AAC Blue teams take the stage

By Joe Scalzo

Campbell Memorial and LaBrae have challenges tonight in the Division III regional in Canton.

When Campbell High boys basketball coach Brian Danilov talks about this year’s team, he doesn’t mention his players’ statistics or honors or even their individual skills.

He talks about their heart.

“They’re a really good group of kids,” said Danilov, whose Red Devils will play No. 1-ranked Smithville (23-0) in a Division III regional semifinal tonight at the Canton Fieldhouse. “They put their time in the offseason and in the weight room, putting up with my sorry butt yelling at them. I make them run hills nobody else wants to drive up.

“It’s all paid off to form a tighter team. They all come from great families and they’re all unselfish. They have all the intangibles.”

Campbell (18-5), co-champion of the All-American Conference’s Blue Tier, is one of two league teams still alive. LaBrae (21-3) will meet Cleveland Central Catholic (20-3) in tonight’s first game.

Campbell’s run to the regional was highlighted by last Friday’s come-from-way-behind victory over Waterloo in the district final. But the Red Devils’ success started much earlier, when they used a double-digit loss in the Ironton Classic against Mountain State Academy of West Virginia, and an upset win over God’s Academy of Dallas in the Dunkin Donuts Shootout in Lexington, Ky., to elevate their play.

“Those games have helped us,” said Danilov, who won a state title with Campbell in 1993. “We’re not going to be surprised by anyone’s talent level. Hopefully that will extrapolate into the playoffs.”

Juniors Jerah’me Williams, who had a career-high 36 points against Waterloo, and Nate Hodge lead Campbell, while Smithville relies on district player of the year Kenny Kornowski, a 6-foot-8 senior forward who averages 23.8 points per game. The Smithies have some nice complements, including 6-2 guard Tyler Bates (17 ppg) and have the size to give the much-smaller Red Devils fits.

“They’re pretty good,” Danilov said. “Hopefully we can put one ‘L’ in their column.

“We’re gonna try.”

LaBrae may be facing an even bigger challenge with No. 9 Cleveland Central Catholic, which beat Cle. Villa Angela-St. Joseph three times this season, including a 46-34 win in the district final. Central’s three losses were to Bedford Chanel (twice) and Cleveland Benedictine and the Ironmen have wins over some of the top parochial schools in northeast Ohio, including Div. I district champion Lakewood St. Edward.

Vikings coach Chad Kiser scouted Central on Thursday and came away impressed.

“They’re exceptionally quick,” he said. “They’re a very athletic team and they pressure you for the whole game. That will be the key for us — handling their pressure.”

Central’s 6-8 sophomore Anton Grady and 6-3 junior Chall Montgomery both earned first-team all-district honors for an team that goes 9 or 10 players deep.

LaBrae plays a similar up-tempo style — Kiser goes about eight deep, although he played nine or 10 during the season — and will look to senior point guard Cameron Truss (11 points, 3.5 assists, five rebounds per game), junior forward Steve Woodyard (13 ppg, 9 rpg) and a strong cast of complementary players, including freshman Matt Szorady, who had a game-high 14 points against Newton Falls in the district final.

Still, the Vikings will need to play a near-perfect game to win.

“It’s a tough matchup for sure,” said Kiser. “We’ll have to get back on defense, stay in front of them and stop their dribble penetration.

“We’re gonna go out and battle. We have a chance if we execute.”

scalzo@vindy.com