Blog
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Elms beats Mizrachi 54-21 in Division IV post-season game
CRESTON: Our Lady Of The Elms easily took down Fuchs Mizrachi 54-21 in the Division IV Northeast Sectional semifinal Monday.
Elms (12-9) will play Open Door Christian in the Sectional finals Saturday night at Norwayne High School.
Elms may have cruised to a 33-point win that score even makes it look closer than it really was but coach Heather Giel knows its a big moment for a school lacking in postseason wins.
The seniors have always made it to the first game and we dont go anywhere after that, Giel said. They wanted to come out and make a statement. Its a big win for us.
The Panthers controlled the game from the very onset. Elms forced turnovers on the Mayhems first eight possessions and didnt allow a shot attempt in the first six minutes of the game.
The defensive pressure overmatched Mizrachi time and time again. The Panthers forced 24 turnovers in the first half and 34 for the game.
Focusing on defense, thats our thing, Giel said. We take pride in our defense and [it] creates a lot of points for us.
Elms allowed only one field goal in the first half and entered the locker room leading 36-4.
Senior Kaitlin Morse led the team with 12 points to go along with seven steals.
Its always been a fear of ours that wed let the pressure get to us, but we kept our energy level up, she said. Theres definitely stuff we can work on but we kept the energy up.
Sophomore Rachel Coury scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds and had four steals. Senior Tessa Haneline had eight points, four rebounds and five steals. Junior Rachel Tustin added eight rebounds and six steals.
Giel was pleased with such an even scoring distribution.
I think the girls have taken an unselfish attitude and really work together for the common good, Giel said. We have a goal in mind and were making it happen.
Giel knows the competition will take a major step up from here on out. Thanks to a late-season loss to Ellet that brought the team back down to Earth, Giel isnt worried about any complacency following such a dominating performance.
[That loss to Ellet] was able to refocus [our team], Giel said. That was probably the best thing to happen to us. [We said], All right, we know what we have to do in practice to go where we want to go.
Giel has a few days of practice before facing Open Door Christian and says shed like to work on their play in the paint and hitting a higher percentage of free throws. She also knows that the turnovers wont come as often next time out, so a half-court offense will have to be set up.
We have a running game, but we gotta be able to work on our set offense and focus on that, she said. We didnt make as many free throws as we should have, I can tell ya that. The competition from here on out will only get better.
Mizrachi senior Dara Zuckerman scored a team-high nine points to go along with nine rebounds.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
East 79, Firestone 75: Dragons top Falcons in city title game
With the City Series title game nearly in hand, East senior Alontae McMeans turned to his teammates during a timeout and said: Lets go home.
Before the timeout, McMeans stepped to the free-throw line with 5.8 seconds to go in overtime. He was scoreless and the Dragons were clinging to a three-point lead over host Firestone.
McMeans missed the first free throw but made the second to help the Dragons (18-1)to a 79-75 win over the Falcons (13-5) on Friday.
The triumph was the Dragons third over the Falcons this season, and gave East the Joe Siegferth Championship Trophy and a second medal to go with the City Series regular-season percentage title it earned with a 12-0 league mark.
East seniors Davonte Brunson, Mycle Shadie and Sir Charles Travis all scored in double figures, along with junior Brandon Townsend.
This is great for the team and the school, East coach Ross Fiorello said. These kids have worked so hard over the years. I am so pleased for the players and East High School. This game brought a lot of people from the East community together and it brought a lot of old memories back for them.
The win was Easts first in the league title game since 1991. The Dragons last won the league regular-season title outright in 1989.
We put the exclamation point on it tonight, Fiorello said. Certainly, it wasnt easy.
Brunson, the City Series co-Player of the Year with Kenmore senior Antonio Hearn, scored 24 points and Shadie scored 22 points.
We made a lot of history, Brunson said. We needed that win. Our coach deserved this. He is a real good coach and he makes sure we work real hard every day in practice.
Firestone started fast and led 7-0, but East responded with a 16-2 run to close the first quarter and lead 16-9. The Dragons led 29-28 at halftime and 49-44 after three quarters.
The Falcons forced overtime courtesy of major contributions from juniors Kevin Gladney and Jerome Lane and senior Stefan Willis.
Lane fouled out with 1:04 to go in the fourth quarter with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Gladney fouled out with 5.4 seconds left in overtime with 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Willis had 21 points and five rebounds.
Ross said it to me perfectly. He goes: Im glad we dont have to meet anymore, Firestone coach Dave Milo said. We have five losses. Three are to them. They are a clutch team.
Their shooters, I tried to get a couple of them out of the game [on fouls]. Shadie played the fourth quarter with four fouls. I said to my guys: Go to the hole and lets get him outta here. We were not able to that. Then he is hitting clutch shots with under two minutes to go and then in overtime. They are just a heckuva shooting team.
Shadie made four 3-pointers, three after halftime.
That is just a great win, Shadie said. We beat them three times, which is hard to do.
Townsend and Travis finished with 14 points. Travis grabbed 12 rebounds and had five blocks.
This was my No. 1 goal. I wanted to win City, Travis said with a large portion of a net around his neck. It is tough to play a team three times, especially going against one of the best challenging post players [Lane]. He had a good game, but fouled out. That is when I had to step up and we had to win.
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MBeavenABJ. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Freshman Ross Palazzo leads Hudson to second place at district swim meet
CLEVELAND: Going into the third leg of the 200-yard individual medley at Fridays Division I district swim meet, Hudson freshman Ross Palazzo was a bit confused.
I didnt see anyone, Palazzo said. I thought they had stopped the race for a second.
Palazzo didnt see anyone in the lanes next to him, because there wasnt anybody in the lanes next to him. He was that far ahead.
Palazzo went on to win the event in 1 minute, 53.71 seconds, more than three seconds ahead of runner-up Derek Hren of Cleveland St. Ignatius. It was one of the standout performances for a Hudson team that finished second at Cleveland State Universitys Robert F. Busbey Natatorium.
Second would have been fine, said Palazzo, who had to settle for second in the 100 breast stroke and as part of Hudsons runner-up 200 individual medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. I knew I had a shot, but Im still surprised. Everything is the hard work paying off.
St. Ignatius won the boys meet with 280 points, followed by Hudson (262) and North Canton Hoover (193.5). The top two finishers in each race automatically qualify for next weeks state meet in Canton. The rest of the state field will be filled out by the top 16 remaining finishers from the four district meets.
We felt we were in position and we had a real good shot, said Hudson coach Matt Davis, who was named Boys Division I District Coach of the Year. Our kids have been working hard all year. We came up a little bit short, but we cant be ashamed of what we did.
Palazzos time in the 200 individual medley was a school record, as were Hudsons times in the 200 medley (second place, 1:35.74) and 200 freestyle relays (third, 1:25.78).
Palazzo joined Ryan Hutcheson, Adam Motter and Brendon Mulcahey on Hudsons 200 medley relay team, which was second to Lakewood St. Edward.
The 400 freestyle relay team featured Palazzo, Hutcheson, Mulcahey and senior Jimmy Dagley. It finished second behind St. Ignatius.
Dagley won the 100 freestyle in 46.30, just ahead of Cuyahoga Falls junior Andrew Appleby. The two traded spots in the 100 backstroke, with Appleby winning in 49.98, a district meet record.
Hudson also had third-place finishes in the 500 freestyle (Hutcheson), 200 individual medley (Hutcheson) and 200 freestyle relay, which could be good enough to earn state berths.
We did phenomenal, Davis said. We got a lot of kids out to the state meet. [Palazzo] was just out of sight. He works very hard and is the epitome of the kind of kid you want to coach. Hes got a bright future. The skys the limit.
Hoover senior Mitch Alters, the defending state champion in the 200 freestyle, needed to rally to claim the district title.
Strongsvilles Mitchell Delventhal, who entered the race with the second-best qualifying time behind Alters, raced out to an early half-body length lead and held it until the last 50 yards. That was when Alters made his move, catching Delventhal at the final turn to win by less than a second.
He definitely took it out fast, said Alters, who finished in 1:42.58. I knew Id have to swim hard to stay with him and then bring it home. Next week Ill definitely be looking to take it out a lot faster. But it got me through to state and thats what matters.
Alters was third in the 100 butterfly, a finish he believes should qualify him for state.
Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Walsh Jesuit girls beat Archbishop Hoban 47-33
Archbishop Hoban and Walsh Jesuits game Wednesday night to determine the regular-season North Coast League champion wasnt unlike the first time these two teams met this season.
This game was physical. It was tough. It was gritty.
In a game that featured almost no offense, Walsh (16-4, 11-0) had a little bit more to offer and defeated Hoban 47-33 at home to secure an undefeated regular season title in its first year in the league.
This being our first year, its an honor to win it, Walsh coach Pete Zaccari said. You can see both teams play very good defense and played very, very hard. Were fortunate.
From the onset, both sides made it clear to each other that points would come at a premium. Every loose ball had a score of players diving after it. Every foul was hard. After the first quarter, the score was only 7-4 in favor of Walsh.
It was a freshman, Walsh forward Lilli Piper, who stepped up to meet Hobans physicality.
After senior Liz Reeves got into foul trouble, Piper entered in her spot and blocked five shots in the second quarter, one of which she sent several rows into the bleachers.
It was rough, Hoban really brought it to us, Piper said. They played physical and really hard and we had to give it right back to them.
Behind Pipers defensive presence, Walsh finally broke through the offensive stalemate and went on an 11-4 run to open the second half.
After scoring 14 points in the first half, overcoming a run like that was certainly a daunting task for Hoban coach Scott Callaghan.
I probably should have done a better job using my timeouts and switching up defenses, he said. I thought once again Walsh physically dominated the game. A lot of credit to them.
Ahead by eight points entering the fourth quarter, the Warriors sealed their undefeated regular season behind a second key run, this time 8-0.
A game like this is a great game to coach in its a chess match, Zaccari said. This game could have gone either way.
Piper finished the night with six points, six rebounds and those five blocks.
Zaccari was confident he could put the ball in his freshmans hands.
I cant speak more highly of [Piper], he said. For a freshman, her leadership, [how she] leads by example. Shes very tough, competitive, wants the ball in her hands.
Reeves was instrumental in the second half as well, also blocking five shots and grabbing 11 rebounds.
It was tough, and Hoban was smart to attack, Reeves said. I got into foul trouble. At halftime, my coaches reminded me that this was my last [game]. We as seniors wanted to leave a legacy, some sort of mark, and this was it.
Senior Courtney Iacobacci led Walsh with 13 points. Junior Jesse Gilberto contributed 11 points.
Senior center Kaleigh Roop scored a team-high 12 points to go along with six rebounds for Hoban (17-3, 9-2). Senior guard Janaya Feaster was held to six points.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/RyanLewis83. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Hudson's Alex Obendorf and Taryn McLaughlin win district diving titles
CLEVELAND: Two titles earned, one big one still to work to get.
That is the situation Hudson senior Taryn McLaughlin and sophomore Alex Obendorf find themselves in after winning Division I district diving titles Wednesday at Cleveland State Universitys Busbey Natatorium.
McLaughlin and Obendorf opened the postseason last week by winning sectional titles at the University of Akrons Ocasek Natatorium.
McLaughlin scored 434.60 points after 11 dives Wednesday to win the girls title. Obendorf posted an 11-dive score of 513.40 points to win the boys title.
They definitely will go into state very confident, Hudson diving coach Dan Miller said. I think this is the toughest overall diving district in the state. We will see other really great divers at state from other districts, but to have the ability to come to this district and win is huge. Last years Division I state champions on the boys and girls side won this district meet.
Obendorf said he was pleased with his two-and-a-half reverse and back two-and-a-half dives.
This feels pretty good, Obendorf said. Winning the district definitely builds confidence going into next week. I feel like I can win state.
Miller said Obendorf is more confident this season and is not scared to do difficult dives.
Overall, I am really happy with how consistent Alex stayed, Miller said. He is right where he needs to be with his dives heading into state.
McLaughlin said she was thrilled with her reverse flip two-and-a-half twist and reverse dives.
Its really exciting to win the district, but you never want to get overconfident, McLaughlin said. Ive been working very hard and plan to continue to push myself on those hard dives.
Miller said McLaughlin executed three new dives in her routine, and maintained her high level of success.
With Taryn we are basically in the polishing-up mode, Miller said. We have been doing a lot of dives and she is staying consistent.
Nordonia sophomore Stephen Romanik placed second in the boys meet with 500.50 points.
I am just glad to be diving with this group of guys and I am looking forward to diving with these guys at state, Romanik said.
Romanik said his reverse two-and-a-half and one-and-a-half twist were his best dives Wednesday.
Lake junior Jon Schlafer finished third with 440.85 points.
GlenOak junior Austin Baad (eighth, 393.00 points) and Brunswick junior Ty Talley (ninth, 377.65 points) were also among the top 11 boys who advanced to state.
Solon junior Sivan Mills finished second in the girls meet with 427.10 points and Hudson senior Rachel Speakman was third with 411.40 points.
Other area girls among the top 10 that advanced to state are Cuyahoga Falls sophomore Nicole Rozsa (fifth, 397.95 points), Walsh Jesuit freshman Kailey Francetic (sixth, 397.55 points), Lake senior Katie Constantine (eighth, 390.30 points), Jackson senior Josie McKee (ninth, 389.00 points) and Cuyahoga Falls freshman Erika Shane (10th, 378.30 points).
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MBeavenABJ. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Rough Riders rein in win
KENT: Kent Roosevelt controlled the ball and tempo all night, defeating Cuyahoga Falls at home 61-45 Monday.
The Rough Riders forced 27 turnovers and 18 in the first half, many of those coming before Cuyahoga Falls could get across midcourt.
Thats just something weve been doing all season because were a very good defensive team, Roosevelt coach Craig Foreman said. Its kinda what we have built our season on this year, and I told them, Every little thing we can do tonight, lets step it up, and they did.
Roosevelt also got the most out of every possession, only turning the ball over seven times in one of the most efficient games of the year for the Rough Riders.
Only turning the ball over seven times, thats key, Foreman said. This is what we needed, to pull together a full, complete game.
Roosevelt was led by senior Abby Wemhoff, who scored a game-high 21 points and brought down five rebounds.
Wemhoff opened an eight-point lead midway through the first quarter. Wemhoff nailed a 3-pointer from the corner. After senior Daniella Rice stole the in-bounds pass, Wemhoff added a nice reverse layup for a quick 5-point swing.
Its great for [Wemhoff] to score 21, she only averages around 10, Foreman said. Shes very unselfish and the neat thing is that she doesnt care about scoring that much. Shes happy, but doesnt think about that stuff.
When in the half-court offense, Wemhoff was often the first option on offense and was granted more shot attempts than usual. Thats a trend Foreman hopes to continue.
Its great that Abby got more shots, definitely a good thing, he said. Shes a very good scorer, so its great that we can get the ball in her hands more often.
Senior Christine Keener scored 13 points. Junior Courtney Olesh played well inside the paint for Roosevelt, finishing the night with 12 points and five rebounds.
Cuyahoga Falls never gave themselves a chance. The Black Tigers scored a combined five points in the first four minutes of the first and second quarters. By midway through the second quarter, Roosevelt had built a 27-12 lead. The closest Falls would get would be 10 points just before halftime.
The Black Tigers had more turnovers (27) than field goals made (17).
Cuyahoga Falls was led by senior forward Logen Breehl, who recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Breehl served as the only consistent force for the Black Tigers as they struggled to piece together any offensive rhythm.
Senior Calli Neumann added 11 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
Read the high school blog at www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Wadsworth 53, Green 50: Grizzlies rally past Bulldogs
GREEN: Mike Schmeltzer Jr. kept reminding his Wadsworth players it had been seven years since the Grizzlies had won at Green.
The seven-year itch is over.
With clutch foul shooting from Jack Snowball and Kyle Pound, the Grizzlies stunned the Bulldogs 53-50 with a come-from-behind victory Friday night at Green.
It has been a long time since we won here, Schmeltzer said. We talked to the players about that and they really played well down the stretch.
Snowball, who scored all eight of his points in the fourth quarter, was instrumental in the waning seconds of the game. A senior, Snowball made one hustling play to save a ball from going out of bounds then made the defensive play of the game.
Andrew Pratt of the Bulldogs grabbed an offensive rebound after a missed shot and tried to put the ball back up, but Snowball knocked the ball out of his hands, grabbed it and was fouled with 6.9 seconds left in regulation.
After a timeout by the Bulldogs (10-6, 8-3), Snowball made two free throws and the Grizzlies withstood a last-second 3-point-shot attempt by Austin Marciniak for the win.
First of all, Pound made some big foul shots for us, Snowball said. When you are at the [foul] line, you just have to let your mind go blank. With the tournament draw coming up, you have to play your best ball. It has been a good week for us beating Copley and Green.
The Grizzlies (9-7, 7-4) were trailing 50-49 when Pound sank two free throws with 47.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to put Wadworth ahead for the first time since late in the first quarter.
I am just in shock. I have never been in that situation before, Pound said. All I could think was I have to make those free throws.
Schmeltzer and Snowball were happy that Pound delivered in the clutch.
Im just so proud and happy for him. He works so hard every day, Schmeltzer said.
There were numerous heroes for the Grizzlies.
Josh Kipfer was an obvious star. Kipfer, who averages 19.5 points per game and 11 rebounds, had 19 points, six in the final quarter. The Grizzlies outscored the Bulldogs 19-8 in the final quarter.
Josh was a big reason we were in the game, but the biggest reason was our team defense, Snowball said.
With the Grizzlies struggling to start the game, junior guard Ryan Sheppard made three 3-point shots in the first quarter.
Ryan came off the bench to knock down those threes for us or it might have been a different game, Schmeltzer said.
The loss was stunning for the Bulldogs. With a quick 5-0 run to open the third quarter, Green had a 33-19 lead.
We stopped executing our offense, Bulldogs coach Mark Kinsley said. Give them credit. What impressed me is the way Josh Kipfer has improved his game. Last year, he had to be on the block to score, but this year after working hard last summer he moves well to the basket and can go outside and hit the three.
Dan Fanelly led the Bulldogs offense with 18 points, Evan Keeslar had 15 points and Pratt had nine.
Nordonia defeated Copley on Friday night to clinch at least a share of the Suburban League championship with three games to play leaving the Bulldogs a faint hope to gain a share of the title.
Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Division I sectional diving: Hudson's Obendorf claims title
There was little suspense in figuring out who the top divers would be at Thursdays Division I boys diving sectional at the University of Akrons Ocasek Natatorium.
But that didnt stop Hudsons Alex Obendorf and Nordonias Stephen Romanik from providing a little of their own drama.
The two sophomores, both top-five finishers at state last year, entered the meet as the clear favorites. Just 2.5 points separated the two entering the final round, but Obendorf managed to hold off Romanik, outscoring him 57.35-49.50 on their final dives, to claim the sectional title.
Obendorf finished with 527.30 points, which is a personal and school record. Romaniks 517.40 is also a personal best. Lakes Jon Schlafer (499.20) was third, the same spot he was in last year.
But this time, it was Obendorf on top, instead of Romanik.
I didnt think I would do this well, said Obendorf, who was third at state last year. When Stephen took over in the middle rounds, I thought, I better win this now.
Obendorf was the leader after the first round, and led the chase going into the first cut following the fifth round. Schlafer trailed by 9.70, and Romanik by 11.5. But Romanik was about to make his move.
Obendorf earned his lowest score of the night on his seventh dive, opening the door for Schlafer to first take the lead, followed by Romanik, who scored a meet-best 66.00 on his seventh dive. That gave him a 22.5-point lead.
That was the one that really set me up, said Romanik of the reverse two-and-a-half tuck.
But Romanik didnt break 50 points the rest of the meet, as Obendorf rallied back, taking a 2.5-point lead after his tenth dive, and taking the meet after his eleventh.
[Romanik] is my main competition, but I just wanted to do better than last year, said Obendorf. And I have improved a lot since last year.
Obendorf and Romanik were the only non-seniors to finish in the top five at least years state meet. In fact, they were just two of four underclassmen in the top 16.
[Obendorf] is the top state finisher coming back, so if I had to guess, right now, if hes not favored, hes in the top two, said Hudson diving coach Dan Miller. So its exciting. We are definitely hoping for big things over the next few weeks and this is a good building block.
With two more years left, the battle between Obendorf and Romanik hasnt even reach halftime, but the swimmers are not heated rivals. In fact, they both train at the Ocasek Natatorium and are close enough friends to carpool on occasion.
Weve known each other for about five years now, said Romanik. We push each other. If somebody is having a bad day, we try to cheer them up.
Rounding out the top five at Thursdays meet was GlenOaks Austin Baad (431.40) and Canton McKinleys Jackson Gray (378.90).
The top 16 divers advance to next weeks district meet at Cleveland State University.
Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
East 68, Kenmore 60: Dragons hold off Cardinals at free-throw line
East seniors Davonte Brunson, Nate Gibson and Mycle Shadie each stepped to the free-throw line during crunch time Tuesday night.
The three guards took turns standing 15 feet from the basket.
They stayed composed as they measured their shots and came through in the clutch to lead East to a 68-60 City Series victory over host Kenmore.
Brunson, Gibson and Shadie combined to make 10-of-12 free throws in the final two minutes and 58 seconds, and Shadie added a jumper to give the Dragons (15-1, 11-0) a 12-4 run to conclude the game and finish off the Cardinals (8-7, 6-5).
The win is the Dragons 11th in a row and earned them the City Series regular-season title.
Brunson led East, the No. 7-ranked team in the Associated Press Division II state poll, with 18 points and six rebounds.
This turned out well, Brunson said. The first half, we played horrible. Im playing on two strained calfs and our team, I guess they were just going off my energy because it looked like everyone was injured out there at times. We all picked it up in the second half and we got the victory.
East will host Firestone (13-3, 9-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in the City Series regular-season finale. The two teams will meet in the league playoff title game at 7 p.m. on Feb. 17 at Firestone. The Dragons won the first game 100-97 in double overtime at Firestone.
Kenmore led 14-13 after one quarter Tuesday and 33-27 at halftime. East rallied and led 48-46 after three quarters.
Brunson scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half.
Junior forward Brandon Townsend scored 16 points for East.
In the first half, our defense was terrible and we rushed some stuff a lot on offense, Townsend said. We have a lot of determination and I think that is what pulled us through. We dont give up. We dont quit.
Shadie scored 13 points and Gibson finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Dragons senior forward Sir Charles Travis contributed eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Kenmore senior guard Antonio Hearn scored a game-high 19 points and also had seven rebounds and six steals.
It is always good to win, East coach Ross Fiorello said. Kenmore has a nice team and any time Hearn is on the floor, you know he is a threat.
I wasnt really pleased with our performance tonight. I wasnt really pleased with our lack of intensity and our lack of urgency. For a team that is on a winning streak like that, you have to come a little better prepared to play, and that starts with me and then on down.
Sophomore forward Oshay Vinson and senior guard Dierre Brown both scored 12 points for the Cardinals. Vinson also had eight rebounds and three blocks.
Down the stretch we did not make enough plays, Kenmore coach Brian Dawson said. We turned the ball over a few times and East played some real good defense on us.
Brunson said he expects a sellout crowd Friday at East for the game with Firestone.
It is going to be a real hard game, Brunson said. They will be coming to get us because we beat them last game in double overtime [on a banked-in 3-pointer from near midcourt by Shadie]. They want to get the win to set the tone for the City Series championship and we want to do the same thing as well. Both teams will come to play hard.
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MBeavenABJ. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Copley 82, Woodridge 54: Fast-paced Indians run past Bulldogs
COPLEY: Copley is the kind of team that forces opposing teams to bring their A game.
If they dont, they will leave with another letter of the alphabet, an L.
The Indians style of play can produce a lot of points as demonstrated in their 82-54 victory over visiting Woodridge on Tuesday night.
Woodridge coach Brian Fantone had warned his team about the Indians up-tempo style of play.
They were like sharks with blood in the water. You cant expect to play an athletic team like Copley and win with that many turnovers, Fantone said. We did not come to play tonight.
We talked about squaring up and looking for the guy in the middle of the court. How many times did we throw to them?
Copleys dizzying pace confused the Woodridge players and coaches to such an extent that the Bulldogs came out of one timeout with just four players on the court and later six players were on the floor in the third quarter.
That is exactly what Indians coach Mark Dente wants to do to teams.
Our rotation was good and we got turnovers and more importantly we got points off turnovers, Dente said.
With the seeding meeting coming up this weekend, Dente wanted to not only show that the Indians deserve a good seed, but also get their defense to a tournament level.
One of the things we worked on in practice is our trapping defense and our backside rotation. Our rotation tonight was better, and if we do that we will be tough in the tournament, Dente said.
The Indians (10-6) used their full-court press to force 11 turnovers in the first quarter. Copley led 27-8 at the end of the period.
The scoring seemed to come from everywhere on the court in the first quarter.
Alex Kormushoff made three 3-pointers and finished with 16 points, Devon Reif had six of his nine points and Jalyn Tyler had six of his game-high 19 points.
The Indians extended the lead to 46-24 at halftime.
For players like Kenny Paramore, who had nine points, playing a defense that creates fastbreaks and scoring opportunities is a lot of fun.
We practiced real hard and worked on our rotations. Coach tells us if we have a chance to go for the ball dont hesitate, go for it, Paramore said. We want to win districts and get to regionals this year.
The defensive mindset preached by Dente is part of how the Indians compensate for their lack of size. That requires a lot of energy and Dente has made some changes in his approach.
We had talked to the players about fast starts and we also talked to them about playing fresher, Dente said. I subbed more frequently in the first quarter, using nine players. We have talked about being unselfish and creating more opportunities to score.
Dente said their run-and-stun style also calls for the players to use the right judgment as to when to run, drive to the basket, take a 3-pointer or pull the ball out.
Sometimes we take bad shots because of the speed I want us to play, Dente said.
Tyler said the Indians enjoy forcing teams into turnovers.
We were definitely in the defensive zone, he said.
Fantone said the game was important for another reason.
When you step up to play a Division I team this helps us get ready for the postseason. We can learn from playing a team like Copley because we will see other teams that press like they do, Fantone said.
The Bulldogs (10-6) were led in scoring by Shane Roberts, a 6-2 senior forward, with 17 points. Anthony Mong came off the bench to score eight points.
Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/
Blog Home
Archives
September 2013
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
Archives
September 2013
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
