North Coast League Championship Preview: Padua vs. Hoban

Monday night’s North Coast League Championship features two of Northeast Ohio’s most talented teams: the Archbishop Hoban Knights (13-7, 7-1) and Padua Bruins (15-4, 7-1).

It’s a rivalry built on respect and the two teams push each other to be great. Whatever happens on the court tonight, there’s a good chance both of these teams will have quite a few more games to play in the State Tournament.

However, the NCL Title is up for grabs and while some teams are gearing up and counting the days until their tournament games, fans can be certain that the Bruins and Knights will leave it all on the floor in this one.

The last time these two teams met on Jan. 14, it was a playoff atmosphere from start to finish, and took more than four quarters to complete.

Hoban rallied back after trailing by double digits in the second quarter, forced overtime, and came away with a 60-57 victory.

That game was played on the Knights’ home floor, but now the Bruins get their chance to defend home court with a conference title on the line.

It wasn’t a surprise that the first game ended up being a nail biter, and the conference championship may very well turn out to be a similar game.

Before their first meeting, Padua Coach Dan Brown told NEO Sports Insiders that the two teams are “mirror images” of each other, and it’s something that you just have to see to believe.

From a talent standpoint, the two teams are as evenly matched as you’ll find in Northeast Ohio.

Two of the best scorers in the area will look to lead the way for their teams, as Padua’s Elena Rauhe has been the go-to scorer for the Bruins, and Emma Tecca is the most consistent scorer for Hoban.

Rauhe, a senior, averages 18 points and 4.1 steals per game,  and is capable of scoring in a variety of ways. She leads the conference in scoring, but is also one of the best two-way players in the league.

Tecca, a sophomore, is already one of the best players in the conference and has nowhere to go but up. Like Rauhe, her energy on defense, and ability to create turnovers leading to offense gives Hoban a spark on both ends.

Those two are great players, but the two teams didn’t get this far on their backs, alone.

Padua has four seniors in its starting lineup, as Ali Medaglia, Alainna Conroy, and Sarah Rapacz join Rauhe.

That experience and time on the court together is part of what makes the Bruins such a cohesive unit.

Sophomore Alex Pillin is the only underclassman in the starting lineup, but has as big of a motor as any player you’ll find in Northeast Ohio.

Medaglia is known for her three-point shooting, while Rapacz and Conroy will likely spend much of the time dealing with Hoban’s tough frontcourt.

Conroy didn’t start out the season as a prolific scorer, but in recent games, the senior forward has stepped up, averaging 13 points over her last five contests.

One of the more interesting matchups to watch will be Conroy against Hoban sophomore forward Lanasia Brewer.

Brewer is a double-double machine and has been playing some great basketball of late, posting 16 points and 15 rebounds against conference rival Walsh on Feb. 1. She made a layup at the buzzer to give Hoban the 67-65 win. A week later, Hoban faced rival St. Vincent-St. Mary and defeated the Irish 70-53, receiving 15 points from Brewer.

Senior Rachel Chessar is the leader and coach on the floor of the young Knights, and even when she’s not putting up eye-popping numbers, her team leans on her experience heavily.

In the win over STVM, Chessar scored a game-high 20 points. Between Chessar and Medaglia, there’s a good chance fans will get to see their fair share of three-pointers falling at Padua on Monday night.

The last time these two teams met, junior guard Leah Hall ended up making huge plays down the stretch in the fourth quarter and overtime, swiping three steals and sinking clutch free throws to seal the victory for Hoban.

The 50/50 battles will be a deciding factor in the game and it’s likely that Hall and Pillin will make a big impact for their teams, respectively in that area.

Both coaches would be quick to tell you it’s not about themselves and the players on the floor are the ones who deserve all the attention, but the friendship of Scott Callaghan and Dan Brown goes well beyond basketball.

Brown was an assistant under Callaghan before taking the job at Padua, which is part of what makes his style of play so similar.

In his two seasons as head coach at Padua, the Bruins have yet to defeat the Knights, who look for their third-straight NCL Title. What better opportunity for the Bruins to end those streaks than Monday night on their home floor?

Padua’s seniors have the chance to reach a goal they’ve been building up for their entire high school careers, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the job the Knights have done, especially with some younger players forming the rotation.

Whatever happens in this game, fans can expect to see two well-coached teams, with players who hustle and have high basketball IQ’s on both sides.

Follow @MedleyHoops on Twitter and be sure to check out the pregame broadcast live from Padua Franciscan High School, where Rich Harland and I will talk to the coaches of both squads and preview the championship showdown.

Follow @HOFHuddle_Rich for the live broadcast on Twitter.