The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Kirtland’s depth is the big difference
Beachwood’s advantage in many of its games this season was predicated on Jayson Woodrich and Jimmie Mitchell’s scoring ability.
Kirtland’s strength lies in its numbers.
Coach Shawn McGregor’s rotation goes 10-deep and the Hornets’ aimed to throw as many bodies as possible at the Bison’s primary options.
“That was the game plan,” senior forward Seann McGill said. “Shut down Woodrich, shut down Mitchell and there’s a good chance we win the game because outside of them, they really don’t have much scoring.”
McGill put up a doubledouble of 17 points and 13 rebounds, alongside three blocks, to lead three Kirtland players in double-figures. Woodrich and Mitchell combined to score 40 points, but the Hornets executed their defensive strategy to defeat Beachwood, 71-52. Kirtland advances to a Division III Garfield Heights District semifinal against Lutheran East on March 4.
Senior guard Adam Mueller added 14 points and junior guard Zach Samsa chipped in 11. Samsa, Connor Gron and Dom Capretta were among the many who traded sequences face-guarding Woodrich.
“We thought the only way we were going to win was to use our depth,” McGregor said. “We needed to make sure we were running a lot of guys at Woodrich and making things difficult for him. We ran bigs, we ran guards, we ran a variety of guys that would play him a different way and they all did a great job.”
Woodrich made a pair of free throws and a layup to give Beachwood an early 6-5 lead. McGill drove baseline, scored through a foul and hit his and-one foul shot to put Kirtland up, 8-6. The Hornets never
trailed again.
Kirtland led, 18-15, after a quarter before Woodrich brought the Bison within one to start the second quarter. The Hornets scored eight unanswered points carried a 32-24 edge into half. McGill opened the second half with a pair of layups to extend Kirtland’s lead to double-digits as the Hornets began to wear out
Beachwood’s seven-man rotation.
The Bison trailed by 16, 53-37, to begin the fourth quarter when Mueller, McGill and Samsa scored to push Kirtland’s lead to 22, 59-37. When Beachwood needed to deploy fullcourt pressure to try to spark a comeback, the Hornets’ fresh legs were prepared.
“It’s hard to play as many
minutes as they play when they’re under duress for that long,” McGregor said. “That was our game plan, to try to make them work as hard as we could. When they’re that talented, and you know they’re going to make plays as the game goes along, but you just want to make them work for everything they had.”
Woodrich averaged 26 points per game during the regular season and finished his final high school basketball game with 22. The area’s leading 3-point shooter with 87 3-pointers during Beachwood’s first 22 games, his only make came in the fourth quarter — a four-point play as he was fouled. Mitchell added 18.
Postgame, Beachwood coach Matt Miller let his players know he is proud of their work during the 2018-19 season. The Bison lost their final two regular-season games, including a game at Harvey that could’ve earned them a share of the CVC Chagrin title, and lamented Beachwood’s slump.
“It’s just terrible timing to have kind of our worst two games,” Miller said.