Villa-Angela St. Joseph's 73 Fairland 50 (2017 Final Four)

[mattash]

Can Fairland advance to the State Championship? Thoughts? Anyone have VASJ's roster?

[GalliaGrad78]

I assume tickets will be available at the door?

[LucasDavenport]

There have always been Tickets available in the years previous. One Corner of the Schott sales tickets.

You can also take your chances with the scalpers.

[93Bulldog]

The game is at 10:45 in the morning, you will have no problem getting tickets at the door. Lol

[Sports-nut]

Schedule and roster

http://vasjvikings.com/boys_basketball/ ... l/schedule

Gaffney,Newlon,George,Higgins, and McGarry are usual starters from some articles on their website

[BallDontLie]

Gaffney, Butler, McGary and Higgins played a lot of minutes last year in the state tournament. Gaffney is long and athletic but his matchup with Fairland's big will be interesting. McGary is a tough player who gets points by cleaning the glass and hustling. Higgins runs the show and will more likely be the fastest player on the court, probably won't even be close. Fairland matches up well because they have multiple scorers. Maintaining runs will be crucial for the Dragons if they want to win. Good luck dragons!!

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

OLE BAIT IS VERY PROUD OF YA'LL. WAY TO REP LAWRENCE COUNTY, PROCTORVILLE, AND THE OVC.
GOOD LUCK TO THE FAIRLAND DRAGONS IN THE FINAL 4 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bbjunky81]

Many people are going to assume Fairland is the "underdog," but I'm not so sure that's the case. This VASJ team is very good, but not as loaded as some of the previous VASJ teams featuring Bragg (Kansas) and Pardon (Northwestern). The advantage for Fairland is that nearly all of their rotational players play AAU, so they're used to this type of competition and style.

Gut feeling, as long as Fairland handles pressure, I really think they win this game. Fairlands kids are winners and their prize is within striking distance now.

Fairland 72
VASJ 66

[bsee12345]

Cleveland VA/SJ is the favorite to win the D3 State Title. With that being said Fairland does have a lot of reason to optimistic to being playing them on Friday. The time its self is not a time games usually start 10:45am so you do not know how teams are going to adjust- this could be a positive or negative. Another possible positive or could be negative is that VA/SJ has been then done that. Sometimes teams such as VA/SJ can take things for granted and just go thru the motions. I have read that VA/SJ has been able to win in the tournament without having had it back against the wall and faced adversity.
The main positive I see for Fairland is that they can just go play ball. There is not much pressure on the Dragons. Most think Fairland has little chance to win this game. I can remember Jackson Center that played Columbus Africentric a very years back in D4. Most everyone thought Africentric would win with little problem. The problem was Jackson Center played for the State Championship not Africentric.
Fairland is the underdog and it would great to see them sees the opportunity and just go play the game and be in a position to pull the upset. I do know that if this game is close at the end the observers in the arena will become Dragon fans.

[93Bulldog]

VASJ is nothing more than a Cleveland AAU all star team. Them & others at the Schott this weekend totally defy what high school state finals should be all about. Yes, I have tickets & will continue to attend these recruited 'all star' games - but that doesnt mean I agree with the current set up.

[bbjunky81]

VASJ is nothing more than a Cleveland AAU all star team. Them & others at the Schott this weekend totally defy what high school state finals should be all about. Yes, I have tickets & will continue to attend these recruited 'all star' games - but that doesnt mean I agree with the current set up.

I absolutely agree. Unfortunately, until OHSAA switches to a private tournament and a public tournament, it'll always stay the same. And we all know the OHSAA will never do that in fear of lost $$$$ (some parochial schools claim they'd start their own private association if that happens).

All about the Benjamin's.

[bball30]

VASJ is nothing more than a Cleveland AAU all star team. Them & others at the Schott this weekend totally defy what high school state finals should be all about. Yes, I have tickets & will continue to attend these recruited 'all star' games - but that doesnt mean I agree with the current set up.

I absolutely agree. Unfortunately, until OHSAA switches to a private tournament and a public tournament, it'll always stay the same. And we all know the OHSAA will never do that in fear of lost $$$$ (some parochial schools claim they'd start their own private association if that happens).

All about the Benjamin's.

Unfortunate but painfully true. A decidedly unfair advantage in my opinion.

[Gold and Blue]

Good luck to Fairland from the Clay Panthers.

[king kong]

Good luck Dragons! If you want the Ohsaa to do something, next time they put a vote up for change tell your superintendent to vote for it. The Ohsaa is ran by every school, each school gets a vote!

[Seabee_0586]

Good luck Fairland from the soc1

[mrwonderful]

I disagree....Even public schools build teams from players who didn't grow up or attend a certain school as a kid...It happens in this area also...You have your football schools, your basketball schools and your baseball schools and some do it in multiple sports....It's became an epidemic as has the holding kids back for sports.......which is completely insane....Shouldn't be allowed...Everyone always wants to make excuses as to why they'll lose....Ok let the Catholic private Schools have their own tournament if that will stop the whining...However lets also stop the public Schools from qualifying for a Championship if they have 2 or more senior holdbacks who were held back for sports....problem solved....hehehehehehe.....I heard State stopped the holding back a kid for sports.... I applaud the state if they did. Parents will figure out another way...they'll start them late or hold em back in elementary when its not Academically necessary..... Difference is this area doesn't have the population of a Cleveland or Columbus so its a little harder to build a great team....but it goes on here too, even with public Schools, and everyone knows it......

[dragonlegacy]

Fairland- 56
Cleveland VASJ- 52

[mrwonderful]

fairland 66-60!!!!!! I heard WZAZ 3 was going to televise the ball game Friday....

[4out1in]

Cleveland VA/SJ is the favorite to win the D3 State Title. With that being said Fairland does have a lot of reason to optimistic to being playing them on Friday. The time its self is not a time games usually start 10:45am so you do not know how teams are going to adjust- this could be a positive or negative. Another possible positive or could be negative is that VA/SJ has been then done that. Sometimes teams such as VA/SJ can take things for granted and just go thru the motions. I have read that VA/SJ has been able to win in the tournament without having had it back against the wall and faced adversity.
The main positive I see for Fairland is that they can just go play ball. There is not much pressure on the Dragons. Most think Fairland has little chance to win this game. I can remember Jackson Center that played Columbus Africentric a very years back in D4. Most everyone thought Africentric would win with little problem. The problem was Jackson Center played for the State Championship not Africentric.
Fairland is the underdog and it would great to see them sees the opportunity and just go play the game and be in a position to pull the upset. I do know that if this game is close at the end the observers in the arena will become Dragon fans.

They have most certainly had their backs against the wall and faced adversity. In the District semis, Beachwood had them tied and flat out blew a layup at the end to win it. In the OT, Gaffney came up big to save them.
I've also seen some talk about them getting kids from all over the place. They are kind of unique in that they really don't. The school sits right on the border of Cleveland and Euclid. The vast majority of their kids come from a geographic area of Euclid and the very NE corner of Cleveland. Do they have advantages? Of course they do but they aren't a St V or a St Ed's that gets kids from all over the place. With all that said, if Fairland keeps their heads, contains Higgins and get a great game from Van Horn, they can beat VASJ. I will be pulling for the Dragons. Best of luck.

[Hoopie74]

VASJ is nothing more than a Cleveland AAU all star team. Them & others at the Schott this weekend totally defy what high school state finals should be all about. Yes, I have tickets & will continue to attend these recruited 'all star' games - but that doesnt mean I agree with the current set up.

Agreed, I've said that for quite a few years. We at Peebles have run into recruited teams for years starting back in the Eighties with Werle, now other private schools.