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Mat Cats Tackle Two Columbus Opponents

By Joe Ginley '12, 01/26/19, 9:30PM EST

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To prepare for a rapidly approaching postseason, the Saint Ignatius varsity gold wrestling team headed south on Friday.

In a roadtrip mirroring the upcoming journey to the State Tournament in about five weeks, the Wildcats drove about two hours south down I-71. 

The Wildcats traveled to the state's capital to face two solid Columbus teams – Teays Valley and Dublin Scioto. The Mat Cats headed back to Northeast Ohio with two wins. 

With the victories, the Wildcats to 10-2 on the year in dual matches. Next weekend, the Mat Cats will take part in the State Duals Regional Tournament. More on that later.

Saint Ignatius – 40, Teays Valley – 37

The Wildcats' night began with the dual match vs. Teays Valley. The contest began at 106 pounds.

Timmy Putka kicked things off for the men of the blue and gold. The freshman roared out of the gate, tallying an early takedown. Putka kept working through the first period before pinning his foe at the 1:30 mark. Putka's victory granted the Wildcats an early 6-0 lead.

Johnny Novak also tallied a first-period pin. The captain needed just 42 seconds to fell his 113-pound opponent. Jack Bush did the same at 120, albeit in the second period. Bush notched his pin midway through the middle period, building a significant lead before sealing the deal. 

The Vikings tasted their first success of the evening at 126. Calum Campolieti ran into a tough foe, and succumbed to a pin at 1:27 of the first. Teays Valley recorded another victory at 132 against the veteran Matthew Whipkey. In a dogfight of a match, Whipkey and his foe duked it out. Whipkey was on the receiving end of a number of takedowns, but kept earning points via reversal and escape. In the end, Whipkey tallied 10 points, four via takedowns, but lost via major decision, 21-10.

The lead expanded for the Wildcats at 138. Patrick McGraw got the visitors back on track with a major decision. McGraw played it smart for the duration of the match, denying his opponent on every shot. McGraw allowed just one point the entire match, via an escape, while compiling 11 points for a major decision. The senior's win stretched the Wildcats' advantage to 22-10. 

DJ Huff continued to build his strength in a 145-pound match. The team captain raced to a 6-0 lead in the first period before pinning his opponent at the 3:25 mark of the match. Zach Morgan followed Huff's lead at 152, though the fellow senior needed only 48 seconds to accomplish the feat.

The Wildcats surrendered 6 points at 160 due to a forfeit, but earned them back immediately at 170. Josh Dinya continued his strong junior campaign as he continues his journey to lower weights. The lean, mean fighting machine fought his way to a 5-2 lead after the first. Dinya then fell behind, 8-5, by the end of the second before coming alive. Dinya fired out to a takedown before securing a pin in exceptional fashion at the 4:44 mark of the contest. Dinya's victory set the Wildcats ahead 40-16.

The Vikings then flexed their muscles in the upperweights. Tommy Gill list by pin in the second period at 182. Grant Zimmerman battled hard, but lost, 6-0, at 195. Caden Campolieti was defeated via pin at 220. And Seamus Cooney was pinned in the first period.

However, when the dust settled, the Wildcats walked away with a 40-37 victory over a strong squad. Teays Valley is a good Columbus power, slated at the No. 6 seed in Region 6 of the State Dual Tournament. 

Saint Ignatius – 54, Dublin Scioto – 24

The evening continued for the Wildcats vs. the Irish, kicking off at 113. 

Just as he did in the first contest, Putka began the contest with a bang. Switching weight classes with Novak, Putka attacked his foe at 106 with alacrity. The young grappler fired out to a 5-0 advantage via a takedown and nearfall. Following a quiet second period, Putka and his foe each tallied a takedown, giving Putka a 7-2 victory for three team points. 

Bush and Whipkey fired past the competition at 120 and 126 in response. Bush notched a pin at 1:34 and Whipkey accomplished the same in exactly one minute. Patrick McGraw then added six points via a forfeit to extend the Wildcats' lead to 21-0. 

The fun continued at 138, as Huff tallied another pin. The senior needed just 1:27 to tally his second pin of the day. 

The Wildcats' first loss occurred at 145. Evan Arko grappled with a difficult opponent with valor, but experienced a first-period defeat. Scioto's win narrowed the score to 27-6.

Zach Morgan avenged his teammate at 152. The senior recorded five quick points off a takedown and nearfall before finishing the deed just after the one-minute mark. Morgan's feat marked his second fall of the day. 

The Wildcats forfeited again at 160 before Dinya entered the limelight at 170. The junior basked in the spotlight, wasting little time in securing six points for the visitors. Dinya's pin at the 1:19 mark propelled the Wildcats' lead to 39-12.

The margin expanded further at 182, as Tommy Gill accepted a forfeit. Zimmerman then found a difficult opponent at 195. The sophomore absorbed five takedowns in the first period, but escaped from four of them. His foe added three points to the lead in the second before he was finally able to corner Zimmerman at 4:44 of the match for six points. 

The Wildcats sent Caden Campolieti out at 220 to accept a forfeit before Seamus Cooney to battle at 285. The multi-sport athlete left it all on the mat, but lost via pin to an experienced opponent.  

Novak ensured the night ended well for the Wildcats. The savvy veteran engaged in a long chess match with a smart opponent in a low-scoring affair. Novak earned a 2-1 lead after one, and built it with an escape and takedown in the second. Warding off shots from his opponent in the third, Novak hung on for the 5-1 win. 

Novak's victory sent the Wildcats back to Ohio City with a 54-24 win and a 10-2 mark in dual matches. 

With two wins in hand, the Wildcats now prepare for the OHSAA State Dual Tournament.

A recent invention, the dual tournament is a team competition, unlike the individual state tournament in March. The state is divided into eight regions, with the winner of each Regional Tournament advancing to the State Tournament on February 10. 

The Wildcats drew the No. 5 seed in Region 2. Wadsworth High School will play the host for Saturday's Regional Tournament, beginning at 9 am. The Mat Cats will face No. 12 Mount Vernon in the first round. Should the Wildcats emerge with a win, they would face No. 4 Brunswick in the quarterfinal.

The top-seeded Wadsworth Grizzlies are the favorite to walk away with the Regional title. No. 2 Ashland and No. 3 Carrollton are the top teams on the opposite side of the bracket. 

Be sure to follow @SIHSwrestling for updates and information on this tournament and beyond.