'We have really come a long way': Mogadore boys basketball hits a groove after tough start

ROOTSTOWN — Russ Swartz has seen his share of tough starts.

That's part of life as the boys basketball coach at Mogadore, where the start of the season is often delayed by deep postseason runs by the football team. Still, a 3-of-30 shooting performance from deep at Crestwood in early December was particularly chilly.

"You know how it is for us early in the year," Swartz said. "We usually aren't quite as bad as we were against Crestwood, but we have really come a long way since then."

Mogadore's 29-point loss at Warren JFK a week later wasn't exactly fun either. Still, if future foes started licking their lips after seeing those early setbacks for the Wildcats, no one is laughing now.

Entering its Saturday afternoon game against Smithville, Mogadore hadn't lost since Dec. 16 in Massillon, with Friday's 71-51 win at Rootstown representing its sixth straight triumph.

"It definitely gave us fuel to start winning and play harder," senior guard Layne Miller said of the Wildcats' lopsided losses in Mantua and Warren. "It gave us fuel to keep going."

It's more than a six-game win streak for Mogadore. It's the way the Wildcats (7-3, 2-1 Portage Trail Conference) are getting it done.

There was a stretch of mid-December games in which Mogadore was held under 45 points in consecutive losses to Crestwood, Warren JFK and Canton Central Catholic. After averaging 45.5 points in their first four games, the Wildcats have scored at least 60 in every game since and averaged 72.2 during their six-game win streak.

"Really, we're in way better shape now," Miller said. "[That's] a big part of it and just hitting shots. It's simple. I mean, those first few games, we were under 20 percent from 3, probably, but just everyone's getting into basketball form now."

Everyone certainly appeared to be in basketball form at Rootstown, where seemingly everyone wearing Kelly green could score and many proved capable of stroking a 3-pointer as well.

"No one on our team is really selfish, wanting to just stat pad and get 30 points," Mogadore senior Corey Lehner said. "We're willing to just do whatever it takes to win and pass up even good shots for better shots and just get the extra pass to give it to our best shooters."

Miller, the Wildcats' leading scorer fresh off 26 points against Maplewood and 24 versus St. Thomas Aquinas, came out firing Friday with nine points in the first quarter and 17 overall, but he was far from alone.

Lehner helped the Wildcats run away from the Rovers with seven points and three assists just in the first quarter.

"As the year has gone on, he's gotten better, too," Miller said of Lehner. "At the beginning of the year, he was a little hesitant, I would say. Now, he's really got his confidence up. He's hitting outside shots now, so it really opens up the driving lanes."

After Miller (17 points, three 3-pointers) broke a 6-6 tie at Rootstown with two free throws, Lehner found Miller for a layup, then drained a 3-pointer from the left wing.

Lehner (15 points) later played the middleman after a block by junior post Nick Stephenson, catching Stephenson's outlet and quickly rifling another pass to senior Devin Graham for a layup. Lehner passed to Miller for another 3 before the quarter was through.

"The main thing is we're always getting open shots because our guards are always facilitating well," Lehner said. "We don't give ourselves hard shots. We pass up good shots for great shots, and it makes it a lot easier when you're shooting wide-open shots as opposed to contested shots."

Graham added three 3-pointers and a deep jumper before the night was through, leading all scorers with 21 points.

"I think he was our leading scorer on the JV team as a sophomore, so we knew he had the ability," Swartz said. "He's really good at driving the ball to the basket, getting in the open court, finishing. Just recently, his 3-point shooting has gotten a little better, but he and [assistant coach] Rod [Swartz] worked on something in practice the other day and for whatever reason it clicked."

Graham, Lehner and Miller all scored in double figures. Buso and Stephenson have also finished in double digits in recent wins. All of which makes the Wildcats that much more dangerous.

"We had three guys in double [figures] today: Corey, Devin and Layne," Swartz said. "Nick's been in doubles probably half the year. Tanner [Buso] has been in doubles half the year. Lucas [Butler] hasn't played enough yet [since his elbow injury] to get there but he will.

"So, yeah, we have that capability, and it's high school basketball. If you have a lot of guys that can score, you got a chance to be successful."

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Mogadore boys basketball hits a groove after tough start