts the year as the top man at 170. Danny Strauchon weighs in at 160 and will see some time during his senior campaign.

Andrew Chime is one of the most exciting wrestlers on the roster. Few Wildcats have taken as big of a leap as Chime. At 182, Chime will be a big player for the Wildcats. 

"He's come a long way. I think he's going to have a nice year," Sullivan said. "He's one of the most hard-working kids. Ask him to work an hour, and he'll work an hour-and-a-half. He's always putting in extra effort."

Another multi-sport guy weighs in at 195. Josh Dinya, also a rugby player, will lead the team in this weight class. A very humble and kind young man, Dinya is the kind of person you want to root for. Dinya will be a man to watch this season.

Promising junior Carter Zimmerman returns at 220. As a sophomore, he showed flashes of greatness. A technically sound wrestler, Zimmerman will be working on his strength this season. As a big man at 220, Zimmerman will hope to put the Cats on his back late in matches.

Sophomore Patrick Clink starts the year as the starter at 285. The heavyweight will look to develop over the course of the season at a young weight for the Wildcats. 

Looking at the roster as a whole, the Wildcats have 7 seniors, 15 juniors, 8 sophomores, and 14 freshmen. Development will be important this campaign. 

But Sullivan is very excited for the season. 

"It's a year of improvement. Coming in with this much youth, as long as we wrestle solid at the beginning and improve every week, we'll get a nice contingency at the state tournament."

The season starts with the Solon Comet Classic on Friday at 4:30 pm, and continues on Saturday at 9:30 am.