HEAD COACH MARK SULLIVAN AND HIS STAFF SEE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT, TEAM-WISE.

WILDCATS DO A SOLID JOB WITH THEIR SETUPS AND STAYING ON THEIR FEET.

BY EDDIE DWYER, COPYRIGHT DECEMBER 2011

Before Friday afternoon’s triangular with Amherst Steele and Toledo Central Catholic in Sullivan Gymnasium, Saint Ignatius Head Wrestling Coach Mark Sullivan emphasized that his team worked on its setups and take downs all week.

A few minutes later, Wildcats promising 106-pound junior Jimmy Ferritto rode his setups and take downs to the first of his two victories, as he decisioned Matt Pool from Toledo Central Catholic, 6-0. Pool finished eighth in the state last season in the Division II 103-pound class.

Ferritto said it was a refuse to lose mindset or “zone,” along with his setups, that helped key his second victory – a 4-2 overtime triumph over Anthony Mendez of Amherst.

Throw in a front head lock that Ferritto had been working on all week and the fact he was making his hits most of the afternoon and you can understand why Coach Sullivan described it as a great day for Jimmy.

In talking with Ferritto, it is obvious he has a solid grasp on what he brings to the mats and what he has to work on. And work appears to be the operative word with Jimmy.

The tough matches Ferritto won on the first day of Christmas weekend also resulted from his demanding summer and preseason ritual that includes lifting and running every day and wrestling at least twice a week.

When it comes to putting in the time before and during the season, Ferritto and the other young Wildcats couldn’t have a better teammate, captain or role model that standout senior George DiCamillo.

George, a Virginia Cavalier recruit who has the chance to graduate as arguably the greatest wrestler in Saint Ignatius history, extended his career winning streak to 48 matches by producing two more victories on Friday afternoon, both by identical technical fall scores of 18-3.

After going 35-0 last season and bringing home the 112-pound state championship, DiCamillo hasn’t missed a beat while wrestling at 120 this winter. That was evident on opening weekend, when George captured a third consecutive championship at the talent-laden and nationally acclaimed Walsh Jesuit Ironman Tournament.

“Everyone did his part to make the whole team better,” DiCamillo said in describing Saturday’s triangular. “For us as a team, it’s all about March and seeing how many more guys we can qualify for the state tournament.”

As for his two dominant victories on Saturday, George said he was again looking to improve while working on top and making another step toward his ultimate goal – a second consecutive undefeated state championship season.

Although he preferred to focus on the “team,” DiCamillo just smiled when his dad, Wildcats assistant coach Ralph DiCamillo, mentioned that his son can join a very select group by winning a fourth consecutive title at next week’s tradition-rich Brecksville Holiday Tournament.

Although Coach Sullivan got some nice efforts by several of his wrestlers, including sophomore Anthony McLaughlin and others in the upper weights, the day’s final moment for the Wildcats’ faithful to cherish came courtesy of junior Max Baughman at 220 pounds.

Looking like he was on his way to defeat, Baughman reached back for something extra against his opponent from Amherst and took him down with a pin.

A good-natured young man who was a member of Saint Ignatius’ record 11th state-championship football team this past fall, Baughman, wearing a wide and wily smile, later told the corner that he turned to a hip toss and a reverse half nelson in pulling out the victory.

*NOTE: The final team scores at the end of the day were Saint Ignatius over Toledo Central Catholic, 43-30, Amherst over Saint Ignatius, 36-32, and Toledo Central Catholic over Amherst, 35-33.

JEROME BACK IN THE ROOM: Coach Sullivan said Wildcats two-time state champion Jerome Robinson '10 was back at school this week lending his invaluable experience and skills in the wrestling room.

ON THE MEND: Saint Ignatius wrestled without standout junior Tommy Zeigler (113 pounds) on Saturday, as Tommy is currently recovering from an injury.

STATE-WIDE RESPECT: As two wrestlers from Toledo Central Catholic made a stop at the water fountain before boarding the bus home, the corner wished them well and got into a brief discussion with them about Ohio wrestling. One of the Central Catholic wrestlers, in referring to a certain wrestler from Saint Ignatius, said: “Yeah, George is a monster.”

I think we all know who the young man was respectfully referring to.

***THE CORNER WOULD LIKE TO WISH A VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO OUR FAITHFUL READERS AND TO THE ENTIRE SAINT IGNATIUS FAMILY AND, IF I MAY, TO FOUR OF THE MOST WONDERFUL GRANDCHILDREN ANY OLD-TIME SPORTS WRITER COULD HOPE FOR - CAITLIN PATTON, CONNOR MURPHY AND PAYTON AND RYAN JURCAK.