Crosstown Hoops Rivalry Returns to a Packed House

After a ten year hiatus, Lakewood and St. Edward renewed their basketball rivalry Friday night at  the Eagles’ Nest. They played their first regular season game since 2006, and the opening night event attracted a packed house. The Rangers and Eagles split the freshman and Junior Varsity games, but the Eagles dominated the varsity contest 106-51.

The crosstown matchup delivered intense energy for an early season game. Ranger fans packed the west side of the gym, and their student section was very loud throughout the evening. Eagle supporters packed the east side, while St. Edward students looked on from the stage at the north side of the building. The crowd was entertained by a pair of close early contests. In the freshman game, the Rangers drained a three-pointer at the final buzzer to force overtime. They then went on to win the game 56-52, delighting the fans in purple. The JV game was another close contest, tied after three quarters.  The Eagles escaped with a win, setting up the main event of the evening.

The Rangers entered the varsity game with their largest lineup in decades, including 6’9” senior Jacob Sala and 6’ 5” juniors Andy Garcia and Raekwon Whitfield. The Eagles returned 6’ 7” 275 pound Senior Kelvin Calhoun, a formidable inside presence. They also feature strong guard play from senior Thomas Schmock, who recently signed a letter of intent to play college basketball at Findlay.

Ranger guard Chris Golden hit a three pointer to make the game 9-6 St. Edward with 5:22 left in the first period. The Eagles then used strong three point shooting and free throws to open the lead to 30-11 after the first quarter. The Rangers played much better in the second quarter, outscoring the Eagles 15-14. Whitfield and Sala each hit a pair of important buckets, and senior Blake Setta made a three pointer to make the game 38-24 with 2:15 left in the half. That shot capped a 13-6 Ranger run that energized the large contingent of purple in the stands.

The second half was all Eagles, as Schmock and sophomore Demetrius Terry helped build a 30 point lead by the end of the third quarter, and the lead continued to grow with substitutes in the game during the fourth quarter. Schmock, Calhoun, and junior guard PJ Flannery each had 10 points for the Eagles. Reserves Michael Dowell and Elliott Tirbaso had 9 and 13 points, respectively. Freshman Grant Huffman was impressive in his first high school game, scoring 13 off the bench. The Eagles, now 1-0, will host three more home games before traveling to San Diego on December 26 for a holiday tournament. They host Cornerstone Christian on December 9, and Glenville on December 17.

Golden and Whitfield led the Ranger scoring, each with 10 points on the night. Sala scored 9 points in the post, and guard Omar Ibrahim  had 8 points on the night. Setta finished the game with a total of 6 points.  The Rangers next game will be Friday December 9 at home against SWC foe Berea-Midpark. They will also host SWC opponents on December 16 (Avon Lake) and 20 (North Olmsted). The Rangers are playing this year’s home games at Harding Middle School.