The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Eyes of the city of Lorain on the Titans
The Lorain boys basketball team feels it has struggled to spark respect from Northeast Ohio basketball fans. But while most have their eyes on powerhouse programs like St. Edward or Massillon Jackson, the city of Lorain has had its eyes on its own back yard.
Four years ago, Lorain was a 12 seed in the Division I district tournament. The Titans fell to Westlake in the second round.
But something exciting started the following year.
Lorain dominated for a 22-0 record through its regular season. It sneaked by Brunswick in a tripleovertime district semifinal before defeating St. Ignatius in the final. With high hopes and the entire city on its back, the team fell in the regional semifinal to St. Edward.
But no tears were shed.
Fans packed Lorain basketball games at home and on the road, squished shoulder-to-shoulder in matching T-shirts that bore slogans like “No days off.” Tuesday and Friday evenings became basketball nights, pushing other plans to the backburner during the winter.
The city of Lorain again became a basketball town. It has been that way since.
“Just like our team, they’re not backing down,” coach John Rositano said of Lorain fans.
“They have a lot of character and what we did represents I think the whole city of Lorain and our school. It’s just a great feeling for everyone involved. It’s not just for 12 guys, but for all the fans here tonight.”
The Titans met the same fate in 2016, falling to Lima Senior in the regional semifinal. In 2017, they couldn’t overcome Elyria in the district final. Still, the city showed up, maintaining its Titan pride.
This year finally paid off, for both the team and the fans as the Titans took down Toledo St. John’s in a regional final, 47-44, on March 17. Both teams were top seeds in their district brackets, but Lorain felt no one gave it a chance. Beating St. Edward should have been a statement, but the Titans are still seeking recognition east of Colorado Avenue.
“It feels great, but it feels even better because nobody believed in us,” freshman Kameron Davis said. “It just feels that much sweeter.”
Davis’ steal with 51 seconds on the clock tipped the momentum in Lorain’s favor to seal the regional final victory.
As St. John’s threw the ball away in the game’s final second, half of John F. Savage Arena at the University of Toledo erupted in cheers and tears.
“Just walking through the stands, just the tears from the fans, just how much it means to these people. We’ll represent the city of Lorain Friday in Columbus,” Rositano said.
Lorain will face Cincinnati Moeller in a state semifinal matchup next Friday. Columbus may be a twohour drive south, but there’s little doubt that the Jerome Schottenstein Center will be inundated with navy and silver.
“This will do wonders for the pride of the city of Lorain,” Rositano said. “It’s just a great feeling for I think everybody involved.”