by Adam Eckman ’17

For some athletes, sports like basketball or football give meaning to their lives. They dream of touchdowns and dunks, of being mobbed by a crowd of raving fans.

But other athletes take a different tour. That doesn’t mean they’re less competitive – they still seek trophies and glory. They just find fulfillment in a nontraditional setting. of For Colin Beckford ‘17, his sport is yo-yoing.

At a school with many great athletes one athlete stands out among the rest, unbeknownst to many, and that’s Colin Beckford ’17. Colin excels in the art of the Yo-Yo, and is ranked the 30th best yo-yo competitor in the world.

Success wasn’t easy for Beckford. Colin has logged numerous hours with his Yo-Yo, practicing regularly for 8 hours a week and sometimes even up to 14 hours before a competition. Colin has excelled at competitions, even some on the national level, landing him his first sponsorship offer

A typical Yo-Yo sponsorship is where a Yo-Yoer represents a company by representing their brand name through their Yo-Yos and t-shirts. In return from the company the professional Yo-Yo-er gets free yo-yos and clothes, in addition to other incentives.

Colin was offered a Yo-Yo sponsorship from Yomega and respectfully declined their offer in hopes of being sponsored by Duncan. As Colin’s career continues in Yo-Yoing, he continues to strive for success. Ultimately, Colin wishes to become the regional champ as well as place in the top 3 in a national contest.

by Pat McGuire ’14

Basketball

Head Coach Sean O’Toole heads into the 2013-2014 with a young, yet motivated team. The Wildcats are coming off a trip to the district final, being defeated by a very athletic Shaker Heights team. Coach O’Toole and the Wildcats will have everything to prove this season. Saint Ignatius loses it best scorer in years in Francisco Santiago as well as a stout backcourt composed of Derek Sloan and Alec Papesch, along with significant role players of Bryan Fischer and Austin Sterpka. And then there’s the ACL of Kyle Berger. Berger, who sustained a torn ACL during the preseason of football, will be incapacitated for the 2013-2014 season.

First, the keys for the Wildcat team must come from the offensive end of the court. Coach O’Toole’s strategy has always been to play stifling defense against their opponents; therefore, the onus to score points is greater than ever. In terms of the front court, Seniors Isiah Barbara and Danny Bova need to create offense for the Wildcats in either of two ways: creating shots for themselves off screens or by feeding the “bigs” in the Saint Ignatius back court. The bulk of the points should come from the Black brothers, Eric and David, as well as Juniors Dre’ Jones and Mikal Outcalt. Last season, Eric started at the power forward position with his twin brother coming off the bench at the same position. Jones and Outcalt ran the show at the JV level last year, creating a formidable “4-5” combination for Coach Larry Arthur.

Offensive rebounding as well as a fast-paced, “run the floor” fast-break offense will be key for the Wildcats’ success this season. In terms of defense, the ‘Cats must keep true to the strategy of Coach Sean O’Toole, which is to clog the lane and force opponents to take outside, low-percentage shots.

The Wildcats will have their work cut out for them as they will face strong teams all the way through the season, including St. Vincent-St. Mary, Glenville, St. Edward (twice), and concluding with perennial contender Villa-Angela St. Joseph.

Wrestling

Coach Mark Sullivan and the WIldcat wrestling team will prepare for the 2013-2014 in the brand new Gibbons Hall as they try to make a run for the playoffs.

Last season’s wrestling squad boasted senior leadership from Tommy Ziegler, a Plain Dealer All-Star Wrestler and Isen Vajusi, alongside stellar Junior Anthony McLaughlin. This Year, Coach Sullivan will be relying on his two captains, Senior Anthony McLaughlin and Sophomore Kyle Vilsack. Mark Sullivan and the Wildcat Wrestling team will see if they can duplicate another strong season that the program has seen in recent years.

Swimming and Diving

Jeff Ridler and the swimming and diving team returns two of the most prolific swimmers Saint Ignatius has seen: Pete Simcox and Nate Christian.

These two seniors were a part of several record breaking relay teams in 2012-2013 and look to continue their winning ways this season. The team as a whole finished second last year only to the swimming powerhouse that is Cincinnati St. Xavier.

Bowling

The Saint ignatius Bowling Team have started pff their season well. They have won their first three events against Villa-Angela Saint Joseph, Cleveland Central Catholic, and Brecksville. The Wildcats’ victories could not be more different. The ‘Cats defeated their opponents by a margin of 1003 pins, 230 pins, and then just 18 pins respectively. The ‘Cats look to continue their winning ways against Olmsted Falls on December 7th.

by Pat McGuire ’14 and Cole Larson ’14

There is no established routine for a varsity football pre-game routine, but seniors from across the depth chart have a set of traditions they rely on to get them ready to compete.

Dameon Willis, Senior, S/LB
“I always sit in the same seat during mass, eat half of my sub, do 48 pushups for every minute of the game (gotta play the full 48 minutes), and pray at the goal post when I first get off the bus. I have a core of three songs; Meek Mill: Dreams and Nightmares, Katy Perry: Roar, and 2 Chainz: 36.”

John Thomas, Senior, QB
“I stop at Lehmans Deli in Westlake (go to is a turkey bacon club sub) before every game. My favorite pump up song is Radioactive by Imagine Dragons.”

Enzo Cannata, Senior, HB
“Pregame rituals are: I sit in the same seat in Mass, eat three granola bars and a bottle of water, and sit next to Rob Ricotti on the bus. I usually listen to any rap song before the game.”

Jack Hyland, Senior, WR
“I wake up at 9:30 A.M. and get my swag attire for the evening ready. Take a shower and shave my ankles for the most perfect tape job by Saint Ignatius’ own Mr. Hank Gaughan. I watch some film, double check my stuff then I’m off to Cleveland to pick up the most frightening safety in North East Ohio, Dameon Willis Jr. We make a trip to Subway in Ohio City, then we are at school at 1:45 sharp. This gives me just about two hours to get my stuff ready and to get my mind right before team mass. Pump up songs: Money and the Power by Kid Ink, Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, and In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins.”

Mike Siragusa, Senior, WR
“I always wear the same clothes to mass and sit in the same spot. I always wear the same compression shorts and socks during the game, and I sit with Tommy Stuhldreher on the bus every time. That is all I can reveal…gotta keep some a secret. Pump up songs: any 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne, or rap. The songs change with the game.”

by Pat McGuire ’14

Senior Cross country runner sat down with Eye Sports Editor Pat McGuire to discuss his athletics career.

Q: John, you played rugby for two years in the Warrior rugby system. Why did you decide to leave the sport?
A: I left because I just wanted to experience something other than the physical nature of rugby and distance running seemed like a great option to stay in shape. I also thought running long distance would be pretty easy but it really isn’t when you get into it.

Q: How were you and the team able to deal with the ups and downs of the 2013 season?
A: Our team as a whole put in effort every single day of the season and never took days off or took it easy when we were sore or tired. We also made sure to get extra workouts in after practice and eating well.

Q: Do you find any similarities between running cross country and playing rugby?
A: Definitely, both sports involve pacing and conditioning as well as the knowledge of when to exert amounts of energy and when to hold back and save some for later. Also, because both sports are continuous, they involve players/runners to make adjustments on their own when something unexpected happens.

Q: What was it like to be a part of such a successful season as a Wildcat harrier?
A: It was great. I was sort of worried as the year started off slow but we kept our composure, became more competitive each week, and the entire team put in a lot of hard work in August and September to run well at the end of the year.

Q: Do you plan on pursuing either of these two sports in college?
A: I am considering possibly running either cross country or track at the next level.

by Bill Huesken ‘14

The 2013 edition of Saint Ignatius Hockey features a very deep team with a trademark aggressive style. The team, led by captains Beck Schultz ’14, Harry Smith ’14, Kevin Spellacy ’14, and Jack Weigandt ‘15, was ranked first in a coaches’ poll for the league.

Despite the preseason accolade, this team will not get ahead of itself.

“We come to win. We don’t shrink from our ranking. But the key that we’ve learned from the past several years is to peak at the right time,” said Mr. Pat O’ Rourke, the head coach.

Mr. O’ Rourke said this is deepest team he has coached.

“With four full lines, we can wear out teams that only play two or three lines. Our team is in great shape,” O’Rourke said.

The team, described by Spellacy as “the hardest working team I’ve been on,” has spent countless hours conditioning in the offseason.

After graduating star center Miles McQuinn, who totaled 115 goals and 103 assists in his career at Ignatius, the team will not look to one single player to fill in.

“We need everyone to produce, and I feel that everyone can,” Smith said.

O’ Rourke added that while the team may not have one player who can score 50 goals, it has many players who could potentially score 20 or 30 goals.

All three goalies from last year graduated. The void will be filled by sophomores Wes Deacon and Dylan McKeon. To support the young goalies as they gain experience, the defense will look to play very aggressively and to block shots.

“We want to be physical and make teams think twice about going for the puck in the corner,” said Smith.

The team opened its season at 4:30 p.m. t Quicken Loans Arena against the always-strong University School with a 4-3 shootout loss. Ignatius plays St. Edward in Lakewood on Jan. 4 and at home in Brooklyn on Jan. 24.

The ’Cats will play a total of six games in Brooklyn, five in Lakewood, and two tournaments in Strongsville. They also will play two games on the East Side, giving fans from all sides of town plenty of opportunities to cheer for them this year.

by Cole Larson ‘14

Cross Country
MVP: Luke Wagner, Sophomore
Notes: Finishing second overall in the Wildcats’ first meet was just a sign of things to come from sophomore sensation Luke Wagner. One week later, Wagner was at it again, this time taking first overall in the annual Avon Lake Early Bird Invitational. Wagner also finished first in the Galion Cross Country Festival. Then came the post season. Luke took second overall in the district meet with a time of 16:40. Then, keeping his momentum, he third overall in the regional meet at Tiffin. In the state meet, Wagner ended up placing 79th with a time of 16:40:44, helping the team finish 7th. His most memorable finish to a race came at Galion where he raced step-for-step with a racer from Hilliard Davidson, but Luke blew past him in the final 100 meters to place first overall.
Other Notable Athletes: Tim Trentel (10), Elliot Thorkelson (12), Jim Rogers (10)

Golf
MVP: Jack Coyne, Senior
Notes : After a solid start to the year, Jack Coyne really started to catch fire when he hit a score of 69 (one under par) and finished first overall at the University School Invitational at the prestigious Windmill Lakes golf course. The following week, Jack topped his performance with a score of 68 on the south golf course at Firestone Country Club (Site of the Bridgestone Invitational) at the Archbishop Moeller Invitational. That score of 68 was good for Jack to take third place in the outing. Coyne would go on to have a fantastic season that concluded with him shooting a 77 in the district tournament and a two day score of 158 in the state tournament. Both scores led the Wildcats in both respective tournaments. Coyne’s leadership showed through for Coach Brian Becker’s golf team, as Jack led the young and talented team through very difficult sectional and district tournaments all the way to a state tournament appearance.
Other Notable Athletes: Peter Malik (12), Kevin Duncan (11), Harrison Vonderau (10)

Soccer
MVP: Colin Cleary, Senior
Notes: Throughout the entire Wildcat soccer season, whenever the team needed an offensive sparkplug it seemed that senior co-captain Colin Cleary would step up. However, Cleary’s talents offered more than just a quick scoring option. The senior co-captain excelled in nearly every aspect of the game of soccer. From penalty kicks to corner kicks to crosses into the box, Clearly utilized a combination of speed and tremendous touch to set up teammates or even himself for scoring opportunities. Cleary also served as a hard nosed all-around player, most evident in the playoff game against the Saint Edward Eagles. All-in-all the 2013 season was a success for the senior co-captain.
Other Notable Athletes: Mikal Outcalt (11), Matt Ivancic (12), Matt Nigro (11)

Football
MVP: Dameon Willis
Notes: Unfortunately for Wildcat opponents this season, “Buffet Time” was in full effect on Saturday nights and Dameon Willis was hungry and ready to eat. Willis made his initial mark with an early season statement against a tough Mentor team. Willis limited Mentor’s star receiver Brandon Fritts to just two catches the entire game, leading the Wildcat defense in an effort where they gave up just a single touchdown to the high powered Cardinal offense. Willis, starring at a hybrid position of safety and linebacker, struck fear into the eyes of opposing quarterbacks, posing as a constant threat to blitz or to intercept a pass. Committed to Indiana next year, Willis looks to stay hungry and on the prowl for many years to come.
Other Notable Athletes: Nick Fabian (12), Mike Siragusa (12), Chris Keane (12)