LaBrae looking to take next step tonight with Oberlin

March 13, 2013 at 12:06a.m.

HOWLAND

Saturday’s 68-61 double-overtime victory over Ursuline gave LaBrae’s basketball seniors another accomplishment.

“I’m so proud of these guys,” said LaBrae head coach Chad Kiser after the Vikings earned their second Division III district title in five seasons. “This senior class, that’s the one thing they haven’t been able to do — they [hadn’t] got the job done to win district.”

LaBrae’s seven seniors include three starters: guard John Richards, forward Nate Middleton and guard Carl Brown. The others are forward Paul Zigmont, guard Chris Clevenger, forward Kenny Hall and guard Tyler Shiamone.

“They’ve won at every level — seventh-grade champions, eighth grade, ninth grade,” Kiser said. “They’ve won JV titles.

“But we had not won a district championship with this group. They earned it with a lot of hard work.”

Tonight, the Vikings (22-3) will go after the biggest victory of their careers when they take on Oberlin (16-6) in a regional semifinal at the Canton Memorial Fieldhouse.

The Vikings’ other starters are juniors Peyton Aldridge and Marcell Richardson.

Against Ursuline, Aldridge scored 27 points and made 12 rebounds and three blocks.

Brown said playing with a player as talented as Aldridge is special.

“It’s nice,” Brown said. “He’s 6-7 so it’s harder for them to score. Even when he doesn’t block the shot, he’s altering the shot.

“It’s great to play with a guy like that.”

Aldridge is averaging 19.8 points, 11.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists. For the second straight year, he was voted the Northeast Inland All-District Player of the Year for Division III.

Middleton described Aldridge as “great kid. He’s very humble. He knows what [gifts] he’s got, but he’s not cocky. He’s a good guy.”

Asked what he was feeling after the physical showdown with the Irish, Aldridge, replied, “It’s an amazing feeling.

“It was just the best feeling ever to know that all that hard work paid off,” Aldridge said. “It was just like a relief to know that we got the win.”

The game was quite a reversal from LaBrae’s semifinal win, a 55-18 victory over All-American Conference rival Newton Falls. Aldridge said the Ursuline battle should pay off in the Vikings’ remaining games.

“It was a real physical game,” Aldridge said. “When that happens, you just have to keep your head, keep battling and keep playing.”

Middleton said the Vikings are feeling confident.

“I don’t think we’re done here yet — I think we’re going to keep on going,” Middleton said. “It was pretty crazy that we had to beat Ursuline in double-overtime.

“[Ursuline forward] Khalid Pierce is really strong, really fast,” Middleton said. “He really made me work — all six quarters. That was pretty physical.”

The Vikings expect Richardson will be able to play after leaving Saturday’ game after smacking heads with Ursuline’s Desmond McElroy while going for a loose ball. After being examined at the emergency room after the game, Richardson was given clearance to play.

“We missed him down the stretch,” said Kiser, who added that his bench players stepped up.

“Justin Jenkins is a sophomore coming off the bench, playing some great defense for us,” Kiser said. “He handled the ball in clutch spots [despite] not playing a whole lot.”

Kiser said the Vikings have been prepared for the next step.

“I don’t take it easy on them, ever, and they just keep coming back at it every day,” said Kiser, adding that the team has a “great sense of pride.

“They’ve earned this — I just could not be any more proud.”