Photo by Brian Dulik
Garfield Heights, which won the Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division championship, added the Solon Division I District crown to its resume. The Bulldogs beat Warren Harding 75-61 to advance to the Cleveland State Regional.
Garfield Heights and Berea claim boys basketball district championships Saturday
Garfield Heights 75, Warren Harding 61
SOLON, Ohio -- Former Ohio Mr. Basketball Sonny Johnson is headed to his first regional as Garfield Heights' coach. The Bulldogs rolled past Warren Harding in the Solon Division I District championship, earning them a trip to the OHSAA Tournament's Sweet 16.
Senior lead guard Trey Lewis led top-seeded Garfield Heights (22-1) with a game-high 30 points, including five 3-pointers and 11 free throws. The Penn State recruit was so dominant attacking the rim, his 11 makes from the charity stripe were just one less than the entire Raiders team.
The Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division champion Bulldogs also got 17 points from center Mike Davis, 10 from sophomore power forward Tony Farmer and six from guard Kenny Simpson. Garfield Heights took a double-digit lead early in the second quarter and never looked back.
Tre Brown paced second-seeded Harding (18-5) with 17 points, while Craig McFerrin had 14 and Jesse Harden scored 11. The Raiders were attempting to stage a three-game sweep of Greater Cleveland schools after edging Euclid and Cleveland St. Ignatius earlier in the tourney.
The Bulldogs went 3-0 at Solon, beating Warren Howland 85-62 and Cleveland Heights 59-40 to reach the district final. Their only blemish on their record in 2010-2011 came in their regular season finale against NOC rival Strongsville.
Garfield Heights will play Lakewood St. Edward in the Cleveland State Regional semifinals Wednesday at 6:15 p.m.
Berea 64, Lorain 59
EATON TWP., Ohio -- Berea completed its Cinderella run through the Grafton Midview Division I District by beating another surprising finalist in Lorain.
The ninth-seeded Braves used a 9-0 run fueled by senior guard Javon Cook late in the fourth quarter to go ahead for good. Cook scored 12 of his 16 points in the final frame, including a fast-break layup that gave Berea a 57-56 advantage it would not relinquish.
The Titans had scored 11 straight points to start the period and take a 50-49 lead by on an A.J. Craighead free throw with four minutes left.
Sixth-seeded Lorain, which is in its first year as a school after the merger of Lorain Admiral King and Lorain Southview, got a game-high 23 points from junior guard Michael Davila. The Titans led by 13 points early in the second quarter thanks to three 3-pointers by Davila.
Davila and fellow starting guard Craighead both fouled out in the final 2:30, which was too much for Lorain to overcome against coach Darren Collins' Braves.
Jared Paster led Berea with 20 points -- all in the first three quarters -- and Devin Perry added 13. Diminutive guard Ryan Hayes chipped in nine points.
The Titans also got 11 points and 18 rebounds from center Jerome Golson and seven points from forward Brandon Davis.
The original Lorain High, nicknamed the Steelmen, reached the Sweet 16 in its final season of play in 1995.
Berea will challenge Mentor in the Cleveland State Regional semifinals Wednesday at 8 p.m.