McClain falls to Cavaliers on senior night

It was senior night for McClain Saturday night in a makeup Frontier Athletic Conference game vs. Chillicothe, and despite the lopsided 73-40 loss, it was a night that seven senior players will always remember.

McClain head coach Jarrod Haines, like so many Tiger coaches before him, continued a tradition of starting all seniors on this festive evening, and since he had seven seniors, only five could start. His starting lineup consisted of mostly players who had logged very little playing time all season, but they did not disappoint and held their own for the first half of the opening quarter, trailing by just a 9-7 count when the regular starters began reporting into the contest.

The game was highlighted by senior fan-favorite Alex Perie drilling a long three from the left baseline to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead, which sent the McClain student and adult spectators into an all-out frenzy.

“That opening 3-pointer by Alex Perie that sent our fans going nuts might be one of my favorite coaching memories ever,” said McClain head coach Jarrod Haines.

The Tigers were outmatched from the start by the taller and very athletic Chillicothe squad that seemed to connect on almost every shot they took the entire night.

“Credit to Chillicothe, they shot the ball really well tonight and made everything they put up,” Haines said. “So hats off to Coach Pat Beard and his kids for the sportsmanship they showed tonight.

“They could have put more pressure on us, but they didn’t, and that just shows the type of coaches we have in this league, so I appreciate that a lot.”

The Cavaliers led 18-10 after one period and extended their advantage to 37-12 at the half after outscoring McClain 19-2 in the second quarter.

The Tigers played a lot better offensively in the third period when they scored 19 points but still found themselves trailing 60-31 heading into the fourth.

Both coaches played multiple substitutions and let everyone get plenty of playing time in the final stanza, making a few memories for them and their parents.

Hayden Angel, a senior with a big heart and a knack for putting up threes, had a career night, scoring 11 points to lead McClain, which included three long balls.

“Hayden (Angel) is one of our seniors that hasn’t played a lot but started and shot the ball well for us tonight,” Haines said. “All of these seniors have been through a lot and have had four different coaches the last four years who have had four different styles and cultures.

“This year, these kids have really bought in to what we wanted to do, and even though a lot of them haven’t got a lot of playing time this year, they stayed positive and never complained.

“They all come in to practice and work hard and all of them deserved an opportunity to play tonight and make some memories, so this night was really for them,” Haines continued. “We’ve really struggled on back-to-back nights, and I think our legs were gone after last night’s game, so it was nice to see some of those other kids come in and play tonight.”

It was the final home game for seven McClain seniors, Riley Cummins, Owen Sykes, Zane Adams, Brandon Greene, Alex Perie, Hayden Angel and Jeremy Webb.

Coach Haines talked a little about what these seven seniors have meant to him and his program this year.

“I’m really proud of these kids and especially the ones like Jeremy Webb who never got to play much,” Haines said. “Jeremy never complained and really just wanted to be a part of this team, just like Alex Perie and Hayden Angel.

“Brandon Greene gave us big minutes all year, and Owen Sykes is just a warrior out there all over the floor.

“Zane Adams has scored the ball really well for us and has a very high basketball IQ, and Riley Cummins, our point guard, is the one who makes us go,” Haines continued. “He kind of does everything, and when he’s not in the game we really seem to struggle.

“So, these are seven kids that I wish the best for, and I know they will all be very successful young men, and it’s been really fun to have them.”

McClain begins tournament play next Thursday, Feb. 20 when they travel to Fairfield Union.

Individual scoring for McClain: Zane Adams 1,0,3, Hayden Angel 4,0,11, Owen Sykes 4,0,8, Jeremy Webb 1,0,2, Hudson Lovett 1,0,2, Brandon Greene 2,2,7 and Alex Perie 3,1,7. Totals 14,3,40. 3-point field goals: Adams 1, Angel 3 and Perie 2.

Chillicothe was led by Cooper Stoneking, who had a game-high 17 points.

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