Ohio City - Coach Sean O'Toole's varsity basketball Wildcats start fast, take the Vikings' best shot and storm back with a performance that should be worthy of a No. 1 ranking when The Plain Dealer's new poll is released on Monday.

Senior post Derek Sloan, who turned 18 on Friday, was again a calm, but oh so dominant force, and senior guard Francisco Santiago, as expected, welcomed the big shots when they came his way. Derek and "Cisco" combined for 39 points.

In what Coach O'Toole described as the essence of a team victory, junior guard Kyle Berger, senior forward Austin Sterpka and the Black twins - Eric and David - played huge roles. Saint Ignatius (16-3) won for the seventh consecutive time and in the process snapped a 14-game winning streak that now 17-3 Villa Angela-St. Joseph brought with it to a sold-out Sullivan Gymnasium on Saturday night.

The Wildcats and the Vikings entered the game as the No. 2 (Saint Ignatius) and No. 3 teams in The Plain Dealer's seven-county Top 25 poll. The 'Cats were eighth in this past week's Associated Press Division I state poll and VASJ was ranked No. 1 in the AP's Division IV state poll.

*HERE IS THE COMPLETE VARSITY BASKETBALL GAME STORY. THE WILDCATS' JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL, WRESTLING AND SWIMMING RECAPS FOLLOW THE VARSITY BASKETBALL STORY.

Saint Ignatius’ gifted junior guard Kyle Berger and multi-talented senior post Derek Sloan shared the same sentiment after the Wildcats defeated Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 70-55, in Saturday’s area basketball
headliner at a packed Sullivan Gym.

And the mutual feeling was that VASJ was going to make a major run at some point.

“We came out really strong, obviously,” said Berger of Saint Ignatius’ early leads of 13-0 and 22-8. “We were hitting shots and playing really good defense, we were doing everything. Right after that they made their
run and you know it’s going to happen. They’re a good team, they’re unbelievable. But we kept our emotions up, stayed confident and went right back after them.”

Or, as Sloan put it, “We stuck together, picked up the defensive pressure and continued to run our offense.”

Now don’t take Kyle and Derek wrong. They’re not trying to make it sound easy. As Derek added, “We knew they were going to make a run. They have a bunch of great athletes and great players."

Although VASJ might have more players who pass the major college recruiters’ eye test, Coach Sean O’Toole’s Wildcats are just fine in the talent department, thank you. And when it comes to depth and a self-less
team chemistry, Saint Ignatius is right up there with the best the area and the state have to offer.

The Wildcats, who will face John Adams on Wednesday afternoon in Quicken Loans Arena, turned to Sloan, Berger, ice-in-his-veins senior guard Francisco Santiago, junior post Eric Black and junior point guard
Danny Bova in coming out strong and building a 14-point, early second-quarter lead in front of a standing-room crowd at West 30th and Lorain Avenue that was estimated at 1,315.

It was at that point that Villa Angela-St. Joseph, the team to beat in the Division IV postseason tournament, called on its gifted backcourt of senior Duane Gibson Jr. and sophomore Brian Parker.

With Parker and Gibson displaying the ability to score outside, inside and create opportunities for their teammates, the Vikings, who trailed, 22-8, after Sloan buried a 3-pointer, outscored Saint Ignatius, 18-7,
the remainder of the first half and trailed by just three points at halftime.

Preventing VASJ from doing further damage in the second quarter was Santiago, who sent home two of his four 3-pointers on the night down the stretch of the first half.

“That’s a big, long team that gives you many looks,” said Coach O’Toole of Coach Babe Kwasniak’s Vikings. “It’s hard to get to the rim on them. You try to get some run-outs, where you get point-blank opportunities.
They were a few times down there where we were able to seal and get it up, but for the most part they kept us away.

“When that happens, you have to execute from the perimeter,” Coach O’Toole continued.

Coach O’Toole’s team unleashed its perimeter game again after VASJ, trailing by five points early in the second half, went on an 11-2 run and led, 39-35, after junior guard Deandre Forte hit one of his three
3-pointers and Gibson scored on an authoritative drive with 3 minutes and 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Getting what Coach O’Toole referred to as a big burst off the bench from senior forward Austin Sterpka, the Wildcats outscored the Vikings, 13-4, over the final three minutes of third quarter and took a five-point
lead into the final eight minutes. That run included two nothing-but-net baseline 3-pointers by Sterpka, another rain-maker from beyond the arc by Santiago and two huge baskets down low by junior forward/post David Black.

Gibson, an Evansville recruit, would make it a three-point game on a text-book baseline drive, but Santiago answered with a driving one-hander high off the glass.

Sloan, who scored nine of his game-high 20 points over the final eight minutes, provided a three-point play and two free throws that enabled Saint Ignatius to go up by eight points.

After a rare turnover by Gibson, Santiago scored his 18th and 19th points of the night on a smooth jumper off the dribble and Coach O’Toole’s team sealed the deal with a three-point play by Eric Black off
an on-the-money assist from Berger, two free throws by Berger, an Eric Black put back and four free throws by Sloan. Sloan was 9-of-11 from the charity stripe, the identical effort he put forth from the foul line in Thursday night’s 58-54 victory at Cleveland Heights.

Sloan and Eric Black combined for 14 rebounds on seven apiece and Eric Black and Berger both turned in nine-point performances. Gibson and Parker led the Vikings with 18 and 12 points, respectively.

Saint Ignatius was 14-of-19 from the charity stripe and VASJ connected on 19 of its 27 free throws.

"We just have great team chemistry," said Berger, who is one of the most highly recruited junior linebackers on the national football scene. "We never have any issues with each other. We feed off each other and we pick each other up. I just love this team."

JV BASKETBALL

COACH LARRY ARTHUR'S 'CATS IMPROVE TO 15-3

Saint Ignatius 57, Villa Angela-St. Joseph 49: The Vikings led, 23-19, with 3 minutes and 16 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Wildcats sophomore post Mikal Outcalt came up with an all-out hustle play that saw him deflect the ball, continue to run the floor when he saw that a teammate had recovered the ball and turn a long assist from gifted freshman guard Deven Stover into a breakaway layup.

Trailing, 24-21, Saint Ignatius knotted the score on a strong move to the basket by Stover that he turned into a three-point play with 1:36 left in the first half.

A baby hook in the lane by Outcalt tied the score at 26 and it remained that way heading into the third quarter.

The Wildcats moved to a 12-point lead with 3:01 to go in the third quarter. The key baskets were a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Andre Wolford, a quick move to the rim by Outcalt and an authoritative drive by Stover that he converted into a three-point play.

Saint Ignatius steadily increased its advantage in the early-to-mid stages of the fourth quarter and led, 52-36, after Stover scored down low. VASJ finished strong by outscoring the 'Cats, 13-5, down the stretch.

Stover, whose dad, Reggie, was a basketball standout for the Vikings, finished with a game-high 19 points.

The Wildcats had 20 2-point baskets, three 3-pointers and were 8-of-12 from the free-throw line. VASJ made 14 2-pointers, four 3-pointers and was 9-of-14 from the charity stripe.

NOTE: Wednesday's game against John Adams at Quicken Loans Arena will begin with a junior varsity match up at 2:45, followed by the varsity game at 4.

FERRITTO AND ZEIGLER LEAD 'CATS WRESTLERS IN SECTIONAL

****Congratulations go out to standout senior wrestlers Jim Ferritto and Tommy Zeigler, who brought home championships at 113 and 126 pounds, respectively, during Saturday night's North Royalton Division I sectional tournament. Congratulations also go to Anthony McLaughlin (second at 170 pounds), Kyle Vilsack (third at 138 pounds) and Isen Vajusi (third at 195 pounds), and to Dan Lynch (145), Joe Conway (182) and Max Baughman (220), who each placed fourth.

All of the young men above will represent Saint Ignatius at next weekend's Mentor District, also known as "The Mentor Meat Grinder."

WILDCATS SWIMMING AT THE NORTHWEST DISTRICT

Note: The top two individuals/relays in each swimming event advance to the state tournament at the Branin Natatorium in Canton. Sixteen at-large swimming qualifiers will be selected on the basis of times recorded in all district tournaments statewide.

How they finished: 1. Toledo St. Francis De Sales 411; 2. Strongsville 333; 3. Findlay 239; 4. Saint Ignatius 215 1/2; 5. St. Edward 201; 6. Fremont Ross 157; 7. Ashland 93; 8. Amherst 91; 9. Westlake 81; 10. North Olmsted 65; 11. Berea 58; 12. Sylvania Southview 54; 13. Mansfield Senior 48; 14. (tie) Perrysburg, St. John's Jesuit 44; 16. Olmsted Falls 40; 17. Elyria 33; 18. Avon Lake 31; 19. Lakewood 21; 19. Midpark 21; North Royalton 19; 22. Avon 12; 23. Sylvania Northview 11; 24. Norwalk 2; 25. Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 1.

*The St. Francis Knights won their 47th District Swimming Championship.

Here are the results.

200MR: 1. Toledo St. Francis De Sales 1:33.17; 2. Saint Ignatius (Simcox, Hren, Christian, Pophal) 1:35.42; 3.Strongsville (Simpson, Whitlock, Shepherd, Wilson) 1:37.67; 4. Findlay 1:38.42. 5; St. Edward 1:39.56; 6. Westlake 1:41.06. 200 free: 1. Delventhal (Str) 1:41.93; 2. Moor (Fre) 1:43.41; 3. DiSalle (St. F) 1:43.5; 4. Hopkins (Fin) 1:45.26; 5. Vlasnik (SYSO) 1:46.15; 6. Stocker (Fin) 1:46.31. *200IM: 1. Hren (SI) 1:54.08; 2. Barone (StF) 1:54.37; 3. Hopkins (Fin) 1:54.80; 4. Ryan (SE) 1:56.59; 5. Pichette (Str) 1:58.31; 6. Sobczak (StF) 1:58.32. 50 free: 1. Brodie (StF) 20.72; 2. Gustafson (StF) 21.17; 3. Blackstone (Man) 21.22; 4. Pophal (SI) 21.32; 5. Hinesman (Fin) 21.35; 6. Christian (SI) 21.54. 100 fly: 1. Gordon (StF) 51.36; 2. Simcox (SI) 51.64; 3. Moor (Fre) 51.66; 4. Pichette (Str) 52.01; 5. Shepherd (Str) 52.08; 6. Stocker (Fin) 53.62. 100 free: 1. Hinesman (Fin) 46.37; 2. Delventhal (Str) 46.45; 3. DiSalle (Str) 47.27; 4. Gustafson (StF) 47.31; 5. Simpson (Str) 47.88; 6. Garrison (Ash) 48.00. 500 free: 1. Hopkins (Fin) 4:43.11; 2. Vlasnik (SYSO) 4:43.62; 3. Beck (SE) 4:44.73; 4. Aossey (StF) 4:46.98; 5. Lazenby (StF) 4:48.15; 6. Kloster (Per) 4:51.59. 200FR: 1. Strongsville (Delventhal, Ostrowski, Wilson, Pichette) 1:26.50; 2. Saint Ignatius (Christian, Simcox, Artis, Pophal) 1:26.73; 3. Fremont Ross 1:28.45; 4. Findlay 1:29.06; 5. Westlake 1:31.75; 6. Ashland 1:32.06. 100 back: 1. Shurmur (SE) 51.80; 2. Hopkins (Fin) 52.39; 3. Ostrowski (Str) 53.29; 4. Sobczak (StF) 53.30; 5. Simpson (Str) 53.60; 6. Williams (StF) 54.00. 100 breast: 1. Barone (StF) 56.60; 2. Hren (SI) 57.29; 3. Blackstone (Man) 58.44; 4. Ryan (SE) 59.41; 5. Poblete (SE) 59.76; 6. Moore (Amh) 1:00.76. *400FR: 1. Saint Ignatius (Christian, Simcox, Pophal, Hren) 3:09.34; 2. Strongsville (Delventhal, Simpson, Ostrowski, Pichette) 3:09.50; 3. Toledo St. Francis De Sales 3:11.13; 4. Findlay 3:12.22; 5. Fremont Ross 3:17.95; 6. St. Edward 3:18.35.