Rosecrans Boys Basketball
Varsity Game-by-Game Summaries
JV Synopsis
Freshman Synopsis


  @ ROSECRANS vs. Ridgewood

     The season opener for the Bishops was a long awaited match-up. The Bishops staved off the Generals of
     Ridgewood in an overtime victory 66-63.  Both teams had high expectations going into the season. This
     was an exciting game where the Bishops took control after the 1st half with an 11 point lead with under 4
     minutes to go in the game. However, the Generals did not simply go away. Instead they fought all the way
     back to force overtime with a buzzer beater 3 pointer by Kody Babcock.  In overtime, the Bishops put them
     away with tough play from Scott Moyer and rebounding of Kolby Knox. Rosecrans shot a stellar 18 of
     25 attempts from the free-throw line and put the Generals away in the extra quarter.


RETURN


  vs. Bishop Ready

      The Bishops went in to a tough atmosphere at Columbus Bishop Ready.  Rosecrans suffered a very cold
      shooting night.  They made 18 of 53 field goal attempts for just 34%, including 2 for 18 from the 3 point
      range.  The Bishops were out hustled as well as the Silver Knights held a 38-25 half-time advantage.  The
      Bishops would try to come back cutting the lead to 10 but could never get closer as Ready shot 54%
      from the field.  Senior Bishop Kolby Knox led the way with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.


RETURN


  vs. Federal Hocking

      The Bishops after a tough night at Ready, looked to change things but couldn't quite get over the hump as
      they suffered a 55-53 road loss to unbeaten Federal Hocking.  The Bishops came out flat for the 2nd
      straight night at the Lancers held a 28-21 half-time lead.  Joe Dalton dropped 7 3rd quarter points for the
      Bishops bringing them within 5 and keeping the Bishops in the game for the most part.  He than sank 8
      points in the 4th to give the Bishops a chance to win the game with 4.4 seconds left.  Scott Moyer took
      the  ball the length of the court and passed to a wide open dan miller but he couldn't knock down the
      game winner.  It was another tough loss for the Bishops who really needed to turn things around.


RETURN


  @ ROSECRANS vs Bishop Watterson

     After a good 10 days of hard work in practice, the Bishops decided to turn the corner in the season. They
     used a 12-0 run late in the game to defeat defending CCL champion Watterson 52-41 at Rogge
     Gymnasium.  Senior guard Scott Moyer scored 18 points for the Bishops as they moved on to 1-1 in the
     CCL and 2-2 overall.


RETURN


  vs. Bishop Hartley

     Rosecrans knew it would need a strong defensive effort on the road against athletic Columbus Hartley
     That's exactly what Coach Rock got from his Bishops.  The Bishops put away Hartley near the end with
     clutch free throws and shot 41 percent from the field.


RETURN


  @ ROSECRANS vs Tuscarawas Central Catholic

     After two hard fought wins over CCL foes Watterson and Hartley, the Bishops were ready to begin a run at
     home and they decided to start that against IVC rival TCC.  The Bishops started off with a 9-0 lead and
     never trailed again as seven of the eight players they usually played all scored.  They only committed
     seven turnovers and shot 52 percent from the field.  Jeremy Ridgley led all scores with 17 as the Bishops
     played team ball to perfection in this 66-51 home victory.


RETURN



@ ROSECRANS vs. Strasburg

      After a convincing win over TCC, the Bishops were once again at home on Monday night against the
      Strasburg Tigers.  This was probably their most complete game so far in the season as the Bishops
      crushed the Tigers 82-57 at Rogge Gymnasium.  Rosecrans only lead 38-26 at the half, but broke away
      using a 13-1 run in the third to take a commanding 51-27 lead and never look back.  Scott Moyer hit six
      three pointers which fueled the Bishops throughout the game.


RETURN




@ ROSECRANS vs West Muskingum

     The Bishops had a 4 game winning streak on the line the night after the big win over Strasburg, but they
     didn't let that slip through their fingers.  Scott Moyer had another great performance as he had a career high
     27 points to lead the Bishops to a 62-48 win over cross-town MVL rival West Muskingum.  Rosecrans shot
     49 percent from the field and the Defense again was a strong note as they forced the Tornadoes to many
     turnovers in their 5th straight win.


RETURN




  @ ROSECRANS  vs. Saint Francis DeSales

      Rosecrans knew they would need to play a very strong game against powerhouse Columbus DeSales in
     order to keep their 5 game winning streak on the line.  So they came out behind Junior Joe Dalton's 21
     points to defeat the big and strong Stallions.  The Bishops were only up by a few to start the 3rd quarter
     when Jeremy Ridgley dunked one down to open the half up and the Bishops maintained the lead to pull
     out a 60-56 win over their rival DeSales.  This was the first time in 2 years that the Bishops defeated the
     Stallions so it was a big win for the Seniors.


RETURN




@ Hoops Classic at the Convo Varsity Only

     The day after the big home victory over Division II power Columbus DeSales, the Bishops traveled to the
     Ohio University Convocation Center Hoops Classic to take on Greenfield McClain.  The team MVP
     of the game Jeremy Ridgley scored a season-high 23 points and Scott Moyer scored 18  points to give
     most of the scoring punch while junior guard dropped 12 points with key three pointers as the Bishops
     shot for   58 percent.  They held Ohio State recruited Dante Jackson to 4 points in the second half to cap
     the 70-52  victory over the Division II team that many think could make a run in the tournament.




RETURN



  vs. Saint Charles

      Patience is a virtue that will win you a lot of basketball games, and Rosecrans proved it again Friday 
      night.  Down nine points to tall, athletic and physical Columbus St. Charles in the third quarter, things
      didn't look good for the state-ranked Bishops. They were suffering through a rare off shooting night, and
      although senior point guard Scott Moyer played most of the game, he was less than 100 percent on a
      bad ankle.

      But somehow, Rosecrans persevered, came back and gutted out a 53-49 Central Catholic League win
      over the Cardinals in Rogge Gymnasium. It finished off an 11-0 home season with a 16th straight victory,
      and sent the program's five seniors out on a winning note in their last home game. The CCL champions
      (9-1 CCL, 17-2) play at Newark Catholic tonight.

      Moyer, who didn't play Tuesday against Alexander, didn't start Friday night, but entered the game with
      3:50 left in the first quarter and never left the floor. He couldn't push off on the bad ankle, get to loose
      balls or jump very well. But his ball handling against the various pressure defenses of St. Charles (6-4,  
      10-10) was invaluable, as was his leadership and foul shooting as he scored nine of his 10 points in the  
      pivotal fourth quarter.

      Classmates Jeremy Ridgley and Kolby Knox also came up big with 15-point efforts, with Ridgley tallying
      12 of his in the second half. That included seven in the third-quarter comeback, and a big three from the
      top of the key to give Rosecrans the lead for good in the fourth quarter.
    
      "We wanted these guys to go out here with a win; they deserve to go out winners," said Bishops' coach  
      Todd Rock. "These seniors have meant so much to this program."
      "I rehabbed it hard; I really didn't have too much pain," Moyer said of the ankle. "Of course, the ankle brace 
      and a lot of tape helped. We just needed to be patient and let the game come to us. I tried not to do too 
      much out there, and tried to get everyone involved."
      "It was nice to have Scott out there; he really lights a fire under us," Ridgley said.
      "It seems like he's been battling injuries forever," added senior forward Johnny Bills, who at 5-11 played 
      aggressive defense throughout on the Cardinals' athletic 6-5 Kyle Ritter. "He wants to win; he showed great
      leadership again."
      "It was a huge factor, Scott playing," Knox said. "We needed to get the ball up the floor against their
      press."
     
      However, second-place, Division I St. Charles nearly spoiled the festivities for the state's sixth-ranked  
      Division IV team.  Rosecrans trailed just 22-18 at halftime despite making only five of 21 from the field and 
      seven of 12 at the line. Knox scored seven points and hit five foul shots to help keep the Bishops in it, while
      Ritter, who played only sparingly in Rosecrans' win at St. Charles, came out firing and had nine first-half
      points with a three. Point guard Chris Vetter added a pair of threes.  Ritter drilled two more treys in the
      third quarter, and a layup by 6-5 Paul Kuppich had the Bishops down 30-21 two minutes into the second
      half. "They were strong in the post, and then you have Ritter stepping out there hitting threes; it makes 
      them, really hard to guard," said the 6-3 Knox, who scrapped for eight rebounds and Ridgley nine as the
      winners outrebounded the much bigger Cardinals 37-30.

      But Rosecrans didn't panic.
      Knox's driving layup ignited a 9-2 run capped by Ridgley's three-point play off a rebound, plus another layup
      that suddenly tied the score at 32-32.
      "We were patient and just executed what we had worked on; get the ball inside, take it to the basket and
      get fouled," Rock said.  Bryan Wickliffe, a talented 6-4 sophomore, was nearly unstoppable around the rim
      and scored eight fourth-quarter points to give St. Charles a chance. In fact, the Cardinals led 40-36 with a
      little over six minutes left on an inside basket by D.J. Farrell.  But Moyer dropped in both ends of a 
      one-and-one at 6:14 and Ridgley hit a baseline jumper at 5:35, forging a 40-40 tie in the physical, see-saw
      affair. The Cardinals' last lead came at 44-42 at 4:40 on a rebound bucket by athletic guard Peter James.
  
      However, Ridgley responded with a rare three from the top of the key for a 45-44 lead, the Bishops' first 
      since earely in the second quarter.  Knox notched two foul shots at 4:08 and Moyer drove the lane for his
      only field goal as Rosecrans led 49-44, but James' three from the top key kept St. Charles alive at 51-49.
      But Moyer calmly sank both ends of the double bonus with 7.9 seconds to cement the hard-earned win.
      "We need to get ready for the tournament, and St. Charles really came at us," Bills said. "We may not see
      that kind of size, but we have a target on our back, and teams are still going to get up on us and play
      physical defense."  Rosecrans connected on just 15 of 45 from the field for 33 percent, including only three
      of 14 threes, but won the game with solid 20 of 28 foul shooting for 71 percent including 10 of 13 down the
      stretch. Jerod Yakubik added six rebounds and three steals and Joe Dalton four boards to go with two
      treys.  Ritter's 15 points and 14 by Wickliffe led St. Charles, 21 of 48 from the floor for 44 percent and just
      one of six at the line. 

     Nick Moore's 14 powered the St. Charles reserves to a 31-29 win. Freshman Jared Lewis Lewis poured in 20
     points for Rosecrans (7-10).  Miles Nessline's nine points and six apiece by Beau Moyer and Don Miller
     powered the Rosecrans freshman (8-9) to a 35-27 triumph.




RETURN



  @ North Canton Hoover vs. Cleveland Central Catholic 

     NORTH CANTON -- Rosecrans obviously doesn't want to see its winning streak end.
     The Bishops, pushed to the limit by quick, athletic Cleveland Central Catholic, used poise and grit to
     subdue   the relentless Ironmen in an 84-81 overtime thriller Saturday afternoon at the North Canton Hoover  
     Maytag Classic. The first of 12 games in the three-day Classic, was a classic. Point guard Scott Moyer
     scored a career-high 30 points, including 25 in the second half and overtime, and Rosecrans needed every
     one after sophomore point guard Anthony Burns banked in a running 45-footer at the buzzer to force
     overtime. He nearly forced a second overtime when his 25-footer at the buzzer barely rimmed out, as the
     Bishops (10-2) emerged with their ninth straight win.

     "The last two weekends, we've played four good teams and we could be 6-6, but we're 10-2," Moyer said.
     Rosecrans had to turn around and play a 1 p.m. game after scrapping to a big 57-45 Central Catholic
     League win at Columbus St. Charles, and also had to play without valuable sixth man Jerod Yakubik, forced
     to sit out with an eye infection. To top it off, post player Kolby Knox fouled out in regulation. But the Bishops
     found a way to win in a fun contest that featured a lot of offense, but not much defense.
     "I thought Dan Miller played well off the bench for us," Moyer said.
     The Bishops hit 26 of 49 from the field for 53 percent, including an excellent 11 of 19 threes, while the
     Ironmen were a sizzling 34 of 60 for 57 percent while shooting a lot of layups and wide open jumpers.
     "What a gutty effort; I think our legs were tired, but these guys just refuse to lose," said Rosecrans coach
     Todd Rock. "We tried to spread it out at times to give them some breaks."

    "We were tired coming in, winning like we did at St. Charles, but you just have to play through it," admitted
    the 6-3 Knox, who drilled a trio of treys, scored 12 of his 19 points in the second half and battled 6-7
    240-pound Joel Miller throughout. "I've faced a lot of bigger guys, but he was probably the biggest and
    strongest."

    In a wild fourth quarter in which Moyer exploded for 16 points, including nine of 10 foul shots, his biggest
    shot was a three from the top of the key that immediately answered one by Catholic's Allen Lamar-Smith,
    forging a 71-71 tie. Moyer dropped in three of four foul shots, the last with 17 seconds, to push the Bishops
    up 74-71 before Miller stuck back in a rebound with five seconds, making it 74-73.  Johnny Bills dropped in
    two clutch free throws with 2.2 seconds to seemingly give Rosecrans the win. But the lightning quick Burns
    raced upcourt and banked in his prayer just after crossing mid-court.

    "It seemed like they had answer every time we did something," Moyer said. "We hadn't seen anything like
     that with their quickness, so it can only make us better."
    "We never give up, from the starting whistle to the final horn," said Catholic coach Ron Hodakievic, whose
     Division III team plays several Division I clubs, including Barberton, Lakewood St. Edward's and Cleveland
     St.Ignatius. "When we're all on the same page, we can be pretty good, and we were on the same page 
     today."  The Bishops kept their heads, however, after Burns' dramatic shot.  "The seniors challenged each
    other in the huddle," Rock pointed out.  "We didn't want the streak to end," Knox said. "We just wanted to
    go out and run our basic stuff," Moyer added.

     That led to a driving layup by Moyer to open overtime, and he followed that up with two foul shots at 2:35 to 
     make it an 80-76 game. Jeremy Ridgley notched a layup off a long inbounds pass to put Rosecrans ahead
     82-78, but Lamar-Smith nailed a big three with 35 seconds to slice the margin to 82-81.
     Moyer, who hit 13 of 16 foul shots, missed a pair with 6.5 seconds. But he immediately forced a travel by  
     Burns, then stuck in a pair of freebies with 3.2 seconds for the final margin as Burns nearly struck again at
     the end.

     Joe Dalton buried a trio of threes and scored 11 of his 16 points in the first half, as Rosecrans used an 8-0
     run to take a 31-24 lead late in the second quarter. Moyer's three with six seconds extended it to 34-26, but
     in a sign of things to come, Richard Lash hit a running three-pointer from the top of the key at the halftime
     buzzer. Knox struck for 10 third-quarter points as the Bishops led by as much as seven, but the Ironmen
     refused to go away. Ridgley added 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists, Bills handed out six assists
     and Moyer dished off five. The Ironmen outrebounded Rosecrans 33-25, but the 5-11 Dalton nabbed seven
     boards including three big ones in overtime.

     Miller led Cleveland Central Catholic with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Lamar-Smith hit a trio of treys
     and tallied 15 points along with Lash, a 6-2 guard. Guard Andre Nash contributed 12 points for the Ironmen.
     Hodakievic didn't know much about Rosecrans coming in, but came away impressed after his team dropped
     to a deceptive 5-7. "I have nothing but respect for them," he said. "Number 0 (Moyer) is a nice player. I
     thought we played pretty good defense on him, but he still made his shots."      




RETURN



 @ ROSECRANS  vs. Fisher Catholic

     This one was personal.
     Back in football season, one of Rosecrans' two regular season defeats came at the hands of Lancaster  
     Fisher Catholic, a game the Irish defense dominated.  This time, the Bishops returned the favor.

     Rosecrans, 10th-ranked in Division IV, jumped out to an 18-3 lead in the first quarter and never 
     relented, rolling to one of its most convincing wins in years, a 77-48 pasting in Rogge Gymnasium
    Tuesday night.  It was the Bishops' 10th straight win, despite playing their third game in five days.

    "It's tough," Rosecrans coach Todd Rock said, "but you have to battle through it. When you get on a
     run like that, it can be a lot of fun."


     The 77 points were 22 more than Fisher, allowing only 44 points per game, had given up in any one
     game this season. The Irish slipped to 9-3 overall, but still lead the Mid-State League at 8-0 after a
     weekend win at Newark Catholic.  The Bishops (11-2) did most of their damage from the 3-point line,
     hitting 13 of 25 for the game and 6 of 10 in the first half. They also forced nine Irish turnovers in the first
     half and 17 total, and held a 31-26 rebounding edge over the much taller Irish, who featured 6-6 Brian
     Kelley and 6-7 Jimmy Finck inside.  Kelley got 15 points and had his way inside at times, but the Irish
     shot only 35 percent (16 of 46) and were only 4 of 19 from three-point range and never getting closer
     than 28-20 after Rosecrans made its first-quarter blitz.


RETURN



      @ ROSECRANS  vs. Bishop Ready

     Rosecrans and Joe Dalton came out firing on all cylinders Friday night, and the Bishops cruised on to a
     72-57 Central Catholic League revenge win over Columbus Ready in Rogge Gymnasium.  With Dalton
     exploding for 16 first-quarter points, including four threes, and Rosecrans hitting eight of its first nine shots,
     the 10th-ranked Bishops (5-1 CCL, 12-2 overall) stormed ahead 29-17 by the end of the first quarter and the
     Silver Knights (2-4, 7-5) never fully recovered.

     Ready had handed the Bishops their only CCL loss to date, 70-57 in Columbus to open the season. But  
     Rosecrans played like a team that has won 11 straight games and is hungry for more.  In a torrid first
     quarter, athletic, quick Ready still trailed just 18-13 on Mackie McAndrew's steal and breakaway layup.
     Then, the Bishops turned things up a notch, nailing five of their first six threes.  Johnny Bills drilled a trey
     from the left baseline and Dalton connected from the right base. Kolby Knox cashed in two free throws, and
     Dalton's three from the left base sent Rosecrans shooting into its 29-17 advantage.

     "We knew we had to come out early against them, because they do such a good job of running their
     man-to-man offense," said Rosecrans coach Todd Rock. "I still think they're one of the best teams in the
     league. They exposed some things we have to get better at, especially on defense."  "I was feeling it;
    everything felt good, no matter what I was doing," Dalton said. "It's payback week for us. We had Fisher
    Catholic who beat us in football, now Ready."

    "They wouldn't give me an open look," said point guard Scott Moyer, who still scored 14 points. "Every time
     we entered it into the post, they doubled us, and that left Joe wide open."  Things settled down after the first
     quarter, with both teams being more patient on offense. But Ready never could seriously challenge.
     Southpaw Jerod Yakubik, who scored a season-high 13 points off the bench, notched a pair of
     second-quarter hoops along with center Jeremy Ridgley and Moyer added a three-point play off a pump
     fake.  Rosecrans led 40-25 before long distance sniper Jason Kulp buried a three to pull the Knights within
    40-28 at halftime.

    Rosecrans used sharp passing to keep Ready at bay the rest of the way, taking a commanding 54-40 lead
    into the final eight minutes as Ridgley fed Bills for a layup and Moyer did the same, the latter resulting in a
    three-point play. Yakubik tallied seven points down the stretch and Moyer dropped in six of six foul shots.
    "I hadn't played well the last couple of games, but basically, I was playing with one eye (due to an eye
    infection). This was my first day back with contacts."



RETURN



  @ ROSECRANS  vs. Alexander

      Sixth-ranked Rosecrans found out just how much Scott Moyer means to its offense Tuesday night.
      Fortunately for the Bishops, their defense and foul shooting never missed a beat.
      Playing without the 6-2 senior point guard Moyer, who badly sprained his ankle during last Friday's win
      at Columbus DeSales, the Bishops struggled from the perimeter, hitting only 3 of 22 3-pointers. As a
      team, they finished just 18 of 57 overall.  But the defense forced 19 turnovers and the Bishops hit 20 of
     23 free throws as they held off a feisty Albany Alexander squad 59-50 on Senior Night at Rogge
     Gymnasium. Rosecrans has lost only one non-league home game in 11 years.  The win was the team's
     15th in a row, but its first without Moyer, who leads the team in scoring (16.6) and assists, while
     shooting a team-best 47 percent on threes.




RETURN




           vs Bishop Watterson

        Rosecrans has always had a hard time winning at Columbus Watterson, and Friday night proved to be
        no exception.  Down 8-0 to start the game and four points in the fourth quarter, the Bishops hit 11 of 12
        foul shots down the stretch, including 10 of 10 by point guard Scott Moyer, and kept their Central
        Catholic League lead with a 58-53 win over the Eagles. Watterson lost despite hitting a sizzling 60
        percent from the floor,-ncluding an uncanny 11 of 15 the second half for 73 percent.

       "I think it's only the second time we've won up here," said a relieved Rosecrans coach Todd Rock after the
       eighth-ranked Bishops (13-2) reeled off their 12th straight win. "There's going to be times when things go
       against you; we had some calls plus a hostile environment. But we gutted it out."

       Rosecrans trailed 48-44 in the fourth quarter, but came back to take a 50-48 lead on Joe Dalton's huge
       three. Moyer then stepped up and hit both ends of a one-and-one with 38 seconds, two more foul shots
       with 24 seconds and both ends of an intentional foul with :12.6 seconds. Jeremy Ridgley notched a layup
      at the final buzzer for the Bishops' biggest lead of the night.

      Watterson's Ryan Ferst, who didn't play in Rosecrans' earlier home win, came out smoking. He drilled 10
      first quarter points as the Eagles (1-6 CCL, 3-10 overall) stormed ahead 8-0 before Johnny Bills nailed a trey
      to get the Bishops going. Jerod Yakubik added four first-quarter points off the bench as Rosecrans trailed 
      12-7.



RETURN




       vs. Bishop Hartley

       As the season progresses, and the wins pile up, one thing is becoming increasingly evident.  It's tough to
       stop Rosecrans for four quarters.  After struggling offensively for the first 16 minutes and its defense
       keeping them in the game, Rosecrans hit 6 of 7 threes in the second half as it handed visiting Columbus
       Hartley a 56-43 loss in a Central Catholic League game at Rogge Gymnasium Tuesday night.  Rosecrans
      (7-1 CCL, 14-2 overall), now seventh in Division IV, extended its winning streak to 13 games and clinched at
       least a share of the league title. Columbus DeSales defeated St. Charles 68-57, which gives the Bishops a
       two-game lead with two remaining.  Hartley slipped to 3-5 in the league and 6-8 overall.
 
      Scott Moyer finished with 19 points, hitting all 10 of his free throw attempts, while Joe Dalton and Jerod
      Yakubik added 11 each. Jeremy Ridgley added nine points with five rebounds, while Dalton also had five
      rebounds and four assists.
      Rosecrans hit only 2 of 12 shots in the first quarter and 7 of 23 in the first half, but a combination of 1-2-2
      zone pressure and man-to-man helped force the Hawks into nine first-half turnovers. Rosecrans, averaging
      65 points per game, had only six after the first quarter on two of Moyer's threes.



RETURN



  @ ROSECRANS  vs. Saint Francis DeSales

      Small-school Rosecrans won its sixth Central Catholic championship in the last 12 years Friday night,
      using an 18-0 first-half run to throttle host Columbus DeSales 57-42.  Trailing 6-0 in the first quarter against
      the Stallions' 1-2-2 zone defense, the Bishops held the ball for two minutes to pull DeSales out of it.
      Seventh-ranked Rosecrans then rattled off 18 straight points and never looked back, improving to 8-1 atop
      the CCL and 15-2 overall with its 14th straight win.  "It's a credit to our program; we have kids that work
      hard and play with a lot of discipline," said Bishops' coach Todd Rock. "Winning six titles in 12 years is
      pretty amazing, when you consider DeSales has won something like three in 23 years."  "We win as a
      team; we've come out and lived up to our expectations so far," said senior center Jeremy Ridgley, who
      threw down a two-handed dunk off a Brodie Lepi assist off the backboard in the second quarter that sent the
      Bishop faithful into a frenzy. In a superb all-around effort, Ridgley scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds,
      handed out six assists and had three steals.

     Junior Joe Dalton finally got Rosecrans rolling with a three with 1:54 left in the first quarter, and senior point
     guard Scott Moyer added another. Dalton would add two more in the 18-0 run that included Ridgley's slam.
     Lepi came up with a steal and threw the ball off the backboard to a trailing Ridgley in the run, which staked
     Rosecrans to a commanding 32-18 halftime lead.  "We've been working on that play since junior high; we
     still work on it after practice, just messing around," Lepi said. "When you get on a run, your confidence
     keeps building. When we shot the ball like we did tonight, it's hard to beat us."

     Jerod Yakubik again provided a spark off the bench, scoring 13 points including seven in the third quarter,
     when the Bishops held DeSales without a field goal and pushed their margin out to 43-22. The Stallions
     could get no closer than 14 the rest of the way.  Dalton finished with 14 points and four threes to lead the
     winning attack. Yakubik added four rebounds and four assists and Kolby Knox ripped down eight rebounds
     as Rosecrans outrebounded much-taller DeSales 30-25. The Stallions rotated 6-5 sophomores Elijah Allen
     and Alex Kellogg on scoring leader Moyer and he was held to five points after tweaking his ankle in the
     second half.

      The Bishops converted 21 of 43 from the field for 47 percent including five of 12 threes, and canned 10 of 16
      foul shots. Rosecrans had 16 turnovers, but forced the Stallions into 21. Sophomore point guard Dane
     Johnson was the only Stallion to crack double figures with 11 points, and Kellogg added eight. David
     Knapke (6-6) snared six rebounds.

     The Stallions hit just 14 of 41 from the field for 34 percent and made 10 of 15 foul shots.
     DeSales won the reserve game 38-26 behind Brandon Garrick's 11 points. Jared Lewis and Cody Kirkpatrick
     scored six points each for Rosecrans (6-9).  No information was available on the freshman game.



RETURN



  @ ROSECRANS  vs.Saint Charles

       Patience is a virtue that will win you a lot of basketball games, and Rosecrans proved it again Friday night.
       Down nine points to tall, athletic and physical Columbus St. Charles in the third quarter, things didn't look
       good for the state-ranked Bishops. They were suffering through a rare off shooting night, and although
       senior point guard Scott Moyer played most of the game, he was less than 100 percent on a bad ankle. 
       But somehow, Rosecrans persevered, came back and gutted out a 53-49 Central Catholic League win over
       the Cardinals in Rogge Gymnasium. It finished off an 11-0 home season with a 16th straight victory, and
      sent the program's five seniors out on a winning note in their last home game. The CCL champions (9-1
      CCL, 17-2) play at Newark Catholic tonight.

      Moyer, who didn't play Tuesday against Alexander, didn't start Friday night, but entered the game with 3:50
      left in the first quarter and never left the floor. He couldn't push off on the bad ankle, get to loose balls or
      jump very well. But his ball handling against the various pressure defenses of St. Charles (6-4, 10-10) was
      invaluable, as was his leadership and foul shooting as he scored nine of his 10 points in the pivotal fourth
     quarter.

     Classmates Jeremy Ridgley and Kolby Knox also came up big with 15-point efforts, with Ridgley tallying 12
     of his in the second half. That included seven in the third-quarter comeback, and a big three from the top of 
     the key to give Rosecrans the lead for good in the fourth quarter.  "We wanted these guys to go out here
     with a win; they deserve to go out winners," said Bishops' coach Todd Rock. "These seniors have meant so
     much to this program."

    "I rehabbed it hard; I really didn't have too much pain," Moyer said of the ankle. "Of course, the ankle brace
     and a lot of tape helped. We just needed to be patient and let the game come to us. I tried not to do too
     much out there, and tried to get everyone involved."

    "It was nice to have Scott out there; he really lights a fire under us," Ridgley said. "It seems like he's been
     battling injuries forever," added senior forward Johnny Bills, who at 5-11 played aggressive defense
     throughout on the Cardinals' athletic 6-5 Kyle Ritter. "He wants to win; he showed great leadership again."
    "It was a huge factor, Scott playing," Knox said. "We needed to get the ball up the floor against their press."
     However, second-place, Division I St. Charles nearly spoiled the festivities for the state's sixth-ranked
     Division IV team.

     Rosecrans trailed just 22-18 at halftime despite making only five of 21 from the field and seven of 12 at the
     line. Knox scored seven points and hit five foul shots to help keep the Bishops in it, while Ritter, who played
     only sparingly in Rosecrans' win at St. Charles, came out firing and had nine first-half points with a three.
     Point guard Chris Vetter added a pair of threes.  Ritter drilled two more treys in the third quarter, and a layup
     by 6-5 Paul Kuppich had the Bishops down 30-21 two minutes into the second half.  "They were strong in
     the post, and then you have Ritter stepping out there hitting threes; it makes them, really hard to guard,"
     said the 6-3 Knox, who scrapped for eight rebounds and Ridgley nine as the winners outrebounded the
     much bigger Cardinals 37-30.

     But Rosecrans didn't panic.
     Knox's driving layup ignited a 9-2 run capped by Ridgley's three-point play off a rebound, plus another layup
     that suddenly tied the score at 32-32.  "We were patient and just executed what we had worked on; get the
     ball inside, take it to the basket and get fouled," Rock said.  Bryan Wickliffe, a talented 6-4 sophomore, was
     nearly unstoppable around the rim and scored eight fourth-quarter points to give St. Charles a chance. In
     fact, the Cardinals led 40-36 with a little over six minutes left on an inside basket by D.J. Farrell.  But Moyer
    dropped in both ends of a one-and-one at 6:14 and Ridgley hit a baseline jumper at 5:35, forging a 40-40 tie
    in the physical, see-saw affair. The Cardinals' last lead came at 44-42 at 4:40 on a rebound bucket by
    athletic guard Peter James. However, Ridgley responded with a rare three from the top of the key for a 45-44
    lead, the Bishops' first since earely in the second quarter.

     Knox notched two foul shots at 4:08 and Moyer drove the lane for his only field goal as Rosecrans led 49-44,
     but James' three from the top key kept St. Charles alive at 51-49. But Moyer calmly sank both ends of the
     double bonus with 7.9 seconds to cement the hard-earned win.  "We need to get ready for the tournament,
     and St. Charles really came at us," Bills said. "We may not see that kind of size, but we have a target on
     our back, and teams are still going to get up on us and play physical defense." 

     Rosecrans connected on just 15 of 45 from the field for 33 percent, including only three of 14 threes, but
     won the game with solid 20 of 28 foul shooting for 71 percent including 10 of 13 down the stretch. Jerod
     Yakubik added six rebounds and three steals and Joe Dalton four boards to go with two treys.  Ritter's 15
     points and 14 by Wickliffe led St. Charles, 21 of 48 from the floor for 44 percent and just one of six at the
     line.

    Nick Moore's 14 powered the St. Charles reserves to a 31-29 win. Freshman Jared Lewis Lewis poured in
    20 points for Rosecrans (7-10).  Miles Nessline's nine points and six apiece by Beau Moyer and Don Miller
    powered the Rosecrans freshman (8-9) to a 35-27 triumph.




RETURN



    vs. Newark Catholic

       Rosecrans capped one of the finest regular seasons in school history Saturday night, pummeling host
       Newark Catholic 62-29 on its home floor in a non-league game.  Eight players scored for Rosecrans (18-2),
       but senior Scott Moyer wasn't one of them. Moyer, the Bishops' leading scorer, sat out the game to rest
       the ankle he injured 10 days ago at Columbus DeSales. Moyer played Friday night against Columbus St.
      Charles and could have gone again Saturday, but the team elected to sit him out.  "I'm really proud of this
       team to finish the year the way they did," Rosecrans coach Todd Rock said. "We were a little
      short-handed tonight because we didn't play Scott and most of our reserve guys only had one quarter left.
      But I thought our kids showed a lot of class tonight. The kids are playing hard and I'm really proud of the
      way they have handled themselves this season."

      Rosecrans, ranked sixth in Division IV and top-seeded at its sectional, finished the season on a 17-game
      winning streak after losing two of three games to start the year.  Even without Moyer, his teammates didn't
      miss a beat.  Rosecrans shot 55 percent from the floor and held a 36-21 edge on the glass, taking a 24-7
      lead after one quarter and a commanding 44-11 edge at halftime.

      Jeremy Ridgley scored eight of his 10 points in the first quarter, while Jerod Yakubik had seven of his 12.
      Kolby Knox had eight of his 12 points in the second quarter, while Brodie Lepi added five. Lepi finished with
     11 points.  Rosecrans led 52-23 after three quarters as the reserves played most of the second half.
     The Bishops finished 25 of 49 from the field for 51 percent and 9 of 9 at the line. They were a sizzling 22 of
     38 on shots inside the arc (58 percent).

     Yakubik added nine rebounds and two steals, while Knox chipped in eight rebounds and three assists. Matt
     DiBlasio's 11 points with a trio of threes led Newark Catholic, which had 22 turnovers and shot 11 of 43 from
     the field (26 percent), including 3 of 19 threes.

     Rosecrans won the reserve game 47-41 behind Jared Lewis' 11 points and Ephraim Medaugh's nine. Lee   
     Lucas had 11 for Newark Catholic.  Newark Catholic won the freshmen game 34-32, but leading scorers
     were not available.




RETURN

Post Season - Tournament Games



   vs. Beallsville @ Ohio University-Eastern's Ney Center

     RHS ROLLS to 13th STRAIGHT SECTIONAL TITLE

     By DAVE WEIDIG,   Zanesville TimesRecorder - Sports Editor

     BELMONT -- Even after a two-week layoff, Rosecrans looked anything but rusty Saturday afternoon.  

     Junior Joe Dalton led a long range assault with five three-pointers, and the Bishops got 14 treys from six
     different players in a 91-37 Division IV sectional final romp over Beallsville at Ohio University-Eastern's
     Ney Center.

     Through three quarters, top-seeded Rosecrans (19-2) was a sizzling 14 of 25 from beyond the arc, and
     the issue was never in doubt after the Bishops drained six threes in racing to a 33-14 lead after one
     quarter. Meanwhile, Rosecrans, which won its 18th straight game, limited the Blue Devils (7-15) to
     13 of 55 shooting for 24 percent and forced them into 17 turnovers. The winners also controlled the
     boards 47-29.

     After their impressive 13th straight sectional championship, the Bishops now face a rematch with Berlin
     Hiland (15-7), which it beat in last year's district finals, at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the district semifinals at
     Meadowbrook. The Hawks ousted Tuscarawas Central Catholic 56-51 on Saturday at New Philadelphia.
     "You can't ever take it (a sectional title) for granted," said Rosecrans coach Todd Rock. "Look at our
     area. There are only three teams left out of 11."

     Senior point guard Scott Moyer, who handed out five assists, said Rosecrans was definitely ready to play
     after the long layoff. "We moved the ball well and found the open man," he said. "They were like horses
     cooped up in a barn for two weeks," quipped Bishops' statistician Dr. Paul Hoffman. "We came out pretty
     focused; I was proud of them," Rock said. "Early on, I thought we didn't stop their dribble penetration,
     but as the game went on, we did a better job of it. "We knew we couldn't let them hang around. With
     that zone they play, they can be dangerous."

     But any hopes of an upset were quickly dashed when Rosecrans used sharp passing to get wide open
     looks and shot lights out against the zone. "We knew they were good; we didn't want them to get off to
     a good start, and that's exactly what they did," said veteran Beallsville coach Lou "Scooter" Tolzda. 'We
     knew they would be ready because they hadn't played in a while. "You could see them in Columbus.
     That's the best team we've played. They make you take bad shots, they have depth, can run and shoot it.
     They have good composure, and my hat's off to them. The sky's the limit."

     Rosecrans exploded for 33 first-quarter points by getting contributions from a variety of players. Under-
     rated Johnny Bills ignited the barrage of threes with one from the left wing with 6:45 still left on the first
     quarter clock, pushing the Bishops ahead for good at 5-2. Dalton buried a trio of treys early on and had
     a tip-in for 11 first-quarter points, while Kolby Knox had a three and a pair of rebound baskets, Moyer
     canned a trey and Dan Miller came off the bench to score four quick points.

     With the Bishops substituting freely, Jeremy Ridgley, super sixth man Jerod Yakubik and freshman Jared
     Lewis scored four points each as Rosecrans expanded its margin to 56-23 by intermission. The winners
     nailed six more threes in the third quarter, including two each by Dalton and sophomore Cody Kirkpatrick
     and a 35-footer at the buzzer by Brodie Lepi as Rosecrans led 82-33. Rock pulled his starters with three
     minutes left in the third as 13 of the 14 players to see action scored.

     "Lewis has been getting some reps with the starters; he could give us some valuable minutes in the
      tournament," Rock said. Dalton's 17 points, Ridgley's 12 points and 11 rebounds and Knox's 10 points
     and six boards led Rosecrans, which finished 14 of 31 on threes and 32 of 65 overall for 49 percent while
     sinking 13 of 16 foul shots. Yakubik added eight points and ripped down 12 rebounds, while reserve
     players Jeremy Morland and Justin Barry chipped in with five and four, respectively. All nine of Bills'
     points came on three-pointers and also handed out three assists.

     The Tolzda brothers, sophomore Zach and senior Casey, paced Beallsville with 12 and nine points,
     respectively, and Jordan Arbogast added eight. The Blue Devils canned eight of 13 foul shots.

     Originally published Sunday, February 27, 2005


RETURN




  vs.Berlin Hiland @ Meadowbrook

    
By DAVE WEIDIG,   Zanesville TimesRecorder - Sports Editor

    
Meadowbrook -- Taken out of its offense a bit by a physical Berlin Hiland defense, Rosecrans simply did 
     what good teams do: played some great defense of its own. The Bishops shut down the perimeter,
     limiting the Hawks to one of 16 on threes and 20 percent shooting overall, and got more than enough
     offense to pound Hiland 53-28 Wednesday night in the Division IV district semifinals at Meadowbrook
     High School.

     Fifth-ranked Rosecrans, now 20-2 after its 19th straight win, held the Hawks (15-8) to just eight first-half
     points. They earned Saturday's 1 p.m. district finals berth against Shadyside (21-2) which rallied to beat
     Wellsville 77-73 on Tuesday night as Eastern District Co-Player of the Year Steve Luckhardt poured in
     21 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter.

     The other Co-Player of the Year, Scott Moyer of Rosecrans, broke open Wednesday's game in the third
     quarter by drilling three straight treys. Jeremy Ridgley, who helped keep Rosecrans afloat offensively in
     the first half and finished with a game-high 21 points, converted an old-fashioned three-point play off a
     Moyer assist as the winners expanded a 23-15 lead to a commanding 32-15.

     "Scott's so steady in the clutch; he knows when to slow us down and when to speed us up," said Ridgley,
     who also snagged six rebounds to help Rosecrans control the backboards 24-13. "One day it's my game,
     another day, it's someone else. "We weren't as good on offense as we normally are, but our pressure
     defense was the difference. We were well prepared and knew their plays as well as they did." "It was a
     good team win," said Moyer, who scored 16 points with four threes, handed out three assists and also
     grabbed five boards. "I thought our defensive effort won that game."

     "There's gonna be nights where we don't shoot the ball so well; that was probably our worst offensive
      performance in some time," said Bishops' coach Todd Rock. "But give Hiland's defense credit. Scott
      finally hit those threes and it opened up the inside.

     "We always prepare for Hiland; we always see them in the district," Rock added. "We know all their plays,
     and our kids did a good job getting over their screens." Both teams struggled offensively at the start, but
     Ridgley tallied nine of his points in the first quarter in staking Rosecrans to a 13-4 lead. He had a
     three-point play off a Joe Dalton assist, and Dalton converted a lob from Moyer into a layup with six
     seconds left.

     Moyer had five second-quarter points with a three as the Bishops struggled, hitting only three of 11 from
     the field. But Hiland made just two of nine in the quarter and four of 22 for the half as Rosecrans led 20-8.
     After Moyer's long-range assault, the Bishops turned the game into a romp with a 9-0 run capped by
     Johnny Bills' driving layup with 5:04 left that pushed Rosecrans ahead 45-22.

     Kolby Knox snared six rebounds, Dalton five and Bills and Jerod Yakubik added four apiece, while Dalton
     dished out three assists. The Bishops connected on a solid 20 of 42 from the field for 48 percent, including
     four of 14 on treys, and made nine of 13 foul shots. Wes Miller, a 6-4 senior post player, led Hiland with 14
     points and six rebounds. Bills limited 6-3 Andrew Weaver, a first-team All-Eastern District selection
     averaging 17 points a game, to just seven, as the Hawks made only nine of 44 from the field for their frigid
     20 percent and nine of 13 at the stripe.

     Originally published Thursday, March 3, 2005


RETURN



   vs. Shadyside Tigers -

     BISHOPS BACK IN BLACK

     By DAVE WEIDIG,  Zanesville Times Recorder - Sports Editor

     BYESVILLE -- Rosecrans has made big plays all season long in putting together a 20-game winning
     streak. But it took two of them in the final minute of overtime against determined Shadyside Saturday
     afternoon.

     Senior point guard Scott Moyer's driving layup with 2.5 seconds left gave the Bishops a dramatic 58-56
     win over the underrated Tigers at Meadowbrook High School, giving Rosecrans its second straight
     Division IV district championship. And even that wasn't secured until Taylor Goff's 60-foot heave bounced
     off the side of the rim at the final buzzer.

     In a much-anticipated showdown, the fifth-ranked Bishops (21-2) will clash with second-ranked Sebring
     McKinley (23-1) at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday in the regional semifinals at Canton Fieldhouse. But the Tigers
     (21-3), not even mentioned in the final Associated Press rankings, nearly spoiled the matchup.

     "You have to find a way to win," said Rosecrans coach Todd Rock. "The year Zanesville won the state
     title, they had to win four close ball games. Give them (Shadyside) a lot of credit. They're a good team."

     "We know that Rosecrans plays extremely hard, and that we had to match their intensity and play as
     hard as them to have a chance," said Tigers' coach Ed Andes, whose team exited the postseason for
     the third straight year at the hands of the Bishops. "Our guys recognized where their shooters were and
     did a good job getting out on them."

     Shadyside also battled taller Rosecrans to a 26-26 standoff on the boards, scrapping for 12 offensive
     rebounds, and forced Rosecrans into an uncharacteristic 20 turnovers with its man-to-man pressure
     defense, 11 in the first half.

     "We were careless; that's way too many," said senior post player Kolby Knox. "We'll learn from it and get
     better."

     "There's going to be a few bumps in the road on our eight-mile run, and this was definitely one of them,"
     junior guard Joe Dalton said. "They were real physical with us and tried to out-physical us. We're all
     really drained, emotionally and physically."

     With Shadyside holding the ball for the last shot in overtime and the game tied 56-56, Rosecrans
     suddenly sprang a trap with Dalton and senior Johnny Bills along the sideline on Tiger sophomore
     Tyler Jovicic. The ball was forced into the backcourt, and the official ruled it went out off Jovicic, giving
     the Bishops the ball with :39.3 seconds.

     "We weren't going to let them take the last shot," Rock said. "We were either going to send them to the
     line or get the ball. We wanted the last shot."

     After a timeout, Rosecrans spread the floor, with Moyer working his way free right of the lane, driving to
     the basket and laying in his game-winner with just 2.5 seconds left.

     "We ran our 1-4 Michigan set, Scott got the ball deep and made the play," Rock said. "I have every bit of
     confidence in Scott in that situation."

     "We knew he (Moyer) would have the ball," Andes said. "We stepped in, but he zig-zagged through and
     we didn't get him stopped."

     Goff narrowly missed his three-quarter's court shot, sending the Bishops to Canton for the second
     straight year.
 
     "We wanted to get it past half-court," Andes said of the inbounds pass. But Rosecrans forced the Tigers
      to throw into the backcourt.

     "In the end, we got the job done, just like we have all year," Moyer said.

     In a tense overtime struggle, Erik Cwalinski's rebound basket with 2:31 left tied the game at 56-56 and
     were the last points until the end. Bills had stuck in a pair of foul shots at 3:04 for Rosecrans.

     Things also got interesting at the end of regulation, which saw Division IV Eastern District Co-Players of
     the Year Moyer and Shadyside's Steve Luckhardt guarding each other. Shadyside ran different defenders
     at Moyer throughout, while the Tigers switched Luckhardt off the point to free him up on the wings.

     "He (Luckhardt) is a real nice player," Knox said. "He can handle it and he can pull up and shoot. You
     can see why he and Scott (Moyer) were Co-Players of the Year."

     Moyer turned another driving layup into a three-point with 4:35 left in regulation, pushing the Bishops up
     49-46. But Cwalinski responded with his own three-point play off a tip-in to knot the score.

     Jeremy Ridgley, who popped in 13 of his 15 points in the second half to keep Rosecrans in the game, hit
     a foul shot off his steal and a layup to tie the contest at 52-52.

     Both teams had their chances, with Shadyside's Ryan Holmes missing the front end of a one-and-one
     with 29 seconds. But Rosecrans was called for 10 seconds, giving the Tigers one last chance. However,
     Moyer forced Luckhardt to throw up an off-balance shot from inside the foul line to force overtime.

     "Scott did a great job on him there," Rock said.

     "I wasn't going to let him beat us," Moyer said.

     Rosecrans got first-quarter threes from Dalton, Bills and Moyer and another from Dalton opening the
     second frame as the Bishops forged ahead of the physical Tigers 21-16. But Shadyside got the Bishops
     in foul trouble, Bills, Knox and Ridgley each picking up their third, and Luckhardt started heating up
     with seven points as the Tigers took the lead.

     "With the foul trouble, we had to go to a lot of different lineups that we'd never used," Rock said.

     The Tigers led 28-25 on Shawn Maynard's tip-in with five seconds left. But Moyer quickly went
     coast-to-coast and hit a short jumper at the halftime buzzer to pull the Bishops within 28-27. It could
     have been worse, but Shadyside made only seven of 14 foul shots and missed the front end of two
     one-and-ones.

     Twice Shadyside built five-point leads in the third quarter, only to see Rosecrans respond behind Ridgley,
     who hit three baseline fadeaways in the third as the Bishops came back to lead 40-39 on Jerod Yakubik's
     layup. But Luckhardt immediately replied with a three from the top of the key, and the battle was on.

     "They (Shadyside) played their best game; they answered us at every turn," Moyer said. "But when they
     got up 5 on us in the third, I thought we answered them.

     "We just keep persevering. They beat us to a lot of loose balls in the first half, and we talked about that at
      halftime. I thought Jeremy (Ridgley) played a great second half."

     Ridgley's 15 points and five rebounds and Moyer's 14 points, four rebounds and three assists led
     Rosecrans, a solid 19 of 39 from the field for 49 percent including four of 14 on threes. Dalton tossed in
     12 points while Knox added seven boards and three steals and Yakubik also came down with seven
     rebounds.

     Luckhardt rifled in 20 points for Shadyside, ending a superb career, as the Tigers netted 22 of 54 from the
     floor for 41 percent including two of six on threes. Jovicic, a feisty 5-9 sophomore, worked his way inside
     for 10 points and Cwalinski added nine to go with eight rebounds and Maynard also scored nine.
     Shadyside hurt itself by making only 10 of 19 foul shots.

     Originally published Sunday, March 6, 2005


RETURN




   vs. Sebring McKinley 

     RHS takes down No. 2 Sebring

    
By DAVE WEIDIG,  Zanesville Times Recorder - Sports Editor

     CANTON -- It was the Rosecrans threes against the Sebring McKinley trees Tuesday night in a classic
     Division IV showdown.

     In the end, the biggest three came from the most unlikely of sources.

     Senior post player Jeremy Ridgley, three of 16 beyond the arc in 23 games, buried an NBA length trey
     from the right wing with 50 seconds left, and the fifth-ranked Bishops rode the momentum to a pulsating
     55-52 regional semifinal win over the No. 2 Trojans at Canton Fieldhouse.

     Rosecrans' other senior post, Kolby Knox, then came up with a crucial steal on the other end as the
     Trojans (22-2), suddenly down 53-52, tried to dump it inside to 6-5 bruiser Matt Ferguson, who had burned
     the Bishops for 17 points. Knox was fouled with 13.4 seconds, calmly dropping in both ends of a
     one-and-one on the only foul shots of the night for Rosecrans (22-2) as the Bishops led 55-52.

     Sebring's All-Ohio guard Joe James then missed two threes with Johnny Bills in his face, the last a
     desperation 35-footer at the buzzer, giving Rosecrans a shot at its fifth trip to the state tournament.
     They'll meet Cleveland Heights Lutheran East (19-5), a 60-56 winner over Windham in Tuesday's other
     semifinal, at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the regional finals at the Fieldhouse.

     Bills' defense in the second half on James, a willowy 6-0 lefthander, was huge in the Bishops' victory.
     After a 16-point first-half explosion, including 12 in the second quarter, he was held to only two over the
     final 16 minutes. But the Trojans gave themselves a chance by getting the ball inside to 6-5 wide bodies
     Ferguson and Joe Amabeli, who scored eight of his 10 points in the second half.

     "(Jeremy) Ridgley played great, Knox made those big foul shots and Scott (Moyer) led us," said Bishops'
     coach Todd Rock. "But Johnny Bills was the key," he said of the muscular 5-11 senior who didn't take a
     shot all night.

     There was no bigger shot than Ridgley's, after he found himself wide open on the wing with the Bishops
     spreading the floor.

     "I never even thought about it," Ridgley said. "Coach always tells us, 'you can hit that shot if you're open.'
     I felt comfortable with it. They challenged me to shoot by playing off of me all night, and I took advantage
     of the opportunity."

     "I truly believe, you let all your kids shoot the ball," Rock said.

     "That three was one of the biggest shots Jeremy has ever hit, and this was one of the biggest games
     we've ever played in," added Moyer. "But we'll try to forget about it tomorrow and get back to work."

     "All I thought about the whole game, was I wanted to practice again with these guys and these coaches,"
     Bills said.

     "It was a big game, but we've been in a lot of big games," Ridgley said. "We're nowhere close to where
     we want to be. There was nothing to be nervous about."

     The athletic, 6-4 Ridgley scored a season-high 24 points, all on field goals, as the officials let both teams
     play. He hit another three early in the second half. Junior long distance sniper Joe Dalton nailed a trio of
     treys and tallied 13 points, and Knox and Moyer hit two threes apiece and scored eight points as the
     Bishops went a deadly nine of 17 behind the three-point line.

     Rosecrans stormed out of the gate quickly, getting threes from Dalton and Knox and three quick baskets
     from Ridgley to forge ahead 14-5, and led 18-10 early in the second quarter on Ridgley's fast-break layup
     coming off his block on the other end. But James caught fire, Ferguson got into the offense inside and the
     Trojans hit all seven of their second-quarter foul shots and a sizzling nine of 12 from the field to lead 34-30
     on point guard David Scarpitti's three from the left baseline, before Ridgley's baseline fadeaway pulled the
     Bishops within 34-32 at intermission.

     Moyer's pair of third-quarter threes and assist to Ridgley for a layup pulled Rosecrans ahead 43-42 late
     in the quarter. But the Trojans took a 46-43 lead into the fourth quarter and it could have been worse,
     except they missed their only two foul shots of the second half and didn't capitalize on two other
     opportunities.

     In a see-saw affair worthy of the teams' rankings, Dalton notched a layup, drilled a 25-foot three from the
     left wing, then assisted Ridgley on a layup as the Bishops took a 50-46 edge. Rosecrans spread the floor
     and took time off the clock, but the relentless Trojans took a 52-50 lead on two layups by Ferguson and
     another by Amabeli, before Ridgley worked his magic.

     Moyer dished off six assists and scrapped for four rebounds along with the only sub used the entire game
     by either team, 6-2 junior Jared Yakubik, as the Bishops held a 23-22 edge on the boards and connected
     on 22 of 46 from the field for 48 percent.

     Sebring converted 21 of 43 from the floor for 49 percent but just two of 12 beyond the arc, and finished
     eight of 11 at the stripe.

     "I'm proud of both teams," Rock said. "This game was everything it should have been."

     Originally published Wednesday, March 9, 2005


RETURN



Roster
Basketball Records
Driving Directions JV Synopsis
Freshman Synopsis
HOME         SPORTS