Injuries and tough opposition conspired against the Wildcats on Wednesday evening in Lakewood.
Wrestling in the Team State Dual Quarterfinals at St. Edward High School, the Saint Ignatius wrestling squad fell to the Berea-Midpark Titans, 35-30.
The Titans wrestled inspired, fighting a depleted Wildcats team. The Mat Cats are dealing with injuries at 126, 170, 220, and 285. With so many talented wrestlers watching from the sidelines, the Wildcats faced an uphill battle with the ever-tough Titans.
Johnny Novak started things out slowly at 106, falling to a 4-0 deficit in the first period. His opponent, Shane Heil, kept the pressure on Novak and kept him from acquiring any ground. Novak notched a takedown halfway through the second, but a reversal at the last second of the period set Novak behind further.
Everything changed in the third, however, as an aggressive move by Novak gave him the upper hand. At 4:31 of the match, Novak secured a wonderful pin, placing the Wildcats in the lead, 6-0.
Jack Bush also met an early deficit in the 113-pound match. Bush fell behind, 5-0, after one period of wrestling. Despite Bush fighting fiercely, Berea’s Pino Dipierro did not relent, and managed to build the lead further to 9-1. Dipierro’s top positioning wore down Bush, as Berea’s sophomore notched three more points to end the third. Dipierro finished out his victory with a strong third and a tech fall victory.
With the lead narrowed to 6-5, Matthew Whipkey stepped in to add to the lead for the Wildcats at 120. The junior worked hard against Caden Wendling, a challenging foe. Just like in the first two matches, Berea’s grappler took the early lead, with Wendling notching a 2-0 lead off a takedown. However, Whipkey fought back with a reversal and an escape in the second. Whipkey held off Wendling in the third, battling for a 3-2 win.
The Wildcats held a 9-5 advantage heading into 126. Matt Isaac became the first Wildcat to grab the lead first, snagging two early points. However, Zach Hossele of the Titans came back with three to finish off the first period. Isaac tabbed an escape to tie the contest. The tie lasted into the third, until Hossele earned a point early in the period and then two more for a reversal later on. Isaac didn’t stop fighting, escaping with 50 seconds left and moving his feet quickly in an attempt to notch a takedown. Hossele fought it off, however, earning a narrow 6-4 decision and 3 points for the Titans.
At 132, Patrick McGraw started his work quickly with a takedown. However, George Hinton used a slick move for a reversal and almost pinned McGraw. The Wildcats’ captain avoided the fate, but Hinton gained three points for a nearfall. McGraw notched an escape near the end of the first to keep it close at 5-3. McGraw then seized an opportunity in the second and tabbed a pair of takedowns to take a narrow 7-6 lead into the third. Hinton escaped early in the third, but McGraw’s strength and smarts led to a takedown and a 3-point nearfall, enough to secure a 14-8 decision.
Zach Tomford kept the Wildcats rolling into 138. Tomford notched a takedown early on before surrendering a point for an escape. Tomford responded in kind with another two points, however, taking a 4-1 lead into the second stanza. Tomford stayed on the offensive into the second, securing a 3-point nearfall at the end of the period, and two more in the third. Tomford’s 9-1 major decision granted the Wildcats four points and a 16-8 lead.
Zach Morgan kept the good times rolling at 145. Morgan roared to a 5-0 lead by the end of the first period. Morgan went in for the kill midway through the second, on the hunt for a pin. While the junior did not achieve his goal, Morgan still notched points for a nearfall, entering the third with a commanding 11-0 lead. Both Morgan and Spencer Reardon notched two points early in the third, via an Reardon escape-Morgan takedown-Reardon escape. Morgan finished off the match with another takedown, earning a 15-3 major decision.
The 152-pound match featured seniors Michael Caldwell of the Mat Cats and Jason Gute. Caldwell and Gute wrestled to a 0-0 draw after the first, only broken halfway through the second by a takedown by Caldwell. However, Gute emerged with the victory on a wily move, pinning Caldwell at 4:15 to draw the Titans to within 20-14.
Najee Lockett got the Wildcats back on track at 160. Lockett fired out with his characteristic aggression, notching two early points. Lockett tabbed an escape point and a pair of nearfall points in the second, stretching his advantage to 8-0 by the end of the period. Lockett kept his foot on the gas in the third until the end, finishing with a 10-1 major decision.
Sophomore Tommy Buckles received a chance to impress at 170 for the Wildcats. Buckles fought hard but found himself behind 6-1 at the end of the first after Ronald Williams landed a nearfall towards the end of the period. An aggressive Williams kept on trucking in the second, tabbing a takedown and pinning Buckles at 3:11 of the match. Berea narrowed the gap to 24-20 with the win.
At 182, veteran Tommy Gill took the mat for the Wildcats against senior David Weaver of Berea-Midpark. Gill scored a pair of early points and carried a 3-2 advantage into the second. Gill allowed an escape before bearing down. He narrowly escaped Weaver to start the third, grabbing a narrow 4-3 lead. Gill overshot Weaver with 40 seconds in the third, though, surrendering a 1-point lead to Weaver. Gill almost came back, but ran out of time, dropping a 5-4 decision.
The 195-pound match marked Drobnick’s first match since securing his 100th career victory last weekend in Toledo. Drobnick faced off with Andrew Bachie of the Titans, a fellow senior. Drobnick roared out to an early lead, using a few big takedowns to garner a 6-2 lead by the end of the first. Drobnick kept it rolling in the second, winning by pin in the second period in impressive fashion.
Drobnick’s win ended the evening of wrestling for the Wildcats, as injuries at 220 and 285 forced the Wildcats to take forfeits at both spots. The forfeits granted Berea-Midpark the 35-30 win to advance to wrestle St. Edward in the next round.
Despite the loss, however, the Wildcats’ coaching staff feels the team is in a good spot and almost ready for the postseason.
“We’re in a good position,” Head Coach Mark Sullivan said. “Our focus and our work ethic has us in position to have a good run in Sectional, District, and State Tournaments. In an individual sport, the goal is to peak at the State Tournament, and I absolutely believe we’re in position to do so. We have an awesome group ready to do the work to get it done.”
The Varsity Gold squad has some time off before facing Bedford and CVCA at Bedford on February 2 at 6 pm. The Varsity Blue will face Beachwood and Hawken at Beachwood tomorrow evening, and then Chagrin Falls and Normandy on Saturday.
THE GOAT: The Saint Ignatius Athletic Department and Wrestling community would like to say congratulations to Stipe Miocic, the first-ever UFC fighter to defend his heavyweight title three times. Stipe has been an avid supporter of Saint Ignatius athletics, frequently coming to speak to the wrestling team, as well as the football team. Congrats, Stipe!