OHIO CITY – The Saint Ignatius Wildcats took care of business last week, conquering Richmond Heights and Saint Edward in a pair of home contests. These wins, however, did not come quickly.
The Cats' first game of the week came against Richmond Heights in a matchup of defending State Champions. The Spartans, led by Senior Dorian Jones and Freshman Mekhi Ansberry, played their five starters for all thirty-two minutes.
For the Wildcats, 20-point scorer Damon Friery was out, leading to increased contributions from other players, such as Kalli Johnson and RJ Jones.
The Wildcats were losing for most of the first half, as they had to learn how to adapt to playing without Friery. The Spartans took advantage, and flashy plays by Jones led to a 37-35 halftime advantage for Richmond Heights.
The Wildcats fought back, though, and with Kyle Niehaus splashing three triples, the Wildcats remained within striking distance. The Spartans, however, led by five with under two minutes to play at 74-69.
The Wildcats orchestrated a masterful last two minutes that featured tremendous defense. A press from Quinn Woidke forced a Spartans turnover with 1:16 remaining and the Cats down two. Johnson would then hit a spinning, fadeaway shot to tie the game at 74 with 1:04 left in the fourth.
Johnson would then force a Richmond Heights five-second call, leading to a Cats timeout with 20 seconds left. Jones then did the rest, scoring an and-one layup with under five seconds left in the game, closing the door on Richmond Heights, winning 79-75.
Four Wildcats finished in double-figures. Jones scored a career-high 18 points and hauled in five boards. Johnson added 14, Jimmy Thomas added 12 and Woidke finished with 11 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Senior Quinn Woidke was honored at the Cleveland Sports Awards for the Ohio Male High School Athlete of the Year award between these two games. He was the second Saint Ignatius student-athlete to win the award (Tyler Hong '21) and joined the elite company of Northeast Ohio athletes like Lebron James, Mitch Trubisky, and Drew Allar.
Next, the St. Edward Eagles traveled to Ohio City to avenge their 90-67 loss on January 3rd. It was a star-studded crowd that included Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Dre'Mont Jones '15, Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Dawand Jones, Cleveland Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski, and TikTok influencer Kevin Walsh.
Behind a raucous crowd, the game started slowly, as the Eagles played keep away from the Wildcats for most of the first half. The Wildcats entered halftime leading 22-15 in a low-scoring affair.
But, the Wildcats turned on the jets in the third quarter behind a quartet of Woidke three-pointers. The Cats would outscore the Eagles 28-10 in the third to extend their lead to 25 into the final quarter of regulation.
The Wildcats carried this momentum to the end of the game, taking down their rivals 68-51.
The Wildcats have not lost in Sullivan Gym since the 2022 season, when Western Reserve thwarted them in the regular season finale. Since then, the Cats have gone on to win 20 straight. The last home game of the 2024-25 campaign is scheduled for February 26th, for the OHSAA District Semifinal, when Saint Ignatius hosts the winner of Lorain/John Marshall.
The Wildcats will return on Friday, traveling to Louisville to take on the powerhouse 15-5 Leopards. The SIBN will have live video and audio coverage at 7 p.m.
