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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Canton
2/4/06
2/4/06
McKinley forces 31 turnovers in blowout
Saturday, February 4, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By CHRIS BEAVEN[/FONT]
Perry’s Matt Kolic (left) and McKinley’s Todd Brown go after a loose ball during the second quarter of Friday’s 60-34 Bulldog victory at Canton Memorial Field House.
CANTON - On a night where their offense struggled, the McKinley Bulldogs turned to their defense to reach a couple of milestones Friday.
The McKinley High School boys basketball team forced 31 turnovers to beat Perry, 60-34, in front of 3,500 at Memorial Field House. It was McKinley’s 30th straight home win, while Dave Hoover won his 200th game as the school’s head coach.
The Bulldogs (14-2, 7-0) also locked up the top seed for next week’s Federal League tournament. They host Fitch in a first-round game Tuesday.
McKinley, ranked No. 1 in the state in Division I, won despite shooting only 38.6 percent from the floor. That snapped a five-game streak of shooting better than 50 percent.
“Offensively we weren’t clicking,” Hoover said. “We missed a lot of good opportunities. But our defense carried us. We created some chaos defensively. By doing that we were able to take (Perry center) Kenny Frease out of their offense the first three quarters.”
Perry (10-5, 5-2) committed 19 first-half turnovers, falling behind, 27-14. The Panthers committed seven more turnovers in the third quarter, as McKinley extended its lead to 44-20. The 6-foot-11 Frease had just six shot attempts through three quarters.
“They did what we expected, they trapped the ball and they trapped the wings,” Perry head coach Rob Toth said. “Our ballhandlers weren’t fluid out there and our ballhandlers weren’t strong enough.”
Toth was disappointed that some Panthers looked as if they didn’t want the ball against the first-half pressure.
“We couldn’t take advantage of what was our strength,” he said. “But you’ve got to give them credit for taking us out of what we wanted to do.”
Frease did finish with a team-high 13 points to go with seven rebounds and three blocks. But no other Panther scored in double figures.
McKinley was led by 6-8 Raymar Morgan’s 21 points and nine rebounds. He scored 17 in the second half after shooting just 2-for-8 in the first half.
“Raymar in the first half settled for more jump shots,” Hoover said. “In the second half he was able to penetrate, get to the rim and get layups.”
Ricky Jackson, a 6-6 senior, added 14 points and four rebounds, and did a nice job defending Frease.
“Ricky was very active ... went to the boards well and made some nice moves inside,” Hoover said.
McKinley senior point guard Marcus Parker added 11 points and four steals.
Hoover, just the third McKinley coach to reach 200 wins, was impressed with how his team got after it defensively despite its offensive struggles. The Bulldogs shot just 4-for-15 in the first quarter, but led 8-2.
“Obviously in that first quarter we could’ve been up a lot more if we’d made shots,” he said. “But we also could’ve been down 4, 6 points if we’d gotten down on ourselves and not played good, hard defense.”
An 8-0 McKinley run over the final 1:57 of the first half gave the Bulldogs a double-digit lead for good. Two Perry turnovers led to the last two buckets, including a two-handed slam by Jackson that just beat the buzzer. “If we were able to handle the ball and get more shots off, we’d been right there,” Toth said. “But we’ll get better from this. ... Playing the No. 1 team in the state in a hostile environment is good for us. Something we can grow from.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail: [email protected]
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Canton
2/16/06
2/16/06
Perry wants to rebound
Thursday, February 16, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Chris Beaven REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER [/FONT]
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IN A CROWD Perry’s Patrick Ayers tries to get away from McKinley’s Raymar Morgan (foreground) and Ricky Jackson in a game the Bulldogs won, 60-34, two weeks ago. The teams hook up again Saturday night, this time for the Federal League Championship.
The atmosphere yawned unimportance. A Wednesday night time slot for a fifth-place game. A sparse crowd echoing in a big, quiet arena.
Not many seemed to notice or care as the Perry High School boys basketball team went about its work in the final round of last year’s Federal League tournament.
That changes Saturday night when the Panthers return to Canton Memorial Civic Center for this year’s final round. An offseason of hard work and a season filled with hard-fought wins has Perry playing in the championship game of the Federal League tournament.
The Panthers will find a raucous and packed Civic Center for the 8 p.m. title game against nationally-ranked McKinley.
“We were hoping at the beginning of the year we could get in some meaningful games, and we’ve won enough to be in that situation,” second-year Perry coach Rob Toth said. “That’s a great thing ... playing in these types of games, as opposed to last year when we weren’t in meaningful games at the end.”
With four starters back from last year’s state championship team, McKinley is accustomed to big games. Seniors Raymar Morgan and Marcus Parker have started in two final fours. The Bulldogs (16-2) began the season nationally-ranked and their play has kept them there.
Lots of hope
Perry (13-5) began the season filled with optimism and hope, but plenty to prove after a 9-13 record a year ago.
“I thought we could be in the top three or four teams in our league, but you just never know how it’s going to shake out,” Toth said. “... The big unknown was how much we’d improved.”
Perry has improved plenty. Center Kenny Frease, a 6-foot-11 sophomore, has become an impact player. He is surrounded by a hungry group of seniors such as Matt Ehmer, Brent Wilson and Matt Kolic.
“It’s not a team where you can focus on one player,” McKinley coach Dave Hoover said. “I know it’s very easy to focus on stopping Kenny Frease inside. But they’ve got other people that can hurt you offensively. And they’re a real aggressive defensive team.”
As proof of how far it has come, Perry has played several meaningful games lately — two sellouts at GlenOak, a virtually sold-out home game against Massillon, a packed house at McKinley two weeks ago.
That visit to McKinley, though, did not go well. The Bulldogs destroyed them with pressure defense. The Panthers turned it over 31 times and left with a 60-34 loss, by far their worst of the season.
“Some of that had to do with (McKinley’s) athleticism and speed,” Toth said. “But we’ve also got to do a better job handling the basketball.”
The Panthers need to be smart and strong with the ball.
“You want to be in an attack mode,” Toth said. “The more pressure you get, the more you’ve got to attack. And we picked up the dribble a lot of times and didn’t have anywhere to go. When you pick up the ball to relieve pressure, you’re asking for turnovers.”
This time may be different
Hoover does not expect another turnover-fest from Perry. He knows the Panthers will have a better feel for his team’s quickness and strength. Experience also tells Hoover well-coached teams such as Perry handle pressure much better the second time around.
“I’m sure they’ll ... try to counter things we were able to do against them,” Hoover said. “We’ll have to anticipate what those things might be, and have all our bases covered.”
Toth has been impressed with the way Perry bounced back from that loss.
“Every time they get knocked down they get right back up and work at it again,” Toth said.
That mindset is reflected in the way Perry plays.
“Their whole scheme on both ends of floor is predicated on effort,” Hoover said. “You know going in that you have to come out with a lot of intensity. You know they’re a team that’s not going to back down. ... We’ll have to come out and match that effort and intensity because if you don’t, they will find way to hurt you on both ends of the court.”
McKinley has hurt plenty of teams in all phases. The Bulldogs won nine league games by an average of 42.4 points. But Hoover wants to see them kick their game up a notch. “I haven’t felt like over the past three or four games we are playing to the top of our ability on both ends of the court,” Hoover said. “Not that we’re playing poorly, but we just can play better. ... It’s a good time for us to kind of pull it together and start playing as well as we can play.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail: [email protected]
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Canton
2/19/06
2/19/06
23-0 run helps McKinley rout Perry
Sunday, February 19, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By CHRIS BEAVEN[/FONT]
Perry’s Kenny Frease is sandwiched by McKinley’s Raymar Morgan (left) and Ricky Jackson during the Bulldogs’ 85-49 romp in Saturday’s Federal League championship game at Canton Memorial Civic Center.
CANTON - The game changes in a hurry when the McKinley High School boys basketball team finds its highest gear.
The steals, the passes, the dunks and the points come at a pace few teams can match. A good Perry team became the latest to discover that.
The Bulldogs kicked it into overdrive in Saturday night’s Federal League tournament championship game, leaving the Panthers in their wake in an 85-49 romp.
McKinley opened the second quarter on a 23-0 run to blow the game open in front of 3,100 fans at Memorial Civic Center. The Bulldogs turned a tight game into their 20th straight league win, defending their 2005 title.
“I thought the first half was about as good of a half of basketball as we’ve played all year,” said McKinley head coach Dave Hoover, whose team is ranked No. 1 in Ohio in Division I.
McKinley (17-2) led, 51-22, at the half, with three of its starters already scoring in double figures.
Hoover appreciated how hard the Bulldogs played. But something else stood out even more.
“I thought we played the game the way I know this team understands it,” he said. “We were very intelligent in what we were trying to do.”
McKinley’s second quarter featured 12-for-16 shooting from the floor and an 11-4 rebounding edge. The Bulldogs turned it over just once. They forced Perry into eight turnovers, scoring 15 points off those mistakes.
Six different Bulldogs scoring during the 23-0 binge. Todd Brown’s pull-up 12-footer from the left wing got it rolling. Two steals and three scores by Marcus Parker pushed the lead to double figures. Some hustle plays by Ricky Jackson kept it rolling. Raymar Morgan provided the exclamation point with an emphatic right-handed slam after a steal by Harriel Moore.
“They turned it up a notch and we didn’t respond, simple as that,” Perry head coach Rob Toth. “Their kids have been in these big-game situations so many times and we haven’t. ... We have to grow up, as a team and a program, and learn from this experience.”
The 6-foot-8 Morgan and 6-5 Brown each scored 20 points to lead McKinley. Morgan added nine rebounds, five steals and four assists. Brown had four rebounds and three steals.
Parker, a 5-8 guard, had 16 points, four steals and four assists. The 6-6 Jackson scored 11 points to go with five rebounds and numerous deflections.
“We’re at our best when we’re best sharing the ball and when a lot of different people get opportunities,” Hoover said.
McKinley did not skip a beat despite starter Sedelle Broyles sitting out the game.
“That’s what a team is about,” Hoover said. “They banded together and came out and did their job.”
McKinley opened the game with an 8-0 lead over the first 3 1/2 minutes. The lead reached 14-2 before Perry (13-6) showed signs of settling in. Two 3-pointers by sub John Marshall helped cut the deficit to 17-13 by quarter’s end. Marshall finished with 13 points.
“I told our guys they’re getting comfortable out on the floor,” Hoover said. “We need to go out and take that way from them. We did it on the defensive end, but we also were so efficient in our offense.”
It was a performance that impressed Toth.
“They are, by far, the best team around here,” he said. “We’re not in their league right now, that’s the reality of the situation.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail [email protected].
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Canton
3/2/06
3/2/06
H.S. boys basketball: CANTON DIVISION I:
Ehmer’s layup gives Perry win
Thursday, March 2, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Chris Beaven Repository sports writer [/FONT]
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Repository David Distelhorst FOLLOW THE BOUNCING BALL Jackson High School senior Mark Young (left) and Perry senior Matt Kolic chase down a rebound during Wednesday’s Division I boys sectional basketball game at Canton’s Memorial Civic Center. Perry won, 42-41.
CANTON - They kept delivering the same message during every timeout and every huddle on the floor.
Perry High School seniors Matt Ehmer and Brent Wilson took turns saying it, over and over:
“We’re not going to lose.”
And in the end, Ehmer made the play to make sure his Perry boys basketball team kept its season alive Wednesday night against Jackson. The 6-foot-3 guard made a strong drive to make a tough layup with 10 seconds left, giving Perry a 42-41 Division I sectional win at Memorial Civic Center.
“Being a senior, I didn’t want this to be my last game,” Ehmer said. “And I know every other senior felt the same way.”
Third-seeded Perry advances to Saturday’s sectional final against Lake. Jackson looked like it was headed to that game, as it led much of the night.
“They had a great game plan, and they executed it well,” Perry head coach Rob Toth said. “They fought us every step of the way. They’re one of the most improved teams in the county.”
The Polar Bears knocked Perry’s offense off rhythm, and more than matched the usual intensity of the Panthers. Foul trouble and Jackson’s defense also neutralized Perry 6-11 sophomore Kenny Frease.
“But our seniors picked it up,” Toth said.
Ehmer scored 10 of his team-high 12 points in the second half. Wilson delivered three second-half steals. Nine points came from senior Matt Kolic.
And senior guard Ryan Clokey came off the bench to run the offense, making three second-half assists.
“Ryan Clokey hasn’t gotten a lot of minutes, but he stepped up and kept himself mentally ready,” Toth said. “He was big. So was Kolic. He just battled, constantly battled.”
And Ehmer and Wilson constantly told their teammates they would win.
“We just tried to pump up the team,” Ehmer said.
Ehmer, usually a starter, came off the bench because of a toe injury.
“He played on guts,” Toth said. “He just wanted it.”
Known mostly for his jump shot, Ehmer scored on three drives in the final quarter. His game-winner came along the left baseline. He got past his defender and flipped in a difficult right-handed shot from virtually under the backboard.
The Bears, led by Mike Nichols’ 20 points, missed two shots in the final four seconds. They wanted a foul call on the second one, which left Jackson coach Mike Fuline frustrated, but not unhappy with his team.
“I couldn’t ask for better, more quality young men than them,” he said of his nine seniors. “They worked hard every single day. ... We preach family, and I let them know the relationship does not end here. It’s just beginning.
I’ll never forget what they did for me and the staff in my first year here.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail [email protected]
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Canton
3/9/06
3/9/06
In rematch, Tigers, Panthers battle for berth in district title game
Thursday, March 9, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Chris Beaven repository sports wRITER [/FONT]
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REPOSITORY SCOTT HECKEL GET THAT BALL Massillon’s Greg Fite climbs over Perry’s Matt Ehmer, drawing a foul, in a game earlier this season. The Tigers won that one, 61-60. The two teams meet again tonight in a Division 1 district semifinal at the Canton Memorial Civic Center.
Six weeks ago, they played one of the most entertaining boys basketball games of the season.
Tonight — on a bigger stage with higher stakes — Massillon and Perry meet again. The two play in a 7:30 Division I district semifinal game at Canton Memorial Civic Center.
Each coach enters the game feeling good about his team.
Matt Creamer’s Massillon Tigers are 19-2 and ranked No. 9 in the state. They are the second seed, and they won their sectional final over Green by 25 points.
“They’ve grown up a little bit the last few weeks,” Creamer said. “We know we can compete with anybody. But you have to sustain the effort consistently over four quarters. I keep telling everyone we haven’t played our best game yet.”
Rob Toth’s Perry Panthers are 16-6. They are the third seed and playing in their first district tournament since 1997.
“I think our kids will play with a lot of energy,” Toth said. “I don’t look for them to be intimidated by this whole thing. We have played in front of some loud places and some packed places. And the more times we get in these environments the more good it does for us.”
The Tigers and Panthers met in Perry’s packed gym at the end of January. Perry took charge early before the teams exchanged the lead in the second half. Massillon finally won when Michael Porrini scored with less than a second left. It capped a 20-point performance by the junior guard. Perry sophomore center Kenny Frease went for a career-high 32 points.
Porrini and Frease should be key players again tonight.
Porrini starts in the backcourt alongside senior guard Mario Edwards, who is closing in on 1,000 career points. Massillon’s frontcourt features Ricardo Wells, Brian Gamble and Greg Fite. All five are capable of big offensive nights.
“They just have kids that step up and make plays for them,” Toth said.
The Panthers defensively need to be at their best to prevent Massillon’s shooters from getting on a roll.
“You really have to go after them and still be able to play the drive,” Toth said. “And that’s what makes them difficult to defend, because if you go out too far, they’re able to beat you off the dribble.”
Perry is led by the 6-foot-11 Frease, who averages a double-double. He is joined by Geoff Marsh, Brent Wilson, Matt Ehmer and Matt Kolic in the starting lineup. The Panthers usually get strong bench play from the likes of John Marshall, Ryan Kelly, Ryan Clokey and Patrick Ayers.
What sets Perry apart, though, from most teams is how hard the Panthers play.
“They’re an effort type of team,” Creamer said. “They do a lot of stuff off hustle plays, getting loose balls. They scrap and claw, and that’s they way they’re coached. And it’s a great way to play. That’s how they close the gap on more athletic teams.”
Massillon is about as athletic as it gets. That’s why tempo will be a key tonight.
Toth does not want to see the score get much above the high 60s or low 70s.
“It can’t be a run-and-gun type thing,” Toth said. “If it is, that means we’re not playing defense, and defense has been our constant all year.”
Creamer said his team has to be able to match Perry’s energy and make its own share of hustle plays, in addition playing solid defensively and on the boards.
“When we defend and rebound, we can control tempo and get up and down the floor,” Creamer said. “And when we rebound, defend and go after loose balls, we take our game to a whole new level.”
Perry’s program is entering a new level just by reaching districts. Toth thinks the Panthers will be eager to make the most of this opportunity.
“We’re playing one of the top 10 teams in the state,” Toth said. “There’s going to be no pressure on us. We’ve just got to play with a lot of energy, and put our best shot out there.”
Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail [email protected]
Division I boys
District semi at Canton Memorial Civic Center
Massillon (19-2) vs. Perry (16-6)
WHEN 7:30 tonight.
HEAD COACHES Matt Creamer, Massillon; Rob Toth, Perry.
HOW THEY GOT HERE Massillon had a first-round bye before beating Green, 80-55. Perry beat Jackson, 42-41, and Lake, 44-41, in sectionals. LAST TIME Massillon junior Michael Porrini hit a falling-backward 6-footer with two seconds left to lift the Tigers to a 61-60 victory Jan. 28 at Perry High School. WHAT’S NEXT The winner plays in the district final at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against the winner of Wednesday’s game between McKinley and GlenOak.
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Canton
3/10/06
Perry's season comes to a end.........
3/10/06
Perry's season comes to a end.........
Gamble, Tigers plow through Perry
Friday, March 10, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By CHRIS BEAVEN[/FONT]
BOB ROSSITER Massillon’s Michael Porrini tries to maintain control of the basketball while driving to the basket during Thursday’s 70-61 Division I boys basketball district semifinal win over Perry at Canton Memorial Civic Center. Porrini had 10 points, six assists and five rebounds as the Tigers advanced to Saturday’s final against McKinley.
CANTON - When Brian Gamble set his feet for a deep 3-pointer early in Thursday night’s third quarter, the Massillon Tigers were in a tight game.
The Perry Panthers were playing with their usual intensity, and this Division I high school boys basketball district semifinal seemed up for grabs.
Then Gamble’s 3-pointer from the right wing dropped through the net at Memorial Civic Center. A suddenly re-engerized Massillon team quickly emerged. The defense picked up, another 3-pointer from Gamble followed and the Tigers were on their way to a 70-61 win in front of 2,542 fans.
“Gamble hit a couple of big ones there that really kicked us into gear,” Massillon head coach Matt Creamer said.
Gamble’s two 3-pointers sparked a 13-0 run, fueled by four Perry turnovers. Massillon’s lead increased to 46-29 in less than three minutes.
The Tigers eventually led by 22 before the gap closed with backups on the floor.
The ninth-ranked Tigers advanced to Saturday’s district final to play their archrival, No. 1 McKinley. Both teams enter the 7:30 game at 20-2, with the Bulldogs winning at Massillon at the end of January.
Massillon forced nine third-quarter turnovers to break Thursday’s game open.
“We picked up our defense and started getting after them,” Creamer said.
He thought his team played solid early on.
“But give Perry a lot of credit, too,” Creamer said. “They came to play and Kenny Frease is a force.”
Frease, a 6-foot-11 sophomore, had 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Panthers (16-7). But senior Matt Kolic, with 14 points, was the only other Panther in double figures.
All five Massillon starters scored in double figures.
“We shared the ball and that has a lot do with us being successful,” said senior guard Mario Edwards, who led the Tigers with 17 points and went over the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Gamble and Ricardo Wells added 14 points. Greg Fite scored 12. Michael Porrini had 10 points and six assists.
“We picked each other up when we needed to,” Creamer said.
Perry seemed to be in good shape at the half, trailing, 28-25. The Panthers handled Massillon’s pressure and got some easy scores.
“We were attacking the rim and playing well,” Perry head coach Rob Toth said.
The Tigers didn’t make any changes to their press at halftime. They just talked about executing better.
“We weren’t in the right spots (in our press) in the first half,” Edwards said. “We came out in the second half and turned it up, got steals and hit our shots.”
Massillon forced Perry into turnovers on six of seven possessions during a four-minute stretch.
“Our guards lost focus of looking down the floor, and it really hurt,” Toth said. “ ... That spurt in the third quarter, that was the difference in the game, and Gamble’s two threes were huge.”
Edwards was not surprised to see Gamble hit the two 3-pointers. “He’s a shooter, that’s what he does for our team,” Edwards said.
Perry ends the season with a seven-win improvement over 2004-05.
“It’s up to the underclassmen to grab that intensity that all the seniors passed on, and do something with it in the offseason,” Toth said.
Massillon needs to sustain its intensity into the weekend.
“We’ve got 48 hours,” Creamer said, “to get ready to go, and we’ll be ready to go.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail:
[email protected]
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