GAME PHOTOS: http://smu.gs/2huVZEG
Chardon began this week hoping the weather hadn’t sapped their early-season momentum. But there could be little doubt that momentum was there after an impressive opening win at Cardinal last week.
It was the first varsity win for Chard Murawski, last year’s junior varsity coach in his first official varsity game. Murawski, a government teacher at the high school, credits his time as coach in the Chardon football program under Mitch Hewitt an inspiration to his rebuild.
The Toppers won 84-50 against the Huskies in a game the team subbed five guys in and five guys out, playing the whole bench early in the game.
“The kids played hard,” Murawski said after the game. “They did everything we’ve asked them to do all off-season and pre-season.”
Chardon did commit a lot of first quarter fouls, which precipitated the early substations, but leading 23-7 after the first quarter and 49-11 at halftime, the game was never in doubt.
“I trust our No. 1 through 11 to be in the game at any point,” the coach said.
Leading the bench bridge was senior, who caught fire connecting on five 3-pointers in the first half. Ciolek ended with 20 points as the team’s top scorer.
Chardon featured the Sulka Brothers playing together for the first time, and the junior and sophomore duo of Alex and Ben should improve Chardon’s poor winning records the past five seasons.
Alex scored 14 points in limited minutes, but once again it was clear the junior would build on his 20 points per game season his sophomore year.
“It feels great because we are clicking together as a team,” Alex said. “All the work we put into in the summer, it’s coming together now.”
Alex also values his supporting cast, players like Shane Quin, Trevor Robertson, Joe Scerbo, Michael Laudato, Jake Niehus, Quinn Zhanai, T.J. Kinkopf and Robbie Hemly. There’s no shortage of basketball players on the roster.
And — consider — that 6-foot-5-inch senior Nick Sensibello is injured but does expect to return.
Ben Sulka had 13 points, and Zhanai and Laudato each had nine points.
Jon Cummins knew it was going to be tough against the Hilltoppers, but he didn’t think it would be such a one-sided basketball game.
“I didn’t expect it to be that bad,” said Cummins. The Huskies had a hard time on offense and also did not play good transition defense, allowing a lot of Chardon layups.
“We are young, and giving up 49 points in a half, you’ll never win a game that way,” Cummins said. “Our transition defense was just awful. So we have to work on that. We’ll be watching film.”
Still, in flashes, the starting line-up of Matt Carney, Luke Timas, Robbie Muhl, Parker Kosh and Hayden Cummins showed a path to victories.
Timas had 11 points and two steals. Carney led all Huskies with 14 points; and Muhl scored 10 points with seven rebounds, showing who the physical junior can use hustle to create mismatches this season.
Muhl had the play the game when he missed a layup, but retreated back the other direction to chase down the Chardon dribbles and block him — like Lebron James of the Cavs — in dramatic fashion.
The game was taped on G-TV and can viewed for free online on any device by visiting www.geaugatv.org.
GAME PHOTOS: http://smu.gs/2huVZEG