The Basketball Cats had been highly anticipating their first game, previously scheduled for Tuesday, against the Walsh Jesuit Warriors. The other Jesuit squad entered the game already 1-0 after defeating Copley in a close game. Coach Cam Joyce brought the boys into Wednesday evening’s contest prepared for a battle.

Senior Henry Raynor highlighted the team’s readiness for the match-up:

“There is a lot of talent at all positions and we are a very deep team,” he said. “We had a lot of energy and enthusiasm. You could tell we were very prepared to play.”

The game started out as a defensive brawl, as each team held each other to 10 points with three minutes left in the first quarter. The Wildcat defense only improved as they closed the final minutes of the quarter, shielding points away from the Warrior offense.

A 5-0 Wildcat run jolted them ahead, 15-10, to close the quarter. Junior Jon Effertz came back just where he left off last year, red hot behind the arc, dropping in six points from deep.

The second quarter featured more forward motion for the Blue and Gold as junior Shondo Green came in, scoring the first five points of the quarter with a powerful And-1. The second quarter was led by Will Yontek with 8 points. The big man, wearing the famed No. 34, moved great in transition, catching easy chances at the rim. Mike Mattimore chipped in with a 3-ball as well, and freshman guard Carter Jackson chipped in some points.

The defense got a little lackadaisical allowing a couple of trifectas from Walsh sharpshooter Ben Ligan. Raynor had his work cut out for him facing up against the 6’8” Walsh Jesuit big man, Erik Stern. Raynor did his usual, blocking shots and getting put-backs like wide open layups.

“We shot the ball well and it helped to open up the post game,” said Raynor.

The first half of the first game of the 2020-21 season was picture perfect for Joyce’s boys, who led 33-23 at the break.

Joyce said his biggest halftime adjustment was to limit the turnovers and his solution had the perfect ingredients.

The third quarter displayed a lot of solid guard play between Effertz and freshman C.J. Little. Junior A.J. Fletcher played great in transition, creating easy points for the Wildcats as well. All of the guards handled the ball well and kept turnovers to a minimum, helping the Cats build a 41-27 lead.

“I always harp on defense,” said Joyce, now in his second year as head coach. “Defense travels...You can always play defense and that was always a focus of mine. If we defended well we were going to be okay.”

The defense stayed strong, but a little too strong. The Warriors came out of the half attacking the basket, consistently drawing Ignatius into a bit of foul trouble. Erik Stern led the way in scoring with multiple trips to the charity stripe.

The third quarter finished with a solid 14 point lead for Ignatius.

To start the fourth quarter, Effertz dropped in two more 3s, extending the lead to 56-36. However, the Wildcat defense faltered about midway through the fourth as Walsh cut the lead to 58-46. But with 3:30 left on the clock, the Cats went on a scoring rampage.

Joyce applauded his team’s resilience throughout the game

“I thought we did get a good job bouncing back when the score was tight. Our defensive intensity really picked up in the half-court. I thought our defensive intensity was a huge reason that we were able to get out in transition and get some easier buckets and obviously extend the lead in the second quarter.”

A three from Charlie Hyland accelerated the Wildcats’ momentum, as they finished their opening game with a convincing 69-51 victory.

Raynor, a Hillsdale College commit, led the way with 19 points, proving himself as a leader for this year’s team. Effertz rained in four three-balls, finishing with 15 points and excellent guard play.

The Wildcats’ defense was the glue that held them to victory and “when we are consistent, we are a tough team to beat,” Raynor said.

Saint Ignatius is scheduled to take on Elyria Catholic next Tuesday on December 8. The JV game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. with Varsity taking the hardwood at 7:00 p.m. Be sure to tune in on the SIBN!