AFTER SATURDAY’S OPENING-NIGHT VICTORY OVER DETROIT JESUIT, THE WILDCATS ARE LOOKING TO IMPROVE IN ALL FACETS.
THE TALL, TALENTED AND PRESSURE-ORIENTED RAIDERS WILL PROVIDE A BIG-TIME EARLY SEASON CHALLENGE, A MEASURING STICK OF MAJOR PROPORTIONS.
*WILDCATS MEN OF ICE GO 2-0 IN CANADA (SEE AFTER BASKETBALL PREVIEW).
BY EDDIE DWYER, COPYRIGHT DECEMBER 2011
The Saint Ignatius Wildcats (1-0) and the Warren G. Harding Raiders (3-1), who have become quite familiar with one another, will continue their spirited rivalry in Harding’s outstanding and basketball-rich facility on Thursday night.
A 6 p.m. junior-varsity game will precede the varsity match up.
Under head coach Sean O’Toole ‘87, the Wildcats and the Raiders have met six times since the 2008-09 season, including three post-season encounters. Harding defeated Saint Ignatius in a Division I district championship game at Warrensville Heights in March of 2009, the Wildcats prevailed over the Raiders in a district final at Solon in March 2010 and last season Harding turned back the ‘Cats, 55-47, in a district semifinal at Solon.
Harding is also 2-1 in its last three regular season meetings with Saint Ignatius, including a dominant performance in the Raiders’ new gym during the winter of 2009-10. The Wildcats turned the tables by defeating Harding, 59-35, in Sullivan Gymnasium last winter.
“Right now, our focus has to be on ourselves, getting ourselves better,” said Coach O’Toole, whose team is coming off a 57-54 victory over a highly regarded Detroit Jesuit team (see game story below). “Incorporated with that is how they are going to play and making sure that we are able to attack their pressure and that we’re able to defend what they run. We have to sharpen up what we’re doing.
“Obviously, this is another elite team,” Coach O’Toole continued. “They have great balance and they have explosive guards that shoot it, get it to the rim and rack it. And inside, they are as big and strong of a team as we will play.”
Providing that size and strength are Coach Steve Arnold’s 1-2 senior punch of 6-foot-9 Shaheed Davis and 6-7 Rashid Gaston. Jesse Hardin, RaSaun Smith and DelShawn Bell help fuel Arnold’s gifted backcourt.
“These guys are skilled and strong in attacking the rim,” O’Toole said of Davis and Gaston. “We have to make their bigs come out and defend, and not let them hang out around the rim. Anytime you play Harding, the No. 1 thing is that you have to handle their pressure because they’ll trap from anywhere on the court. You have to absolutely limit their second shots, make them play five on five and don’t let them get going in transition. The last time we went down there, before we blinked it was a 13-point deficit.”
As Coach O’Toole emphasized, Harding has an “incredible” fan base that truly motivates the Raiders and the Harding facility is one of the best in the entire state.
Combine that with the fact the staffs at Saint Ignatius and Harding have a great relationship, and you can appreciate why the Raiders vs. the Wildcats has become one of Ohio’s classiest round-ball rivalries.
“No matter what happens, we’re going to be better,” Coach O’Toole said. “When push comes to shove, this (Harding) is a regional, slash state-level team. Every game is a measure. We’re going to find out some positives about ourselves on Thursday and I’m sure some things we need to work on.
“It’s going to take a great team effort to pull this one off. But that’s why we play the game, and we’ll measure it in the end.”
RAIDERS UPDATE: Harding has defeated Lorain, Canton McKinley and Canfield, but suffered a 10-point home loss to the Terry Rozier-led Shaker Heights Raiders last weekend. Gaston pulled down 21 rebounds against Lorain.
AIR WAVES: The Saint Ignatius Student Broadcasting Network will provide live audio coverage from Harding on Thursday night. John Fanta ’13 and Paddy White ’14 will describe the JV game and Lewis Backus ’12 and Greg Ziton ’13 will revive memories of Johnny Most and Chick Hearn during the varsity encounter.
'CATS' 14-0 HOCKEY TEAM IS MAKING ITSELF AT HOME IN ONTARIO: Behind a hat trick by Paddy Spellacy and a lamp lighter by his long-time pal and teammate, Liam Geither, Saint Ignatius' varsity hockey team defeated St. Joan of Arc, 4-2, in Monday's morning session of the Father Tony McNamara Invitational. The Wildcats' men of ice came back in the afternoon and showed Notre Dame how the game is played in Ohio, 8-3. Geither, who is off to a tremendous start this season, fired home four goals. Spellacy continued his hot hand with two goals and wearing out the lamp and the oppossing goalie were Harry Smith and Colton Riemenschneider.
ON THE MATS: Along with Thursday night’s basketball games, the corner will wrap up its pre-Christmas coverage by taking in Friday afternoon’s matches between the Wildcats and the wrestling teams from Amherst Steele and Toledo Central Catholic. The action in Sullivan Gymnasium gets underway at 1 p.m.