GIRARD PULLS OFF THE STUNNER
By Noah Ricks
GIRARD, OH – The Struthers Wildcats have been a team to be reckoned with over the past couple of seasons. They have just come off a regional appearance last season while winning 22-straight games in Northeast 8 play heading into Friday’s game at Girard. Indians coach Craig Hannon was well aware of the team he was about to face and worked tirelessly to draw up a game plan to slow down the Wildcats. That hard work would pay off as Girard overcame the Struthers attack to hold off Struthers 53-50, the Wildcats’ first loss since February 4, 2019, when they lost to South Range 34-32. Hannon was really excited for his players following the upset victory.
“It feels great. I’m happy for our kids, happy for the community, happy for Girard, but more our kids than anything else. They put a lot of work in these last two days to get ready, and we beat a darn good basketball team because that’s what they are. A darn good team and it was an exciting win, and it’s always good to get those on your home floor.”
The game would not start off in the right way for Girard as Struthers used an explosive attack to build up a 22-13 lead at one point in the second quarter. The Indians, however, did a great job responding to the adversity as they answered Struthers’ game with a 14-0 stretch late in the period. The run involved a fast transition game, more notably Mike Palmer’s quick four points to help lead the push. Hannon stayed calm under the pressure and let the game speak for itself.
“I mean, they, Struthers made shots and made it tough on us and we just had to fight through that and battle through that, and I thought our kids did that. There wasn’t much I had to say. We just had to settle down and do what we needed to do.”
The game would come down to the free throws at the end. Both teams struggled from the line earlier in the contest, but the Indians were the team that made them when they mattered the most. They went 4/5 in that late fourth-quarter stretch, ending the game 8/14 from the charity stripe while Struthers only finished 5/15 from the line. Hannon knew that his team would have to make them if they wanted to knock off the NE8 powerhouse.
“Well, you gotta make ‘em. Our mindset is they gotta go in, and we made just enough, but we need to do a little better job of making front ends and taking care of the ball late. ”
The Indians have been led by junior Thomas Cardiero throughout the majority of the season. When he was called upon to make those free throws, he did what he needed to do, going 2/3 from the line during that late stretch as a game-tying shot by Struthers’ Nick DelGratta fell short and all but sealed the verdict. He would end up going 6/7 from the charity stripe and end the game with a team-high 16 points. Hannon was really proud of the way he has developed throughout his junior season.
“He’s been a great player for us since his freshman year, and he’s evolved into just a great all-around player. I thought him and Ronnie Leonard [who led all scorers with 19] was a great battle tonight. Fun to watch and I look forward to more between the two of them.”
The Indians will improve to 8-3 on the year with the upset win as they go to 5-2 in conference play. They will have a short turnaround as they have another game on Saturday on the road at Liberty in the Battle of Belmont. Hannon and his team will take tonight to celebrate before hitting the road in an early afternoon matchup.
“There’s not much time, because it’s at 1:30 tomorrow, so we’ll just come out, try and execute at the same level and do what we can to get a win.
The Wildcats will drop to 6-3 overall as they drop to 5-1 in NE8 play, their first loss in 22 tries. They will also have back-to-back games as they will host a tough Villa-Angela St. Joe’s squad down at the Struthers Fieldhouse. The game is slated for a 7:00 P.M. varsity tip.
YSN’s Noah Ricks got a chance to talk to winning coach Craig Hannon following tonight’s contest. You can watch the full interview below.
