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Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland, OH)

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12/1/05

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Boys Basketball Preseason Top 25


Thursday, December 01, 2005


1. Solon (25-1 last season): The defending Plain Dealer poll champions return a savvy floor general in Steve Valentino, one of the premier big men in the state in Dallas Lauderdale and a tournament-tested supporting cast.

2. Villa Angela-St. Joseph (22-3): Led by reigning Plain Dealer Player of the Year David Lighty and mainstays Darryl Rushton, Jimmy McLeod and Erich Leden, the Vikings feature experience, talent and depth.

3. Bedford (17-7): Most of coach Everett Heard's Bearcats have been competing together since seventh grade.

4. St. Edward (16-7): Led by 6-7 sophomore forward Delvon Roe, 6-5 senior guard Reid Anderson, 6-4 junior forward Kyle Hubbard, 6-10 junior post Scott Moviel and 5-10 junior point guard Nne Lewis, the Eages have an abundance of size and athleticism.

5. Buchtel (22-2): The Griffins will make up for a lack of size behind the play of Rydell Brooks and Johnny Adams, and a deep and talented bench.
6. St. Vincent-St. Mary (18-7): Seniors Marcus Johnson, Brian Glasper and Pat Nygaard will be counted on to get the Irish to the regionals for the ninth straight year.

7. Glenville (19-6): The rims will be rattling again at the "Home of the Mighty Tarblooders," courtesy of 6-6 Robert Rose, 6-8 Eastern Michigan recruit Justin Dobbins and 6-4 Allen Boyd. Getting the ball to the big men will be talented 5-7 sophomore point guard Kendall Holt.

8. Strongsville (16-5): Mustangs veteran coach Joe Lynch welcomed back four starters and eight lettermen from last season's Pioneer Conference championship team.

9. Stow (18-6): Guards Paul Racketa and Matt Simonovski and wings Doug Berlan (6-6) and Brian Morrow (6-5) are a sound nucleus.

10. St. Peter Chanel (13-10): Look for the trio of 6-4 guards Jahmil Rippy, Steve Martin and Jonathan White, 5- 11 point guard Eric Zeleny, 6-1 guard Alfred Wilson and 6- 3 forward James Crockett to fuel the senior-laden Firebirds.

11. Mentor (17-6): Led by 6-7 senior scoring machine Adam May, the Cardinals are again the team to beat in the Lake Erie League's Lake Division.

12. Shaker Heights (9-14): The talk on Aldersyde Drive is that the bigger and deeper Raiders are ready to take back their spot as one of the area's stronger teams.

13. Euclid (12-9): Led by 2004-05 third-team All-Ohio selection Desmond Motley, the Panthers have a starting five that is very athletic and extremely competitive.

14. Rhodes (13-7): The Rams were laden with talented underclassmen last season. If the team chemistry begins to flow, look out.

15. St. Ignatius (18-5): Veteran coach Brian Becker will call on all-district senior guard and three-year starter Rudy Kirbus to hold things together.

16. Collinwood (17-4): This ranking might not be good enough. And guard Jonathan Moore, forward Rayshawn Stubbs and Central Catholic transfer Richard Lash are capable of proving that.

17. Shaw (16-7): Fueling the Red Ball Express will be the multitalented William Thomas.

18. Brunswick (16-6): Despite the lack of a true big man, this could be Joe Mackey's best team in his 10 seasons because of an abundance of talented guards.

19. Elyria (16-6): With 593 wins already in his record book, including state titles at Clearview and Oberlin, it's difficult to refer to Bob Walsh as a first-year coach.

20. Admiral King (14-7): With 6-5 Danny Hoskins and 6-4 Jay Pinkerton returning for their senior years, the "Shot Palace" will rock once more.

21. Olmsted Falls (17-6): Standout 6-3 junior Tyler Sparks will show the way for a team that has plenty of depth.

22. Lutheran East (22-5): Led by senior guard Jon Liggins, the defending Division IV state champions should be moving up in no time and rubbing shoulders with the big boys.

23. Lutheran West (22-1): The Longhorns are on a 26- game, regular-season winning streak.

24. Kenston (16-6): Coach Bob Patton Jr., a former Ohio Mr. Basketball, has his Bombers playing with a nice balance that features guard Tyler Brady and forward Christian Hunter.

25. Berea (12-9): The Braves have been labeled as the area's sleeper.
Notable dates

Friday: Regular season begins.

Feb. 20-March 4: Sectional tournaments.

March 6-March 11: District tournaments.

March 13-18: Regional tournaments.

March 23-25: State tournament at Ohio State.
 
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12/10/05

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL
Healthy Lighty powers Vikings in overtime thriller


Saturday, December 10, 2005 Eddie Dwyer
Plain Dealer Reporter
David Lighty returned in style Friday night.

As is his nature, the 6-5 All-Ohio senior guard from Villa Angela-St. Joseph focused on his teammates.

Lighty, who underwent eight months of rehabilitation after injuring a knee during last season's district finals, took over at point guard and helped lead the Vikings to a 76-73 overtime victory over neighboring rival Euclid.

The game, the season opener for both teams, attracted a standing-room crowd of more than 2,000 to Viking Village.

"Before the game, we were talking in chapel and saying that we have to come together as one big family," said Lighty, who is part of one the strongest recruiting classes in the history of Ohio State men's basketball.

"So we knew the young guys would come in and pick up the slack, just like they do in practice.

"My boy Ash stepped up, hit free throws and got some big rebounds."
Lighty was referring to 6-3 sophomore for ward Ashen Ward, whose 3-pointer tied the score in the final two minutes of regulation and who delivered a big free throw and a putback in the four-minute overtime.

Then there was junior forward/post Maurice Haynes, who sent the game into overtime with an offensive rebound and putback after Euclid's gifted senior forward Thaddeus Gibson hit two free throws for a 63-61 lead with 11 seconds to go.

But as impressive as the "young guys" were, it was Lighty and fellow seniors Erich Leden, Jimmy McLeod and Darryl Rushton who showed the way.
Leden hit four second-half 3-pointers, the fourth one putting VASJ in front, 48-45, with 7:01 left in regulation.

But Euclid, behind Gibson, All-Ohio senior forward Desmond Motley and guards Hayden Lewis, Cedric Perry and Devon Jennings, just kept answering.

With most of the crowd on its feet, Lighty showed his savvy down the stretch by splitting two defenders and hitting a soft 10-footer in the final minute of overtime.

Two free throws by McLeod gave the Vikings a four-point lead, but Jennings answered with a 3-pointer that cut the deficit to 74-73 with 12.7 seconds left.

Lighty beat the defense again and fired an assist to Haynes for the final points of the game. Another 3-point attempt by Jennings wedged between the basket and the backboard as the clock expired.

Gibson, one of Ohio's top football recruits, led four Panthers in double figures with 21 points. Four Vikings also finished in double digits, led by Lighty's 19 points.

VASJ coach Dave Wojciechowski said a lot of his players "grew up" Friday night. Panthers coach Sean O'Toole, who watched his team come back from a 15-point second-quarter deficit, emphasized how proud he was of his team, and how Euclid probably won't face a player of Lighty's caliber for the rest of the season.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4677
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Another article on Lighty's opening game...

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12/11/05


Sometimes the hype is more than a basketball game can possibly live up to.

And then there are epic showdowns like the season opener that neighborhood rivals Villa Angela-St. Joseph and Euclid played Friday night.

There have been some classics played at Viking Village over the years, but the 36-minute, heavyweight slugfest the Vikings and Panthers put on display had the nearly 2,000 people who crammed into VASJ's gym buzzing long after the final buzzer sounded in the extra session.

The 76-73 overtime win over Euclid will be a tough act for VASJ to follow, but the Vikings will be more than happy to try.

"What can I say except that it was one heck of a high school basketball game," VASJ coach Dave Wojciechowski said. "Euclid is really physical and awfully talented. I think both teams learned a lot, and it might sound old-fashioned, but it is an absolute shame one team had to lose. I am just real proud of the guys and we should be able to build off this."

The game, which was billed as a marquee early season matchup and the long-awaited return of VASJ senior star David Lighty turned into much more than even the most anticipatory fans could have imagined.

Lighty, playing his first game in more than nine months since tearing the ACL in his right knee, scored four of his team-high 19 points in overtime to help his team get off to the 1-0 start. Playing the point guard position for the first time since the graduation of former VASJ standout Ronnie Hollis last year, Lighty also dished out 10 assists, grabbed five rebounds, had three steals and a blocked shot.

Just like the fans in attendance, Lighty was exhausted after the 36 minutes of basketball - zero of which he spent on the Vikings' bench - but it will be much easier to rest after a win than a heartbreaking loss for the Ohio State signee.

"I started cramping up a little bit, but you just have to fight through that," Lighty said. "I knew it would be a tight game. I just didn't realize it would be like this and go to overtime. It's a good way to open the season, and I am glad we won."

Lighty did not have to do it all on his own on Friday.

Euclid overcame a 15-point first-half deficit to wrestle the lead away in the third quarter and set the stage for a back-and-forth nail-biting contest that showcased big-time clutch plays on both sides. Senior Erich Leden hit 4 of 4 3-pointers in the second half before fouling out, but he kept the Vikings in it.

No team led by more than five points over the final 16 minutes, but when Thaddeus Gibson (21 points, eight rebounds) hit two free throws with 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter, it looked like the Panthers might have finally swung the tide their way for good.

On VASJ's next possession, a 3-pointer by Darryl Rushton (nine points, six rebounds) was long, but VASJ junior Maurice Haynes - who played his best game as a varsity player - put in the game-tying putback as time expired and sent the game into overtime tied at 63.

"It's the little things that got us to come back from 15 and the little things that won the game for them," Euclid coach Sean O'Toole said. "You see the shot Rushton took just fall into the hands of (Haynes) and you want to drop to your knees and scream because you know you had the game. It's like King Kong on your back trying to beat your neighborhood rivals, and he's just about ready to fall off, but he stays on.

"We have a pretty solid top five, and for us to come back from down 15 on the road against a team as good as VASJ says something about these guys. I know the fans had to get their money's worth tonight."

Those wanting to see the development of promising VASJ sophomore Ashen Ward also got their money's worth.

It was the coming-out party for Ward, who came up big in the second half and overtime. The athletic 6-foot-3 wing scored all eight of his points between the 4-minute mark of the fourth quarter and the overtime period.

He also had three key offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive, including a putback in OT to lift VASJ to a 70-68 lead with 90 seconds to go.

After two more Gibson free throws tied the game at 70, Lighty put the Vikings up for good with a short jumper. Jimmy McLeod (12 points, eight rebounds) gave VASJ a four-point cushion, but Devon Jennings' 3-pointer cut the lead down to 74-73. On the next possession, Lighty broke the press, dished out his 10th assist to Haynes, who converted a layup for a three-point bulge.

A last-second 3 by Euclid was off the mark as the game finally came to a conclusion as students rushed the court.

"It was just like a heavyweight fight out there tonight," O'Toole said.

"Lighty would hit a shot, Thaddeus would answer. Leden hits a 3, Devon or Hayden comes back down. It looked like it would be last man standing and unfortunately for our kids, they were the ones standing at the end."

Euclid senior Desmond Motley scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Hayden Lewis hit two big 3-pointers in the second-half charge for the Panthers and finished with 15.

Leden (14 points) and Haynes (12 points) joined Lighty and McLeood in double figures for the Vikings.
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12/11/05

Cleveland standout to return for STOP-DWI encore

By Kevin Stevens
Press & Sun-Bulletin​
A curtain call from a basketball player who was arguably the finest in last year's tournament, as well as one spicy regional division, will be among the marquee attractions for the STOP-DWI Holiday Classic to be played Dec. 27-29 in the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

Brackets for the 14th annual event were revealed Tuesday in Binghamton High's gymnasium during a press conference preceding the Charlie Howland Memorial Luncheon, named in honor of the highly respected former Binghamton basketball coach who was killed by a drunk driver in a 1998 motor vehicle crash.

Making its second consecutive tournament appearance will be Villa Angela-St. Joseph High of Cleveland and its multi-talented 6-foot-5 all-state player, David Lighty, who is bound for Ohio State University. The Vikings open at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 27 against Friendly High of Fort Washington, Md.

Host Binghamton High plays at 9:15 on opening night against Bishop Ford of Brooklyn.
One potential matchup in Regional Division I would bring together Southern Tier Athletic Conference-championship hopefuls Seton Catholic Central and Vestal. But first come opening-round challenges for each— the Saints taking on Union-Endicott at 11:15 a.m. on Day 1, and the Golden Bears opposing Norwich at 5:45 p.m. the same day.

Politicians, educators and tournament organizers stressed to student-athletes in attendance Monday that the tournament and all it entails, while a showcase for high school basketball, is foremost a way to educate those involved about substance abuse and its consequences.

"We look forward to some exciting contests, but we're really looking forward to stopping DWI," said Dr. Peggy Wozniak, superintendent of Binghamton schools.
"Our goal is to reach out to you with a message about living, and living life is about making choices," said Jim May, Broome County STOW-DWI program coordinator.
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12/29/05

VILLA ANGELA-ST. JOE'S 74, FRIENDLY 52

Villa Angela-St. Joseph, from Cleveland, had a relative coast past its Fort Washington, Md., opponent and secured a STOP-DWI Holiday Classic semifinal berth for the second consecutive year.

The Vikings converted a shade over 60 percent of their attempts from the field. Ohio State University-bound David Lighty's 15 points headed a group of six VA-SJ players with eight or more points.

Darryl Rushton added 13 points for the Vikings on 6-for-6 shooting from the floor.

FRIENDLY: Michael Wright 0 0-0 0; James Stewart 4 2-2 10; Walter Scott 8 0-0 16; Augustus Gilchrist 2 5-6 9; Hillary Haley 6 3-5 15; Donte Johnson 0 0-0 0; Julian Keller 0 0-1 0; Lawrence Brewer 0 0-0 0; Eric Moore 0 0-0 0; Jaemohn Wright 1 0-1 2; Totals: 21 10-15 52.

VILLA ANGELA-ST. JOSEPH: Ashen Ward 5 1-1 11; Darryl Rushton 6 1-2 13; Jimmy McLeod 5 0-0 10; David Lighty 5 5-6 15; Maurice Haynes 4 0-0 8; Kevin McGarry 0 0-0 0; Reggie Williams 0 0-0 0; Nate Barnes 1 0-0 2; Erich Leden 4 0-0 11; Charles Walker 0 0-0 0; Dan Smith 1 0-0 2; Ben Shoaff 0 0-0 0; Cade Nemanc 1 0-0 2; Totals: 32 7-9 74.
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12/29/05

Landstown took care of Villa Angela-St. Joseph with an overwhelming 10-minute stretch of basketball to close the opening half.

Maurice Haynes hit a pair of free throws to put VA-SJ ahead by 11-9 with 2:17 to play in the first quarter of what appeared to that stage a ballgame headed for anything but a double-figure margin of victory for either side.
Soon thereafter began an onslaught of Landstown defensive pressure that took the Vikings out of their game.

"That's what we do. We don't know how to play any other way," Landstown coach Dwight Robinson said of his team's defensive intensity and penchant for transition basketball. "I knew they had very good players, (but) I knew that certain guys were a little shaky with the ball. I told my guys, whenever they put it on the floor we're going to get those particular guys."

He added, "Conditioning plays a big part of it to be able to play that style. We were down 9-2. I didn't panic because I know that we have some guys who can shoot the ball. And then in transition, all of my guys can handle the basketball. So it makes us difficult to defend."

Landstown closed the first period with a 12-3 burst that began with Horace Fields finishing on the back end of the press-breaker and ended with Theo Baker gunning in his third three-point goal of the quarter. The latter made it a 21-14 Landstown advantage.

Then came a 16-6 second quarter, during which VA-SJ continued to experience difficulties against the Eagles' pressure, and Landstown demonstrated not only its preferred transition game but extreme patience in the half-court set as well.

A three-point goal from VA-SJ's Erich Leden had his team within 29-20 with 3:17 to play in the second quarter. However, Landstown responded by rattling off eight consecutive points to close the quarter for a 37-20 halftime advantage.

The eight-point surge included a three-point goal from Horace Fields — whose 22 points topped the Eagles — and Johnathon Sandifer's score from the interior to close first-half scoring.

Villa-Angela-St. Joseph closed the gap to nine points in the fourth quarter, but no closer.

Point guard Percy Harvin had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists for Landstown. David Lighty, an Ohio State University-bound guard and VA-SJ's leading scorer, closed with 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Daryl Rushton added 16 points for VA-SJ.
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12/29/05

Turnovers doom VASJ in semifinal loss of N.Y. tourney

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Villa Angela-St. Joseph went into the semifinals of the STOP-DWI Holiday Classic with the same roster of players, the same upbeat attitude and wearing the same white home uniforms as in an easy quarterfinal just 24 hours before.

It was, however, a decidedly different Vikings team that showed up at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

Or didn't show up, depending on how you look at it.

As well as VASJ played in a 22-point victory over a good Friendly High (Md.) team in the opening round, the Vikings performed equally as poorly in a disappointing 69-53 loss to Landstown (Va.) on Wednesday.

The Vikings had 21 turnovers to just 20 field goals and trailed by as many as 21 points in the second half in falling out of the winner's bracket and into today's third-place game against Bishop Ford Central Catholic (N.Y.) at 1 p.m.

"It was an absolute disaster," VASJ coach Dave Wojciechowski said. "We didn't handle the ball, we played completely passive, and we didn't play as a team. To come off a great game like we played on Tuesday and then lay a huge egg is unacceptable. We have some things we need to take care of as a team, that's for sure."

One thing VASJ (4-2) definitely did not take care of in the loss was the basketball. The Vikings turned the ball over 13 times in the first half and went to the locker room at halftime trailing, 37-20. A mix of traps and full-court pressure defense by the Eagles gave VASJ fits all night and put the Vikings in a hole they were unable to climb out of.

David Lighty tried to keep his team in the game in the second half, scoring 16 of his team-high 21 in final two quarters. The Ohio State-bound senior missed his first career triple-double by one assist. The 6-foot-5 guard finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and two steals.

Darryl Rushton chipped in 13 of his 16 points in the second half, and he pulled down seven rebounds on the night. After six players hit double figures in Tuesday's rout of Friendly, Lighty and Rushton were the only two Vikings to score 10 points or more Wednesday.

"There was no offense to speak of for us tonight," Wojciechowski said. "We played passive and didn't have anyone that wanted to handle the ball. It was just an ugly game for us."

Landstown's active, pressure defense created a nightmare of an evening for VASJ from the middle of the first quarter on. The Vikings led, 9-2, to start the game, but were outscored, 35-11, over the final 14 minutes of the first half.

The Eagles got a balanced offensive contribution to complement an attacking defensive effort. Senior Theo Baker scored 13 of his 14 points in the first quarter and hit three 3-pointers in the opening frame. Horace Fields scored a game-high 22 points, and guard Percy Harvin - who is going to Florida on a football scholarship - added 18.

VASJ clawed back into the game in the fourth quarter, behind 13 points from Lighty, cutting the deficit to 56-47 with 5:30 left in regulation.

However, the Vikings could get no closer than nine the rest of the way, as they continued to turn the ball over down the stretch and were forced to foul.

"Pressure defense for 32 minutes end to end is what we do. We don't know how to play any other way," Landstown coach Dwight Robinson said. "We knew they had good players, and we didn't want to allow them to run their halfcourt sets through Lighty and Rushton. We felt like they would have trouble with the traps, and they had some guys we felt like we could pressure when they handled the ball."

VASJ finished the night shooting 20 of 46 from the floor and converting 9 of 18 free throws. The Vikings will now have to quickly rebound for an afternoon game and will attempt to take third place in the tournament for a second consecutive year.

"(Today) is gut-check time for these kids," Wojciechowski said. "We'll see how they come out and respond."
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12/30/05

Vikings rebound from semifinal loss


BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Villa Angela-St. Joseph fans can put the panic buttons and the stress medication away.

All is well in Viking Village again.

After turning the ball over 21 times in an surprisingly lackluster 16-point loss Wednesday's STOP-DWI Holiday Classic semifinals, VASJ rebounded with a vengeance on Thursday. The Vikings took out their frustration on Bishop Ford Central Catholic (N.Y.) in a 73-49 rout at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

It was the second year in a row the Vikings bounced back from a loss in the semifinals of the STOP-DWI Holiday Classic to win going away the next day to take third place. More importantly for Coach Dave Wojciechowski, his team answered a major early season challenge and will now have eight days to sit on a big performance before taking on North Coast League rival Chanel on Jan. 6.

"What a difference a day makes," Wojciechowski said. "Bishop Ford easily could have been in the tournament finals (a 65-64 loss to Cincinnati Taft in the semis) and we came out and really jumped on them early. This was the greatest answer we could have found as a group after how we played on Wednesday.

"Everything we did wrong in the semifinals, we did right today. It is going to be a much more fun bus ride home."

Senior star David Lighty, who missed a triple double in the semifinal loss by one assist, scored a season-high 28 points in a little over three quarters of work. The Ohio State signee also added eight assists, five rebounds and three steals to help his team improve to 5-2 on the year.

For the three-day tournament, Lighty scored 62 points (20.7 ppg), pulled down 16 rebounds (5.3 rpg) and dished out 25 assists (8.3 apg). His final game at the STOP-DWI Holiday Classic was highlighted by a 16-point first half and a crowd-pleasing one-handed dunk off a steal.

After the game, Lighty was mobbed by a group of kids looking for autographs. A few of the fans even grabbed rubber bands he was wearing on his wrist. The scene made for a good laugh in the locker room with his teammates, which was a far cry from the somber mood on Wednesday night.

"Wednesday was just one of those days where I guess nobody was ready to play," Lighty said. "We had all those turnovers and played terrible. We turned it around today and came out focused and dictated the game to them. I know I tried to attack more and I always get into the game more when my teammates are into it."

Almost all the Vikings were into it against the Falcons right from the outset.

Junior Maurice Haynes scored nine of his 16 points in the first quarter as VASJ quickly jumped out to a 19-13 lead. The advantage quickly expanded in the second quarter, behind Lighty's 10 points, and sophomore Ashen Ward's 3-pointer at the buzzer gave the Vikings a 40-25 edge at the half.

VASJ poured it on in the second half, with Lighty leading the way by hitting 6 of 9 field goals and scoring 12 points. Darryl Rushton finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, and senior Jimmy McLeod chipped in six rebounds and spearheaded a strong defensive effort.

"I think it was Dave's best game of the season, but he, Darryl and Jimmy were all studs today," Wojciechowski said. "That's what you have when you have senior leadership. These kids could have sulked and pouted and we could have come out flat again. But they played a tremendous ball game against a good team and I am proud of them for that."

Bishop Ford was led by Eion Lewis' 14 points
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