In a 52-31 win over the South Rebels on Feb. 10, the Kenston Bombers locked up an outright Western Reserve Conference championship in the conference’s final season.
In a 52-31 win over the South Rebels on Feb. 10, the Kenston Bombers locked up an outright Western Reserve Conference championship in the conference’s final season.
At the same time, Head Coach Josh Jakacki earned his 149th career win as the Bombers’ head man, making him the winningest boys basketball coach in program history.
Adding to those feats was the celebration of Assistant Coach Bob Lieberth’s 400th career win, which occurred earlier in the season. He has shared the sidelines with Coach Jakacki for 24 of his 31 seasons, and the two coaches and their families are as close as they come.
“It all boils down to what we’re trying to build our program into, and that comes down to relationships,” Jakacki said. “Our families have a unique relationship where, like Bob, is the godfather of my daughter Avery, and my kids call (he and his wife) Uncle Bob and Aunt Kathy.
“I’ve coached with their daughter, both of their sons, and Bob’s been with me for pretty much this ride, except for a five-year period where he was the head coach at Crestwood during my first tenure here.
“There’s a uniqueness between us because he has a lot of say and gamesmanship in terms of what things look like on game night. We’re rowing the boat in the same direction, and it’s something that is just really, really special.”
For Lieberth, the moment was all the more surreal because he didn’t see it coming.
“For me, it was a complete shock,” he said. “My understanding was that they were just going to honor (Josh) between games for becoming the all-time wins leader. He was standing out on the court, and he convinced me to join him, so I did, and then I turned to my left and saw my family walking in and my grandson holding the plaque, and it was just a very cool surprise.
“That’s just Josh. He’s so selfless; it should have been his night. He should have been the one in the limelight and being recognized. But that’s just the kind of person he is. He puts others before himself, and I was so touched and honored by his selflessness and the gesture he made that night. There was a lot of time and effort put into it.
“These kids are lucky to have him as their head coach, I’m lucky to have the opportunity to coach with him, and even more lucky to call him my best friend.”
The night’s timing couldn’t have been any sweeter, as Jakacki said he’d already planned the celebration for Lieberth with his family on Feb. 10 before he realized he could tie Coach Steve Shay before the South game and break his record on the very same night.
“Then, when you throw in us being able to secure an outright WRC championship, it was kind of the icing on the cake,” he said.
Winning that WRC championship came with some big wins. But it also included two meat-grinding games against Riverside and a tough home tilt against Chardon, meaning the Bombers had to stay focused and consistent in their work to avoid any potential mishaps on their way to the conference title.
“We never talked about the game after it happened, we never talked about the winning streak or anything,” Jakacki said. “We were stuck in the moment, and we didn’t stop to smell the roses. … That being said, we were able to stay humble and understand that we are vulnerable. We know we could be one or two plays away from this season not ending up as fantastic as it has, but we never focused on that. We just stayed focused on taking care of every notch on the belt one at a time.”
The team’s vulnerability showed in a 61-47 loss to Uniontown Lake, which, for all intents and purposes, was the perfect loss with two regular-season bouts left, helping keep the team Earth-bound as they focus on the Division III playoffs.
“We aren’t taking anything we’ve done in the last 22 games lightly, but we’re also focused on the next two to three weeks, understanding that we can continue to build on this story and want to embrace the seniors and the challenges that this season’s going to bring, and do all we can to make sure that we have another moment and get to 1-0,” Jakacki said. “That’s where our focus is, and we want to do everything we can to make it to that next level.
“What we did today wasn’t necessarily geared toward Mayfield, and that’s not a disrespect toward them. Still, that game is just another opportunity for us to try some new things and get better for the next game.”
Kenston would next host the Mayfield Wildcats on Feb. 17 with a chance to complete a 10-0 WRC slate, entering the tilt 18-3 overall.
