This weekend marks another step in the demanding OHSAA postseason climb for Saint Ignatius’ wrestling, ice hockey, swimming and bowling programs.

And for Coach Sean O’Toole’s varsity basketball team, two more regular season challenges await as the Wildcats (17-3) look to maintain their status as the No. 1-ranked program in The Plain Dealer’s seven-county Top 25 poll and gear up for next week’s talent-rich Solon Division I
sectional/district, where the ‘Cats are seeded No. 1.

It all starts on Friday evening when Coach Mark Sullivan sends eight of his wrestlers into the always challenging Mentor District, which over the years has been referred to as the “Mentor Meat Grinder.”

Leading Coach Sullivan’s eager eight are seniors Tommy Zeigler (126 pounds) and Jim Ferritto (113 pounds), who are coming off championships at the North Royalton Sectional. The Wildcats other district qualifiers are Anthony McLaughlin at 170; Isen Vajusi at 195; Max Baughman at 220; Joe Conway at 182; Dan Lynch at 145 and Kyle Vilsack at 130.

Friday’s action gets underway at 5 p.m., and wrestling resumes at Mentor on Saturday at 9 a.m. For the Mentor District brackets and pairings, go to www.baum’s page.com, click on wrestling and click on the Mentor District.

Friday night will also feature another basketball headliner in Sullivan Gym, as the 16-3 Senate Athletic League champion Glenville Tarblooders make their annual visit to West 30th and Lorain Avenue.

On Saturday night, a new chapter in the storied rivalry between Saint Ignatius and Benedictine will take place in Sullivan Gym and the night will also include a special tribute to all of the seniors associated with Coach O’Toole’s program. For a look at the Tarblooders and the Bengals, see the corner’s weekly preview story that was posted on Tuesday night.

Coach Jeff Ridler’s swimming team will again test the waters at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton during Friday and Saturday’s talent-rich State Meet. Friday will highlight the Division I boys preliminaries at 9 a.m. Saturday’s Division I boys finals are scheduled for 4 p.m.

While our Jesuit brothers from Cincinnati St. Xavier are the defending Division I state champions, Saint Ignatius, led by its gifted senior All-American and North Carolina State signee Derek Hren, is expected to
make a strong challenge. The other major contenders are Toledo St. Francis DeSales, Upper Arlington, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller and Hudson.

St. Xavier, known for its vaunted depth, is seeking its fifth consecutive state swimming championship and its 34th overall.

Get the shopping done early on Saturday morning and head over to the Brooklyn Ice Arena in the John M. Coyne Recreation Center. Coach Pat O’Rourke’s Wildcats will face off with the Panthers from Elyria Catholic in what is the second game for top seeded Saint Ignatius in the OHSAA Brooklyn District. The puck will drop in the “Big Barn on Memphis” at high noon. The Ice Cats enter the game with a record of 28-5-3.

The thrill-some threesome of Trent Kennedy, Scott Geyman and Sean Reynolds will have the call for you live over the Saint Ignatius Student Broadcasting Network. The corner will make the short trip from its
palatial estate in Brooklyn for live game coverage. Later in the day we’ll trade in our skates for sneakers and head down to Sullivan Gym for the traditional Senior Night.

The last weekend in February wouldn’t be complete without one of our Alley Cats knocking them down at the district level. This year our rooting interest centers on talented junior Anthony Giancola.

Anthony qualified for the districts by rolling a 668 Series, the third best series at last weekend’s Lorain Sectional. Anthony will be bowling in Sunday’s district competition in Warren, Ohio at Crest Bowling Alley.

Congratulations Anthony and all of the best on Sunday to you and Coach John Kastanis.