4 Big Games in Northeast Ohio Boys Basketball

Friday, Jan. 27 features dozens of great games in Northeast Ohio Boys Basketball, but we’d like to highlight some of the best matches around the region.

1. Canton McKinley @ Massillon Jackson 

Canton McKinley (11-5, 5-3) lost the first meeting against Massillon Jackson (12-1, 7-1) on Dec. 30 in Canton, 75-64.

The Bulldogs can keep their slim chances of a Federal League championship alive with a win at Massillon, which will be a hostile road atmosphere.

The Polar Bears, who are 5-0 at home this season, were recently ranked the No. 1 team in T.J. Peatross’s NEOSpotlight Top 25, which ranks the best teams from Cleveland to Stark County.

Canton McKinley was ranked #24 in those rankings.  The Polar Bears are riding a five-game win-streak and have not lost since Jan. 10 at North Canton Hoover (10-2, 6-2), who is alive and well in the Federal League race.

Hoover, ranked No. 2 by Peatross, and No. 15 Uniontown Lake (11-4, 7-2) would both be grateful to Canton McKinley if the Bulldogs can pull off the upset.

Canton McKinley went through a rough three-game stretch from Jan. 15 to 21, falling to Solon, Massillon Perry, and Massillon Washington, after starting the season 10-3. The Bulldogs recently bounced back with a 64-54 win against Uniontown Green and hope to build off of that momentum from a much-needed victory.

2. Holy Name @ Elyria Catholic

This GLC showdown could go a long way in determining the conference champion, although there’s still a lot of season to be played.

No. 12 Holy Name (13-1, 7-0) has been led by junior guard Dwayne Cohill, who is averaging 24 points per game on the season.

Cohill is one of the most sought-after prospects in Ohio, if not the country, and any time he’s on the court, the Green Wave have a great chance to win. He recently scored 47 points against conference rival, Bay on Jan. 20.

Elyria Catholic (8-4, 6-1) comes into play as the underdog, but has home court on its side this time. The Panthers fell to Holy Name, 72-61, way back on Dec. 9 in Parma Heights.

The Panthers have won six in a row coming into Friday night and are 7-2 since that loss to Holy Name.

Junior forward Dorian Crutcher leads Elyria Catholic in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game on the season.

If Holy Name takes care of business, the Green Wave will own a two-game lead for first place in the conference, while Elyria Catholic can slide up into a tie with a win.

The next closest team in the conference is Bay (9-6, 4-3), which already lost both of its meetings with Holy Name.

3. Lorain @ Cleveland Heights

This game will be played at Warrensville Heights High School.

No. 6 Lorain (11-2, 4-0) has put together an impressive season, losing only to No. 5 St. Edward and No. 3 Hoover. The Titans recently earned a big victory over No. 13 Medina on Jan. 24.

Senior forward Naz Bohannon leads Lorain, averaging 20 points per game. Senior guard Jalil Little is not far behind, putting up 15.3 per game, while senior forward Octavius Wilson averages 12.6 points and 10.3 rebounds on the season.

No. 7  Cleveland Heights (9-4, 3-1)  is nothing to sneeze at either.  The Tigers and Titans have yet to square off this season and there’s an argument to be made that these are the two best teams in the Lake Erie League.

The Tigers are led by junior point guard Yahel Hill and senior forward Jaylen Harris, who was named the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards High School Athlete of the Year on Thursday, and will play football for Ohio State University.

Cleveland Heights can move into a tie for first with a win, while Lorain currently is one game ahead of No. 14 Maple Heights and Cleveland Heights.

Maple Heights is hoping for a Tigers’ win, which would put the three teams in a three-way tie for first place, assuming the Mustangs defeat Bedford in their own match on Friday night.

4. Cleveland Benedictine @ Archbishop Hoban

The battle for first place in the North Coast League tips off in Akron, which has the makings of an instant classic written all over it.

No. 11 Hoban (12-1, 4-0) defeated No. 9 Benedictine (12-2, 4-1) on Dec. 16, 53-51 in Cleveland.

The Bengals look to return the favor on Hoban’s home floor and even up the standings.

Hoban is led by senior Collen Gurley, who is averaging 18 points per game on the season, and scored 22 in the win over Benedictine.

The Bengals receive balanced contributions from a deep roster, but are led by junior guard Chris Jefferson, senior forward Marlon Moore, and senior guard Jamari Patterson.

Keep it locked to NEO Sports Insiders for coverage of high school basketball tonight and all season long.