Saint Ignatius vs. St. Edward is often personal. Neighbor against neighbor, former classmate vs. former classmate, friend against friend.
Wednesday's matchup provided a similar element for Drew Barclay and the Tennis Cats, as the Wildcats had met many of their adversaries in previous matches.
Motivated and on a mission, the Saint Ignatius varsity tennis team showed no hesitation, defeating the Eagles via a clean sweep, 5-0.
A highlight of the day came in the No. 3 singles match, the last to finish. Drew Barclay knew his opponent well and was excited heading into the match.
"The last time I played him in singles was four years ago, and he beat me," Barclay said. "I'm not going to lie, I held a grudge. I was thinking, 'Hey, he's probably going to try to keep it in play again like last time.'"
Indeed, Barclay's foe did keep points alive. But Barclay was ready, winning the first set, 6-0. The Eagle did force Barclay to work hard for a set 2 win, however, 6-2.
"For every opponent, I just try to keep it in as long as possible," Barclay said. "But he was a guy where you need to rip it, because guys like that will keep in in play forever. I played a guy like that at University School. You have to finish the point against guys like him."
The Wildcats won the No. 1 and No. 2 singles matches with similar enthusiasm. Arjun Brahmbhatt tabbed a quick 6-0, 6-0 win at the top court. At the No. 2 spot, Brian Zhu delivered his favorite type of win – a double bagel – a 6-0, 6-0 victory.
Doubles play also resulted in big wins for the Tennis Cats. Richie Hofstra and Nate Day paired together for a well-deserved 6-1, 6-2 triumph at No. 1 doubles. The Wildcats' "Jacks" trumped the Eagles at the No. 2 spot, too. Jack McNally and Jack Showman rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 win for a complete sweep.
With the victory, the Tennis Cats improve to 11-1 on the season. As Barclay said perfectly, the win "felt great."
The team's busy week continued with a trip to Brecksville-Broadview Heights on Thursday, weather-permitting. The Cats will finish out the week with a match at Kenston on Friday and the Medina Doubles Tournament on Saturday.