Benjamin York canned four 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 18 points. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Julie McMaken Wright)
Happiness reigns in Russia. The Raiders earned a third straight chance to advance beyond the state semifinals when they beat league rival Botkins for the third time this season.
Fairborn, OH – Smiles of joy and relief surfaced as the lead grew to 20, to 25, to 31. Because the unbeaten Russia Raiders – the irresistible force and the immovable object this season in small-school basketball – knew they would soon be cutting down a net.
Veteran columnist Jeff Gilbert writes Ohio State basketball and OHSAA sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
Not just any net. But one what they had been sharpening their game for during the past 12 months: A third straight trip to the state tournament.
When the benches emptied with 2:31 left on the Nutter Center scoreboard, smiles turned into high fives, hugs and happy words. And someone found the scissors because this moment is what the 11 seniors believed was one of their destinies.
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“It feels pretty darn good,” said Spencer Cordonnier with a broad smile. He’s the head coach who has guided the Raiders to three state appearances and climbed lots of ladders.
The Raiders advanced by putting away the one team that gave them any bit of trouble this season. Shelby County Athletic League rival Botkins kept both meetings close deep into the second half before losing by 19 and 11 points.
“I was a little worried, to say the least, coming into this one,” Cordonnier said. “Those were very highly competitive games both times.”
This time, however, the Raiders treated the Trojans like the rest of their schedule. They used a 20-0 run in the first half, a 14-0 run in the second and shot 62.2% to roll to a 58-30 victory and the Division VII regional title.
Vince Borchers’ ability to drive and make layups is a key part of Russia’s offense.
“It’s a fun ride being with the boys,” said Benjamin York, who led the Raiders with 18 points and made four 3-pointers. “Three years is hard to do. We’re gonna try to finish it off this year. I know the last two years have come up short, but with this group I feel good about it.”
The second destiny the 27-0 Raiders seek – the program’s first state championship – won’t be easy, but it is clearly more doable than the previous attempts.
The past two seasons the Raiders ran into Richmond Heights in the Division IV semifinals and lost. The team from northeast Ohio with Division I recruits had to work hard before subduing the Raiders in the second half both years. Then they won the championship games with ease. This year, with the change to seven divisions, Richmond landed in Division V and lost its regional final Saturday to Lutheran East.
Yes, that caused Russia folks to smile, too.
“They welcomed that challenge,” Cordonnier said. “They don’t really talk about playing Richmond Heights that second year, but they were thankful to get the opportunity to do it again. And today won’t be any different. One of their goals this year was to get back to the state. And it was a very realistic goal, a check mark that that they knew they could get, but it was going to be difficult to do.”
Braylon Cordonnier looks for an open teammate against Botkins’ James Steinke.
The Raiders must wait until Monday to know for sure who and where they will play their state semifinal Friday. The candidates are Arlington (an upset winner over Delphos St. John’s), South Webster or Willoughby Cornerstone Christian. If the Raiders win, they will return to UD Arena at 5:15 p.m. on March 22.
“It’s always an amazing experience,” senior sixth-man Jaxon Grogean said. “It’s kind of like a kid in the candy shop – never gets old.”
Botkins (20-7) led 8-4, but the Raiders changed the narrative quickly by going after rebounds like they were candy. Four straight possessions resulted in 11 points to kickstart the 20-0 run.
“We lost that lead pretty quick when they started getting their offensive rebounds,” Botkins coach Phil Groves said. “They’re a great offensive rebounding team. But it’s just disappointing that we couldn’t take care of business. Against a team like Russia, things can snowball quickly.”
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Botkins’ four seniors kept pushing to get back in the game, but the snowball was too big to stop. When Groves became head coach the year after the Trojans won the Division IV state championship in 2021, this year’s seniors were freshmen. That year the Trojans made it back to the regional final, and this year’s seniors learned from those seniors how to bring this team to Saturday’s stage.
Dominic Francis scored six straight points to start Russia’s 14-0 run in the third quarter.
“These guys did an exceptional job of maintaining that standard over four years,” Groves said. “We would have liked to have made it another game or two farther, but, ultimately, their accomplishments and their commitment to the program have been outstanding.”
Grogean, who at 5-foot-9 is the only Raider under six feet, gave the snowball a big push. He was another spark in the Raiders’ 20-0 run with two 3-pointers. He finished with eight points and six rebounds. When Cordonnier sees a zone defense, he sends Grogean into the game.
“For his size, he can fight like crazy,” Cordonnier said. “We look for him to continue to knock down shots for us. And he struggled a little bit this year, but he hasn’t shied away from it. We tell him, ‘I’m not worried about Jackson Grogean. Whether you’re shooting 50% or you’re shooting 35%, you keep firing.’”
Benjamin York got the honor of holding the regional championship trophy.
Borchers, who along with Grogean and York came off the bench as sophomores, expects Grogean to impact the game when he gets the opportunity.
“He is huge for us,” Borchers said. “Every day in practice I see him shoot, he’s the best shooter I’ve ever seen. Anytime I kick out to him, I know it’s going in.”
Russia sixth man Jaxon Grogean blocks the view of Botkins’ Eli Pitts.
While others have ascended to starting roles, Grogean embraces his role as a bench guy.
“To be a part of it and just know that I’m contributing to the team, no matter what that is, that makes me feel good,” Grogean said. “I know that I’m gonna play, and I know that I can make a difference on the court however much time that is.”
York’s big game came after he didn’t score in the semifinal rout of Westerville Northside Christian. Botkins did what every team does and concentrated on Borchers and Braylon Cordonnier, the Southwest District co-players of the year in Division VII. That left York free to make 4 of 6 3-point shots and 7 of 10 overall.
“When he gets an open look or a kick out when he’s not on the move, he can really shoot it,” Spencer Cordonnier said. “His percentage in those situations is very, very high.”
York, Cordonnier said, did not pout about a scoreless game. Like Grogean coming off the bench, he’s happy to give any offensive help he can.
Botkins senior Collin Doseck rises up for two of his team-high 10 points.
“Very relieving,” he said. “Last couple of games I haven’t been shooting it very well, and today I was able to and come out and help my team.”
Borchers scored 10 and Cordonnier five, but on this day it didn’t matter. The Raiders also got 11 from 6-6 Dominic Francis, including six straight to start the big second-half run.
But every starter and every sub contributed in the way they always do on defense. Botkins guard Collin Dosek scored 10 points, but the Raiders didn’t let him live in the lane and create offense. And they held the Trojans to 21.7% shooting.
“These guys are just winners – they know how to guard,” Cordonnier said. “They’ve known how to guard since fourth, fifth, sixth grade. When we set that into their heads early on, they’ve been able to carry that through over the years. They just continue to grind, continue to work – they’re a bunch of tough son of a guns.”
For Borchers, the toughness isn’t limited to the starters and their sixth man. There are five other seniors and two juniors who contribute when no one else is watching.
“Some of those guys that don’t play, it’s probably hard for them to stick with it,” Borchers said. “But I just want them to know that we wouldn’t be here without them, without them pushing us in practice.”
When the backups finished the game, got their medals and cut down their piece of the net, they were smiling, too.
Benjamin York got the honor of holding the regional championship trophy.
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