OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Players of Interest:
Kenny Frease
Kenny Frease
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kanton
Senior
Looks like Frease is much improved and much more assertive so far this season. It'll be interesting to see how his head to head matchups with Koufos and Morgan go. With Mullens already on board for the class of '08 it will be interesting to see how heavily OSU recruits Frease.
Frease, Panthers dominate Aquinas
Saturday, December 10, 2005
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Chris Beaven repository sports wRITER[/FONT]
SCOTT HECKEL Perry’s Matt Ehmer (right), Ryan Kelly (middle) and St. Thomas Aquinas’ Justin McClelland (left) go up for a rebound during Friday’s game.
LOUISVILLE - It took less than five minutes for the Perry High School boys basketball team to assert itself Friday night.
In a matter of a dozen or so possessions, the Panthers showed power inside, skill inside and out and a relentless defense all over the floor.
The 14-point lead they quickly built signaled the start of an impressive performance, as the Panthers won, 67-39, at St. Thomas Aquinas. They improved to 2-0, looking determined to make significant strides after going 9-13 last season.
“They’ve made a great commitment,” Perry head coach Rob Toth said. “It’s been the hard work by the kids. It’s a great group of kids who are unselfish.”
Perry was led by 6-foot-11 sophomore Kenny Frease, who had 17 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks and three assists. He also got plenty of help.
Junior guard John Marshall came off the bench to score 16, all in the first half. He also had three steals and five rebounds. Hard-working senior forward Matt Kolic added 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals.
And the list of contributors goes on and on.
Eight points from Matt Ehmer. Four assists by Brent Wilson. Four rebounds and three assists from Ryan Clokey. Five rebounds by Patrick Ayers. Nine Panthers played extensive minutes.
“That’s the thing we tell this group; no matter who’s out there, there should be no drop off,” Toth said. “And the kids know if they work hard in practice, they’ll get a chance to contribute.”
Kolic said working hard in practice is not much of an option.
“In practices, it’s work hard or run,” Kolic said. “He expects us to go hard all the time.”
Not that the Panthers mind.
“Coach Toth has worked real hard to put the fun back in Perry basketball,” Kolic said.
Count Aquinas coach Dave Waseity among those impressed.
“They’re a hundred times better than they were last year,” he said. “I’m disappointed because I thought we’d be a hundred times better. And we’re not ... we’ve taken a couple of steps back.”
The Knights fell to 0-2, as John DiBatista led them with 10 points. They shot 25 percent and hoisted a number of bad shots because of Frease’s presence.
“All of a sudden we saw a big guy, and we’re not going to run our sets and we jack shots up,” Waseity said.
Perry shot 52.1 percent and moved the ball well (14 assists). “I think this group takes enjoyment in passing to each other,” Toth said.
Frease took charge at the start of each half. Seven points by Frease helped Perry open a 16-2 lead. He then scored twice during a 9-0 run early in the third that put the game away.
“He’s developed moves he wants to use in certain situations,” Waseity said. “And he really punishes you. In two years, every college in the nation will be drooling over that kid.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail: [email protected]
Frease, Panthers dominate Aquinas
Saturday, December 10, 2005
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Chris Beaven repository sports wRITER[/FONT]
LOUISVILLE - It took less than five minutes for the Perry High School boys basketball team to assert itself Friday night.
In a matter of a dozen or so possessions, the Panthers showed power inside, skill inside and out and a relentless defense all over the floor.
The 14-point lead they quickly built signaled the start of an impressive performance, as the Panthers won, 67-39, at St. Thomas Aquinas. They improved to 2-0, looking determined to make significant strides after going 9-13 last season.
“They’ve made a great commitment,” Perry head coach Rob Toth said. “It’s been the hard work by the kids. It’s a great group of kids who are unselfish.”
Perry was led by 6-foot-11 sophomore Kenny Frease, who had 17 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks and three assists. He also got plenty of help.
Junior guard John Marshall came off the bench to score 16, all in the first half. He also had three steals and five rebounds. Hard-working senior forward Matt Kolic added 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals.
And the list of contributors goes on and on.
Eight points from Matt Ehmer. Four assists by Brent Wilson. Four rebounds and three assists from Ryan Clokey. Five rebounds by Patrick Ayers. Nine Panthers played extensive minutes.
“That’s the thing we tell this group; no matter who’s out there, there should be no drop off,” Toth said. “And the kids know if they work hard in practice, they’ll get a chance to contribute.”
Kolic said working hard in practice is not much of an option.
“In practices, it’s work hard or run,” Kolic said. “He expects us to go hard all the time.”
Not that the Panthers mind.
“Coach Toth has worked real hard to put the fun back in Perry basketball,” Kolic said.
Count Aquinas coach Dave Waseity among those impressed.
“They’re a hundred times better than they were last year,” he said. “I’m disappointed because I thought we’d be a hundred times better. And we’re not ... we’ve taken a couple of steps back.”
The Knights fell to 0-2, as John DiBatista led them with 10 points. They shot 25 percent and hoisted a number of bad shots because of Frease’s presence.
“All of a sudden we saw a big guy, and we’re not going to run our sets and we jack shots up,” Waseity said.
Perry shot 52.1 percent and moved the ball well (14 assists). “I think this group takes enjoyment in passing to each other,” Toth said.
Frease took charge at the start of each half. Seven points by Frease helped Perry open a 16-2 lead. He then scored twice during a 9-0 run early in the third that put the game away.
“He’s developed moves he wants to use in certain situations,” Waseity said. “And he really punishes you. In two years, every college in the nation will be drooling over that kid.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail: [email protected]
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
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12/24/05
12/24/05
Panthers sprint out of stall to take command
Saturday, December 24, 2005
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By JOSH WEIR Repository sports writer[/FONT]
Scott Heckel Perry’s Geoff Marsh (right) gets one of his four steals Friday night during the Panthers’ 52-40 win over Jackson at Perry High School. At left is Jackson’s Zack Fedorka. Perry moved to 6-0 overall for the first time since the 2000-01 season, when the Panthers started 12-0.
PERRY TWP. Call it the calm before the surge.
A strategy to freeze the ball for the final two-plus minutes of the third quarter backfired on the Jackson boys basketball team, and Perry used the ensuing momentum to seize control in a 52-40 Panther victory Friday night at Perry High School.
The odd turn of events helped the Panthers move to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Federal League despite a choppy offensive performance against the struggling Polar Bears.
Perry is off to its best start since 2001, when the Panthers won their first 12 games.
Down 36-32, Jackson decided to hold the ball with point guard Jason Smith simply standing near halfcourt as Perry sat back in a 2-3 zone.
The scene quickly grew in intensity as the seconds ticked away. Jackson players ran to Smith and whispered into his ear, causing the Panther fans to voice their displeasure. Perry big man Kenny Frease and Jackson forward Lambert Budzinski exchanged pleasantries.
When Jackson finally attacked with about eight seconds left, Perry was ready and didn’t allow the Polar Bears to get a shot off, causing the Panthers to explode in celebration.
“I was proud of our discipline,” Perry coach Rob Toth said. “Sometimes kids get a little jumpy, but they kept their focus and knew where the shooters were. It kind of infused the guys.”
The Polar Bears were whistled for a unsportsman-like technical foul as the buzzer sounded. John Marshall sunk both free throws, and the Panthers got possession to start the fourth when Jackson had been due to get the ball.
Perry took advantage with Frease hitting Matt Kolic for an and-1 opportunity on a high-low feed. Kolic missed the bonus, but Frease got a steal at midcourt leading to a rim-rattling two-hand jam that had the 6-foot-11 sophomore screaming like a mad man and the Perry fans following suit.
In just more than 30 seconds, counting the technical foul shots, the Panthers pushed their lead to 42-32 and never looked back.
“We were really pumped up to come out and get the and-1 to Kolic,” Frease said. “The (stalling and technical) all played into it.”
Would first-year Jackson coach Mike Fuline do it again if given the opportunity?
“Absolutely,” Fuline said without hesitation. “To be down 4 against a team like that, with my best player (Mark Young) on the bench with three fouls, we’ll go down 4 with eight minutes to play with him back in the game.”
Frease led Perry with a game-highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds. He nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key in the first quarter and made 8-of-10 foul shots.
Matt Ehmer had 11 points and four rebounds, while Geoff Marsh added four steals. Marshall and Kolic each grabbed five rebounds for Perry, which doesn’t play again until Jan. 6 against Hoover.
“I think they know we can perform better than that, and that’s what I like about these guys,” Toth said. “They’re realistic about their performance, and they’re staying hungry.”
The Polar Bears (1-5, 0-2), who cut their deficit to 2 at one point in the third, shot just 13-of-41 from the field and 1-of-13 from the arc.
“We battled, and that’s all we can ask,” Fuline said. “The effort was there.”
Young led Jackson with 18 points, and Curtis Murphy added 12. They both grabbed seven rebounds. Reach Repository sports writer Josh Weir at (330) 580-8426 or e-mail: [email protected]
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
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1/17/06
1/17/06
Lack of inside play stops Perry
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By CHRIS BEAVEN[/FONT]
Repository Scott Heckel Perry High School’s Matt Kolic tries to get through Lakewood St. Edward defenders Scott Moviel (left) and Reid Anderson during Monday’s Pizza Oven Classic contest at North Canton Hoover High School. St. Edward won, 46-41.
NORTH CANTON - An intense defensive effort gave the Perry High School boys basketball team a shot at a big win Monday afternoon.
Poor offensive execution, though, doomed the Panthers to a frustrating loss. Lakewood St. Edward rallied to beat Perry, 46-41, in the opening game of the final day of the Pizza Oven Classic at Hoover High School.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t win that game, flat out, because I felt we could win that game,” Perry head coach Rob Toth said.
The Panthers (8-2) led nearly the entire first half and late into the third quarter. But they couldn’t overcome their offensive struggles, including a six-minute scoring drought in the final quarter.
“It came down to executing offense, and they did a better job than we did,” Toth said. “That’s what I’m disappointed in.”
Toth never saw any semblance of a well-run offensive set. That meant too many jumpers and too few touches inside for Perry 6-foot-11 center Kenny Frease.
“We were quick on the trigger, and we took ill-advised shots at bad times,” Toth said.
Frease led the Panthers with 11 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. But the sophomore only got 11 shot attempts, including just four in the second half.
“And that’s exactly what we talked about at halftime. ... that ball’s got to go inside first,” Toth said.
Instead, Perry settled for passes on the perimeter before taking a jump shot. The result: The Panthers shot 29.5 percent from the field, including 5-for-19 on 3-pointers.
“We had a lot of wide-open looks,” Toth said. “And it’s tough to pass those up.”
But ...
“When they’re not dropping, we’ve got to be smarter and get the ball inside.”
Toth, for the most part, liked his team’s defensive effort. Perry limited St. Ed’s to 37.7 percent shooting, forced 15 turnovers and was even on the boards (31-31). Senior forward Brent Wilson led defensively by taking two charges, drawing another offensive foul and making two steals.
Like Toth, St. Ed head coach Eric Flannery knows his team can play better.
“I guess it’s nice to not play real well and walk away with a win against a good team,” Flannery said. “They’ve got a very good big guy. And they’ve got guys that can shoot the ball.”
The Eagles won by taking control during a six-minute stretch of the final quarter, outscoring Perry 6-0. Nne Lewis hit a big 3-pointer and later a free throw, and 6-7 Delvon Roe dropped in a jump-hook. That gave St. Ed a 42-36 lead with 1:23 left.
Wilson hit two free throws and a 3-pointer in the final 1:10 to cut Perry’s deficit to 42-41. But the Panthers were unable to execute a play to tie the game in the final 20 seconds.
Flannery was impressed by how hard Perry played. The Eagles (8-4) play one of the state’s tougher schedules, so they have seen an assortment of teams in and outside of Ohio.
Flannery said the Panthers lack the overall size and speed of some of the top programs his team has played.
“But from the coaching standpoint, knowing what they do well and playing hard, they’re as good as anybody we’ve seen,” Flannery said. “They get after it.”
The Panthers played especially well early. John Marshall hit two first-quarter 3-pointers, and they were disruptive defensively. Their largest lead was 23-16 late in the first half after a power move inside by Frease. He split a double-team on the right side with a strong drop step to his left before dropping in a short right-handed shot.
“He’s the real deal,” Flannery said.
That type of move has drawn the interest of Division I colleges. Ohio State assistant Dan Peters, a Central Catholic graduate, watched this game.
Toth’s primary critique of Frease’s game was, “he needs to be able to establish himself lower in the post.”
“He shot the ball pretty well when he got opportunities,” Toth added. “We need to do a better job of getting him touches.”
Getting their big man touches, and improving their overall offensive execution, will be a must for the Panthers. They play GlenOak, featuring 7-1 junior Kosta Koufos, on Friday. “We need to get back it, get ready for GlenOak,” Toth said. “We have no time to dwell on (this loss).” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail [email protected]
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
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1/22/06
1/22/06
Perry win comes after tough loss
Sunday, January 22, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Chris Beaven repository sports writer[/FONT]
Repository Bob Rossiter Perry High School’s Patrick Ayers (center) collects the basketball and finds a teammate Saturday during a 54-47 victory over Jackson. Ayers was 4-for-4 from the free-throw line down the stretch to help the Panthers hang on.
JACKSON TWP. - Emotional games the previous night left two exhausted boys basketball teams meeting each other at Jackson High School.
Exhaustion, though, took a back seat to a mix of anger and determination for the Perry Panthers.
Upset about letting a game get away Friday, the Panthers made sure that did not happen again Saturday as they held off Jackson, 54-47.
“We needed that one,” Perry head coach Rob Toth said.
The Panthers felt backed against a wall after squandering a 14-point lead Friday at GlenOak. The Golden Eagles beat Perry in the final seconds.
“After what happened (Friday) night, we felt like we let coach Toth down,” Perry senior Matt Ehmer said.
“We really wanted to win it for coach Toth,” Perry sophomore Kenny Frease said. “He’s worked so hard to get the program back.”
Perry (9-3) led virtually the entire final three quarters. The Panthers, who shot 71 percent from the floor, went up by as much as 11 in the second half. But when the game entered the final three minutes, Jackson was within 47-45, and the Polar Bears were turning up their pressure defense.
When GlenOak did that the previous night, costly turnovers doomed Perry. Too often the Panthers got tentative instead of listening to Toth’s advice: “Attack the basket.”
His words got through Saturday.
“We did better getting the ball across halfcourt and not just making a pass, but attacking the basket,” Frease said. “We made them foul us, and we then stepped up and made free throws. That what won it for us.”
Perry used 9-for-10 shooting at the foul line in the final quarter to put the game away. Patrick Ayers went 4-for-4 during the last 1:15, while Brent Wilson was 3-for-4.
While Perry let a game get away Friday, Jackson (5-8) rallied to win its in overtime, beating Hoover for the first time since 2001.
“They gave everything they had the night before,” Jackson head coach Mike Fuline said.
The Bears tried to repeat that effort 24 hours later, but 34 percent shooting throughout and turnovers in the final minutes hurt them. Once Jackson got within 47-45, four straight empty possessions — three turnovers and two missed free throws — allowed Perry to pull back ahead, 53-45.
“It wasn’t that we got nervous,” Fuline said. “We just didn’t execute. Give Perry credit. Their defense had a lot to do with that. Ehmer just sucked it up and played harder.”
Ehmer had two steals in the final 73 seconds, leading to four free throws by teammates. Eight points, five rebounds and four steals were Ehmer’s final numbers. But more importantly, he helped handle Jackson’s late pressure.
“I thought Pat Ayers and Ryan Kelly stepped up, as well as Matt Ehmer in taking care of the ball,” Toth said. “And Kenny played really well again.”
The 6-foot-11 Frease had game highs of 22 points, seven rebounds and five blocks. He keyed a 7-0 second-quarter run that gave Perry the lead for good.
Jackson was led by 6-5 senior Mark Young’s 13 points and five rebounds. Guard Mike Nichols added 12 points and four steals. Young, though, missed a chunk of the first half with foul trouble. That helped Perry dig out of an early 10-2 hole, as the Panthers overcame six first-quarter turnovers.
Jackson had just 10 turnovers overall, but too many came in costly situations.
“I’m happy with how hard we’re playing, but I’m not satisfied with how well we’re playing,” Fuline said. “But it doesn’t matter if I’m satisfied. Our know our guys are not satisfied.”
Toth, for a night, found himself satisfied with his team’s toughness. “It was gut-check time for our kids,” he said. “We gave that game away last night. We might look back at this one as a moment when we learned what to do against adversity.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail: [email protected]
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
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1/29/06
1/29/06
Tigers nip Perry at buzzer
Sunday, January 29, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By CHRIS BEAVEN[/FONT]
Massillon’s Greg Fite climbs over Perry’s Matt Ehmer, drawing a foul during the third quarter Saturday night at Perry. Scott Heckel
PERRY TWP. - The basketball landed back in Michael Porrini’s hands in Saturday’s final seconds, and time stood still.
The roaring crowd left his ears. All the action around him left his mind. The Massillon junior doesn’t even remember the shot he took — and made — a falling-backward 6-footer in the lane that dropped through the net for a 61-60 Tiger victory over host Perry.
Two seconds later the buzzer sounded. BANG.
Porrini snapped out of the moment. He heard the crowd roar. He saw his teammates rush the floor. A high school boys basketball masterpiece had ended with the Tigers beating the Panthers on his shot.
“It’s like no other type of feeling,” Porrini said.
His only reaction was to jump up down, flex a bit and jump around some more, as he bounded off the floor along with his coach, Matt Creamer.
“I’m searching my mind to remember any bigger of a shot ... in that type of atmosphere,” Creamer said. “I thought I was at (Duke University’s) Cameron Indoor Stadium. You had all the Perry kids jumping up and down. All of our Massillon kids jumping up and down.”
A near-capacity crowd of more than 2,500 filled Perry’s gymnasium.
“You had two good teams battling back and forth the whole fourth quarter, and nobody backed down,” Perry coach Rob Toth said.
Perry (10-4) was relentless all night.
“They embarrassed us over there last year,” Toth said. “Our kids wanted to prove they could compete with one of the best teams around. And I think that’s one of the top 10 teams in the state.”
The Panthers focused on feeding 6-foot-11 sophomore Kenny Frease inside. With Massillon sending an assortment of 6-3 and 6-2 defenders at him, Frease went for a career-high 32 points. Matt Ehmer added 12 points, and five other Panthers scored.
“That’s the best offensive execution we’ve had all year,” Toth said.
Massillon responded by turning up its defense, while its guards heated up offensively. The Tigers erased a 36-27 halftime deficit and led, 45-44, entering the final quarter. They forced six third-quarter turnovers and Perry shot 3-for-14.
“We won this game with defense,” Creamer said.
The offense belonged to Porrini, Mario Edwards and Brian Gamble. They combined for 28 of Massillon’s 34 second-half points. Porrini’s 3-pointer with 27 seconds left tied the game at 59. When Perry went back up by a point, he stepped forward again with 14 seconds left after a timeout.
He got the ball on the right wing and went strong to the hoop. “All I was thinking about was winning it,” said Porrini, who scored 20.
Frease, though, blocked Porrini’s initial shot. The ball came back to Porrini, and that’s when his mind blanked. “I don’t remember shooting it.”
Time expired as soon as Perry inbounded the ball. “I didn’t comprehend I’d won the game until I ran to half-court and looked up at the clock and saw the crowd,” Porrini said. “I was mostly shocked.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail: [email protected]
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