By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
Too much Brady Gabbard, that’s what it came down to in the second semifinal game of the All “A” Classic Friday at Holy Cross.
Too many steals and stuffs for the homestanding Indians in their packed gym as they moved on to tonight’s championship game against Newport after a 62-51 winning battle against a Beechwood team that wouldn’t quit, even if it was two starters down with another wearing a protective cage over his nose fractured a week ago at Covington Catholic.
“That’s what Coach Ric wants me to do,” Gabbard says of second-year coach Ricardo Johnson. “I just want to give us a lot of momentum,” the senior says. Was this his best game? “For me or the team?” he asks back. Because there was that 34-point effort against a good Montgomery County team on the road that’ll be hard to top.
“But this was Beechwood in a district game,” Gabbard says, and against a team the Indians might meet two more times this season. So on this night, it mattered more.
“Absolutely,” Johnson says of encouraging Gabbard to dunk it every time he has a chance. “He’s got a unique skill set, a 6-6, 6-7 guy who can do that,” and in one play change the energy on his team and in this building.
And in a game for two top football schools this past season — Class 1A Holy Cross and 2A Beechwood — who did not play one another. But who made up for it on this night with more blocked shots and bodies careening into the stands than made field goals in the early going.
“They let us play, they definitely let us play,” Gabbard said with a grin even though his slim frame does not look much like he’s here for the football, With his game-high 21 points and flying two-hand dunks, Gabbard was the main beneficiary on plays that looked at times like rugby scrums.
And that’s what they had to do, as Johnson demands: “That we play for 32 minutes,” he said. And that every play is a goal-line stand.
That’s how Holy Cross, now 15-2, held Beechwood to just 15-of-43 shooting (34.9 percent) thanks to a five-for-20 night from long range (25 percent on often rushed three-pointers). It’s a must. “Coach (Ross) Hart is doing an unbelievable job” with his team, Johnson said of the 12-5 Tigers.
That’s why for the second game in a week (also at CovCath), Beechwood’s leading scorer, sophomore Dylan Topmiller, who hit for a team-high 16 points, had to do so while breaking away from double arm-bar defenders the entire way as Holy Cross’ 19-10 edge in the third quarter decided this one. Nate Rominger (15 points) and Luke Arlinghaus, with 13, gave Gabbard backup.
Only there was this one blip. With 999 career points and at the line for two shots with 1:02 left in the game, Arlinghaus, the Indians’ leading scorer on the season with an 18.3 ppg average and an 82.3 percent free throw shooter, missed both.
But he gets to come back Saturday night in the 7 p.m. championship game and do it all over again. As do the rest of the Indians in this 62-year-old gym/activity center named for longtime pastor Monsignor Finn. And on the walls, as they’ve been for the six decades this place has been here, are the Boards of Control for the rebounders with their names, the same names you see on the season ticket seats the first three rows behind the scorer’s table and the benches.
Did anyone say Niehaus or Arlinghaus? The game wasn’t over and you were already hearing that Brady Gabbard “was a Niehaus” on his mother’s side and there in the third row was the 90-year-old matriarch of the Niehaus family just to keep it all in the family.
SCORING SUMMARY
Beechwood 11 10 10 20–51
Holy Cross 9 14 19 20–62
Beechwood (12-5): Brockett 1-1-5-8, Knasel 2-0-0-4, Coppage 2-1-4-9, Stiles 2-1-0-5, Smith 3-0-0-6, Topmiller 4-2-6-16, Moore 1-0-1-3; TOTALS: 15-43 5-20 16-23 51.
Holy Cross (15-2): Bottom 1-0-1-3, Henderson 3-0-1-7, Urlage 1-0-0-2, Arlinghaus 3-0-7-13, Rominger 5-0-5-15, Thornberry 0-0-1-1, Gabbard 5-1-10-21; TOTALS: 18-44 1-9 25-35 62.
Featured photo: Who is that Masked Man as Beechwood’s Ryan Smith puts his head down and drives to the basket. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)