The Garfield G-Men boys’ basketball team is still searching for its first victory of the season. The G-Men stayed winless, losing 40-38 against Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference and Portage County rival Waterloo Vikings in a crossover game last Friday evening at the JAG Fieldhouse.
“Both teams came out on fire and it was a high-scoring first quarter,” said Coach Andy Olesky. “For whatever reason, the pace of the game slowed down and baskets were hard to come by. That was a credit to both teams with the way we played defense. It’s a credit to the kids out there on the floor but there were a few mistakes by us down the stretch in the second and third quarters.”
Since the schools joined the MVAC during the 2020-21 season, they have played each other three times and the Vikings hold the edge in the intra-conference rivalry, winning two of the three games.
According to the 11th-year coach, it has been nice to have that Portage County rivalry renewed, going back to the days when the G-Men (0-2, 0-0) and Waterloo used to be foes during their days in the Portage Trail Conference County Division.
“It is not just a Portage County thing,” Olesky added. “There is a connection between the two teams which makes it cool. It’s fun to coach against your friend on Friday night and we both respect each other and that makes it even better. It was cool to see such a wild atmosphere and good crowd turn out for both communities and that is what high school basketball should be about.”
After going on a 6-0 run at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Garfield took a 35-34 advantage, but the MVAC rivals traded baskets and were deadlocked in a 37-37 tie in the final minutes.
Waterloo made three free throws down the stretch, but the G-Men had a chance to tie the game and force overtime when junior guard Preston Gedeon was sent to the free throw line after getting fouled on a 3-point attempt at the with just seconds left in the game.
The 5-foot-9 junior drained the first shot but missed the second and committed a lane violation on the third.
“That did not lose the game,” Olesky noted. “We made our mistakes throughout the course of the game, and we had our opportunities. It is tough to pin it on one opportunity but in the game of basketball, there are a ton of things throughout the course of the game and things add up sometimes too.”
It turned into a low-scoring affair after an electric first quarter saw the teams combine for 36 points with the G-Men holding a 19-17 lead, having knocked down five 3-pointers.
Gedeon sparked Garfield’s fast start, scoring eight points in the opening period including draining two 3-point shots from beyond the arc.
“Preston is a fiery kid. He loves basketball and I talk to him frequently about him being our emotional leader and it is something he really buys into,” said Olesky. “Preston is a huge part of our team and every success we have, his fingerprints are going to be on it. I just love the emotion that Preston brings and he had it.”
The game turned in the second quarter with the teams combining to score only eight points and the G-Men held only a 24-20 lead at the half.
According to Olesky, the teams made defensive adjustments and the pace of the game slowed down considerably, with each team only making one field goal.
The Vikings seized control in the third quarter, outscoring Garfield by a 14-5 margin, paced by senior guard Jackson Eichler, who tallied 6 points to push Waterloo ahead 34-29.
Despite only using a six-man rotation, Waterloo’s endurance did not wither and maintained its defensive discipline, stifling Gedeon by holding him scoreless in the third period.
Garfield came alive in the fourth quarter and took the lead, but its offense stalled out on too many possessions and the Vikings snatched the victory.
“They have a reputation for being a tough-nosed, gritty and help out very well but when buckets are tough to come by, sometimes you have to tip your hat to the other team,” Olesky said.
It’s been a tough start for a Garfield squad that returns only four players with significant varsity experience and only two from last year’s starting five in Gedeon and junior forward Nick Edic.
Despite having a small group of returnees, Garfield still fields a roster with size and length, with nine of its ten players being 6-feet or taller.
“We got a couple of guys who enjoy going down low and posting up and trying to make their impact on the game down there,” Olesky said. “It does help us on the boards and alter shots defensively.”
Following a MVAC Grey Tier road game against Campbell Memorial on Tuesday night, the G-Men will stay on the road and take on conference foe LaBrae in Leavittsburg on Friday at 7 p.m.
