Final.

Holy Cross on a nice run, congrats to the Indians.

Dark. Horse. Sleeper.

 

Nice win Indians!

Holy Cross improves to 8-5 on the year. Both teams played hard tonight and I hope Joel Iles from NCC is ok. He went down in the 3rd quarter. Fun to kid to watch play. Indians win their 7th game in their last 8.

 

Unofficial from Holy Cross Radio.

 

NCC - 17 5 14 15 = 51

HC - 20 9 19 24 = 72

 

HC - Meyer 22, Niehaus 16, McClendon 12, Hicks 12, Castleman 3, Johnson 3, Dreas 2.

 

NCC - Mueller 13, Iles 13, Mullikin 11, Jefferson 10, Hunter 2, Baggett 2.

Mullikin & Jefferson back on the floor for NCC is huge for them. Now they just need to get the other guys back from injury. Holy Cross is playing with a lot of confidence right now. Defense has been much better after that 1-4 start. The game with St. Henry on Tuesday night in the All A should be a good one.

Was super impressed by Holy Cross! They have some really good pieces in McClendon, Hicks, Meyer, Neihaus, Gabbard, Castleman. (My apologies if I’ve forgotten anyone)

 

McClendon is so quick and savvy, handles the rock great, and has phenomenal instincts. Hicks is a beast that has great body control for a big guy, and is highly impactful, smooth, and reliable all over the court. Neihaus and Gabbard are dynamite reliable 3 ball guys. Neihaus was on fire especially. Castleman will fool you as he looks small and young, but he gets it done.

 

The team as a whole is lightning fast, and the one guy that really blows my mind, holy crap!, is freshman, #12 Jacob Meyer (Someone correct me, but I think that he’s a freshman, and if this is true, I am completely dumbfounded) The Meyer kid has incredible hops that you would never expect just by looking at him, quick, fearless, smooth, involved reliably in every play. He was the overall high scorer with 22.

 

I just love to see overachieving freshman, and while HC is dynamite as a whole, this kid is more than worth the price of admission. I assumed that he must’ve been a junior or senior but wow, HC found themselves a real good one in that kid! Perhaps people have already talked about him, and I’ve been sleeping, I don’t know, but I want to know more, and will be watching this kid’s career no doubt.

 

I’ve yet to see all of the 9th Region teams, and wasn’t thinking that HC was terribly too high in the discussion, but now I do as I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw in them.

 

OK so they’re not CovCath, but I just know that no other team in the region better sleep on them. They are as, if not more competitive than everyone else. Their upcoming meeting with St. Henry should be an incredible game, and while my gut tells me that the All A Finals will be St. H, and Beechwood, I’m really starting to think that anything can happen.

 

Also, can’t wait to see how they fair against Holmes, and Beechwood in those district seeding games. And while they got it handed it to them in their early contest with Highlands, I’d bet that game would be closer if played today.

 

There’s a historical environment in HC basketball that this feels consistent with, and this team keeps up with that tradition, and is very fun and exciting to watch.