At the end of a long day of games at the Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic, the host Elyria Catholic Panthers squared off with the Saint Ignatius Wildcats.

Elyria Catholic entered with a 4-5 record, but held a desire to beat a 4-4 Wildcat squad on its home court. In the end, the Wildcats played spoiler, rolling to a 76-46 victory over the Panthers.

Several amazing performances, including a great game by senior Lukas Bielek, led to a key win for Saint Ignatius.

After a strong first quarter for the Wildcats, the visitors took a 16-12 lead with a solid 4 points off the bench from sophomore Henry Raynor. The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with outstanding scoring abilities from the Panther’s 6’5 forward, Jarred Logan, on full display.

The Basketball Cats absolutely dominated the second quarter. Saint Ignatius surrendered just 6 points to the Panthers, as the Blue and Gold strode their way into a 35-18 lead heading into the break. The phenomenal freshman Jonathan Effertz led the way on offense for the Cats, with contributions by Lukas Bielek also aiding the effort.

Moving into the third, the Wildcats kept the young Panthers squad on the run. The Wildcats built a commanding 57-25 lead to unofficially seal the deal. Lores Valenzuela posted some amazing efforts on the glass, with several boards and a few buckets in the paint.

The Wildcats ran their tempo in the fourth routinely. Points off the bench from Wilson Young and Darius Moss ensured the Wildcats’ 76-46 victory.

The young freshman, Jonathan Effertz, took home the Play-by-Play Classic MVP with a game-high 14 points. Effertz rained in his typical 3-ball with some solid drives to the basket.

The famed rivalry will be up next on the schedule for the Saint Ignatius Wildcats, as they take on the Saint Edward Eagles in their home, The Eagles Nest. Varsity will tip at 7 p.m. on Friday.