The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
RH repeats in D-IV district
NORTON » Malikee Sonie didn’t play much during Richmond Heights’ run to the 2019 Division IV state final four.
Against Rittman in the Norton District title game March 6, the junior sixth man helped ensure the Spartans repeated as district champions.
Sonie scored nine of his 11 points off the bench in the second quarter to help Richmond Heights build a double-digit halftime lead en route to a 69-47 victory.
“That’s my job,” Sonie said. “I’ve got to come in, help the team up when we’re lacking. I try to energize everybody when I come off the bench, so it was a big boost and I’m glad it happened when it did.”
Josiah Harris scored a game-high 21 points, Gbolahan Adio added 14 and Jevontae Jones chipped in 11 points for the 21-4 Spartans. Richmond Heights advanced to a D-IV Canton regional semifinal against Warren JFK on March 11.
Rittman senior Kyle Scheibe scored the first basket of the game and the Indians led, 5-2, after Reese Ringer’s 3-pointer. Anthony Maxie put back a miss in transition to give Richmond Heights its first lead, then Jones drove baseline for a dunk to help the Spartans take a 14-8 lead after a quarter.
Sonie entered near the end of the first quarter and scored the first six points of the second to push Richmond Heights’ lead to double-figures. The Spartans led, 26-10, after Ilan Armstrong stole a pass then Jamarr Talbert found Sonie in the corner for 3.
“That was amazing,” Harris said. “He’s like Pascal Siakam, that’s what I call him every time. Big Siakam, he just came in, showed what he does. He’s just amazing, great piece to have.”
Rittman cut its deficit to 11, 34-23, by half. Richmond Heights scored three quick buckets to start the third, punctuated by a thunderous one-handed slam from Jones on a defender’s head in transition that Harris called the “dunk of the year.”
Rittman junior Braden Metheney hit three 3-pointers in the third to keep the Indians within 14, 53-39, headed to the fourth. Rittman drew no closer than 16 in the final period.
Coach Quentin Rogers was pleased by his players’ all-around effort and adherence to their game plan.
“I thought they were locked in on both sides,” Rogers said. “They rebounded pretty well, because that was a big, strong team, a physical team. We knew they were here for a reason so we never overlooked them or anything like that.”
Scheibe led Rittman with 17 and Metheney added 16. The Indians finished the season 11-15.
Coach Tom Staley graduated nine players from the 2018-19 team that lost to Richmond Heights in a district semifinal last year. He was proud of how Rittman represented its community in a run to this year’s Norton District final as the No. 7 seed.
“That speaks volumes of the kids,” Staley said. “Nobody wanted us to be here in the first place, nobody thought we belonged here because of what our regular-season record was.”