The week ahead on the North Coast: Showdown on tap as Shaker Heights faces off with Brush
The week ahead
Some great games will heat up the gym in this the last full week of January.
None will be bigger than the one coming up between Shaker Heights and Brush.
Shaker Heights is led by the high scoring and athletic backcourt of Christian Guess (2018) and Dale Bonner (2018) while Brush is led by a trio of players with Division I college offers in 6’9” John Hugley (2020), 6’3” Andre Harris (2019) and 5’9” D. J. Dial (2019).
Brush shocked the world earlier this month when it knocked off then nationally-ranked Garfield at Baldwin Wallace at the Play by Play Classic.
Warrensville vs. St. Vincent-St. Mary
An outstanding matchup between two of the best freshmen in the state in Seth Wilson and Ramelle Arnold on Jan. 24 inside The LeBron James Arena. Both players can make plays on offense via slick handles and athleticism and both play with a high IQ.
Garfield Heights at St. Ignatius
When the season started I thought Garfield Heights would win every game it played by 30 points and challenge the LeBron St. V teams for the title of greatest high school team in the state in the past 50 years.
Had to take a slight break to wipe the egg off my face.
Garfield now finds itself in a free fall. The Bulldogs have lost three in a row and were trampled by Cornerstone Christian in its last outing by 21.
They still have one of the top juniors in the state in 6’9″ Alonzo Gaffney and one of the top freshmen in the state in Demetrius “Meechie” Johnson Jr., but those two need to start playing like their press clipping and the team needs to gel. Alas, coach Sonny Johnson may be able to attract talent but he and the area are learning it can be tough to blend it into a cohesive winning unit.
“We just need to find our chemistry,” Johnson told me in a phone call over the weekend.
They’ll have to face down a tough opponent and a tough crowd at St. Ignatius on Jan. 26.
St. Edward at Cleveland Heights
The Eagles look to be back at full strength as guard Grant Huffman (2020) on of the best sophomore’s in the state rounds back into shape after missing time with an ankle injury.
Cleveland Heights is coming off an impressive pair of wins against Lorain and Warrensville. A senior-laden team led by point guard Yahell Hill (2018) and Ohio State football recruit Tyreke Smith (2018). There will be a lot of athleticism on the floor. The game is part of the Dunk 4 Diabetes card on Jan. 28 at John Carroll and is slated for a 6:30 p.m. tip.