Recap Of Week 5’s Top Five Games
Holiday season events hosted most of Ohio’s top games this week. Some teams even travelled across state lines to escape the cold.
For the Top Five Games, Brush and Mentor continued their ascension in the NEO hierarchy, Whitmer and Coffman represented their city’s in non-conference wins, and Brunswick’s season took a turn.
Thursday, Dec. 27: Brush (68) over Warrensville Heights (50)
If you’re late to the party, here’s the memo: it’s time to take Brush (very) seriously as a contender. Their two non-conference tests have been met with exclamatory wins, including this 18-point one over Warrensville.
Four Brush Arcs scored in double-figures, according to Cleveland.com — Andre Harris, John Hugley, Elmore James IV, and Corey Floyd. The latter two have been exceptional as first-year starters in a secondary role.
Warrensville, our no. 5 team in OHSAA Division III, is now 5-2 with the other loss coming to 10-0 East Tech.
Friday, Dec. 28: Reynoldsburg (68) over Brunswick (56)
Reynoldsburg stopped their losing streak at just two games by handing Brunswick their first loss of the season behind 21 points from Ben Fort, per Cleveland.com. Fort is an unsigned 6’5” senior wing capable of playing at the Division I level. After playing second fiddle to 2018 commit Tre Williams a year ago, Fort has stepped up as a primary scorer.
Meanwhile, we can’t mention Brunswick without showing more love to sophomore guard Tre Massey. The 2021 prospect continues to prove capable as a scorer, leading the team with 16 points in this one. The Blue Devils got blitzed by Thomas Worthington the next night, too, 90-45. Coming into Week 5, Brunswick was 6-0.
Friday, Dec. 28: Coffman (70) over Lakota East (58)
It’s always impressive when a team is able to beat a quality opponent that they don’t face every season or have the convenience of scouting after a 10-minute drive. The 12-point win against then-one-loss Lakota East speaks to Coffman’s preparation and intelligence.
Senior wings Luke Bartemes (16 and 7) and Derek Van Vlerah (13 and 8) combined for 29 points and 15 rebounds, per Todd Koonce, to ensure Coffman remain undefeated. Bellarmine commit Bash Wieland scored 26 points in the loss.
Saturday, Dec. 29: Mentor (83) over Benedictine (81)
Don’t look now, but sophomore point guard Luke Chicone has led Mentor to a 7-0 start, including this statement win at the NEO Youth Elite Christmas Classic. The 5’7” floor general went for 27 points against one of the state’s finest backcourts. The game went back and forth in the final period but the Cards emerged. Senior forward Mason Trubisky scored 17, per .
Benedictine’s Davin Zeigler and BJ Busbee both eclipsed 20 points. The Bengals are 5-3 with games at Padua and versus St. Edward coming next week.
Saturday, Dec. 29: Whitmer (81) over RIchmond Heights (62)
Whitmer continued their dominance by defeated the no. 1 team in Division IV by nearly 20 points. Senior 6’6” forward Eddie Colbert scored 33 points, per the Toledo Blade. Meanwhile, Areon Evans swished six 3-pointers. The 6’2” guard is no longer just a defensive specialist, his spot-up shooting ability is a threat.
Meanwhile, Richmond Heights stands at 6-4 with a back-to-back next weekend against Independence and Shaker Heights.