Fairview Park, Ohio - The last time Saint Ignatius Head Basketball Coach Brian Becker '77 matched up against the Solon Comets in a key postseason game was March 8, 2006 in the District level at old Cleveland South High School.
To say that the Cleveland South Sectional/District was special would be an understatement.
It was, without question, the yearly end of winter ritual gathering spot for every savvy gym rat in the city, and a showcase for some of the greatest players and teams in the history of Greater Cleveland Basketball.
Several celebrated players left their mark on the old floor off Broadway, including NBA mainstay Charles Oakley from John Hay, Ohio Mr. Basketball selections Damon Stringer of Cleveland Heights, Sonny Johnson of Garfield Heights and Chet "The Jet" Mason from the Cleveland South High Flyers, and the incomparable Malcolm Sims of Shaker Heights, just to name a few.
To have had the opportunity several times to witness and report on the packed house at South High for the traditional Saturday afternoon District Championship Game still gives this old-timer goose bumps.
In 2006, Solon, led by its 1-2 punch of standout post Dallas Lauderdale and court-savvy point guard Steve Valentino, defeated the Wildcats, 64-54, at South High and survived a battle with the Bedford Bearcats before running into one of the greatest teams in Ohio's rich boys basketball history, the Raymar Morgan-led 2005 and 2006 Division I State Champions from Canton McKinley. "The Pups" overwhelmed the Comets, 68-38, in a Region Final at the University of Akron.
Coach Becker, in what were his final two seasons during his first stint as his alma mater's head basketball coach, would guide Saint Ignatius at the Warrensville Heights Sectional/District and the Euclid Sectional/District.
Wednesday at 8 PM in the OHSAA Division I Regional Semifinals at The Wolstein Center on the campus of Cleveland State University, Coach Becker will lead his 19-6 Wildcats against a 13-12 Solon team that is under the direction of former Saint Ignatius basketball player Tony DeCesare. You will find Tony's name among the all-time assist producers in Wildcats history, as he developed his skills under Coach Becker.
If you can't make Wednesday's game, the golden tones of Matt MacKenzie and Brendan DeVenney will bring it to you live over the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network.
While the Wildcats have been ranked among the area's best all season and are riding a five-game winning streak that includes impressive victories over Brecksville-Broadview Heights and St. Edward in District play, Coach DeCesare's Comets are Cleveland's "Cinderella" team thus far in the postseason.
After winning three of its last four regular season games and upsetting Mayfield, Cleveland Heights and Mentor in the postseason, Solon finds itself in a Regional with three of the most talented teams in Northeast Ohio, if not the entire state. Wednesday's other semifinal at The Wolstein Center matches the basketball-rich programs from Garfield Heights and Warren G. Harding at 6:15 PM.
While Saint Ignatius advanced to Regional play with a strong, 58-51 finish against longtime West Side rival St. Edward, Solon had its faithful on the edge of their seats in a 64-62 District Final victory over Mentor, the No. 1 seed at the Euclid District.
Mentor, trailing 63-59 with less than a minute remaining, made it a one-point game off a 3-pointer by Jack Korsok. A free throw by the Comets' promising sophomore guard Sincere Carry held up as the Cardinals misfired on a 3-pointer as time was expiring. Korsok did grab the rebound after the missed 3-pointer, but the officials waved off Jack's put back that would have forced overtime.
The Cardinals' highly successful Head Coach Bob Krizancic told the News-Herald's outstanding reporter Alex Hooper that Solon is a "scary team" because everyone on the floor can handle the basketball and Reid Thompson "shoots the ball tremendously well."
Thompson, the Comets' 6-foot-3 senior guard, has had games this season of 37 points versus Euclid and 35 points versus John F. Kennedy. Averaging nearly 18 points per game, Thompson is complemented by Carry's 16 points per outing and junior guard Jason Steele, who checks in at 11 points per game.
Wildcats outstanding Assistant Coach Jerry Porath describes Carry as "an excellent point guard."
Good shooting guards have come Saint Ignatius' way in abundance this season and the Wildcats, in most cases, have done just fine when it came to limiting their productivity. Just ask the area's top-ranked St. Vincent-St. Mary.
The Wildcats' defense on the perimeter came to the fore in the seven-point District Championship victory over St. Edward at The Wolstein Center on Saturday night, when Coach Becker's team pretty much shut down the Eagles' high-powered 3-point shooting.
THE TIES THAT BIND: As we reported in the corner's St. Edward game story Saturday night, Saint Ignatius' gifted 6-5 senior guard Deven Stover grew up playing basketball with most of the Comets while attending school on the lower levels in the Solon School District. Deven's sister, Alexis, is a standout on the Lady Comets' State Final Four-bound Varsity Basketball Team. Of course their father, Reggie, excelled in basketball at then St. Joseph High School under the legendary Mike Moran and also at the University of Cincinnati.
This old-timer had the privilege to do a feature story on the Stover family last winter for the Saint Ignatius Alumni Magazine.
ON THE MEND: Wildcats talented 6-4 senior guard Ryan Berger is questionable for Wednesday night after being injured in the St. Edward game. If Ryan is unable to play, the Cats' exceptional depth will be called on once again.
JUST FYI: Coach Becker's Cats defeated Warren G. Harding, 75-62, in Fr. Sullivan Gymnasium on December 29th and were defeated by Garfield Heights, 66-60, on February 17th at Garfield Heights' impressive and atmosphere-rich facility.
Don't worry, the Wildcats are not looking ahead, I am.
To say that the Cleveland South Sectional/District was special would be an understatement.
It was, without question, the yearly end of winter ritual gathering spot for every savvy gym rat in the city, and a showcase for some of the greatest players and teams in the history of Greater Cleveland Basketball.
Several celebrated players left their mark on the old floor off Broadway, including NBA mainstay Charles Oakley from John Hay, Ohio Mr. Basketball selections Damon Stringer of Cleveland Heights, Sonny Johnson of Garfield Heights and Chet "The Jet" Mason from the Cleveland South High Flyers, and the incomparable Malcolm Sims of Shaker Heights, just to name a few.
To have had the opportunity several times to witness and report on the packed house at South High for the traditional Saturday afternoon District Championship Game still gives this old-timer goose bumps.
In 2006, Solon, led by its 1-2 punch of standout post Dallas Lauderdale and court-savvy point guard Steve Valentino, defeated the Wildcats, 64-54, at South High and survived a battle with the Bedford Bearcats before running into one of the greatest teams in Ohio's rich boys basketball history, the Raymar Morgan-led 2005 and 2006 Division I State Champions from Canton McKinley. "The Pups" overwhelmed the Comets, 68-38, in a Region Final at the University of Akron.
Coach Becker, in what were his final two seasons during his first stint as his alma mater's head basketball coach, would guide Saint Ignatius at the Warrensville Heights Sectional/District and the Euclid Sectional/District.
Wednesday at 8 PM in the OHSAA Division I Regional Semifinals at The Wolstein Center on the campus of Cleveland State University, Coach Becker will lead his 19-6 Wildcats against a 13-12 Solon team that is under the direction of former Saint Ignatius basketball player Tony DeCesare. You will find Tony's name among the all-time assist producers in Wildcats history, as he developed his skills under Coach Becker.
If you can't make Wednesday's game, the golden tones of Matt MacKenzie and Brendan DeVenney will bring it to you live over the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network.
While the Wildcats have been ranked among the area's best all season and are riding a five-game winning streak that includes impressive victories over Brecksville-Broadview Heights and St. Edward in District play, Coach DeCesare's Comets are Cleveland's "Cinderella" team thus far in the postseason.
After winning three of its last four regular season games and upsetting Mayfield, Cleveland Heights and Mentor in the postseason, Solon finds itself in a Regional with three of the most talented teams in Northeast Ohio, if not the entire state. Wednesday's other semifinal at The Wolstein Center matches the basketball-rich programs from Garfield Heights and Warren G. Harding at 6:15 PM.
While Saint Ignatius advanced to Regional play with a strong, 58-51 finish against longtime West Side rival St. Edward, Solon had its faithful on the edge of their seats in a 64-62 District Final victory over Mentor, the No. 1 seed at the Euclid District.
Mentor, trailing 63-59 with less than a minute remaining, made it a one-point game off a 3-pointer by Jack Korsok. A free throw by the Comets' promising sophomore guard Sincere Carry held up as the Cardinals misfired on a 3-pointer as time was expiring. Korsok did grab the rebound after the missed 3-pointer, but the officials waved off Jack's put back that would have forced overtime.
The Cardinals' highly successful Head Coach Bob Krizancic told the News-Herald's outstanding reporter Alex Hooper that Solon is a "scary team" because everyone on the floor can handle the basketball and Reid Thompson "shoots the ball tremendously well."
Thompson, the Comets' 6-foot-3 senior guard, has had games this season of 37 points versus Euclid and 35 points versus John F. Kennedy. Averaging nearly 18 points per game, Thompson is complemented by Carry's 16 points per outing and junior guard Jason Steele, who checks in at 11 points per game.
Wildcats outstanding Assistant Coach Jerry Porath describes Carry as "an excellent point guard."
Good shooting guards have come Saint Ignatius' way in abundance this season and the Wildcats, in most cases, have done just fine when it came to limiting their productivity. Just ask the area's top-ranked St. Vincent-St. Mary.
The Wildcats' defense on the perimeter came to the fore in the seven-point District Championship victory over St. Edward at The Wolstein Center on Saturday night, when Coach Becker's team pretty much shut down the Eagles' high-powered 3-point shooting.
THE TIES THAT BIND: As we reported in the corner's St. Edward game story Saturday night, Saint Ignatius' gifted 6-5 senior guard Deven Stover grew up playing basketball with most of the Comets while attending school on the lower levels in the Solon School District. Deven's sister, Alexis, is a standout on the Lady Comets' State Final Four-bound Varsity Basketball Team. Of course their father, Reggie, excelled in basketball at then St. Joseph High School under the legendary Mike Moran and also at the University of Cincinnati.
This old-timer had the privilege to do a feature story on the Stover family last winter for the Saint Ignatius Alumni Magazine.
ON THE MEND: Wildcats talented 6-4 senior guard Ryan Berger is questionable for Wednesday night after being injured in the St. Edward game. If Ryan is unable to play, the Cats' exceptional depth will be called on once again.
JUST FYI: Coach Becker's Cats defeated Warren G. Harding, 75-62, in Fr. Sullivan Gymnasium on December 29th and were defeated by Garfield Heights, 66-60, on February 17th at Garfield Heights' impressive and atmosphere-rich facility.
Don't worry, the Wildcats are not looking ahead, I am.