St. Ignatius Routs St. Edward to Reach Regional Finals

KENT, Ohio — Quinn Woidke scored 19 points and led St. Ignatius to a commanding 73-49 victory over rival St. Edward on Wednesday night during the OHSAA Division I boys basketball regional semifinals at Kent State‘s Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.

The Wildcats (21-4), who are the defending state champions, will face Canton McKinley (20-5) in the regional finals at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Canton McKinley advanced to the finals after defeating Toledo Whitmer, 64-60, on Tuesday.

Woidke, a senior guard and Kent State recruit, asserted his dominance by scoring eight of his points in the first quarter, which included two three-pointers that energized the Wildcats. Damon Friery, who is heading to Dayton for college, added a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds, while senior guard Jimmy Thomas contributed 16 points off the bench.

“We have a great team, and everyone stepped up tonight,” Woidke commented after the game. “We played hard and executed our game plan perfectly.”

For St. Edward (16-9), junior point guard J.T. Kelsheimer led with 18 points, while Bryan Vlosich added 15, but their efforts fell short against a stronger St. Ignatius squad.

St. Ignatius established an early lead, outscoring St. Edward 20-10 in the first quarter and maintaining control throughout the game. The Wildcats pushed their advantage to 40-21 by halftime.

Following the game, St. Ignatius coach Cam Joyce credited his players’ teamwork and focus. “We’ve worked hard all season, and they showed that effort tonight,” Joyce said. “We hope to carry this momentum into the finals.”

Viewing the upcoming matchup against Canton McKinley, Joyce added, “They’re a great team, and we’ll need to come prepared.”

As St. Ignatius prepares for Saturday, both teams have much at stake. The Wildcats aim to defend their title, while Canton McKinley seeks to make their mark in the regional finals after a successful season.