For the third straight year, the Garfield G-Men boys’ basketball team reigned supreme in their annual rivalry game against Windham, as the G-Men used a second half push to defeat their neighborhood foes 59-50 last Friday evening at Windham High School’s Marty Hill Court.
“I think it was a fun game for both of us,” said Garfield Coach Matt Hill. “When you have a game like this, kind of a rivalry game, you throw out the records. We both have not probably had the kind of seasons we would have liked to have but I think both teams played hard and got after it. This was a fun atmosphere for the kids to play in and a nice crowd, so it was a good night.”
After the G-Men (7-12, 4-8) were defeated by Windham (2-19, 2-13) on their home floor in 2022, they have reclaimed the advantage in the neighborhood rivalry, having won the annual duel for three consecutive years, including defeating the Bombers twice on their home court.
According to the first-year G-Men Coach, who is a graduate of Windham High School, the annual game against Windham not only reflects the historic Portage County rivalry but also a sense of neighborhood pride.
“That is a lot of it,” he added. “Any time you play a team next door, there are a lot of crossovers. I went to school here; you get a lot of that crossover with family and friends so that is what makes it fun.”
On Friday, it was a back-and-forth affair in the first half, as the Bombers took an early lead in the first quarter, fueled by senior forward Matt Kolaczek, who scored six points in the opening frame.
Windham’s advantage was quickly erased in the second period, as the G-Men caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down three 3-point baskets, which keyed an 11-8 run to end the quarter as they took a 23-20 advantage.
“We have seen a ton of zone, 3-2 zone and 2-3 zone,” noted Hill. “We kept talking to the boys about not settling and taking the first shot. We talked about getting inside-out touches and getting the ball into the post and getting it out. We did that well for a stretch in the first half.”
Although the Bombers found quick offense through Kolaczek in the first quarter, things changed once he got into early foul trouble, as Windham lacked the necessary size to consistently attack the paint and tried to bury Garfield from long range but could not connect.
“We had some other guys contribute,” said Bombers’ Coach Cody Apthorpe. “We had three or four guys approach double figures which has been something we have struggled with, so it was nice to have those guys step up.”
After going on an 8-2 run to start the second half, the Bombers’ momentum faded as Garfield capitalized on its size to attack the basket and also played good defense, forcing seven turnovers in the third period and junior guard Oliver Walker personally keyed a 6-0 run through a transition offense to push the G-Men ahead 34-28 halfway through the period.
Having experienced foul trouble in the first half, junior guard Devin Bates came alive in the third quarter, scoring seven points, enabling Garfield to seize a 42-32 lead at the end of the third period.
“Getting into foul trouble is not what I had planned on,” acknowledged the 6-foot guard, who led Garfield with 16 points, two rebounds and one assist. “I tried my best to play as hard as I could and play clean defense. Once I got back in there and got into the flow of everything, it just came naturally and went well for me.”
Kolaczek and senior guard Louden Collins each battled foul trouble throughout the game and were issued their fifth fouls in the fourth period, ending their night early, leaving Windham short-handed to finish the game.
Although Windham responded with 12-6 run, trimming the G-Men’s lead to four points in the final quarter, Garfield attacked the basket throughout the rest of the fourth quarter to claim its second victory over its last three games while Windham’s losing streak reached five.
Following a home duel against Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier foe Brookfield on Monday evening and a home contest against Portage County rival Ravenna on Tuesday night, Garfield will conclude its regular season with a home game against MVAC Grey Tier foe Southeast at the JAG Fieldhouse in Garrettsville on Friday at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Bombers will end their regular season with a road duel against Northeastern Athletic Conference foe Badger on Friday evening in Kinsman at 7 p.m.
