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Solon High School (Solon, OH)

PlainDealer

3/3/06

Solon moves on in the tourney....

At South High School

Solon 17 21 17 16-71 Cleve. Hts. 14 18 16 13-61

Solon: Valentino 3-1-7, Grant 4-2-11, Hewitt 9-5-29, Nameth 1-0-2, Lauderdale 5-3-13, Burns 2-2-6, Allen 1-1-3.

Cleveland Hts.: McCall 2-0-5, Turnbo 7-0-17, Hughes 8-1-17, Garrett 2-0-4, Kelce 6-2-15, Lippord 1-0-3.




PlainDealer

3/3/06

<H1 class=red>Solon-St. Ignatius game moved

</H1>

Friday, March 03, 2006



From staff reports

Wednesday's Division I boys basketball district semifinal between top-seeded Solon and No. 4 St. Ignatius has been moved to Brecksville-Broadview Heights. Tipoff remains at 6:30 p.m.

The move from South High was made to accommodate the anticipated crowd. Brecksville seats 2,700 to South's 1,400. Tickets ($5 for adults and $3 for students) go on sale Monday at the schools.

All other games will remain at South.
 
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CPD

3/8/06

[FONT=arial,sans-serif]Tuesday, March 07, 2006[/FONT]
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[FONT=arial,sans-serif]Cleveland South District Semifinal Previews
The buzz around the area is over the semifinal games to be played at Cleveland South. With Solon battling St. Ignatius and Bedford taking on Euclid, the games should be fiercely contested and dotted with some fantastic players.
[/FONT]
Solon (20-1) vs. St. Ignatius (13-8)

This game marks a rematch of the Berea district final in 2005, won by Solon by a 58-50 score. Many are anticipating a more lopsided Comets victory this season.

Solon, led by talented post Dallas Lauderdale, has only been defeated by Haddonfield (N.J.) this season. In that game, Haddonfield was able to neutralize Lauderdale with their blue-chip 7-foot center Brian Zoubek. Lauderdale was held to just four points and five rebounds in that matchup.

For St. Ignatius to pull off the upset, they must also find a way to control Lauderdale's production. The duty will likely rest on the shoulders of 6-foot-5, 250-pound John Ryan. The Notre Dame football recruit will have to use his strength and aggressiveness to frustrate Lauderdale, as he will be giving up nearly five inches in height. Expect plenty of double teams as well.

Of course, St. Ignatius will have their hands full as well with several of the other Solon players. Point guard Steve Valentino will be difficult to contain, especially after the season-ending injury to the Wildcats' point guard Robby Parris. The 'Cats must find a way to slow down the always active Valentino and not allow him to dictate the pace of the game.

Solon will have their own issues in stopping St. Ignatius' dynamic scorer Rudy Kirbus. The 6-foot-4 senior has shattered the school scoring average record with a 26.5 ppg average. He erupted for 48 points in the Wildcats' 69-56 quarterfinal victory over Cleveland East. He is a talented outside shooter and terrific at drawing contact and getting to the free throw line.

The public consensus is an easy double-digit victory by Solon. However, the Comets have not been a team to blow teams out, as most of their victories have been relatively close. If Ignatius can find a way to keep Lauderdale in check and Kirbus catches fire, this one could be alot closer than expected.

However, when the final horn sounds, I think the Comets will move on.

Prediction: Solon 63 St. Ignatius 56
 
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CPD

3/9/06

DIV. I BOYS DISTRICT SEMIFINAL

<H1 class=red>Solon muscles way into district final

</H1>

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Eddie Dwyer

Plain Dealer Reporter

After competing in one of the more physi cal games in the history of the Cleveland South postseason tournament, Solon's gritty senior point guard Steve Valentino leaned up against the gymnasium wall, smiled and made one thing clear - the Comets won't back down.

Solon, displaying the composure one associates with a highly-ranked program, came on strong in the final 3:33 and turned back St. Ignatius, 64-54, Wednesday night in a Division I boys basketball district semifinal. The game attracted a capacity crowd of more than 1,400.

The Comets, ranked No. 1 in The Plain Dealer's final Top 25 poll, improved to 21-1 and advanced to Saturday's 1:30 p.m. district championship game at South. Seeded No. 1, Solon will face the winner of tonight's 6:30 semifinal between second-seeded Bedford and third-seeded Euclid.

"They were big and they were strong," Valentino said of the Wildcats (13-9). "All of them banged, the whole time. But we came out and kind of let them know we weren't going to take it."

The Comets, who withstood a 31-point performance by St. Ignatius' all-district senior guard Rudy Kirbus, clung to a three-point lead at halftime and led, 42-37, entering the final eight minutes.

St. Ignatius, which employed a strategy of using as many fouls as possible on Solon's 6-9 All-Ohio junior center Dallas Lauderdale, kept the pressure on and closed to 47-45 on two free throws by Kirbus with 3:33 remaining.

The Comets, who defeated St. Ignatius in the district finals last season, responded to Kirbus' free throws with a free throw by senior forward Pat Hewitt, a key offensive rebound and a soft 5-footer by senior guard Billy Grant, and a strong move down low by Lauderdale.

Kirbus' third 3-pointer enabled the Wildcats to close to four points with 1:34 left. But again, Solon had the answer.

The Comets, ranked fourth in the big-school state poll, pulled away down the stretch on a driving one-hander by junior guard Anthony Burns, a two-handed slam-dunk by Lauderdale off a perfect lob pass from Burns and two free throws by Hewitt.

"It's tough on the big fella, because people come into ballgames and that's their game plan, to use 10, 11, 12 fouls on him inside," Solon coach Todd Van Reeth said after Lauderdale scored 26 points, including 15 in the second half. "But he's a heck of a competitor and he can fight through it.

"Hey, we knew Rudy [Kirbus] wasn't going to go down without a fight."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

edwyer@plaind.com, 216-999-5169
 
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CPD

3/12/06

<H1 class=red>Solon survives

</H1>Lauderdale, Comets barely beat Bearcats


Sunday, March 12, 2006

Eddie Dwyer

Plain Dealer Reporter

Displaying the same composure he brought to the court, Solon's Dallas Lauderdale looked at his district championship medal one more time and spoke calmly about what had just taken place.

"I loved everything about it, the crowd, the atmosphere and the opponent I was playing," said the Comets' All-Ohio junior center.

Lauderdale and teammates Anthony Burns and Pat Hewitt came up big down the stretch and helped the area's top-ranked boys basketball team to a 62-60 victory over third-ranked Bedford in Saturday night's Division I district championship game at Cleveland South.

"I am proud that I was part of it," Lauderdale said.

It was only fitting that two of Northeast Ohio's premier programs closed the postseason curtain at "The Big House on Broad way" in style. The South tourna ment is moving to Cleveland State's Woodling Gym in 2007.

In a game in which the teams tested each other's will for the entire 32 minutes, Bedford (20-3), behind eight third-quarter points by all-district senior forward Jason Thompson and a 3-pointer by senior guard Reggie Byarse, led, 43-39, entering the final eight minutes.

The Bearcats, who were seeking their third consecutive district title, rode the scoring of senior forward Donzale Moore to a 59-56 lead with 1:01 remaining. But Burns, a junior guard who hit two clutch 3-pointers earlier in the fourth quarter, scored off a driving one-hander.

After Bedford missed a free throw with 33.8 seconds left, Lauderdale was fouled with 25.5 seconds to go. "Big D," as he is known to his teammates, canned both free throws and, after the Bearcats misfired on three shots on the ensuing possession, Hewitt was fouled while diving for a loose ball.

Hewitt, a senior forward, hit both of his free throws, giving the Comets a 62-59 lead with 11.8 seconds left.

Bedford senior guard Anthony Lumpkin was fouled with 1.2 seconds remaining, made his first free throw and, on his next attempt, purposely threw the ball off the front of the rim in hopes the Bearcats would get the rebound and a putback.

The 6-9 Lauderdale, who finished with a game-high 21 points, boxed out, secured the rebound with both hands and sent Solon (22-1) into its second consecutive regional -- a semifinal matchup with sixth-ranked Mentor on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the University of Akron.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

edwyer@plaind.com, 216-999-5169
 
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CPD

3/14/06



SCOUTING BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS



Tuesday, March 14, 2006

DIVISION I

Akron

Where: The University of Akron's James A. Rhodes Arena. Call 330-972-8102.

Semifinal: Solon (22-1) vs. Mentor (18-5), 7 p.m. Winner advances to Saturday's 7:30 p.m. regional championship game.

What to watch: On Feb. 4 at Mentor, Solon and Mentor played what many are still referring to as the game of the year in The Plain Dealer's seven-county coverage area. Solon prevailed, 76-74, in double overtime. A regional finalist last season, Solon has won 47 of its past 49 games and has captured back-to-back Plain Dealer poll championships. Mentor, champion of the rugged Lake Erie League Lake Division, finished sixth in The Plain Dealer poll. The game will feature the AP's Northeast Lakes District big-school co-Players of the Year - Solon's 6-9 junior post Dallas Lauderdale (21.0) and Mentor's 6-8 senior wing and Holy Cross recruit Adam May (22.6).
 
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CPD

3/15/06

[FONT=arial,sans-serif]Tuesday, March 14, 2006[/FONT]
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[FONT=arial,sans-serif]Regional Semifinal Previews
Solon (22-1) vs. Mentor (18-5)

The Comets are looking to keep the train rolling along against another top-tier team from Northeast Ohio. After beating a fiesty St. Ignatius team and a super-talented Bedford squad in the Cleveland South District, Solon gets the opportunity to knock off another of the area's finest. Mentor took home the Euclid District hardware with a narrow victory over Glenville.

This game, their second matchup of the season, will hope to be as compelling as the first. In early February, Solon squeaked by Mentor, 76-74, in double overtime.

This should be another battle featuring two of the area's top players dueling it out.

Solon has gotten fantastic production and clutch play out of their star, Dallas Lauderdale. He almost single-handedly took the game over against Ignatius and hit two clutch free throws down the stretch in the war against Bedford.

Mentor will counter with a big-time player of its own in Adam May. The 6-8 forward scored 24 points in the district championship and assisted on the game-winning basket by Joe Meyer.

They say it is hard to beat a team twice in one season, so the burden rests on the shoulders of the Comets. Can they pull it off?

If Solon gets hot from the outside, they are a very dangerous team. Pat Hewitt, Billy Grant and Steve Valentino are all capable of hitting the 3-ball, which opens up the inside even more for Lauderdale. If they struggle from the outside, Mentor will collapse their defense and make things hard for the big man.

This game can go either way. But, as the result of already being tested thoroughly down the stretch and withstanding everything thrown at them, I will pick the Comets to move on.

Prediction: Solon 65 Mentor 60
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CPD

3/17/06

Comets roll along, earn showdown vs. McKinley

Friday, March 17, 2006

Eddie Dwyer

Plain Dealer Reporter

While enjoying another clutch postseason performance, Solon High senior forward Pat Hewitt couldn't help but look ahead to the next game.

"They're a great high school team, they're like a college team," Hewitt said of nationally ranked Canton McKinley. "But it's just one game.

"And anything can happen in one game."

For the Comets, that one game against that special team is now a reality.

Solon, on the strength of Thursday night's 72-65 regional-semifinal victory over Mentor at Akron's James A. Rhodes Arena, earned the right to face the Bulldogs, Ohio's defending big-school state champion.

The Comets (23-1), ranked fourth in the final Division I state poll, will face Ohio's top-ranked "Pups" (22-2) in Saturday's 3 p.m. regional championship game at Rhodes Arena. The Plain Dealer's No. 1-ranked team, Solon is making its second consecutive appearance in the Elite Eight.

"I'm just happy for these kids, because as an athlete you want to play in big games," said Comets coach Todd Van Reeth. "Hopefully, there will be people out front trying to fight for tickets on Saturday."

Thursday night's game, which attracted a crowd of 2,845, was much different from the Comets' 76-74, double-overtime victory at Mentor during the regular season.

Playing an aggressive half-court defense, Solon limited the Cardinals (19-6) to 30 percent shooting and led by eight at halftime.

With 6-9 All-Ohio junior center Dallas Lauderdale controlling the boards and scoring down low, and Hewitt burying 3-pointers, the Comets built a 14-point lead entering the final eight minutes. Lauderdale finished with 22 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, and Hewitt scored a team-best 24 points, hit five 3-pointers and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Those efforts, combined with the ball-handling and passing of senior point guard Steve Valentino and junior guard Anthony Burns, enabled Solon to withstand a 32-point performance by Cardinals All-Ohio senior wing Adam May.

The 6-8 May, who also pulled down 13 rebounds, helped lead a late run that saw Mentor cut a 15-point deficit to 59-53 with 3:11 remaining.

The Comets responded with a driving one-hander by Valentino and put the exclamation mark on the victory with two free throws and a breakaway slam-dunk by Lauderdale.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

edwyer@plaind.com, 216-999-5169
 
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Canton

3/18/06

McKinley, Solon a combined 45-3

Saturday, March 18, 2006



[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By CHRIS BEAVEN[/FONT]



AKRON - Confidence will not be a problem in today’s Division I boys basketball regional final at Rhodes Arena.
McKinley and Solon — ranked No. 1 and 4, respectively in the state — enter the 3 p.m. game with a combined 45 wins this season.
“Both teams have won a lot and won against some good teams,” McKinley head coach Dave Hoover said. “Both teams will come in with a lot of confidence, and expecting to win.”
The top-ranked Bulldogs are 22-2 and looking to defend their state title. They are rated as high as No. 5 nationally, are 70-7 over the last three years and seek a third straight trip to the final four.
Solon is 23-1, winning 48 of its last 50 games. The Comets reached the regionals finals last year in Toledo, losing at the buzzer to Mansfield.
The Bulldogs are looking to extend an impressive run against an assortment of strong tournament teams. The first four teams they have beaten — Warren Harding, GlenOak, Massillon and Barberton — won a combined 83 percent of their games.
Solon is the third straight 20-win team to play McKinley, and the second top-10 team. The Bulldogs beat No. 9 Massillon (20-3) by 17 in the district final before a 23-point win over Barberton (21-3) in Wednesday’s regional semifinals.
“That’s probably as tough as we’ve had,” Hoover said of this tournament run.
The Bulldogs faced a similar one in winning last year’s Division I state title. But what makes this year’s look even more impressive is their average victory margin of 21 points.
“That’s a testament to our talent level and testament to our kids in terms of their ability to play in big-game situations,” Hoover said. “It’s a testament to their ability to still have enough good moments in a game to win by 15, 20 points, even though overall, you would not judge it as your best basketball.”
Hoover does not think McKinley has consistently played its best basketball in the tournament. And he said the players agree.
“And that’s a continuing drive you want,” Hoover said. “You want a drive inside your team where they want to attain perfection. You’re never going to attain that, but we want to get as close to a perfect game as we can.”
MR. EFFICIENCY
After a dominant regular season, McKinley 6-foot-8 senior Raymar Morgan is putting together a remarkable postseason shooting the ball. He has made 42 of 55 shots (76.4 percent) in averaging 25.3 points. He has made 17 of his last 18 shots. And just as important, Morgan is knocking down free throws, going 16-for-17 at the line.
All of those numbers improve upon a regular season where he shot 68.2 percent from the floor, 69 percent from the line and averaged 24.1 points per game.
“That’s what you expect, not just from him, but a lot of our players,” Hoover said. “We have good players who have been here before; they’ve been through big games as far as the tournament and regular season. You expect them at big times to step up and play big. That’s what he’s done and what we’ve seen really from a lot of our players.”
Morgan is closing in on 1,500 career points. He enters today with 1,477, having passed Nick Weatherspoon’s record of 1,431 last week. Teammate Ricky Jackson has 1,348 career points.
LITTLE GUYS MAKING BIG IMPACT
McKinley’s top four guards — Sedelle Broyles, Marcus Parker, Kyrk Freeman and David White — are coming off an impressive performance against Barberton. The quartet combined for 8-for-13 shooting from 3-point range in scoring 32 points.
“It was definitely our best shooting game from 3-point range,” Hoover said.
McKinley’s guards also had just two turnovers between them, while coming up with nine assists, eight rebounds and five steals.
“We’ve got good guards that can really do a lot of things,” Hoover said. “Obviously because of our front line, one of those things is we ask them to get the ball inside, which they do. And that’s a very important part of our offense. But they can step up and make plays for us on both ends of the floor.”
BOUND FOR FINDLAY
Parker, a 5-8 senior, has made a verbal commitment to attend the University of Findlay, an NCAA Division II program.
“Marcus has worked very hard both on the court and in the classroom to get himself in the position to (accept a scholarship),” Hoover said.
Parker leads McKinley in assists (83), steals (58) and 3-pointers (41). He shoots 42.3 percent from 3-point range.
“He’s coming to a team ranked generally among the top 10 or 15 in the nation,” Hoover said. “And he’s going to get to play a with a veteran team. They are graduating their point guard, who maybe finished as the fifth all-time leading scorer. So there’s a huge challenge to take that person’s place. But on the other hand, if he works really hard and gets ready for the season, he has a great opportunity as a point guard to be inheriting a top-10 type team and made it to the NCAA tournament.”
Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven
at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail chris.beaven@cantonrep.com.

McKINLEY
vs. SOLON
Division I
regional final
Rhodes Arena,
University of Akron Today, 3 p.m. RADIO WHBC-AM 1480, WNPQ-FM 95.9, WCER-AM 900
 
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Canton

3/18/06

McKinley (22-2) vs. Solon (23-1)

Saturday, March 18, 2006





WHAT Division I regional final
WHEN Today, 3 p.m.
WHERE University of Akron’s Rhodes Arena.
HEAD COACHES Dave Hoover, McKinley; Todd Van Reeth, Solon.
LAST MEETING This is the first meeting.
RANKINGS McKinley finished No. 1 while Solon was No. 4. They were in the same positions in 2005.
HOW THEY GOT HERE McKinley beat Barberton, 75-52, in Wednesday’s regional semifinals after winning the Canton District by beating Warren Harding 73-53, GlenOak 71-46 and Massillon 68-51. Solon beat Mentor 72-65 in Thursday’s regional semifinals after winning the Cleveland South District by beating Cleveland Heights 71-61, St. Ignatius 64-54 and Bedford 62-60.
WHAT’S NEXT The winner plays Friday at 5:15 p.m. in the state semifinals at Ohio State’s Value City Arena. They will play the winner of tonight’s game between Toledo St. John’s (20-5) and Strongsville (20-4).
A LOOK AT THE MATCHUPS Two of the state’s top players will be in this game. McKinley’s Raymar Morgan is among the nation’s top senior forwards. He is a Michigan State recruit, and has been at his best in big games. Morgan is the reigning state tournament MVP. Solon’s Dallas Lauderdale is one of the nation’s top junior post players. “He’s very aggressive, a great shot blocker with great vertical leaping ability,” McKinley coach Dave Hoover said. “He does most of his scoring around the paint.” He grabbed nine offensive rebounds in the win over Mentor. Each team’s star is surrounded by a number of guys capable of being difference makers. McKinley’s Marcus Parker has made 12 3-pointers during the tournament, while teammate Kyrk Freeman came off the bench for three in the last game. Solon’s Pat Hewitt has hit 13 postseason 3-pointers. Point guard Steve Valentino has a knack for making big plays for Solon. Billy Grant is another shooter who the Bulldogs must be aware of, although he also can take people off the dribble. The Comets occasionally extend out into three-quarters court pressure. McKinley’s has protected the ball, averaging 7.8 turnovers a game in the tournament.
Chris Beaven
today’s lineup
MCKINLEY
Name Ht. Yr. Ppg.
3 Sedelle Broyles 6-1 Sr. 4.8
5 Raymar Morgan 6-8 Sr. 24.3
11 Marcus Parker 5-8 Sr. 11.5
21 Todd Brown 6-5 Sr. 10.2
33 Ricky Jackson 6-6 Sr. 11.0
Top subs
4 Harriel Moore 6-2 Sr. 2.4
15 Kyrk Freeman 5-9 Sr. 4.0
25 David White 6-2 Sr. 4.2
31 Morgan Williams 6-1 Jr. 2.3
SOLON LINEUP
Name Ht. Yr. Ppg.
3 Steve Valentino 6-0 Sr. 6.0
23 Billy Grant 6-2 Sr. 11.0
34 Brad Nemeth 6-2 Sr. 1.5
44 Pat Hewitt 6-2 Sr. 18.8
52 Dallas
Lauderdale 6-9 Jr. 20.5
Top subs
10 Anthony Burns 5-9 Jr. 7.8 40 Josh Allen 6-3 Sr. 1.8 (Scoring averages for Solon reflect only its four tournament games.)
 
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CPD

3/19/06

DIVISION 1 BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONAL CANTON McKINLEY 68SOLON 38

<H1 class=red>Bulldogs' defense stifles Comets

</H1>

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Eddie Dwyer

Plain Dealer Reporter

Solon's Pat Hewitt referred to Canton McKinley's half- court defense as "suffocating, just hellacious."
Comets coach Todd Van Reeth, competing in his 30th postseason tournament, said he doesn't know if he has ever seen a better collection of athletes, one through 10.
McKinley, fueled by another superb all-around performance by 6-8 all-state forward Raymar Morgan and a defensive effort that at times rendered Solon helpless, overwhelmed the Comets, 68-38, Saturday afternoon in a Division I boys basketball regional championship game.
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The game, which matched the state's No. 1 (McKinley) and No. 4 big-school teams, attracted a capacity crowd of 5,172 to Akron's James A. Rhodes Arena.
"I think, as always, there's room for improvement," said Morgan, who will lead the defending state champion Bulldogs (23-2) into Friday's state semifinal matchup in Columbus against Toledo St. John's (21-5).
"But the defensive effort tonight was just crazy. We got after it and shut them down."
Morgan, a Michigan State recruit, got after it midway through the first quarter by scoring 10 unanswered points after Solon had taken a 5-2 lead on a 3-pointer by Hewitt. McKinley's all-time leading scorer with 1,506 career points, Morgan hit 11 straight shots after missing his first attempt and finished 11-of-12 from the field with two 3-pointers, and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. He complemented his game-high 29 points with 12 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals in 25 minutes of action.
In the Bulldogs' four previous tournament games, Morgan was a combined 42-of-55 from the field and 17-of-18 from the free-throw line.
"You're talking about a 6-8 kid who is a great athlete and also can step out and hit the 3; that's a pretty tough matchup," said Van Reeth, whose team finished 23-2 and made its second consecutive regional final appearance.
Along with his offensive output, Morgan combined with 6-6 senior forward Ricky Jackson to limit 6-9 All-Ohio junior center Dallas Lauderdale to five points and three rebounds. Lauderdale averaged 21 points and nearly 10 rebounds during the regular season.
Outrebounding the Comets, 38-13, McKinley, ranked fifth in most of the national polls, played at what Bulldogs coach Dave Hoover described as an "A level."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
edwyer@plaind.com, 216-999-5169
 
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CPD

Boys Basketball Preseason Top 25


Thursday, November 30, 2006

1. Solon (23-2 last season): Can Solon make it a three-peat in the area poll? Fueled by one of the premier big men in the country - 6-9 senior and Ohio State recruit Dallas Lauderdale - the Comets are still the team to beat. Lightning-quick guard Anthony Burns, promising 6-6 sophomore post Reggie Keeley and former St. Edward guard Nne Lewis are among the other names to remember.
 
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LINK

Update on the Solon/Perry game...

Perry boys show they are for real against Solon
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
SPORTS SPOTLIGHT TODD PORTER

SOLON December basketball isn?t supposed to be like this. They charged about what it costs to buy a value meal to get through the door Tuesday night at Solon High School.

Two Big Macs were on the floor.
A few years from now, you might have to put down 50 bucks to watch Solon?s Dallas Lauderdale and Perry?s 7-foot behemoth Kenny Frease go at it for four quarters.
This was playoff-atmosphere basketball the first week of December. Some of us haven?t even put our helmets away yet. Wins and losses carry no weight before Santa comes down the chimney.
Respect is earned, and they backed a truck into the Perry locker room late Tuesday night to unload a few tons of it. The Panthers gave the team that Sports Illustrated said was the best in Ohio everything it wanted.
When the buzzer sounded, Solon had a little too much Dallas. The Comets escaped their season opener at home with a narrow 58-57 win over Perry.
Panther head coach Rob Toth looked like the winning coach afterward. Maybe because he was. Toth watched his players grow Tuesday night.
?This was their opener, on their floor,? Toth said. ?They have high expectations. They?re nationally known. ... We told our kids we wanted a chance to win it at the end, and we were in position.
?Everyone knew who (Solon) was before this game. We play these games for experience. I don?t know if they knew who we were before this game, but they know who we are now.?
Perry earned that much.
Frease, a junior, gave the Ohio State-bound Lauderdale fits at times. The 6-9 Lauderdale scored 7 of his 26 points in the second quarter, which Frease mostly watched from the bench after picking up his second foul. Perry?s big man picked up his fourth early in the final quarter and had to play tentative. Lauderdale scored 5 in the fourth.
Frease finished with 16 points, and missed about a quarter with foul trouble. The Panthers got 11 points from both Greg Fite and John Marshall. A Marshall 3-point attempt rattled out of the basket with six seconds left.
Lauderdale struggled from the line, but he drilled a pair of free throws with 28 seconds left to give Solon the 1-point lead.
?Big players make big plays in big moments,? Lauderdale said. ?Those were already in the basket in my mind before I got to the line.?
Toth liked the way his young big guy handled himself.
?He didn?t back down from (Lauderdale). He went right at him,? Toth said.
Once, Frease left Lauderdale jumping into the sky with a head fake and step-under move for an easy basket.
?I didn?t know who he was,? Lauderdale said. ?I knew he was a big man. I?ll tell you, though, he?s a great player. He?s got a great future in front of him.?
That Lauderdale didn?t know Frease is hard to believe. If Lauderdale is one of the best players in the state, he ought to know his competition.
Frease shrugs off that kind of ego.
?If we play them 10 times, we probably split 5-5 with them,? Frease said. ?Maybe it?s 6-4.?
He didn?t say who would win the six.
?They?re the No. 1 team in the state and No. 36 in the country,? Frease said. ?It?s good to compete with them. People were talking like they were going to blow us out.?
Those people didn?t respect Perry. They didn?t respect Frease. They have to now. He just turned 16. The kid was good last year. He may be the most improved player in the county this year.
In his first game, Frease was double- and triple-teamed. He was beat like a piece of tough steak for three quarters at Marietta. He was choked once and kneed in the chest. Perry fights back, and it?s only December.
 
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ABJ

Solon 76, Nordonia 57

Other Comets step up, hustle

Lauderdale fouls out, but Solon presses on

By Tom Gaffney

Beacon Journal sportswriter

MACEDONIA - When Ohio State recruit Dallas Lauderdale of Solon fouled out in the third quarter, Nordonia and its followers became energized and primed for an upset.
But the Comets' small but quick backcourt of Anthony Burns and Nne Lewis had other ideas.
Burns and Lewis combined for 41 points -- 26 of them in the second half -- as Solon (2-0, 1-0) defeated host Nordonia 76-57 Friday night in the Western Reserve Conference opener for both schools.
``After Dallas fouled out, we needed to step up as a team,'' Solon coach Todd Van Reeth said. ``The game changed when we started to make hustle plays. We have some good players besides Dallas. Our guards are two seniors who have played in a lot of big games.''
Lauderdale, a 6-foot-9 senior center who signed an NCAA letter of intent with the Buckeyes last month, picked up his fourth personal foul with 4:21 left in the third quarter. Seconds later, he fouled out when he pulled his jersey out of his shorts in anger over the call, and was assessed a technical foul.
The score was 44-34 in favor of Solon at the time and 30 seconds later it was 44-39, which rocked the Nordonia gym to a fever pitch.
However, the 5-foot-11 Lewis (20 points) scored six consecutive points late in the quarter to make it 52-42 at the end. Then the 5-10 Burns (21) hit two quick 3-pointers to start the fourth period to make it an insurmountable 60-44.
``Dallas is a great player, but we had to prove we can win without him in the lineup,'' Lewis said. ``A lot of people came through for us when we needed it.''
Sophomore forward Reggie Keely did his part inside to compensate for the loss of Lauderdale by scoring 14 points.
For Nordonia (1-1, 0-1), junior guard Dominic Russo had 21 points, with 15 coming in the first half. Another junior guard, Ryan Clark, added 13.
Knights coach Ken Vehar said his team's youth -- the team has only one senior -- showed in the second half, when the lead was cut to five points.
``When Lauderdale is in there, you can't run your offense the way you want because he blocks shots,'' Vehar said. ``With him out, we panicked and did not run our offense.''
Vehar said his team wore down against the quicker and more physical Comets.
``We did a lot of the things we wanted to do defensively,'' said Vehar, who is in his second year with the Knights. ``Their guards pressure you and take you out of your game. They showed tonight that they are not a one-person team.''
Lauderdale finished with seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
 
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