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ACBF Stars Left Seeing Red
By CHRIS LARICK
Staff Writer
The first time the Red team
pulled away from the Gray at the Ashtabula County Basketball
Foundation Senior All-Star Classic Tuesday at Jefferson High School,
Gray pulled right back into the game.
But Gray had no answer for Red's second burst, and Red stepped away
for a 110-101 victory.
After a tight
battle in the first half, from which Red emerged with a 52-49
lead, Red outscored Gray, 17-4, to enjoy a 69-53 edge after
Lakeside's Billy Downs connected on a layup with 16:20 left in
the game. The winners were paced by the Red's Player of the
Game, Edgewood's Derrick Coy, who had a layup, three-point play
(layup and free throw) and dunk in that duration. Coy finished
with 20 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a
steal in the game.
"I was very surprised (at being chosen for his team's top
honor)," Coy said afterward. "I just had fun tonight. There were
a lot of great players on both teams. Emilio (Parks, from
Lakeside) and Brant O'Brien (from Grand River Academy) are great
players."
But Gray charged back behind Pymatuning Valley's Mitch Berrier,
SS. John and Paul's Alex Iarocci, Geneva's Jimmy Haines and
Jefferson's Kyle Hass to tie it at 70-all when Berrier hit a
free throw with 12:59 remaining.
Gray couldn't take the lead,
though, as baskets by O'Brien, Parks and Coy helped raise the
count to 82-74 midway through the period. From then on, the
closest Gray could get was 95-88 after Edgewood's Sean Butler's
dunked with four minutes remaining. |
ADAM
STURKIE of Geneva defends Jared Moisio of Conneaut during the
Ashtabula County Basketball Foundation All-Star Game on Tuesday
night at Falcon Gym. |
The teams were nearly even in
almost all categories. Red led Gray by a narrow margin in shooting,
43.8 percent-42.3 percent, and in rebounding, 67-59. But Red enjoyed
an 11-3 advantage in 3-point baskets, a 24-point margin.
Jefferson's Matt Moyer, named Gray's Player of the Game, had
21points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.
"I'm so happy," Moyer bubbled afterward. "It was cool to do it where
I played all year in front of my family. I've always wanted to be
one of the elite players in the county. This feels good to do it in
front of my peers."
Coy was joined in double figures for Red by Parks with 20 points, to
go along with eight rebounds, and O'Brien with 17. Downs and
Jefferson's J.D. Drews had nine points apiece.
Butler
tallied 16 points for Gray, with Edgewood's Willy Morgan also
hitting double figures with 14 points. Hass had seven points.
More importantly, all the players seemed to enjoy the
camaraderie, particularly since they got to play with peers who
had opposed them all season long.
That held true for the coaches, too.
"I enjoyed it," Bob
Hitchcock, who played for and coached Pymatuning Valley to many
successful seasons and is now in the ACBF Hall of Fame, said. "I
got to see a lot of players I didn't see throughout the year. We
should be proud of the seniors from Ashtabula County this year." |
ACBF
Co-MVPs Derrick Coy of Edgewood (LEFT) and Matt Moyer of
Jefferson are presented their awards by ACBF board member Paul
Stofan at the organization's annual senior all-star game Tuesday
night at Falcon Gymnasium. |
Adam Holman, also in the ACBF
Hall of Fame for his contributions as a coach and athletic director
while at Ashtabula High School, as well as a referee, said that he
appreciated the opportunity to work with the young men representing
their schools in the game.
"They showed me a lot of respect for what I did," Holman said. "I
passed it on to them.
"They had a perfect attitude and were obedient. As far as I can see,
these young men are headed toward a good future in the world and in
education if they continue to work under the guidance which they're
getting here in Ashtabula County." |
