CANTON, OH - The Saint Ignatius Wildcats were back in action on Sunday, continuing their quest for a second consecutive State Championship against Olentangy Orange in the State Semifinal. The Wildcats, who dominated the Kent region, sought revenge against the Pioneers, who defeated them in overtime, 63-54, on January 19th in the Play-By-Play Classic at John Carroll University.
The Pioneers, headlined by Davidson commit Devin Brown, came into the contest with a 24-2 record and no in-state losses. They possess one of the state's top defenses, which impeded the Cats' ability to score. It was also the Pioneer's first appearance in the Final Four.
Friery won the tip, and we were underway from Canton Memorial Field House. RJ Jones scored the first seven points for the Wildcats, but the Pioneers jumped out to a flaming start. After one, the Pioneers led 15-10 with substantial contributions from Levi Davis and Keegan Knupp.
Orange continued their dominance during the second quarter, completely stifling the Wildcat offense, which was held to just six points during the frame. The Pioneers continued to lead the Cats with a 27-16 advantage entering the break.
Saint Ignatius came out of the break, rejuvenated, and knocked down multiple shots to trim the Pioneer lead to five points. But Orange battled back each time, maintaining their lead. After the third quarter ended, Damon Friery was fouled with 1.4 seconds left on the clock. He hit all three free throws.
He would then pick off Orange's long inbound attempt. He fired a half-court shot as time expired in the third that miraculously banked in. The Cats had stormed back, only down two points at 37-35.
It was an intense fourth quarter, as both teams needed clutch buckets. Saint Ignatius would tie the Pioneers thanks to a Quinn Woidke lay with two minutes remaining in regulation. With 1:34 on the clock, the Wildcats took their first lead of the game with a Friery lay, making it 46-44.
The Pioneers stuck with them, tying the game after a timeout with 35 seconds on the clock. As time expired in regulation, Friery shook a defender with a step-back three to win it, but the shot was no good, and for the second time this season, these two teams were heading to overtime.
In overtime, Woidke hit two layups to open the scoring for the Wildcats. But, the Pioneers rallied, going on a scoring run that left them up five with less than a minute left. The Wildcats could not overcome this deficit and lost to Olentangy Orange 58-54.
The Wildcats finished their season with a 22-5 record, their second consecutive 20-win season. This season marked a fourth appearance in five seasons in the Final Four.
Friery finishes his career with the Blue and Gold as the sixth leading scorer in program history with 1,127 points. He would add 23 points on Sunday. He will be continuing his academic and basketball career at the University of Dayton.
Woidke was a three-year letter winner on the varsity squad but only appeared in one game his sophomore year after returning from injury after the football season. Woidke would finish with 767 career points in two full years on varsity. Woidke added 12 points on Sunday. He will be continuing his academic and basketball career at Kent State University.
The Basketball Cats had tremendous senior support. Some were members of the 2024 OHSAA State Championship team, and some were part of the program's first undefeated JV team. Despite falling in the State Semifinal, it was a memorable and successful season for the Basketball Cats.
Gallery: (3-18-2025) Saint Ignatius vs. Orange (State Semis)
