St. Francis Comes Out On Top With Victory Against St. Gabriel's

In a 8th grade girls matchup, St. Francis faced off against St. Gabriels. St. Francis took a quick lead in the first quarter and dominated on offense. They continued to lead the game going into halftime by a score of 22-6.

After dominating in the first half, St. Gabriel's and St. Francis played a tighter 3rd quarter. St. Gabriel was able to contain St. Francis's offense by only letting them put up 6 points in the 3rd quarter.  Both teams fought hard in the second half but St. Francis came away with a 34-13 victory against St. Gabriels. Number 2 for St. Francis lead the team with 17 points offensively.

by Anna Meyer

St. Raphael Holds Off St. Francis

Right out of the gates both teams came out strong with energy on both sides. Saint Raphael’s led after one 16-12. Saint Raphael’s and the Cougars played tough. They both played solid defense.

The second quarter was all Raphael’s it was a team effort which was solid offense and defense. They caused chaos for the Cougars. They led 30-10 at the half.

Right out of the gates Saint Francis comes out to a strong start against Saint Raphael’s. Saint Raphael’s dominated the first half, but Saint Francis goes on an 8-2 run to start the quarter. Kabeic  number 5 and number 1 and his brother Jake also helps them bounce back for Saint Francis helped them get out to a strong start to the quarter by getting turnovers, and getting key bucket. The score after 3 was 36-30.

The start of the fourth quarter was back and forth was back and forth well fought battle to start. Maksyn ha a big three in the early stages of the 4th. Saint Raphael’s started which was well executed and caused many turnovers which led to scores.

by Ryan Marshall

Bulldogs Take a Bite Out of the Preppers (7th Grade)

The first quarter was an uneven start. The bulldogs came out strong with a 14-5 start. The bulldogs had very good ball movement that led to buckets. University school was rattled in the first by Gesu’s press.

In the second University School bounced back they started making their shots. Then after that they started a press of their own. They cut the lead down to 23-17. Their game was solid on both ends which made it hard for Gesu to score and it was their best quarter.

In the 3rd Sean number 35 led the Bulldogs to a strong second half start right out of the gates. He was solid on offense and defense. Sean had many good passes and the team had very good energy.

In the fourth Gesu started off strong with solid with a 10-0 run and pherocious team defense effort forced many turnovers. The bulldogs dominated the quarter and made it difficult for university School to even get a shot off.

Holy Trinity Dominates in Matchup against St. Mary of Chardon

In the beginning of Saturday afternoon, Holy Trinity and St. Mary of Chardon faced off in the 7th Grade boys division. Holy Trinity came out and played fiercely dominating by a score of 28-4 at halftime. Throughout the second half, Holy Trinity built off of their momentum from the lead and went on to win the game by a final score of (45-5). Holy Trinity controlled the game offensively and defensively for both halves. Grant Washington lead Holy Trinity with 14 points in todays match up.

St. Raphael Walks All Over Metro Catholic

Gesu Outlasts St. Jude After Early Injury

The game started off tightly at 4-4 when Gesu's number 5 suffered an injury and had to step off. She is okay, but needed to take a rest. As the game continued, Gesu began to extend a lead, but St. Jude kept it close. the score at the end of the first quarter St. Jude 6 and Gesu 10. In the second quarter, after strong defensive pressure from both teams, Gesu started to creep their lead forward ending the half with a score of St. Jude 12 and Gesu 24.

The start of the second half saw more defensive pressure from both sides, but scoring opened up in the last 3 and a half minutes. Gesu maintained a lead, but St. Jude came back to cut the deficit to 9 at 32-23. In the final quarter, both teams fought hard. St. jude cut the lead to as little as 8, but Gesu pulled away emerging victorious with a final score of 41-27.

By: Joseph Nych

Holy Trinity Runs Down Seton Catholic

Klug's Bulldogs Prevail Over McCoy's

Raiders defeat Grizzlies 37-32

In one of the first games in the Morrissey Classic, St. Gabriel’s faced off against St. Raphael's in the 8th grade boy’s division. After a long hard-fought game, St. Raphael's was victorious against St. Gabriel’s with a final score of 37-32.  Nolan Spicer was the leading scorer for the Raiders with 12 points followed by Danny Kerwin with 6 points. Leading the Grizzlies in points was Charlie Fox with 9 Points followed by Brandon Smaul and Nick Pellica with 8 points each.

Game Stats

• Anna Meyer

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Beats Up on Gilmour

Our Lady Saints started off strong in the first half putting up constant pressure. However, Gilmour fought back with tenacity to end the first quarter only down by four. Thanks to a deep buzzer-beating three pointer from Gilmour's number 11, the score at the end of the first quarter was 16-20. The second quarter started just as fiercely as the first ended. However, the Our Lady Saints slowly built their lead, and the Our Lady Saints finish the third quarter leading Gilmour with a score of 27-28 at the end of the half. 

The Our Lady Saints start the second half with a barrage of shooting improving their score over Gilmour to 46-27. Despite their best efforts, Gilmour was not abel to make cut the deficit by the end of the quarter. Gilmour fought hard in the fourth quarter to try and catch the Our Lady Saints, but the Saints kept knocking down shots. The final score of the game was Our Lady Saints 55 and Gilmour 27.

By: Joseph Nych

Emmanuel Christian Academy Wins 2017 Morrissey Classic

The Emmanuel Christian Academy Rams edged past the St. Robert and William Warriors, 65-54, to take the eighth grade title in the 2017 Morrissey Classic on Sunday evening at Court 1 on the campus of Gilmour Academy. Emmanuel Christian guard Christopher Livingston scored 30 points and crashed the boards for 12 rebounds, while guard Cordell Livingston notched 14 points in the tightly contested affair. St. Robert and William relied heavily on the contributions of Clayton Cunningham, who showed versatility and nearly posted a triple-double with 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. 

A three-point barrage from the Rams proved to be the starting point of the contest, as Cordell and Christopher Livingston drilled a pair of three-pointers within a minute of the opening tipoff. The brothers accounted for the entirety of the team’s first-quarter production, while St. Robert and William received four points from Zach Tizzano in the post, limiting its deficit to two points after the opening period. The Warriors were led by Noah Clark and Cunningham, as they pieced together a 7-2 rally to commence the second quarter and reclaim a 20-15 advantage. A rapid exchange of baskets ensued, spearheaded by the Emmanuel Christian’s Cordell Livingston, who brought a packed crowd to their feet with a three-point play in the paint. The halftime score was 29-27 in favor of the Rams. Christopher Livingston put more of an emphasis on attacking the interior of the court in the second half, scoring his team’s first 10 points in the third quarter for a 39-29 lead. The margin expanded further, as Emmanuel Christian rattled off 12 of the next 19 points to take a 51-36 lead and force St. Robert and William to call a timeout with one minute left in the third quarter. The late-game surge carried over to the fourth quarter, with the Rams having the ability to milk the clock and limit the opposition’s scoring, prompting a joyous celebration after the game.

Strong First Half Leaves St. Raphael Victorious in Third Place 8th Grade Girls Game

St. Raphael went up early and went up hard against their third place game opponent Mater Dei, outscoring them 18-5 in the first half.  Mater Dei would fight back after the half, reducing the deficit by 1 after the third.  However, St. Raphael would finish the game strong, scoring 12 points in the fourth to win third place handedly with a final score of 38-21.

The key to success for the St. Raphael team was scoring opportunities.  Their 12 offensive rebounds, compared to MD’s mere 3, and 9 steals.  Thanks to these opportunities, St. Raphael shot the ball 21 more times than their opponents.  This was key in scoring the points in the first half to give them the lead they had.  St.  Raphael’s standouts included #42 Lizzy Lenahan, #30 Alley Androsik, and #23 Rory Marcis.  Lenehan was the team’s lead scorer and rebounder, with 11 points and 9 rebounds.  Androsik made her mark passing and on defense, contributing 3 assists and 2 steals along with 5 points.  Marcis played her role excellently, with 4 points, 2 assists, and 7 rebounds.

For Mater Dei, #23 Caitlin McCrone, #22 Rylee Hodge, and # 13 Grace Terranova were the top players.  McCrone was the team’s strong woman in the paint, hauling in a team high 6 rebounds, blocking a shot, and putting up 4 points.  Hodge lead the team’s scoring effort, scoring 9 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.  While Hodge lead the offense, Terranova lead the defense, grabbing a team high 4 steals and 3 defensive rebounds.

7th Grade Post Game Interviews

St. Francis of Assisi Post Game Interview; defeats St. Ann's 33-27

St. Ann's Post Game Interview; loses to St. Francis 33-27

Gesu Post Game Interview; defeats St. Rita 46-36

St. Rita Post Game Interview; loses to Gesu 46-36

University School Post Game Interview; defeats Gesu (Krebs) 40-14

Gesu (Krebs) Post Game Interview; loses to U.S. 40-14

LCA Post Game Interview; loses to St. Gabriel 51-41

St. Gabriel Post Game Interview; defeats LCA 51-41

Communion of Saints Post Game Interview; defeats St. Rita 39-38

St. Rita Post Game Interview; loses to Communion of Saints, 39-38

Raiders Top Bulldogs, Claim 8th Grade Girls Title at 2017 Morrissey Classic

The St. Jude Raiders took home the eighth grade girls title at the 2017 Morrissey Classic with a 48-29 victory over the Gesu Bulldogs on Sunday evening at Court 1 on the campus of Gilmour Academy. The interior play of Daniela Shaughnessy and Alexandra Heidt yielded a pair of double-doubles and 28 combined points, while Gemma Fillippi added nine rebounds in the winning effort. Lilli Lang rounded out the wealth of contributions with 10 points, one rebound and two assists.

St. Jude came out sharp on both sides of the floor, taking an 8-0 lead in the first three minutes of the contest. Shaughnessy was a presence in the frontcourt, tallying three points and corralling four rebounds throughout the early outburst. The Bulldogs responded and cut the margin in half with baskets by Caitlyn King and Lucy Castellanos, but Lang knocked down two three-pointers to reclaim a comfortable 15-6 advantage after the first quarter. Shortly thereafter, the Raiders rattled off a 9-0 run, led by Alexandra Heidt and Shaugnessy – who recorded a double-double in the first half alone. St. Jude held down the fort for the remainder of the first half, maintaining a 15-point lead at the intermission.  The Raiders sustained a margin of at least 13 points for the remainder of the game, using passes from Ella Raimondi (four assists) for open looks at the hoop. A three-point play in the post from Shaughnessy sealed the deal, giving her a final line of 17 points, 20 rebounds and high fives from her coaches.

Gesu (Salata) Delivers in Defensive Struggle Against St. Christine

What started as a close game grew into a strong 24-8 victory for the Bulldogs off a third quarter burst.  The first quarter showed a lot of defensive action, with the score at 4-2 in favor of Gesu.  This sort of defensive play would extend the whole game.  Gesu managed to extend their lead in the second, going up 8 to 4 going into the half.

A strong third quarter would be the difference in the game, as Gesu connected with the basket six times to score twelve points while holding their opponents to a meager 2.  It was a tale of two quarters for the Bulldogs, as St. Christine would shut them out in the fourth with another round of solid defensive play.  However, St. Christine could not generate enough offense to close the gap, and the score ended 24-8 in favor of Gesu.

Overall, Gesu proved stronger in three important categories which lead them to victory.  They took 14 more shots, had 4 more steals, and 13 more rebounds than their opponents.  This generated far more opportunities to score, and allowed Gesu to take the lead.  This comes despite a strong defensive showing from their opponents, who logged 8 steals and only 7 fewer defensive rebounds.  For the Bulldogs, #25 Margaret Lux, #32 Aggie Breen, and #22 Megan Sommerfeld were lead contributors.  Lux lead the team in rebounds with 12, Breen logged 5 steals for her team, and Sommerfeld was the lead scorer with 8 points.  For St. Christine, #3 Paris Gilmore, #35 Olivia Rouser, and #11 Anna Morgione were top players.  Gilmore and Morgione were top rebounders for the team, hauling in 6 and 5 boards respectively.  Rouser was the top scorer, contributing 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in the effort.

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Gesu are your 7th Grade Morrissey Classic Champions!

A late offensive spark lifted the Gesu Bulldogs to a 49-45 victory over the St. Francis of Assisi Cougars in the seventh grade finals of the Morissey Classic at Court 1 on the campus of Gilmour Academy. Adishe Molton led all scorers with 25 points and Dom Johnson contributed nine points in the winning effort, sealing the way to a trophy celebration atop a bracket comprised of eight teams.

Full-court pressure from the Bulldogs induced a slew of turnovers in the early stages of the first quarter, with Johnson and Molton converting their stingy defense into valuable production on the offensive end of the floor. Even with a platoon swap of players, Gesu maintained its competitive edge, as Molton splashed two shots from beyond the arc for a 15-4 lead, forcing St. Francis of Assisi to take a timeout toward the tail end of the first quarter. Owen Mlynek drilled a pair of three-pointer to help the Cougars cut the deficit to six points, 27-21, heading into the intermission. St. Francis of Assisi continued to piece together its methodical comeback, with Ethan Nowak finding an open lane for a routine layup, putting the score at 29-25 with 4:12 remaining in the third quarter. Mlynek chipped in another four points, Nowak stayed consistent in the post and the Cougars eventually took their first and largest lead of the contest, 34-31. The tandem of Johnson and Molton proved to be the difference in the closing moments, as the former knocked down a quartet of free throws and a midrange jumper, while the latter nailed a teardrop and two shots from the charity stripe to spearhead the Bulldogs to a highly coveted title.

Championship Game and Post Game Interviews

St. Raphael Holds Off Gilmour in Overtime

In a match that had everyone on court 4 on the edge of their seats, the St. Raphael Raiders and Gilmour Academy Lancers battled it out into overtime.

The teams with fire in their souls and ice in their veins battled the first half out.  In the first, Gilmour proved to be more efficient with the ball, converting 43.8% of their shots versus Raphael’s 33.3%.  #11 Dorjan Flowers went off for the Lancers, scoring 17 of their 20 first half points, converting on 75% of his shots.  To top it off, GA would steal the ball 3 times in strong defensive stands.  Despite this, Raphael’s bigs stepped up, hauling in a total of 18 rebounds versus the Lancer’s meager 5.  11 of the Raider’s rebounds were offensive, providing them more opportunities to score.  Their play in the paint continued to make a competitive game, as the score at half was tied at 20.

The second half proved to be just as competitive between the two teams, each scoring 10 in the third to make the score 30-30 going into the final quarter of play.  Play would remain tight into the fourth, and a Dorjan Flowers steal and layup with 10 seconds left in the fourth would force an overtime, tying the score up at 35-35.  Flowers would end the contest with 23 points off a field goal percentage of 45.0%, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 steals.  Despite his stellar performance, St. Raphael would step up their pace in the overtime period, scoring 8 points and shutting out Gilmour to make the final score 43-35.

The key to the Raiders victory was out-rebounding the Lancers 42-11 and improving their shot percentage to 35.4% while tightening up their defense to cause the Lancer’s percentage to drop to 35.1% by the end of the game.  For the Raiders, #13 Joey Pefaff, #21 Ryan Waldron, and #5 Daniel Argalious were standout players.  Petaff and Waldron were studs in the paint with 13 and 9 rebounds respectively.  Agalious and Waldron were lead scorers, with 11 and 10 points respectively.

Gesu Takes Third in The Morrissey Classic

Right from the outset, the Gesu Bulldogs played with a high level of intensity, propelling themselves to a 57-22 victory over the St. Mary’s of Chardon Vikings in the Morissey Classic on Sunday afternoon at Court 1 on the campus of Gilmour Academy. Finn McConville finished with 13 points and three rebounds, while Max Muresan tallied a double double, including 12 points and 10 rebounds. Lucas Grover capped off the scoring outburst, notching nine points on 3-of-7 shooting, all of which were three-pointers.

Gesu claimed an early 12-2 lead thanks to the sharp shooting and elusiveness of McConville, who knocked down a pair of three-pointers and found a crease in the defense for two driving layups in transition within moments of tipoff. The Vikings trimmed the deficit to 13, courtesy of a Marcus Rowan buzzer-beater from beyond the perimeter at the culmination of the first quarter. Both teams traded baskets throughout the second period, keeping the margin close until the left-handed release of Grover gave the Bulldogs a 30-8 advantage on his second trey from the top of the key. The score stood at 33-12 heading into the intermission. More of the same momentum carried over to the second half, as Grover and McConville sustained a premier form, incessantly knocking down field goals in the face of the opposition. Gesu performed in all facets of the game, defending the full length of the court, forcing turnovers, executing dribble-drives from the elbow and showing touch from mid-range.

Mater Dei Grinds Out Win over St. Christine 21-16

While the snow is falling rapidly outside, these two teams are working and grinding for a win. Both Saint Christine and Mater Dei were these two teams and man, did they battle! This matchup was one of the closest in the whole Morrissey Classic. The defense was through the roof with both teams only allowing a combined 37 points. The game was, in fact, very physical with every player on each team recording at least one foul.  In the end Mater Dei grinded out the win with a final score of 21-16. 

In this battle of the defenses players did shine through with astronomical statistics. Starting with some of the star players for Saint Christine, number 3 Paris Gilmore stood out like a diamond in the rough. She had 9 points to lead her team in scoring, but unfortunately her team couldn’t pull out the win. On Mater Dei two players hit the stat sheet dramatically. Number 23 Caitlin McCrone and number 20 Grace Terranova both had 7 points to lead their team to victory. Both teams fought valiantly and congratulations to Mater Dei on achieving victory!

St. Mary's Sets Tone; Beats Holy Trinity 46-19

The St. Mary’s boys basketball team defeated Holy Trinity 46 to 19 on Sunday, November 18, during the annual Morrissey Classic.

Right off the jump ball, St. Mary’s very own Ashton Montgomery fired a pass to Steven Bodamer, effectively setting the tone for the rest of the game. Holy Trinity’s Pete McGreal had a team high of eight points, followed by Jack Kenneally with seven points. Efforts to decrease the deficit came up short for the Eagles.  

Leading St. Mary’s to victory were Bodamer, who recorded a staggering 20 points, and Caden Veltcamp, putting up 13 points and 6 rebounds.