By GENO BOVA
Beakon Sports Writer
It’s playoff time for basketball and the Cardinals are looking for another deep run. They are currently gearing up for Mapleton in the district semi-final on Monday, March 4 at Salem High School. The Cardinals have torn through the first two rounds outscoring Cleveland Campus International and Brookfield by an absurd 98 points combined. They’ve hung 138 points in the last 64 minutes of play, while impressively holding their opponents to only 40. A fantastic way to close out the season on their home court.
The road starts to get a little tougher from here, however, as Mapleton sits confidently at 16-7 heading into the matchup. If the Cards can advance to the district championship for the fourth consecutive year, they will meet with the winners of South Range and Perry. South Range sits at 17-6, while Perry has a record of 14-9. If the Cardinals can cut down the net on Friday, March 8, they will claim their third district title in four years. That win could make the class of 2024 one of the most decorated classes to ever step on the court at Cardinal Mooney.
“What we’ve done since my freshman year is awesome. I’ve been a part of some of the best teams in the school’s history. Getting another district title would be a great way to end my time here.” said senior Will Desmond
If the Cardinals win the district, they’re one win away from making it farther than any other team in the school’s history. Although they are not looking that far ahead just yet.
“That would be cool but we’re a long way away from there. We’ve gotten this far by treating every game the same and not getting ahead of ourselves.” said senior Ashton O’Brien “Coach P has done a great job and we’ve really connected as a team this year and have the opportunity to do something special.”
Sitting at 19-5 right now, this edition of the boys basketball team could go down as one to be remembered. Blooming in early March like many teams in recent memory, they look poised to add another accolade to the already stacked resume of Coach Palermo and this senior class.
Tickets are only available on the Ohio High School Athletic Association website.