Lakota West Firebirds (West Chester, OH)

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1/14/06

West prevails on Cook's career night

Lakota West 45, Sycamore 41

By Tom Groeschen
Enquirer staff writer

Vince Cook couldn't believe it either, when they told him he had just scored a career-high 24 points.

"I was just out there playing," said Cook, who led top-ranked Lakota West past unranked Sycamore 45-41 at West on Friday night. "I'm a scoring threat, but usually I'm more looking to get other people the ball."

Cook, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound senior forward, was averaging 7.4 points a game. His previous career high was 13 points earlier this season.

Cook made 11 of 12 shots, mostly inside. He also had a game-high seven rebounds.

"I felt like every time I had the ball, I would score," Cook said.

He wasn't bragging, and in fact had left the arena quickly afterward. A teammate had to call Cook's cell phone, urging him to get back into the gym to speak with reporters.

"It was just one of those nights," Cook said softly, smiling as friends congratulated him on the court.

"Vince Cook had the game of his life," West coach Mike Mueller said. "That's one of the best performances I've seen by a high school player in a long time."

Lakota West (10-1, 6-0 Greater Miami Conference) avoided an upset by the Aviators (6-3, 3-3). West has been ranked No. 1 all season in the Enquirer Division I coaches' poll, while Sycamore was 12th in this week's voting.

Cook picked up the slack as Josh Chichester, Lakota West's 6-8 center and usual scoring leader (14.4 ppg), had an off night. Chichester largely was kept out of the flow by Sycamore and was held to two points, making the only shot he took. Chichester did have six rebounds and led West in assists (three), blocked shots (two) and steals (two).

Cook was joined by West senior forward Matt Karaffa (10 points) as the game's only double-figure scorers.

West held Sycamore's potent scoring threats, 6-4 senior forward David Buchberger and 6-7 senior forward Robby Peters, to a combined 16 points. They had been averaging a combined 37 points.

Sycamore shot just 15-of-51 from the floor (29.4 percent), while West hit 18 of 35 for 51.4 percent.

West survived despite 20 turnovers; Sycamore committed only seven turnovers.

"In 35 years of coaching, I haven't won very often when my team makes 20 turnovers," Mueller said. "I want to credit part of that to Sycamore, because they took the game to us."

Sycamore coach Stan Kaniecki said the Aviators just didn't hit enough shots. Sycamore got plenty of open looks, especially outside, but could not hit consistently.

"If we shoot the ball a little better, it's a ballgame," Kaniecki said.

At that, Sycamore was right in it. West gradually pulled out to a 45-35 lead with 36.8 seconds left, but the Aviators chipped away at the foul line before time ran out. "When you can hold the No. 1 team in the city to 45 points ... that's the best effort we've had all year," Kaniecki said. "Cook really hurt us."

Sycamore (6-3, 3-3 GMC) - Battle 1 0 2, Clark 2 4 8, Peters 2 2 7, Mayer 3 1 9, Buchberger 4 0 9, Grissom 3 0 6. Totals: 15 8 41.
Lakota West (10-1, 6-0 GMC) - Casper 2 2 6, Chichester 1 0 2, Cook 11 2 24, Mayberry 1 0 3, Karaffa 3 4 10. Totals: 18 8 45.

Sycamore881312-41Lakota West1291212-45
3-pointers: S 3 (Peters, Mayer, Buchberger), LW 1 (Mayberry).

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1/15/06

Top-ranked West rolls behind Chichester
Boys' basketball roundup

Senior center Josh Chichester scored 16 points and Lakota West cruised to a 55-41 victory over Lebanon at West Saturday night.

Senior Vince Cook, who scored a career-high 24 points in Friday's victory over Sycamore, added 12 points for West, the top-ranked team in the Enquirer Division I coaches' poll.

Lebanon (6-5) - Francis 1 0 2, Helleman 5 6 16, Shepherd 3 0 7, Michelson 4 2 12. Totals: 13 12 41.
Lakota West (11-1) - Casper 3 2 8, Gschwind 1 0 3, Chichester 7 2 16, Cook 5 2 12, Mayberry 2 1 6, Karaffa 0 2 2, Schloemer 4 0 8. Totals: 22 9 55.

Lebanon1011812-41Lakota West8162110-55
3-pointers: L 3 (Michelson 2, Shepherd); LW 2 (Gschwind, Mayberry).

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1/21/06

Lakota West 70, Milford 51

Josh Chichester scored 15 to help Lakota West, the No. 1- ranked team in the Enquirer Division I coaches' poll.

Lakota West (12-1, 8-0 GMC) - Casper 1 2 4, Mayberry 3 1 10, Karaffa 3 4 10, Cook 7 1 15, Chichester 6 3 15, Gschwind 3 0 9, Haberman 3 0 7. Totals: 26 11 70.

Milford (5-6, 2-6 GMC) - Williams 2 0 5, Truesdell 4 0 8, Elsen 3 3 9, Salerno 6 2 15, Burton 1 0 2, Baker 5 0 12. Totals: 21 5 51

West14172415-70Milford12171111-51
3-pointers: West 7 (Mayberry 3, Gschwind 3, Haberman); Milford 4 (Williams, Salerno, Baker 2).

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1/25/06

LAKOTA WEST 51, HAMILTON 33

Seniors Josh Chichester and Matt Karaffa combined for 25 points to lead Lakota West, No. in the Enquirer Division I poll.

Hamilton (6-6, GMC 4-4) - Fowler 1 2 4, Graf 2 0 6, Powell 0 2 2, Butler 3 2 11, Allen 2 0 4, Brown 3 0 6. Totals: 11 6 33.

Lakota West (13-1, 8-0) - Casper 1 0 2, Gschwind 2 0 6, Chichester 5 5 15, Cook 2 2 6, Mayberry 1 0 3, Karaffa 3 3 10, Black 0 1 1, Schloemer 4 0 8. Totals: 18 11 52.
Hamilton97611-33Lakota West1381713-51
3-pointers: H 5 (Butler 3, Graf 2); LW 4 (Gschwind 2, Mayberry, Karaffa).

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Lakota West (13-1) hosts No. 3 Princeton today; hosts Middletown Tuesday.

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1/28/06

Karaffa leads the charge
Senior scores 26 as Firebirds stay undefeated in GMC at 9-0

BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Matt Karaffa emerged from the Lakota West dressing room after Friday's big 60-49 win over Princeton, and the welcoming party stretched from the door out onto the basketball court.

Family. Friends. A couple of college coaches, a couple of reporters. All wanted to speak with Karaffa after the senior forward scored a career-high 26 points, leading Lakota West to victory before a standing-room-only crowd of about 2,500 at West.

"It just kind of came to me," said Karaffa, who was averaging 8.9 points a game. "I just got some open shots and was able to hit some."

Karaffa's previous high was 22 points. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound forward scored from inside and out, going 8-of-11 from the field (3-of-4 on 3-pointers) and 7-of-7 at the line.

Lakota West, ranked No. 1 in the Enquirer Division I area coaches' poll, stopped No. 3-ranked Princeton's 11-game winning streak.

It was an especially pivotal game, because sectional tournament seedings will be made today.

"Going into the game, I don't know if we thought about making sure we get the No. 1 seed," Karaffa said. "We just wanted to win because it was a big game."

Karaffa talked with coaches representing Mount St. Joseph and Wilmington after the game, and said DePauw and Marietta also are on his list.

Lakota West (14-1, 9-0 Greater Miami Conference) ran its winning streak to seven games, having lost only to a team from Columbia, Ga., over the Christmas holidays.

Along with Karaffa, who also led the Firebirds with four assists, there was senior point guard J.C. Casper (13 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals). There was senior forward Vince Cook (10 points, 11 rebounds).

There was 6-8 senior center Josh Chichester, who had an off night scoring (five points) but had 11 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Lakota West coach Mike Mueller was pleased with his team, the crowd and the noisy atmosphere.

"I told the kids this is what you practice for, what you condition for, what you lift weights for ... to play in big games like this," Mueller said. "Both teams must be exhausted, because it was as physical as could be."

Princeton (11-3, 7-2 GMC) had not lost since dropping its first two games of the season.

"Their size bothered us," Princeton coach Bill Brewer said, noting a 35-24 rebounding edge for Lakota West. "We couldn't get enough open looks inside. Even so, I'm proud of our effort ..."

West built an early 9-0 lead and never trailed. Princeton trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half before cutting the deficit to five a couple times, but the Vikings couldn't get closer.

Lakota West held Princeton to 37.7 percent shooting, while West hit 42.5 percent. Senior guard Matt Weber led Princeton with 11 points.

Casper, the floor leader, said West likes its No. 1 ranking but does not play it up.

"We knew we had to step it up with Princeton coming in here," Casper said. "Winning the GMC is what we're thinking about ..."

Princeton (11-3, 7-2 GMC) - Bradshaw 3 2 8, Stevens 3 0 7, McGrath 3 0 7, Yates 0 1 1, Jackson 4 1 9, Weber 4 0 11, Shoemaker 3 0 6. Totals: 20 4 49.

Lakota West (14-1, 9-0 GMC) - Karaffa 8 7 26, Casper 3 5 13, Chichester 2 1 5, Cook 2 6 10, Mayberry 1 0 3, Gschwind 1 0 3. Totals: 17 19 60.
Princeton1018615-49Lakota West17141316-60
3-pointers: P 5 (Weber 3, Stevens, McGrath), LW 7 (Karaffa 3, Casper 2, Gschwind, Mayberry).
Matt, your thoughts?