Following the Basketball Cats’ home opener on Friday evening, the Saint Ignatius wrestling team hosted its first home match of the season on Saturday afternoon.
Just like last night, the Wildcats faithful were treated to a stirring effort from the home team.
The Wildcats posted impressive victories over the visitors, using a healthy dose of pins to defeat the Madison Blue Streaks, 47-19, and the Strongsville Mustangs, 75-3.
The match featured the return of several football players and key wrestlers, including Aidan Gill, Michael Drobnick, and Joe Gibbons. Cal Miller also returned to the mat today.
The meet format was a split-mat format, with the Wildcats starting off against Strongsville at 106-145 pounds on Mat 1 and Saint Ignatius facing Madison at 152-285 on Mat 2.
Saint Ignatius vs. Strongsville:
The meet began well for the Wildcats, with Johnny Novak pinning his Strongsville opponent at 106 pounds to lead things off. A forfeit at 113 pounds led to a 12-0 lead for the Mat cats over the Mustangs.
Things kept rolling for the Wildcats, as Patrick McGraw pinned his adversary in the first period in impressive fashion at 120 pounds.
Matt French took a more methodical approach at 126 pounds, as Strongsville’s Ben Blicke gave his host a battle. French prevailed after a drawn-out contest lasing all three periods, winning 10-1. His win set the Saint Ignatius lead at 22-0.
At 132 pounds, Anthony Delsanter racked up points early, with several nearfalls, winning in the second period with a 16-0 victory. Tommy Gallagher kept the momentum rolling with a rapid pin at 138 pounds.
Quade Rasmussen wrapped up the action in Round 1 on Mat 1, securing a pin at 145 pounds, and giving the Wildcats a 39-0 advantage over Strongsville halfway through the dual match.
The dual match resumed in Round 3 on Mat 1, with Zach Tomford starting off at 152 pounds for the Wildcats. Tomford suffered a tough loss, coming within one point before Zach Savage added a pair of insurance points in the closing points to secure an 8-5 win.
Logan Toth attacked his opponent right away at 162 pounds, wearing down his foe and pinning him with 1 minute left in the second period. His victory placed the score at 45-3 Wildcats.
Another strong start characterized the 170-pound and 182-pound bouts. Cal Miller ripped off a 4-0 lead before pinning his opponent midway through the first period at 170. Then Kaden Russell used his upper body strength to pin his opponent in the first period.
The three straight pins fixed the score at 57-3 heading into the final 3 weight classes.
The Wildcats ended on a high note, as Michael Drobnick and Aidan Gill each pinned their opponents, at 195 and 220 pounds, respectively. Joe Gibbons won by forfeit at 285 pounds to end the dual match.
The Mat Cats concluded the day with a 75-3 triumph over Strongsville.
Saint Ignatius vs. Madison:
Meanwhile, the Wildcats faced Madison on Mat 2, starting at 152 pounds. Zach Tomford helped the Wildcats start strong against the Blue Streaks, winning 9-3 in the third period.
Logan Toth followed with a nice first period pin, stretching the Wildcats’ advantage over the Blue Streaks to 9-0. Tommy Gill suffered a quick pin to Madison’s Bryan Zehe at 170 pounds, narrowing the Wildcats’ lead to 9-6.
Kaden Russelll Michael Drobnick rebounded with exceptional, aggressive pins at 182 and 195 pounds, respectively. The efforts of Russell and Drobnick built Saint Ignatius’ lead back up to 27-6.
Aidan Gill, “strong as a bull,” as one Wildcats coach described him, pinned his opponent rapidly at 220 pounds, further building the lead. Then, Toby Engel engaged in a grueling battle with Madison’s Josh Thomas. Engel pulled away in the third period, setting the Wildcats at 30-6 after Round 1 vs. the Blue Streaks.
The Wildcats started the second round in rousing fashion, as Johnny Novak won, 9-2, at 106 pounds to start things off. Matthew Whipkey tabbed five more points at 113 pounds with a tech fall, granting the Wildcats a dominant 38-6 advantage.
Patrick McGraw fought valiantly against his Madison foe at 120 pounds, Jeff Brichford, but could not secure the victory. The match went the distance, with McGraw dropping a 9-5 decision.
The 126 pound match saw a pair of tough contenders, as the Wildcats’ Matt French dueled the Blue Streaks’ Chris Sines. French battled through pain to secure a 9-4 win, using a late reversal to fend off Sines’ late comeback effort.
At 132 pounds, Anthony Delsanter faced a fearsome foe in Shayne Magda. The reigning Student-Athlete of the Week battled hard, but Magda pinned Delsanter in the second period. Magda’s six points narrowed the Wildcats’ lead to 41-15.
Tommy Gallagher also ran into tough competition in Madison’s Joseph Hersh at 138 pounds, as Hersh snatched an early lead and never looked back. Gallagher hung tough into the third period, but fell, 14-1 The Wildcats still held a 41-19 lead heading into the final battle between the Wildcats and the Blue Streaks, the 145-pound match.
Quade Rasmussen finished things off with a win by fall, setting the final score at 47-19 Wildcats over the Blue Streaks.
The Varsity Gold wrestling squad returns to action on Thursday, hosting wrestling powerhouse St. Edward at Sullivan Gym at 7:30 p.m.
VARSITY BLUE CATS: The varsity blue wrestling squad experienced a bit of a tough day. The Wildcats lost to Brooklyn, 31-30, and to Cleveland Central Catholic, 37-36, both on criteria.
The Mat Cats receive some off time for the holidays, as their next match will be the Independence Double Dual on Thursday, January 12.