Medina Christian shows fight in loss to Medina

On paper, a boys basketball game between Medina and Medina Christian Academy not long ago would not have made it to print. The programs were that far apart.

Now, while the gap is still wide, the Division VII Knights showed they belong on the same court as their big-school counterparts. Despite a 73-53 loss to the Division I Bees, Medina Christian was not overwhelmed.

“That’s why no one wants to play them,” Medina coach Chris Hassinger said of the Knights. “It’s a couple kids that we love and they happen to go to that school down the road, and we wanted an opportunity to play with them. Rob’s done a fantastic job.”

Several MCA players grew up in Medina’s system, at least for a time.

“I’ve known Hass forever,” Knights coach Rob Walgate said. “Many of the things that our kids do are things that Hass taught them in third- or fourth-grade travel basketball. I think he would tell you those are his guys, too.”

The Knights, who fell to 7-7 with their sixth consecutive loss, actually led late in the first quarter before trailing 15-12. Medina outscored MCA 40-21 in the middle two periods, and with Beckett Miller scoring 24 of his 26 points before halftime, the Bees had too much firepower.

Still, there have been far greater mismatches. Sam Dorman scored 28 points to lead the Knights, and RJ Walgate added nine on an off night. Medina Christian even outrebounded its larger host.

“They battled,” Rob Walgate said. “We didn’t want to come just to say, ‘Hey, let’s have fun and play a game.’ We wanted to compete.”

The Knights started the season with five straight wins and six victories in their first seven games but have struggled recently against a rugged schedule designed for one purpose: preparing for March.

Medina Christian’s postseason path will differ significantly from Medina’s. While the Bees will face the state’s largest schools, the Knights will compete against the smallest.

“What we’re prepping for is the tournament,” Rob Walgate said. “That’s why we’ve put together the schedule that we’ve put together. There’s no Division VII team in Northeast Ohio that’s trying to do what we’re trying to do.”

Teams are seeded using MaxPreps RPI ratings, which use a formula similar to the Harbin points system used in football. Entering the week, the Knights ranked sixth among 26 Division VII teams in Northeast Ohio.

Unlike football, basketball rankings do not factor in school size, though MCA stands to gain modestly from playing Medina if the Bees continue to win.

Participating in an event like this is a benefit for the Knights, who would gladly play all three other teams involved — Highland edged Buckeye 64-61 in the doubleheader’s opening game — individually if given the chance.

“That’s why I want to say thank you to Coach Hass and to Buckeye and Highland,” Rob Walgate said. “There are a lot of teams that won’t play a Division VII team like us. We have nothing to lose. They’re supposed to win. Kudos to them for letting it happen.”