The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
VASJ bond rock-solid
For the regional-bound Vikings, it starts with best friends Higgins, Dinunzio
Jerry Higgins moved to Wickliffe from Euclid between the fourth and fifth grade.
During the summer before his first day at a new school, Higgins, future Villa Angela-St. Joseph teammate Will Butler and another friend met up to play basketball at one of Wickliffe’s parks.
Anthony Dinunzio later arrived with a couple of friends and with new kids at the other end of the court, matched up in 3-on-3.
“They hustled me,” Dinunzio
VASJ VS. CORTLAND LAKEVIEW
What: Division II Canton regional semifinal When: March 15, 6:15 p.m. Where: Canton Civic Center Records: VASJ 17-8, Cortland Lakeview 20-6 On deck: The winner advances to a Canton regional final March 17. recalls. More surprising than the ability of Dinunzio’s opponents was their age — like Higgins, Dinunzio would enter the fifth grade that fall. He went home, called his
father A.J., who coached an eighth-grade team, and told him about his new classmate.
Higgins and Dinunzio have been teammates in the eight years since. They’ve also become best friends.
As Higgins became VASJ’s all-time winningest player in the Vikings’ district title win March 10, Dinunzio knows the same person he met when he was 10.
“That’s the best thing about him,” Dinunzio said. “He’s humble. You would never know what he just did. If he scored 100, if he scored two, he keeps that same mentality of he’s just glad to be here and glad to win.”
Higgins owns 86 career victories in his tenure wearing a Viking uniform. He enters VASJ’s Division II regional semifinal against Cortland Lakeview March 15 with a 24-1 career record in the state tournament.
Babe Kwasniak knew Higgins was unique almost immediately.
Higgins did not complain when his coach told him he needed to play junior varsity in order to see minutes with Mo Johnson entrenched as the Vikings’ starting point guard. And in one of his first practices, Higgins tried to take a charge against 6-foot-10, McDonald’s All-American forward Carlton Bragg.
Higgins’ accomplishment derives from what his predecessors taught him — leadership from Johnson, Parker’s toughness, Simon Texidor’s jumpshot.
“Never in my life have I ever seen a kid that doesn’t have an off switch,” Kwasniak said. “His effort is second to nobody ever. The names I think of are like (Ohio State’s) Aaron Craft or, when I was growing up, (Duke’s) Steve Wojciechowski.”
Higgins’ win total surpassed those of Clark Kellogg, David Lighty, Dererk Pardon, Bragg, Brian Parker and any of the legends who’ve played for the seven-time state champion Vikings.
“There’s kids you get to coach once in a while,” Kwasniak said. “There’s
kids you get to coach once in a lifetime. That’s what I tell every college coach. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime type kid.”
Dinunzio and Higgins have competed in the classroom for four years. Dinunzio currently ranks fourth in VASJ’s Class of 2018 standing, a hair ahead of fifth-place Higgins and his 4.4 grade-point average.
“I like to think I’m smarter than him,” Dinunzio said.
“You are not smarter than me,” an exasperated, smiling Higgins replies.
Whoever ends up ahead in the class ranks won’t be more of a winner than the other. Dinunzio and Higgins sharpened one another, equal benefactors from competition as friends and peers.
They’ve shared the same science class since they met in fifth grade. Higgins enjoys studying math while Dinunzio is partial to chemistry.
Wherever Higgins chooses to play in college, he plans to pursue a premed course of study. His uncle is an anaesthesiologist and his stepmother a nurse practitioner. Higgins intends to follow them into the medical field as an orthopedic surgeon, hopefully working with athletes in some capacity.
Dinunzio will decide between Cleveland State and Ohio State, where he was recently accepted. He plans to study business and after his education will train to become an emergency medical technician and fireman.
On and off the court, Higgins is quiet but well-liked and respected. Dinunzio is his more gregarious counterpart, more eager to share than Higgins.
“He’s going to deny this but he’s addicted to PopTarts,” Dinunzio said. “This dude is addicted to PopTarts and I promise you, if you ever have one, he’ll ask for it. He’s allergic to peanut butter. He can speak Russian.”
Higgins learned a few Russian phrases from his stepmother, who is Russian and speaks the language. He can say ‘hello,’ ‘good,’ and ‘I love you’ among other phrases.
Higgins’ favorite type of Pop-Tarts was a limited edition sugar cookie flavor. After
VASJ won a district title March 10, Higgins’ weekend was parsed by disappointment when he found the flavor was missing from shelves.
Dinunzio also knows Higgins’ fondness for the Lofthouse frosted soft cookies.
One summer morning, Dinunzio found Higgins awaiting him at the bay window in the back of the Dinunzio family’s duplex.
“You could pop out the screen and get out,” Dinunzio said. “It’s like 10 in the morning and I see him with his bike coming home from football, he popped open the screen to get in. And he’s like ‘What’s up bro? I’m thirsty and hungry.’ ”
Higgins has shared countless meals prepared by “Ma” Dinunzio, all so good he can’t choose a favorite. Dinunzio also brought Higgins to his first bocce tournament, where Higgins claimed to be Sicilian among his present company.
Dinunzio is into video games, with Xbox his console of choice. Higgins plays a bit, too, with a game of Fortnite or matching up with Dinunzio in NBA 2K.
In VASJ’s halls, Dinunzio and Higgins’ tandem Halloween “White Men Can’t Jump” costumes were a smash hit. Higgins dressed as Wesley Snipes’ Sidney Deane and Dinunzio was Woody Harrelson’s Billy Hoyle — although Dinunzio jokes he wanted to dress as Sidney.
Attention for the congenial Dinunzio is regular.
“He is such a people person,” Higgins said. “He can blend in with any type of crowd. In school, you might see him rapping or acting in plays in class and stuff like that. He’s just such a people person, he can fit in with anybody. That’s going to carry him a long way.”
Higgins can’t decide which of the Vikings’ three state runs he’s enjoyed more. However this season finishes, it’ll be as memorable as Higgins’ state title runs in 2015 and 2017.
For the first time since they were eighth-graders, Higgins and Dinunzio share the floor fairly consistently.
“He’s a captain with me,” Higgins said. “It’s kind of like how it all started, just
like the old days. Since it’s his last year probably playing basketball, it means a lot, especially to me.”
Four years ago, Higgins was one of the city’s top eighth-graders who averaged almost 40 points per game. Dinunzio guesses he dished out around 12 assists per game that season.
This season, Higgins returned as VASJ’s only rotation player from last year’s state championship team. Higgins has always led by example, but a group of inexperienced freshmen and juniors required more vocal leadership.
The affable Dinunzio’s helped Higgins in that respect. He’s the team’s definitive vocal leader.
“It’s not in Gene’s personality as much,” Kwasniak said. “He’s more lead by example, Anthony’s got the voice. It’s just his DNA anyway, he’s been a state champ.”
The regular stresses of a high school senior have been amplified for Higgins, who is in the midst of a recruiting process.
He recently received his first Division I college scholarship offer from Winthrop and has interest from the College of Charleston, which recently won the Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Dinunzio’s infectious personality in practice each day’s helped Higgins’ perspective on basketball. His best friend never shows up with a frown, which helps Higgins stay positive — even when he was blocked one of the first plays of VASJ’s game against Lake Catholic March 10.
“This game is fun,” Higgins said. “It shouldn’t be looked at as a job. He’s just helped me in that way and that’s expanded the way I play and on the court, I’m just always smiling. There’s nothing to be mad about.”
Few outside Viking Village shared the expectation VASJ would return to Columbus this season, let alone win a district title. The Vikings moved from Division III to II last summer and roster attrition decimated a group of players Kwasniak expected to contribute.
Preseason, the Vikings’ coach thought the possibility
was real VASJ could enter the postseason with a .500 record. The Vikings went 14-8 in the regular season, shepherded by Higgins and his unwavering focus.
“I expected us to be here and I expect us to keep on going,” Higgins said. “Just because we made it here, it doesn’t mean much. It’s just another stepping stone to where we want to be.”
Dinunzio shares his friend’s expectations. He’s seen Higgins exert all he has to ensure the Vikings’ streak of six consecutive trips to a state final doesn’t end on his watch.
“He has something on his shoulder,” Dinunzio said. “He’s not satisfied with the offers and stuff he has, he sees other people being successful and he knows, ‘Hey, I’m just as good as him, even better.’ He’s playing with that chip on his shoulder because time’s running out.”
If VASJ defeats Cortland Lakeview, a matchup with Revere or defending D-II state champion Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary awaits.
Whatever happens, Kwasniak can’t ask for more from his point guard.
“We can lose the next game,” Kwasniak said. “I can’t imagine a kid possibly having a better high school career than that kid’s had. What else could he possibly do?”
Kwasniak calls Higgins a coach’s dream. He’s the definition of a winner, with unparalleled attitude and effort.
If the Vikings move on to Columbus, Higgins’ and Dinunzio’s friendship may not be what wins games for the Vikings. Rather, perhaps more importantly, it’s a testament to the quality of leaders and teammates that emerge from Lake Shore Boulevard.
“I think that really, if we could make it down there, that would really show the culture of VASJ,” Dinunzio said. “It’s not all the talent. It’s how close you can be together and once you bond, stuff works.”
If Kwasniak wonders what else his point guard could do, Higgins will try to provide an answer.
“We want that last time to be on our terms,” Higgins said. “And knowing when the last game is, that’s the only way it can happen.”