Determined South wins first City title since ’80
As the old saying goes, every dog has its day.
The South boys basketball team, which hadn’t been to the City League championship game in 29 years and hadn’t won one since 1980, treated faithful Bulldogs fans and alumni with a juicy bone Saturday.
Aided by 8-0 and 10-2 runs in the second half, South took control of the tempo and beat perennial City power Northland 65-51 before a sellout crowd at Africentric.
“This is a lot bigger than us,” South freshman forward Marcus Johnson said. “We did this for our school, our alumni and the whole community. They’ve waited a long time for this. As for the players, we were committed to having the seniors go out with a City title.”
Treohn Watkins hit four three- pointers and scored a team-high 15 points, and Johnson chipped in 14 points, six rebounds and two blocks off the bench to pace the Bulldogs ( 21- 1), who went 1- 19 when Ramon Spears took over the program in 2010- 11.
South made the Division II district finals each of the past three seasons, but the City South title remained elusive.
South’s last City championship team featured All- Ohio guard Bobby Harris and Greg Bell, who went on to play running back at Notre Dame and in the NFL.
“Words can’t begin to describe what I saw and felt out here today with all the emotion our crowd gave us,” said Spears, who played on South's last City qualifying team.
“I wish I could shake the hand of every South alum who came out today to support us and those who have been behind us all along. I guess I’ll have to rely on Facebook to get that done.”
Northland ( 18- 4) used its length to keep South from getting to the rim early, but the Bulldogs kept the pedal to the metal in hopes of creating a fast pace. The Vikings took a big hit midway through the second quarter when 6-foot-4 JeJuan Weatherspoon — the team’s leading scorer and rebounder — went down with a sprained ankle and later returned to the bench on crutches.
South’s 10-2 run early in the fourth quarter made it 50- 38, and with Northland forced to gamble, the Bulldogs closed strong with a handful of press- breaking layups.
“Coach told us we just had to keep pushing and we had to outhustle them up and down the floor,” Watkins said. “That’s how we play.”
Quentin Jones scored 20 points and N'Keeley Elmore 14 to pace the Vikings, who were visibly crushed following the defeat.
Northland had lost just one City contest in 170 games dating to 2006-07, including nine City championship game titles.
The loss also snapped a 16-game win streak by North Division teams in the title game.
“We have no excuses, no regrets,” Vikings coach Sean Taylor said. “It is what it is. This was our chance to add this group’s name to the legacy, but it wasn’t to be today. Obviously, the kids are really disappointed.”
Taylor offered sincere congratulations to Spears.
“They deserved it,” he said. “They played hard the whole game. Coach Spears has earned this moment and so have their fans. I think they had the whole South Side here today.”