Boys Basketball ZACH RASILE McDonald

McDonald boys basketball standout Zach Rasile modeled his game after Golden State Warriors guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. So Rasile breaking the state’s career 3-point record as a junior isn’t a shock.

“[Curry’s and Thompson’s] ability to shoot the ball and the range they have and the shots that they take — their ability to come off screens and pull up in guys’ faces — I really like the way they play the game,” Rasile said.

The long-distance shooting was the first step in Rasile’s career. He added a variety of shots as a sophomore and junior, rounding out his offensive game.

Rasile also scored his 2,000th career point and led the area in scoring — averaging 35.5 points per game.

He’s already McDonald’s all-time leading scorer and was selected as a first team All-Ohio honoree last week. But he’s proud he broke the 3-point record.

“I guess the career 3-point field goals [record], that’s the one I like the most,” Rasile said. “I think my teammates did a great job at helping me out with that kind of stuff, but that was a pretty cool accomplishment for me.”

Rasile has had some conversations with college coaches, but didn’t go into detail.

The Blue Devils guard will play for Team Cure Elite during the AAU season. He’ll spend time with players like Springfield’s Evan Ohlin and teammate Jake Portolese.

“I think I’ll have a better idea [about college] after the summer,” Rasile said.

While he was successful individually, the Blue Devils had a challenging season.

McDonald finished the season (13-11), losing its final three games of the regular season. The Blue Devils lost to Lowellville 56-36 in the Division IV district semifinal.

“I think we lost a lot more than we have in the past, especially [for] me as a player,” Rasile said. “I think coming out focused, trying to win games. I think that’s the biggest thing that stood out to me.”

The Blue Devils needed to replace forward Braedon Poole, who was a freshman on the Mount Union basketball team this season. Younger players like Portolese and Cam Tucker saw more time in 2019.

With more offseason work, Rasile expects the team to compete again next season.

“Obviously, Jake had pretty big shoes to fill,” Rasile said. “He had a lot of room to really step up, but he did a good job at times. I think throughout the summer he’s going to really work on his game. It’ll help us in the future.”

— Dan Hiner, The Vindicator