Just fyi: St. Edward (6-4) and Saint Ignatius (7-1) are ranked fifth and 10th, respectively, in this week's Plain Dealer Top 25 seven-county poll.
BY EDDIE DWYER, COPYRIGHT JANUARY 2012
As the corner reported during the opening week of the season, Saint Ignatius' junior varsity basketball team is very fortunate to have two lead coaches who have ranked among the area's best over the years - the savvy and seasoned Larry Arthur and John Cooney '67.
Monday afternoon in Sullivan Gymnsium, the coaching the JV 'Cats have received came to the fore time and again, as Saint Ignatius wore down the Mentor Cardinals' jayvee team, 61-43, and improved to 7-1.
"As far as the progress of the jayvee team, if we're able to cut down on our turnovers in each game we're a pretty good basketball team," said Coach Arthur, who this corner had the privilege and pleasure to cover for The Plain Dealer during the 1980s, when Larry was guiding his many successful varsity teams at Saint Ignatius.
Coach Cooney, smiling ear to ear, said he had one small difference of opinion. As far as Coach Cooney is concerned, when the Wildcats' jayvees limit their turnovers they are "a very good basketball team."
You won't get an argument from Mentor.
Led by its gifted multi-sport sophomore class and promising 6-foot-4 freshman Jaylin McDonald, Saint Ignatius' jayvees rode seven consecutive points by sophomore Kyle Berger - a lost-art jumper off the glass from the wing, a breakaway layup and a 3-pointer - to a 13-3 lead with 3 minutes remaining in the first quarter. A 6-2 forward/guard, Berger was a standout outside linebacker on Coach Ryan Franzinger's undefeated JV football team this past fall. And I'm told Kyle more than holds his own in the classroom.
Leading, 19-8, entering the second quarter, the Wildcats moved to a 28-10 advantage on a 3-pointer by 6-6 sophomore post Eric Black, who was talented tight end for the JV football team, two free throws by Black and a steal and an ensuing layup by 6-0 sophomore wing Ogo Okolo.
Mentor, a well-schooled and scrappy team that can score (what else is new), made a couple of runs late in the second quarter. The 'Cats kept their composure, however, and, thanks in a large part to a beat-them-down-the-floor layup by Black off a perfect dish from sophomore point guard Danny Bova, a strong balance in mid-air drive by Okolo and two free throws by sophomore guard Matt Ivancic, Saint Ignatius clung to a 35-25 lead at halftime.
"Our defensive intensity has really picked up," said Coach Arthur of the Wildcats' six-game winning streak. "And not just for a half, but an entire game. That's important as we go into the meat of our schedule."
That defensive intensity rose to another level at the start of the second half.
Saint Ignatius, following two strong moves to the basket by Bova, a free throw by McDonald, two free throws by sophomore wing Dameon Willis Jr. and a smooth and authoritative driving left-hander off glass by McDonald, led, 44-25, at the midway point of the third quarter. Willis Jr. is also a name to remember in football as a safety/running back.
Mentor kept trying to fight its way back into the game, but, following an exceptional under-control layup by Berger, another near length of the floor strike from Bova to Black, a basket in transition by Berger and a smooth drive by 6-2 sophomore forward Isiah Barbra, the 'Cats took a 52-37 lead into the final seven minutes.
Pressuring the ball at every opportunity, Saint Ignatius settled the issue on a steal and a layup by Berger, a steal and a crowd-pleasing spin move down the lane by Bova and a tp-in by Berger. The Wildcats then put the frosting on the victory cake when 6-1 sophomore Kyle Gaydemski hit a deep, nothing-but-net 3-pointer.
Berger led the way with 19 points.
"Just taking care of the basketball, that's kind of been a thorn in our side," Coach Arthur said. "But we're getting to the (foul) line more and that's what teams have to do. We've got to get high-percentage shots and get to the line. We have 18 guys on our team and each day everyone of those kids comes to practice and works their tail off, no matter if they're the first guy or the 18th guy."
FRESHMEN ARE GOLDEN: It what was a start to a memorable afternoon, a day the great Martin Luther King Jr. would have appreciated, Saint Ignatius' freshmen gold team continued its winning ways by defeating the St. Edward freshmen, 60-56.
Holding up their end in the storied West Side rivalry, the young Wildcats and Eagles battled until the final seconds went off the clock. But then you wouldn't expect anything less.
Coached by former Saint Ignatius standout Mike Sweeney '78, the Gold 'Cats were led by 6-0 Andre Wolford, who scored 24 points, including 14 points and two 3-pointers in the second quarter. Michael Mathews, a 5-9 guard, chipped in with 12 points.
Coach Sweeney's team entered the game with plenty of momentum after defeating Mentor's freshmen, 59-33, over the weekend.