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Mat Cats Earn 10th at the Solon Comet Classic

By Joe Ginley '12 , 12/08/19, 1:45PM EST

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Timmy Putka tabbed a 4th place finish for the Wildcats.

Starting the year at the Solon Comet Classic is no easy feat for a young team. The tournament features some of the best teams from Northeast Ohio and beyond.

So it comes as no surprise that the Wildcats experienced some ups and downs. But in the end, the Mat Cats enjoyed a nice ending, placing three wrestlers in the top five. As a team, Mark Sullivan's crew placed 10th out of 29 teams.

The lightweights carried the day in what may become a theme this season. The Wildcats have loads of veteran talent in the lowerweights with potential in the upperweights. 

Timmy Putka showcased the Cats' talent at 106 pounds. The sophomore started his tournament on a roll. Putka breezed by his first challenger, winning by tech fall. He clinched a spot in the quarterfinals with a 4-2 decision. He ran into trouble in the semifinals against a senior from Walsh Jesuit, Jack Schmidt. The Warrior, the eventual runner-up, bested Putka, 11-5. In the consolation bracket, Putka rebounded with a 13-4 major decision. Then in the third-place match, the sophomore dropped a 7-1 decision, settling for fourth.

Johnny Novak experienced a similar path at 113. The captain dispatched of his first two foes, both by pin. Then, he ran into Brendan McCrone of Lake Catholic. In a battle that looked like a future state title bout, Novak and McCrone went to war. In a chess match, McCrone managed to squeak by Novak, 3-0. These men may see each other down the road. Novak wrestled with a passion in his next two matches of the consolation bracket. The senior fired past two challengers via fall, earning third place. 

Grayson McLellan also did great work at 120. The junior did not draw an opening bye, but didn't mind, as he pinned his opponent in the first period. McLellan wrestled smart in his next two matches, winning by 6-3 and 7-6 decisions. In a tough semifinal match, McLellan lost to the eventual champ, Jacob Moon of Clay. In his opening consolation match, McLellan lost a tight battle, 5-4, leading him into the fifth-place match. The junior took care of business there, snatching a 4-3 decision. 

The Wildcats' middleweights ran into buzzsaws in several spots. Jack Bush (126) lost to two tough foes in his first two matches. Anthony Camino (132) managed to pin a foe in the consolation match, but finished with a 1-2 record for the weekend. Sam Infante lost his opener on Friday, but rebounded in the consolation ladder at 138. The sophomore conquered two opponents by pins, but then was pinned himself on Saturday. Ethan Tomford (145) lost his first two bouts. 

Jarell Young is a name to remember for Wildcats fans. The freshman is a strong and smart young man who will be a great multisport athlete for the blue and gold.

Young showed off his amazing potential at Solon. The rookie won his first bout in impressive fashion on Friday. In his second match, he lost to state place Daniel Patten, the eventual runner-up. But Young's story does not end there. He showed great athleticism in his opening match on Saturday. In a show of strength, he pinned his foe in the second period. Young lost his next match, but his potential is impressive. 

Two seniors repped the Wildcats at 160 and 170. Evan Arko bowed out on Friday, dropping his first two matches. But Tommy Buckles managed to stay alive into Saturday. After losing his opener to the top-seeded wrestler, Buckles won by pin in his Friday consolation match. The senior dropped his first match of the day on Saturday, but battled admirably. 

Andrew Chime followed a similar path as Buckles, losing a good foe in his opener and then winning his first consolation match by fall. But then he ran into a wily opponent at 182 in his next match, losing a tough one. 

Cayden Periandri lost his opening two bouts, dropping out of the 195 bracket on Friday. Fellow heavyweight Carter Zimmerman experienced more success at 195, besting two opponents to move into the quarterfinals. Zimmerman then dropped his next contest, falling into the consi bracket. Zimmerman fought for a win in his opening showdown, but then lost to the eventual fifth placer. Patrick Clink rounded out the heavyweights at 285. The sophomore bested a rival from Lake Catholic in the opener, 3-0, earning a war wound above his eye in the process. After a loss to the eventual champ, Clink dropped to the consolation bracket, where he lost his initial match.

With this experience in hand, the Wildcats will forge ahead. Timmy Putka and Johnny Novak will wrestle in the Ironman Tournament next weekend. The rest of the Cats will head to the North Coast Classic at Independence High School

Varsity Blue splits opener

The Varsity Blue squad opened the season with a split on Thursday. The Wildcats fell to John Marshall, 57-24, but bested Rhodes, 51-30, at the home of the Lawyers.