When talking about Saint Ignatius' numerous athletic achievements on the area, state and national levels, even some of the Wildcats' most devoted fans will overlook one of the greatest nights in the Jesuit Preparatory School's rich sports history.
On Saturday night, March 12, 1988, a sellout crowd at legendary St. John Arena in Columbus watched Saint Ignatius top North Olmsted and Southview for the Division I state wrestling championship.
The Wildcats chalked up 77 1/2 points in edging North Olmsted (70 1/2) and Southview (62). St. Edward, which had won the previous 10 big-school state championships, was fourth with 49 points.
Leading the way to what was at the time the first state team championship for Wildcats athletics were a trio of individual state champs - twins Joe (152 pounds) and Marty Collins (160) and a young man who can easily be described as the greatest all-around athlete to ever walk the halls of Saint Ignatius - Mike Buddie, who brought home the 171-pound title.
On Saturday night in Sullivan Gymnasium, Coach Mark Sullivan's 2012-13 wrestling program will honor the great team of 1988 and all of Saint Ignatius' wrestlers, past and present, as part of its Annual Alumni and Seniors Night. Festivities will get underway at 6, as the current Wildcats will be wrestling North Canton Hoover.
Yes, the 25th anniversary of that historic March night in 1988 is approaching and when you look back at what then head coach Mark Avcollie and his Wildcats accomplished in St. John Arena, the memories of Marty Collins' 8-6 victory over North Olmsted's Kraig Kasler and brother Joe's 5-4 triumph over Southview great Robert Taylor will always have a special place in Saint Ignatius lore.
And then there was Buddie's 10-3 victory over Nordonia's Doug Del Rosa in the 171-pound title match, a victory Mike pulled out despite breaking his left arm 10 seconds into the match.
"My adrenalin must have been really flowing," Buddie told The Plain Dealer's outstanding wrestling reporter Pat Galbincea after the match. "When I came off the mat, I felt pretty good except that my elbow was a little sore. But it wasn't really bothering me."
Nearly nine months later, Mike would go on to help Coach Chuck Kyle's varsity football program win the first of what is now a state-best 11 Division I state championships. An All-Ohio wide receiver, Mike caught what turned out to be the winning touchdown pass on a 42-yard toss from quarterback Joe Pickens in the dramatic and will-testing 10-7 victory over Cincinnati Princeton at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
Mike would wrap up his senior year at Saint Ignatius with another dominant indivivudal state championship season in wrestling and another brilliant spring on the mound as one of the premier right-handed pitchers in the country. Mike went on to a professional baseball career with the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers and is currently an Associate Athletic Director at Wake Forest, where he put together an outstanding college baseball career.