By Eddie Dwyer
Ohio City - One of the top small-school programs in Ohio, the 0-3 Cornerstone Christian Patriots continue their brutal schedule against the 2-0 Wildcats. Coach Brian Becker's 'Cats will be the fourth consecutive Division I team that Division IV Cornerstone Christian has played this young season.
Tuesday night's matchup will tip off at 7 PM in Fr. Sullivan Gymnasium and will be preceded by a 5:30 Junior Varsity game with Cornerstone Christian's Jayvees. The JV 'Cats are also 2-0.
After hosting the Patriots on Tuesday night, the Varsity and JV Wildcats will continue what is a stretch of three games in five nights this week. Saint Ignatius travels to Cleveland Heights on Thursday evening and makes the trip down I-480 on Saturday night to face the currently red-hot Solon Comets.
This corner will preview the Cleveland Heights and Solon Varsity games on Wednesday, but with the short turnaround here is a corner's view of Cornerstone Christian.
WILL ONLY MAKE THEM THAT MUCH BETTER COME MARCH
That is the attitude the Patriots are taking after losing their season opener at Cleveland Heights, 81-70, being defeated by Cleveland Central Catholic, 55-48, at home and experiencing an 81-52 setback to perennial power St. Edward on Coach Jim Connors Court in the Eagles Nest Saturday night. Central Catholic has moved up to Division I this season under the OHSAA's new Competitive Balance system.
Last season, Cornerstone Christian played seven Division I opponents and when this winter's regular season is over the Patriots will have played 11 Division I programs. Cornerstone Christian brought home its first State Basketball Championship in March of 2016 and last season the Patriots finished 18-7 after a three-point setback to Warren John F. Kennedy in the District Finals.
The Varsity Wildcats, who are coming off a highly competitive 51-40 victory over Lutheran East at Sullivan Gymnasium on Saturday night (see the corner's story) will be focusing a significant amount of their attention on Cornerstone Christian's standout 6-foot-3 senior guard Michael Bothwell, a Furman recruit.
Described by Wildcats basketball savvy Assistant Coach Jerry Porath as among the very best players Saint Ignatius will face this season, Bothwell is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds after putting up 20.9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists last winter.
Coach Porath says Bothwell looks to drive to the basket, but that you also have to respect his 3-point range, which comes off a set shot. The area's veteran gym rats will also tell you that Bothwell has a nasty cross over dribble. After leading the Patriots to their State Championship as just a sophomore, Bothwell earned Division IV State Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press.
Supporting Bothwell are 6-5 senior forward Kendall Saunders, a tough defender who can shoot the 3-pointer and go to the glass, 6-6 senior forward Martel Ferrell, who is long and athletic and must be boxed out, something Saint Ignatius' senior post/forwards Aymin Bahhur, Dom DiNunzio and Luke Wiskes do very well, and 6-1 senior forward/guard Jeremy Owens.
Owens, who joined Bothwell as the Patriots' only returning starters from last season, plays bigger than his 6-1 frame. He averaged 8 points and 5 rebounds last winter.
FROM COACH BECKER '77 ON CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN: "My impressions are that they are better than Lutheran East," said the man who has a school-best 325 victories at his alma mater and 339 career victories overall. Those numbers include a Division I State Championship in March of 2001 and a Division I State Runner-Up in March of 1998.
"They have really stepped up with who they play now and Bothwell is a special kid," continued Coach Becker. "We're going to have to get out and defend him. It should be an up-tempo game again. They like to run and press. We'll get a look at the St. Edward game film and see how Cornerstone Christian matched up.
"The games and the opponents are getting progressively better, and we're getting healthy."
SIBN: If you can't make it out to Tuesday night's game, the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network will bring it to you live from Fr. Sullivan Gym.
This old gym rat will see you at Fr. Sullivan Gym on Tuesday and at Cleveland Heights and Solon on Thursday and Saturday for my weekly game coverage. Stay warm my friends.