MEMORIES OF THOSE HEIGHTS TEAMS FROM THE 1990S ARE BEING REVIVED ON CEDAR AND LEE.
COACH ANDY SUTTELL HAS THE TIGERS BURNING BRIGHT.
SEE SWIMMING AND DIVING OUTLOOK BELOW.
BY EDDIE DWYER, COPYRIGHT FEBRUARY 2012
Saint Ignatius head basketball coach Sean O’Toole ’87 needed few words to describe the 2011-12 Cleveland Heights Tigers.
“They’re great, great athletes who just understand the game and play it extremely hard at both ends of the floor,” Coach O’Toole said as he was preparing his Wildcats for Thursday night’s game against Cleveland Heights in Sullivan Gymnasium. The varsity tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 and will follow a 6 p.m. junior-varsity game.
Forgive me, but when I heard Coach O’Toole say those words my mind wandered back to a time when Cleveland Heights’ success on the basketball court was a given, a time when those words were synonymous with the teams from Cedar and Lee.
Under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Jim Cappelletti, the Tigers made four trips to the Division I final four from 1993 through 1997, including three straight from ’93 through ’95. Those Cleveland Heights teams from the ‘90s, which this old-timer had the privilege to cover for The Plain Dealer, were state runners-up in 1995 and state champions in 1997. “Coach Cap,” who retired as a head coach with 534 career victories, also guided Cleveland Heights to a state runner-up finish in 1975 and a final four appearance in 2003.
In his first season as head coach at Cedar and Lee, Andy Suttell has some of Cleveland Heights’ seasoned gym rats whispering about comparisons between the legendary Tigers teams of the past and the one that stands 14-2 after Tuesday night’s 30-point victory at Euclid, is ranked second in The Plain Dealer’s Top 25 seven-county poll and ninth in the Associated Press Division I state poll.
This past Saturday, Suttell’s Tigers ran long-time rival and talent-laden Shaker Heights off the floor at Cedar and Lee, 93-68. And any area gym rat worth his or her salt knows how big that was. Cleveland Heights led by eight points at halftime and went on one of those runs that are so rich in this corner’s mind that I have to wipe them away from my face – 12-1 to start the second half.
“They have a bona fide skilled point guard in (Tyree) Gaiter and incredible athletes at the other spots who play well together, that defend extremely hard and go out and attack the rim like no one will play,” Coach O’Toole said of the latest version of the rich in talent and tradition Tigers.
The 5-foot-7 Gaiter, a senior who is blessed with exceptional quickness and great range, tossed in 26 points against Shaker Heights and, in the process, surpassed 1,000 points for his varsity career. Gaiter is complemented by 6-1 senior wing Najeeb Johnson, who scored 23 points against Shaker, and 5-11 sophomore guard Marcus Bagley and 6-3 senior wing Kojo Lockhart, who each totaled 18 points against a highly regarded Shaker defense.
Gaiter is averaging 19.3 points per game and has hit 29 3-pointers, Bagley, a hard-nosed football player, is at 13.4 a game and Johnson and Lockhart average 11.3 and 9.6 points, respectively, for a team that averages nearly 80 points a game.
The unsung Johnson is a leaper, an attacker and an excellent rebounder and defender, who can go coast-to-coast.
Two other Tigers to remember are 6-6 junior post Antonio Harper, a young man who works hard off the glass and blocks shots, and 6-6 senior Kevin Clark, who is a long and physical presence inside.
Coach O’Toole and Coach Suttell are close friends, as Andy was an assistant under O’Toole for two years when Sean was the head coach at Euclid. Coach Suttell replaced Coach O’Toole as the head coach at Euclid when Sean became the head coach at his alma mater and Suttell went 38-27 in three seasons with the Panthers.
This corner had the privilege and pleasure to cover and report on both Coach O’Toole and Coach Suttell during their outstanding playing careers at Saint Ignatius and West Geauga.
“It’s a team that will press us and trap (defensively),” said Coach O’Toole, whose Wildcats enter Thursday’s game at 12-4 and ranked 11th in The Plain Dealer Poll. “They anticipate well, they pressure well and obviously we’ll take anything they give us. But we’re going to have to limit our turnovers, limit their transition and second-chance points and get good looks on offense.
“Sometimes less is more,” Coach O’Toole continued. “And with Cleveland Heights, it is here’s how we’re going to play. There are no tricks, gadgets or style points. They’re going to pressure the ball, rebound and run. They have great chemistry and depth, so when they go to their bench they don’t lose anything.”
*As we reported on the corner Sunday night, Time Warner Cable of Northeast Ohio and its highly respected play-by-play and color tandem of David Wilson and Patrick Pierson will be on hand for Thursday night’s game, which will be shown on tape delay at 11 p.m. And of course our gifted threesome of John Fanta ’13, Paddy White ’14 and Greg Ziton ’13 will bring you live audio and video coverage of both the JV and varsity games over the Saint Ignatius Broadcasting Network.
*And just a reminder on another report from Sunday night, Time Warner Cable will replay the Baron Cup I championship game between the Wildcats' 36-0 Men of Ice and the much-improved Shaker Heights Raiders on Wednesday night at 7 and midnight.
*For Edgar from Defiance: Yes, Saint Ignatius will continue its yearly and long-standing basketball rivalry with Canton McKinley. Next season's game is at McKinley and, as Coach O'Toole just learned Monday night, will apparently be part of a showcase event involving other teams. You would think those in charge of this showcase would have informed the Wildcats of the change in venue.
The word is there is a news conference scheduled for next week on this showcase event. But yes Edgar, as far as we know, the 'Cats and "The Pups" will continue their basketball relationship.
P.S.: Enjoyed your analysis of the "level the competition" debate in football. Of course, we at Saint Ignatius are more concerned now with trying to fill three open dates for next season.
Yeah, this time last year and throughout most of last summer we were told our program was slipping. Now we are struggling to find teams who are willing to play us. That said, I am confident Athletic Director Rory Fitzpatrick '88, who is scanning the globe, will put off another miracle.
All of the Best to everyone in the Northwest District.
WILDCATS SWIMMERS AND DIVERS PREPARE FOR A DISTRICT RUN.
Senior Keith Carmichael will get things started for Coach Jeff Ridler’s swimming and diving team, as the district competition at Cleveland State University’s Robert F. Busbey Natatorium gets under way with Division I boys diving on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
Friday’s Division I boys timed swimming finals are slated for 3 p.m.
Defending district champ Strongsville is the team to beat and the Mustangs major challenges are expected to come from the Wildcats, St. Edward and North Canton Hoover.
The Plain Dealer’s swimming and diving reporter Joe Maxse ’69 sees Carmichael as one of the top three divers in the district and points out that Saint Ignatius will make its presence felt in all three relays.
Other Wildcats to keep an eye on are sophomore Peter Simcox in the 100 butterfly and the versatile and gifted Derek Hren, a junior who has top times in the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke.
Good Luck to Coach Ridler and his entire team.