The Hawken Hawks (20-7) racked up a pair of regional-round wins last week: 73-49 over Elida on March 6, then a 63-58 victory over Jonathan Alder just two days later.
The Hawken Hawks (20-7) racked up a pair of regional-round wins last week: 73-49 over Elida on March 6, then a 63-58 victory over Jonathan Alder just two days later.
Let’s dissect the Hawks’ win over top-seeded Elida.
Hawken didn’t have its best start, going into the second frame trailing by seven, 20-13. Then the Hawks flipped the switch, going on a 60-29 run to close out the game, in big part due to 28 points from freshman guard Ice Taylor, as well as junior forward Daron Hill’s 20-point, nine-rebound effort.
“We just had first-quarter jitters,” Hawken Head Coach Anthony Burns said following the win. “It’s some of these guys’ first time playing on a college floor, and I just had to get the kinks out and see shots go in.
“We feel like (Elida) gave us everything they had in the first quarter, and we still haven’t reached our ceiling yet. We just had to feel the game out first.”
One of the keys for the Hawks to weather the Bulldogs’ early storm was their battle-tested experience.
“I feel like after every game in the regular season, we got better,” Hill said. “We used the 22 games as scrimmages because we knew, most importantly, we wanted to make a run at history. It started with learning after every game and finding a way to get better.”
Coach Burns echoed those statements: “We used those 22 games to get better. We used that to our advantage. We wanted to go out on the road and play against some tough teams and play in some showcases against these top-ranked teams so we could be battle-tested. It started in November with our scrimmage schedule, where we went all over the state of Ohio. That was to prepare for this moment.”
For the first time since 1988, Hawken played in a regional semifinal, but winning the game itself adds to a special, standard-setting postseason.
“It means a lot (to set a new standard),” junior guard Greg Price said. “Since I was a freshman, I’ve dreamed of playing on stages like this. It’s not an experience that everyone gets, so it’s a blessing. Next season, I think we can be really scary.”
That standard once again reached new heights with a five-point gut-it-out win over Alder just days later.
The Hawks took a 32-19 lead into the break, eventually getting the lead up to 16 points before the Pioneers stormed back and took a 52-51 lead in the fourth.
“It was a dog fight,” Coach Burns said following the win. “We knew (Alder) wouldn’t lay down. We hit them in the mouth first, but we still have to put four full quarters together. I think we put together about two and a half. (Alder) had a really good third quarter, but our guys stayed composed and together. Our leadership kept everybody together, and I’m super happy.”
Price, Taylor and Hill made key shots down the stretch to seal the 63-58 regional championship win.
“We have multiple weapons, and the biggest thing is they believe in each other,” Coach Burns said. “We have a drill that we call One More (Pass), and we work on it every single day. We’re in the gym every single day getting up shots, and we knew it would come down to making some shots.
“The good thing is, on any given day, any of these guys can make shots, and they’re so unselfish. They just want to win.”
This win solidified the first-ever regional championship in program history, plus the first Final Four trip.
Said Price: “It’s truly special — when you put all of this into perspective, of where we came from at the end of the regular season where we lost to West Geauga and Brush, to then be able to flip that around and do the little things. We got to overtake the number one team in our district, Ursuline, and that was a beautiful display of what we can look like when we’re all locked in. This fun has been about family, and that’s why we’re here today.”
In fact Coach Burns has taken part in state championship runs before as a Richmond Heights coach, and his experience also played a huge role with the team.
“This has been a journey,” Coach Burns said. “I knew what we had since we started working out. I told them what it took to be a state champion. I’ve been down there two times with Richmond Heights, and I know the preparation and gauntlet they go through to get there. With experience and history, I knew what it took.
“The biggest thing is being ready, and using the regular season to build momentum and learn, so that we’re ready for when the real season starts. This is the real season, and right now we’re 5-0, and we’re moving on. We got practice tomorrow.”
