by THIS WEEK ONLY, ANY SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WHO CONTACTS US WITH THE DISCOUNT CODE (#SWC) WILL RECEIVE A 50% DISCOUNT ON THEIR 2024 SPONSORSHIP
This content is brought to you by – Professional HVAC Services in North Ridgeville, OH (climate-tech.com)
Parma Heights, OH- You can’t teach tall, and Garfield Heights displayed that well tonight as they defeated Holy Name 87-54.
Garfield Heights started hot right out of the gate as their first 5 points all came from Marcus Johnson. The sophomore is a 5-star prospect according to ESPN as they list him as the 3rd best player at his position, second in his region, and first in the state for the recruiting class of 2026. This scoring explosion was made possible by the pickpocketing ability of the Bulldogs. Whoever was on the court made sure Holy Name had to walk on eggshells when they possessed the ball. Carter Jackson, Corey Wilson, and CJ Little also added points for Garfield Heights to get things underway offensively. The Green Wave attempted to keep the game close but struggled to score. Drew Styers led the way in the first with 5 points. He was closely followed by Max Bollin with 3 along with Adam Humenik and Aiden Butler who both scored a field goal. The Bulldogs led 24-12 after the first 8 minutes of play.
The second quarter saw Garfield Heights continue to physically dominate the Green Wave. Jeffrey Jemison made his season debut for Holy Name, and he would go on to record a block. However, it was Aaron Riley who made the biggest impact for the Green and White off the bench. He recorded 7 of Holy Name’s 12 points in this quarter. Johnson added 11 more points for the Bulldogs which took his tally up to 20 heading into the break. DeAndre Jones along with Carter Jackson and Little added field goals. Freshman Jamar Keyes added a triple to the Garfield Heights onslaught as they led 45-24 heading into the second half.
Garfield Heights continued their dominance while slowing down the scoring. The biggest bucket they would score came from Jones who slammed the ball down on an alley-oop. He is committed to play basketball at Kent State next year and showed why the Golden Flashes along with other MAC schools showed interest in him. Little and DeVaughn Jackson once again added a field goal apiece while Carter Jackson and Keyes both contributed from outside the arc. The Green Wave’s big three of Bollin, Styers, and Humenik combined for all 12 points HN scored in this quarter. In a bizarre coincidence, this would be the third quarter in a row in which Holy Name scored 12 points. This gave them 36 total heading into the final frame, but still trailed 61-36.
The Bulldogs turned the heat up once again in the fourth quarter as they went on to score 26 points. Johnson capped off his impressive 23-point performance with one last triple. Keyes knocked down two 3’s, taking his total up to 16 points. Tayvon McClain added a field goal as well. For Holy Name, Collin Hall Johnson came off the bench to contribute 5 points. Humenik added 6 points. Heading into tonight, the most points Garfield Heights posted in a game this season was 76 against Euclid. They shattered that statistic as they scored 87 points against the Green Wave. When the final buzzer sounded, Sonny Johnson’s Bulldogs improved to 13-0 as they won 87-54.
In talking to Coach Johnson postgame, the goal of the Division 1 title was extremely clear. I could tell it would mean the world to him, especially since his son Marcus is on the team and a big leader. Sonny Johnson won Mr. Basketball in 1998. Marcus Johnson says that this year is the year he joins his father and takes home the prestigious award in Ohio.
Holy Name Key Players
#3 Drew Styers: 14 Points
#4 Max Bollin: 15 Points
#24 Aaron Riley: 8 Points
Garfield Heights Key Players
#2 Carter Jackson: 17 Points
#11 Marcus Johnson: 23 Points
#23 Jamar Keyes: 16 Points
Player of the Game: Marcus Johnson
