The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Lorain Titans ready to get back on the court
Players show grit and determination after state semifinal loss
Not even five minutes into a postgame news conference did Taevon Pierre-Louis start talking about getting back in the gym to prepare for next season.
Lorain was fresh off a disappointing loss to Cincinnati Moeller, 51-44, in a Division I state semifinal, a loss made more painful because the Titans didn’t feel they played to their usual standard. But there was no blame to be had, no tears save for the ones for teammates who will never take the court together again. Just a sense of unfinished business.
“We just got to keep playing,” Pierre-Louis said. “We’re just going to have a hell of a summer and come back 10 times stronger.
“Next year we’ll be seniors, and it’s going to be our last shot to get to this spot. We want to go to the state championship and win it all.”
Coach John Rositano couldn’t help but smile to himself hearing the urgency in Pierre-Louis’ voice.
If the 6-foot-6 forward could have gotten his senior campaign started that night, he would have. His teammate, Devon Grant — or brother, as the players refer to each other — had fewer words, but the sentiment was written all over his face as he simply responded, “Yes,” when asked if the loss serves as motivation for next season.
“These guys love basketball,”
Rositano said. “They’ll be in the gym within a day or two (because) they just love to play. They’ll come back 10 times better, stronger and more hungry.
“These guys aren’t quitting. They’re tough, they’re hard-nosed . ... They’re not backing down.”
It’s not as if they have a choice.
Both Grant and PierreLouis said the will to win is in their blood.
Growing up in Lorain, the constant need to overcome their surroundings and prove they’re just as capable as anyone else has fostered a passion for the game that has set them on their recent path to success — losing only strengthens that drive.
“It’s just in our blood,” Pierre-Louis said. “We’ve been playing with each other our whole lives and we always been that way. It don’t matter if a team is ranked higher than us or not, we’re just going to come out and bring out what we got.”
“Like my brother said, we just play the way we play because it’s in our blood,” Grant added. “We don’t really worry about who we’re playing or who’s ranked higher than us, we just play our game.”
“Lorain kids don’t back down. It’s in their DNA, I guess,” Rositano chimed in with a laugh.
Now that the Titans got a taste of the spotlight, playing on Ohio’s biggest stage for high school basketball in front of a crowd of thousands, there’s much work to be done if they want to earn a return trip next season.
The players aren’t afraid of a little hard work, however. Rositano constantly says his team practices harder than any team around, and after taking a little time off, will no doubt be back in the gym with memories of the 2018 state semifinal fueling every practice until Lorain iss back in the big dance.
“It was a long season, but these guys earned every (bit) of what they got this year and that’s why we’re most proud is because of how hard these guys work,” Rositano said. “The scoreboard will take care of itself and that’s what we go by.
“You never can predict anything but anything’s possible.”