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Senior Sir Charles Travis had a 16-point, 12-rebound, 6-block game in helping the East boys basketball team improve to 16-1, 12-0 in the City Series, Friday with a win over Firestone.
AKRON, Ohio – Senior guards Davonte Brunson and Mycle Shadie grab most of the attention focused on coach Ross Fiorello’s East High basketball team – and deservedly so.
But, on a state ranked team, that isn’t especially tall, 6-foot-3 senior center Sir Charles Travis is a VIP – Very Important Player.
Travis took his play to another level on Friday night and the Dragons (16-1, 12-0) completed their perfect march through the City Series with a 60-46 win over visiting Firestone.
“We have a lot of faith in him and he’s got to believe it,” Fiorello said when asked about his enforcer in the paint.
Travis, who is a cousin of former St. V-M and Akron Zips’ star Romeo Travis, tallied 16 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots and neutralized Firestone’s inside strong man Jerome Lane.
Not that Lane had a bad game. He put up 12 points and an eye-popping 19 rebounds, but Travis certainly played him straight up or better and that’s a win for East.
“The last time (we played Firestone) the Lane kid, he struggled with him,” Fiorello said. “And I told him, ‘You are just as good as he is.’”
Sir Charles met the challenge and he’ll be asked to play at that same high level again on Friday, Feb. 17, when the Dragons and Falcons meet for the City Playoff Championship at Firestone.
East used a devastating 16-0 run late in the third quarter to seize control. After the Falcons took a 40-34 lead at 4:22 on senior Corbin Bates’ short jumper, the Dragons cranked up their defensive pressure.
Firestone coughed up the ball five times during that key flurry much in the same fashion Buchtel wilted on the Dragons’ floor one week earlier.
“We just got out of sync and some of that might have been their defense,” Firestone coach Dave Milo said. “They play great D.”
Several aspects of that four-minute stretch stood out.
Brunson, averaging 23 points per game, did not score a single point in that blitz. Playing as if he were a decoy, Brunson distributed, moved the ball and created opportunities for teammates. His final numbers: 11 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and at least four other feeds that were missed initially or put Dragons on the foul line.
Bottom line: Brunson had a triple-double.
“Every team that we play, they over load on me,” Brunson said. “I was just making sure when I drove to get our bigs open and I looked for Shadie and Gibson on the wings.”
Shadie finished with 20 points and six steals. Several of his pilfers came during that feeding frenzy.
“We got in the passing lanes, stopped their drivers and helped each other out,” Shadie said. “We stepped up our defense today and held them to 46 points. The last game was two overtimes and they scored 97 points and it took us 100 points to win. We don’t want to play like that anymore.”
And when the Falcons did get close to the rim, they had to deal with Sir Charles.
“I’m not real pleased with the way we’re playing right now,” Fiorello said. “But, I’ve got to pay tribute to our kids because it’s tough to sweep (the City Series 12-0).”
In his eighth season at East, Fiorello is most concerned about his team’s ability to execute in the half court. In the last four years, he’s coached two district championship teams, has a chance for a third, and now has a City regular season title.
“If we want to continue to get where we want to be, then we need to keep getting better in the half court,” he said.
The Dragons are ranked seventh in Division II in the state and Fiorello did allow a moment to savor their achievement.
The Dragons last won a City playoff championship in 1991, he said.
“We have good team chemistry,” Shadie said. “We play great with each other. We all hang out with each other outside of school and that makes our bond even stronger. We just love each other. We all play as a team.”
Senior guard Stefan Willis had 11 points and four steals for Firestone (13-4, 9-3).