EASTLAKE — A week made all the difference.

After falling to Eastlake North on their home floor last Saturday, the Willoughby South Rebels returned the favor Friday night, pulling away in the second half for a 62-50 Western Reserve Conference rivalry win.

“It was a great win,” South coach Doug Barber said. “It was nice that we only had to think about that loss for six days. We thought about it for six days and wanted to get back and avenge that loss.”

South (5-16, 1-8 WRC) led 23-22 at halftime before breaking the game open with a decisive 19-7 third quarter. North (4-17, 1-9) never fully recovered.

Rakeem Drew sparked the surge, scoring seven of his game-high 21 points during the pivotal stretch. The Rebels found the consistency they lacked in last week’s 52-44 loss, when they were unable to protect a lead.

This time, they slammed the door.

Brady Shazivari added 14 points for South, while Malick Sy delivered his strongest outing of the season with 13 points — 11 coming in the second half as the Rebels built separation. Jack Makar chipped in six points, Jaiden Lamb and DaRian Finnie each scored three, and Kayden Johnson added two.

“Rakeem was absolutely huge for us tonight,” Barber said. “Brady Shazivari had a big game, and Malick Sy had the best game of his season with 13 points. We needed it because we were down two starters.”

North stayed within striking distance early behind Braylon Rolf’s 18 points and Nate Sagendorph’s 11. Greyson Barney and Mike Lowrie each scored six, Ethan Grinstead added five, Brand Bambrick had three, and Vinny Marsico scored one.

But after halftime, the Rebels controlled the tempo. South outscored North 19-7 in the third quarter, turning a one-point edge into a double-digit cushion. Though both teams scored 21 in the fourth, the damage had already been done.

South hosts Chardon on Feb. 19, while North returns home to face West Geauga on Feb. 17.

WILLOUGHBY—Rivalry Saturday belonged to Eastlake North. 

The Rangers traveled across town and came away with a sweep in a girls-boys doubleheader against Willoughby South, pulling away for a 55-24 victory in the girls’ game before rallying late for a 52-44 win in the boys’ matchup. The girls earned a season sweep over the Rebels, while the boys secured a much-needed rivalry win on South’s home floor. 

North’s girls set the tone early, building a double-digit lead in the first quarter behind Kaitlin Dobida, who finished with a game-high 20 points. Dobida drained four 3-pointers in the win. Angelie Cisternino added nine points with three triples, while Amaya Majette chipped in eight as the Rangers steadily widened the gap. 

“They brought a lot of energy, which was good to see,” North girls coach Staci Greene said. “I kind of threw something new at them today, doing the 1-3-1 (defense). I just told them, take a chance on stuff. We’ve got nothing to lose out here. Bring lots of energy, bring more energy to the game than them, and I think we did just that today.” 

The defensive switch sparked the Rangers, who held South to just two points in the third quarter and limited the Rebels to single-digit scoring in every period. 

“It was just to get some energy flowing,” Greene said. “I feel like sometimes when we are playing back, especially against our rivals, we kind of play to their same level. … It’s fun to get steals. It’s fun to push ahead and shoot a three in transition, so they did a really great job sticking with it.” 

North also received contributions throughout the lineup, with Paylin Oostdyk and Sophia Petro each scoring five, Gillian Forwick adding four, and Maddy Ferrari and Cammy Vo finishing with two apiece. Sydney Isabella led South with nine points, while Lanila Fatica scored eight. 

“Every screen, every hand off, every possession matters,” Greene said. “It’s nice when we can get Kaitlin to score 20-plus points a game, but I always tell them we need someone to score eight, and I feel like we've had a lot of people step up. Amaya has been playing really, really well.” 

The boys’ game followed a much tighter script. 

South held a slim halftime edge, and despite North turning the ball over eight times in the first quarter, the Rangers settled in and kept the game within reach entering the fourth. That’s when Greyson Barney took over, scoring all 11 of his points in the final period, including three 3-pointers that helped North hold off South in the fourth and close out the rivalry win. 

“Shooting is contagious,” North boys coach Nick Mayer said. “If you knock a shot down, someone else feels confident now, and it gets another guy going, it gets another guy going, and that's ultimately what happened.” 

Barney and Ethan Grinstead each finished with 11 points to lead North, while Braylon Rolf added 10 and Nate Sagendorph chipped in nine with two 3-pointers. Brand Bambrick scored six, Vinny Marsico had three, and Drew Morbeto added two. 

After the early turnover issues, Mayer credited his team for settling down as the emotions of the rivalry game leveled off. 

“It’s always an emphasis to make sure we clean things up,” Mayer said. “With emotions high, nervousness, and things like that, it's one of those things where we were able to control our nerves once we got into it. That's usually what happens in games like this.” 

South had balanced scoring of its own, led by Josh Jensen with 14 points and Brady Shazivari with 12. Malik Sy finished with five, while Rakeem Drew and Kayden Johnson each scored four, Jaden Lamb added three, and Damarhi Morgan chipped in two. 

“I saw a lot of fight, obviously, they always do,” South coach Doug Barber said. “They always give their all for 32 minutes, but we just didn't score enough, and we didn't get it done at the foul line. When we hold a team to 52 points, you’ve got to win.” 

Barber also pointed to Barney’s late shooting as a turning point. 

“We don’t want to leave shooters open like that,” Barber said. “He got some clean looks and credit to him, he knocked them down.” 

Despite the losses, Barber said the Rebels’ effort never wavered. “They play like that all year, and they're a great group of kids,” Barber said. “They never quit. They play all 32 minutes. It's just not breaking our way this year.” 

The boys’ teams will meet again Feb. 13 at Eastlake North, giving the Rebels another shot at the rivalry as both programs look to build momentum late in the season.

• Girls Photos
• Boys Photos

Eastlake North had been close before, but Saturday finally brought the result the Rangers had been chasing.

North snapped an eight-game losing streak dating back to Dec. 8 by holding off visiting Cleveland JFK, 59-54, in a nonconference game to improve to 3-9 on the season.

“It’s been since December 8 since we’ve gotten a win, so it feels good to finally see their hard work get a win and finish on the right side of the scoreboard tonight,” said North coach Nick Mayer. “It was good for the boys.”

The Rangers weathered an early punch from JFK, which led 19-14 after the first quarter, then tightened up defensively to take a 28-27 lead into halftime. North extended the margin to eight late in the third quarter, only to see JFK rally — tying the game in the fourth in a situation that had haunted the Rangers during the skid.

“When it comes to those types of games, you just have to take it one possession at a time,” Mayer said. “It’s easy for them to just kind of collapse, like ‘Oh, we’ve been here before, and we already know how this goes.’ But they got it done today, and it was time to finally flip the switch. If something’s out there, take it, and they did that tonight and pulled it out.”

Nate Sagendorph helped make sure the switch stayed flipped. After getting into foul trouble early, the senior sharpshooter came up big when it mattered most, scoring 10 of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers.

“He got into foul trouble early and had to sit, so it’s one of those things where he kept his focus,” Mayer said. “The player that he is, he's not going to let that beat him up or anything like that. Luckily, he stayed dialed in, because we needed some big-time shots in the fourth quarter. He was able to deliver that.”

Sagendorph said the win was a reward for a month of sticking together.

“It felt great to get this win after a tough month because we stayed together and kept working,” Sagendorph said. “This game gave us a lot of confidence moving forward.”

North got balanced production around Sagendorph, with Brand Bambrick and Ethan Grinstead each scoring 12 points. Greyson Barney added seven, Drew Morbeto scored six, Cam Spicuzza had two, and Braylon Rolf added a free throw as the Rangers closed the door late.

“Even though I was in foul trouble, I knew I had to stay focused and locked in mentally,” Sagendorph said. “I knew I was going to get my chance in the fourth, so I had to make the best of it and help the team win.”

Sagendorph credited the team’s poise as JFK made its push in the final minutes.

“In the fourth quarter, we stayed composed even when they started to come back and did not panic,” he said. “We moved the ball well and played good defense, and my teammates trusted me and found me in good spots, which allowed me to stay confident and help close out the game.”

North will try to carry the momentum forward when it hosts Riverside on Jan. 23.

CHARDON--Chardon spent much of the first half searching for its rhythm, then found it just in time, pulling away from visiting North for a 48-38 win in a key Western Reserve Conference showdown Saturday.

The Rangers built a 16-10 lead late in the second quarter, but Chardon responded with an 8-1 run to take an 18-17 lead into halftime and controlled the game from there.

“We quit being selfish, and we found the right play. Cameron (Gerlica) had 27 points tonight, and most of those were in the flow of the game,” said Chardon head coach Eric Hoenigman. “Tonight, the girls did a job finding each other and understanding if it’s not their day, it’s not their day. They found the right play on the court.”

Maddy Ferrari opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and Kaitlin Dobida followed with a floater to give North an early 5-0 advantage. Lilli Dillworth answered with a triple for Chardon, and Gerlica added four points, but the Rangers clung to an 11-10 lead after one quarter.

Sophia Petro knocked down a 3-pointer as North stretched the margin to 16-10 midway through the second. Gerlica responded with a triple of her own, then Capri DuFour and Ava Arnold finished layups to spark Chardon’s late surge and send the Hilltoppers to the break with a one-point lead.

Chardon’s momentum carried into the third.

Gerlica came up with a steal and score, then buried another 3-pointer as part of a 7-0 run to open the half. Angelie Cisternino briefly stopped the run with a triple, but Gerlica scored on a layup to cap a 14-point third quarter and give Chardon a 35-24 cushion.

Cisternino and Gillian Forwick each hit 3-pointers late in the quarter to pull North within 35-30, but Chardon answered every push in the fourth. Dillworth connected on a floater, Dobida scored on a putback, and Forwick converted an and-one, yet the Rangers could get no closer than five as the Hilltoppers closed out the win.

With the WRC in its final season and as competitive as ever, Hoenigman said the victory was critical.

“This was big for us, because the thing about this conference is anybody can be anybody on any given day,” Hoenigman said. “That’s what’s so great and what I’m going to miss about this conference. North always plays us to the end; Mayfeld, doesn’t matter who it is, every game comes down to the end.”

Gerlica finished with a game-high 27 points on 7-of-12 shooting, going 10-of-12 from the foul line while adding six rebounds and three steals. Dillworth chipped in seven points and three steals, and Arnold scored six points with four rebounds and three steals.

North showed flashes but couldn’t sustain them, according to first-year head coach Staci Greene.

“All we’ve struggled with is consistency. We can do something well for one or two quarters, but somewhere in between, it falls through,” Greene said. “Then it leads to other teams making runs, and it’s hard to come back from.”

Cisternino led the Rangers with nine points, all from beyond the arc. Ferrari, Dobida and Forwick each scored seven, and Petro added five.

Though North is 0-3 in WRC play, Greene said the Rangers remain optimistic.

“Thankfully, at the end of each conference game, we say the best part is that we get to see these teams again,” Greene said. “We gather together what we need to be best prepared going forward. It’s a good conference, everyone competes, and every night there’s a score that surprises us. It’s a fun conference to be in.”

Chardon visits Perry on Jan. 12, while North travels to Riverside on Jan. 14.

KIRTLAND--Kirtland leaned on its senior leadership when things tightened up, turning back visiting North, 60-45, in a nonconference matchup Thursday. 

Senior Lucas Renfro took over in the fourth quarter, pouring in 14 of his game-high 27 points to lift the Hornets to the win. 

“Lucas has done a great job as a senior leader. It was a physical game, and we needed someone to get buckets and get themselves to the free-throw line, and Lucas took it upon himself to do that,” said Kirtland head coach Shawn McGregor. “He got beat up a little bit tonight, but he’s willing to put his body on the line tonight and get us a victory. I’m proud of his effort; he stayed in the game mentally, and I applaud how much he’s grown as a player mentally and physically. He’s worked hard on that, so I give him a lot of credit.” 

Renfro opened the scoring with a finish through contact, then North’s Nate Sagendorph added a floater and a transition layup. AJ Runyan later buried a 3-pointer as Kirtland took a 17-11 lead after one quarter. 

Mike Dumstorff scored twice in the low post in the second quarter, Nick Nead knocked down a 3-pointer, and Sammy Ridgeway scored twice as the Hornets pushed their lead to 33-19 at halftime. 

North responded after the break, swinging momentum behind nine points from Braylon Rolf and a Sagendorph 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 46-36 entering the fourth. Sagendorph stayed hot with another triple early in the final period, pulling the Rangers within 47-41. 

From there, Kirtland slammed the door with a decisive 13-0 run. Renfro sparked it with an and-one and capped his night by going 10-for-11 at the free-throw line. 

“Defensively in the fourth quarter, I think they really locked it down and played well, Jake (LaVerde), Ryan (Caimi), AJ, Ben (DiFranco), and Lucas really put in some work defensively,” McGregor said of the run. “It was 47-41 for a while, and then, all of a sudden, you looked up, and it was a 19-point game. One possession made a big difference. I applaud our defensive effort, and I was grateful for Lucas being able to get to the line.” 

The Hornets have racked up some impressive wins this season, but this one required a grind-it-out effort. “It’s about being a team of depth. Part of the gig is that if you can only win one way, you're going to lose,” McGregor said. “So I think for us, being able to win in the way that we won today, and then you know a different way to win on Tuesday, against Rootstown, where we shot the lights out, is great. Offensively, we're just clicking on all cylinders, and today, it was just the opposite. Defensively, I thought we were clicking on all cylinders. We did a really nice job, and offensively, it was like pulling teeth where it’s just about finding a way to win.” 

Ridgeway and Dumstorff each added eight points for Kirtland. 

For North, the performance marked a step forward after a difficult outing earlier in the week. 

“We had a hard talk at practice on Wednesday. This is the part of the season where it could just spin out, and we try to get through it,” said North head coach Nick Mayer. “What's great is that these guys aren't that type of team. They're a team that doesn’t like each other; they actually love each other, and they go hang out all the time. They go do all these different things, even outside of just basketball.” 

Mayer said that connection showed in the effort level from start to finish. 

“Shots aren't falling; it's basketball that happens, but the thing that you can control is always your effort,” he said. “They did a really great job of bringing the effort from the start of the game to the end, and that's all you can ask. I can't complain about anything. They really did everything that I asked them to do, and that was play really hard.” 

Sagendorph led the Rangers with 12 points, while Rolf added 11. 

North hosts Kenston on Jan. 13. Kirtland visits Chardon on Jan. 10.

Fresh off the emotional high of Graysen Barney’s do-or-die game-winner in their previous outing, North didn’t need any late magic this time. Nate Sagendorph took care of that early—and often—in the Rangers’ home opener.

Sagendorph cashed five 3-pointers, hit 15-of-20 shots, and piled up 36 points along with five steals in North’s 67–47 win over visiting Lakeside on Monday.

“The shots were falling,” Sagendorph said. “We were playing good defense, and my teammates were moving the ball really well, getting me open and getting me good looks.”

He set the tone from the start, opening the game with a 3-pointer and a transition layup before Brand Bambrick scored on an up-and-under for a 9–5 lead. Braylon Rolf banked in a mid-range jumper to make it 14–7 after one.

Sagendorph struck again from deep early in the second quarter, then found Rolf in transition off a steal for a 25–13 advantage. Jarez Osborne kept the Dragons afloat with a finger roll and a 3-pointer during a nine-point frame, but North still controlled the half, 33–20.

The third quarter saw a brief Lakeside surge. Mike Lowrie buried a corner 3 for North, but Jamarro Spikes answered with back-to-back triples to trim the deficit to 41–32 heading into the fourth.

That’s when Sagendorph shut the door. He erupted for 16 fourth-quarter points, drilling his fourth and fifth 3-pointers to push the lead back out to 48–36 and remove any doubt.

“He’s someone who likes to shoot, likes to score. He’s that type of guy. But one thing that’s changed from last year to this year is the pride he puts into the defense,” said North head coach Nick Mayer. “The level of pride he’s putting in right now, he’s getting some success with it. Teams are going to start realizing that he is a defensive threat, and he’ll have to find ways through film and practice to adjust and make sure he’s still a threat.”

Rolf scored on a cut, and Ethan Grinstead cleaned up the offensive glass in transition to help secure the final margin in a convincing 67–47 victory.

The win gives North back-to-back victories and three strong performances to open the season, but Mayer said the focus remains on steady growth.

“The big thing is that we’re trying to get better each game. Our zone is something that we started with last year, and we’re getting back into it, but it’s different not having a big-time interior guy,” Mayer said. “We know our size is a bit smaller this year, and we have to play with more speed and make sure we’re doing the little things and boxing people out. We’ve gotten better at that, and we have to keep preaching every day at practice that our identity is defense, causing chaos, and getting down the court and getting layups.”

Rolf finished with 15 points. Bambrick scored four, while Grinstead, Barney, and Lowrie each added three.

Lakeside dropped to 0–2 behind Osborne’s 23 points.

North hosts Lake Catholic on Dec. 12. Lakeside returns to action Dec. 10 at Madison.

North and Madison don’t play dull games, and Friday night proved it again.

One year after North survived the Blue Streaks in an overtime thriller, the two teams produced another tense finish — this time decided by a single shot with four seconds left.

Greyson Barney delivered it, leading the Rangers to a 55-54 win.

“To hit the game winner with four seconds left in regulation was exhilarating,” Barney said. “It felt great to celebrate with my teammates and finish out the game.”

North trailed late in the fourth quarter, momentum slipping away after Madison made its final push.

The Rangers had controlled long stretches after recovering from a rough first quarter, but nothing in this matchup ever stays settled for long. Madison had trimmed, chipped, and finally overtaken the Rangers in the closing minute, setting up the type of possession that has defined this rivalry.

What happened next didn’t look like the play North drew up. The action drifted off track, the floor flipped, and the possession turned improvisational.

“That wasn’t quite the play; they did run it to the wrong side, and that happens sometimes,” said North coach Nick Mayer. “Madison is really big on switching hard, and we wanted to create a disadvantage for them by making that and hopefully, kept the guy who was switching off their man on his heels.”

Instead of forcing the original design, Barney recognized space opening in front of him. He didn’t hesitate.

“On the play, we noticed it was on the wrong side, so we tried to flip the personnel and it was kind of chaotic,” Barney said. “The plan was for me to pass to an open look, but the fake dribble handoff worked to perfection, and I saw the space and knew I had to take the shot.”

The 3-pointer splashed cleanly, giving North the win and pushing the Rangers to 1-1 on the season.

It was a long way from how the night started. Madison controlled the opening quarter, punishing North with second and third chances and building a 23-14 lead. The Rangers spent the break between quarters regrouping before flipping the tone of the game.

“We wanted them to shoot outside shots, and that’s what we did,” Mayer said. “The problem was the 50-50 stuff… Eventually, shooters are going to knock down a shot, so that’s what killed us in the first quarter.”

Mayer and his staff used the break between quarters to reiterate the game plan.

“After the quarter ended, we kind of laid into them,” he added. “We’re not gifted with height… but we have strength. Let’s use that… Eventually, those three and four opportunities turned into one-and-done shots… We were able to push the ball into transition… and we were able to get some easy buckets.”

Behind a 21-point night from Nate Sagendorph and steady scoring from Vinny Marsico (10 points) and Braylon Rolf (8), North built enough cushion to withstand Madison’s final push — right up until the Blue Streaks briefly reclaimed the lead.

That’s when Barney, who Mayer said has grown from last year’s “runt of the litter” into a confident shot-maker, stepped into the moment.

“I’ll give Greyson Barney credit; he missed a couple shots earlier in the game, and he really could have panicked a little bit,” Mayer said. “He saw the opportunity; the guys didn’t switch, so he was open, set his feet, and knocked it down.”

Barney finished the game with six points, Brand Bambrick added four, Josh Fenick scored three, Ethan Grinstead finished with two, and Cam Spicuzza contributed one point to the win.

Luke Laurie (17) and Parker Williams (15) both scored in double figures for Madison.

Last year it took overtime for North to beat Madison. This time, it took just one shot. And Barney made sure it was the only one that mattered.

After a year of steady growth, Eastlake North boys’ basketball coach Nick Mayer believes the foundation is in place for a strong 2025-2026 campaign.

With three returning starters and seven more players bringing varsity experience, the Rangers are looking to turn last season’s 9-15 record into a winning one.

“With what I have seen in the offseason, our guys have been a motivated group,” Mayer said. “From the weight room to skills to open gyms, these guys have got after it once our required off period ended last spring. If they continue to bring the energy each practice and remain positive with one another, I don’t see why we can’t make a run in the conference and get wins in the postseason.”

Mayer, now in his second season at the helm, is counting on the team’s versatility and depth to play a key role.

“Strengths that we have as a team is the amount of guys that can be plug and play,” he said. “I believe we will be able to go deeper into our bench with the possibility of platooning guys. Because of the work in the offseason, our guys are stronger and faster. Hopefully, we can up the tempo and cause chaos defensively.”

That defensive identity will be crucial as the Rangers adjust to life without standout Nate Tadiello, who graduated after serving as the team’s top scorer and an all-around playmaker.

“Losing a player like Nate Tadiello can cause issues,” Mayer said. “He was able to score, rebound, dribble, and alter shots defensively. We will need some guys to step up and take on a leadership role. Ultimately, our mentality needs to be tough and gritty.”

Among those stepping into bigger roles is junior point guard Greyson Barney, who Mayer said has grown both physically and mentally since last season.

“Greyson has stepped into a leadership role. No longer is he the quiet sophomore. He has hit the weight room this offseason and has continued to work on his game.”

Senior guard Nate Sagendorph gives North a reliable two-way presence.

“Nate will be looking to build on his second-half resurgence from last year,” Mayer said. “A great quality that Nate has is that he doesn’t just look to score, but he really wants to defend.”

Senior Braylon Rolf returns as a versatile, do-it-all contributor.

“Bray is like a Swiss army knife,” Mayer said. “If you need a ballhandler, defender, shooter, rebounder, Bray is willing to do it. I’m looking forward to seeing how he impacts both ends of the court.”

Two more seniors, Vinny Marsico and Brand Bambrick, round out the projected starting five. Mayer praised both for their offseason improvement.

“Vinny is almost a completely different player than he was last year,” he said. “He is quicker, more athletic, and brings high energy. He’s a longer guard—he will be looking to cause havoc on both ends. Brand started getting some varsity minutes towards the end of last year. He will be used as a versatile big, being able to play on the perimeter and in the paint.”

The Rangers’ bench should also provide an energetic boost. Senior Mikey Lowrie is coming off a strong football season and has carried that confidence to the court.

“Mikey took a major jump in the offseason,” Mayer said. “He’s stronger and more confident, and he will be a great plug-and-play guy.”

Senior Cam Spicuzza brings hustle and heart every time he checks in.

“Cam might not light up the stat sheet, but he is like the Energizer Bunny—he is going to give you 100 percent of himself every time he is on the court.”

Fellow senior Ethan Grinstead will add size and physicality inside.

“Ethan can be really effective in his role,” Mayer said. “With more experience, he should gain more confidence. If he does that, he is going to be really important to the team.”

Sophomore Billy Gibson impressed late last season, even earning meaningful minutes in the district semifinals.

“Billy got a varsity jersey at the end of the year,” Mayer said. “He came in and made an impact quickly, playing crucial minutes in the district semifinals win against Cleveland Rhodes. Playing confident is key for him this season.”

With a deeper rotation and renewed energy, the Rangers have clear goals in mind.

“Our team goals for this 2025-2026 season are to compete for the conference and to get to a district championship again,” Mayer said.

And for North, everything starts with defense.

“Understanding that causing chaos on the defensive end needs to be our identity,” Mayer said. “If we buy into that, we have a shot of winning quite a bit of games.”