From cleveland .com:
DAYTON, Ohio — Only two teams in St. Ignatius’ history have won 25 basketball games.
Only one has won 26.
That became a reality Sunday night at the University of Dayton Arena, as the Wildcats pulled away from Centerville for a 66-56 victory and their first state championship since 2001. It’s the only other time St. Ignatius held up the OHSAA Division I state championship trophy at the end of a boys basketball season, and current coach Cam Joyce did it in his fifth season.
“This program, this school is such a special school,” Joyce said. “We just wanted to bring the basketball back on the map, and that’s what I told guys from Year 1.”
Joyce built a program already on the cusp of several final four trips back into one that got there with state semifinal appearances in 2021 and ‘22. Each time, the Wildcats fell short in that round against Westerville Central and Centerville. Not this time.
Centerville (20-9) took a 24-21 lead late in the second quarter before Jack Zapolnik scored on consecutive drives to the hoop.
The Wildcats (26-3) responded with a nine-point run for a 30-24 lead at halftime. They extended it to 45-32 after three quarters, pushing the advantage to double digits on a 3-pointer by Mike Lamirand and again on a three-point play by fellow senior guard Matt Ellis. “I told the guys before the game, we’re going to have one of our best efforts,” Joyce said. “It’s not going to come down a last-second shot. It’s not going to come down to the last 30 seconds. We’re going to have one of our best efforts collectively.” That’s what happened.
Four players scored in double figures, led by Zapolnik with 14 points. Ellis added 12 off the bench, including a three-point play with a foul to push their advantage to 10 points in the third quarter. Lamirand contributed on both ends, scoring 11 points but also deflecting balls on the defensive end. He blocked three shots, came up with two steals and pulled down seven rebounds. He led his team in all three of those categories, playing his sixth game starting in place of injured 6-foot-7 forward Sam Springer.
St. Ignatius had the depth to overcome that loss with Lamirand and Ellis, whom Joyce repeatedly said all year he considers to be dual sixth men. Guards Kalli Johnson and Sean Martin also provided minutes in the rotation and depth that could not be matched by Centerville, which advanced past Toledo Whitmer in the late game during Saturday night’s semifinals. “We just wanted to wear down their legs,” Lamirand said. “I feel like toward the end of the game, that’s something we accomplished.”
Reece Robinson added 10 points as St. Ignatius’ fourth double-digit scorer. Junior guard Quinn Woidke, who had a tying 3-pointer at the buzzer Jan. 13 to force the first of two overtimes in a 94-92 victory at Centerville in their first meeting, had eight points in the rematch. Junior forward Damon Friery scored nine points Sunday after he and Woidke, who led the Wildcats in scoring average this season, led them in Saturday’s
54-53 win against Delaware Hayes. They finished that one without Zapolnik, who fouled out after a technical foul for reacting to his fourth infraction. “I knew coming in here, I had something to prove in a way,” Zapolnik said. The senior point guard kept his faith in his teammates Saturday and repaid them Sunday with seven assists in addition to his 14 points.
“I knew they had my back,” Zapolnik said, “and if we got to this game, I was going to prove something. I wasn’t able to finish the game (Saturday) night and from June, our goal was to win a state championship.”
Jonathan Powell paced Centerville with 17 points and Eli Greenberg had 15, as the Elks played their in their third state final since the championships moved to Dayton in 2021. They won it all in ‘21 and beat St. Ignatius in ‘22 to reach their second of those three runs, also seeking a second state crown in program history. After that loss two years ago, Joyce promised he would be back as he sat with Ace Buckner at the podium in UD Arena. Buckner, who would have been a senior this season, played it at La Lumiere in Indiana. Joyce turned to Zapolnik as his point guard to make good on that promise. “I was right with my promise, but I wasn’t right with the guys,” Joyce said. “I wanted these guys. The guys that left, I love those guys, but these guys right here in these uniforms were with us all year. They bought in, and I’m so happy for those guys. They proved night in and night out that they belonged.”