Energized Johnstown boys charge past Granville in LCL opener

JOHNSTOWN ― Johnstown seemed to play at a different level Wednesday night, on both ends of the floor, and not surprisingly, Cody Siegfried was right in the middle of it.

The Johnnies' versatile 6-foot-4 senior has worked his way back after missing two games with injury, and it's put a little extra pep in his team's step. Scoring inside and out, finding teammates, playing defense and hitting the boards, Siegfried exploded for 11 second-quarter points as part of a crushing 23-0 run, and Johnstown romped on to a 49-31 win against visiting Granville in a Licking County League season-opening crossover game.

"He's the heart of our team offensively," coach Max Shawver said. "He can create his own shots, and gets other guys involved."

"He really gave us a lot and provided big energy," said senior Caleb Schneider, who keyed a defensive effort that held the Blue Aces without a field goal from late in the first quarter to midway through the third. "We had a lot more enthusiasm tonight," Schneider said. "We always try to make plus one passes."

Senior Drew Brett provided big energy early on for Johnstown (2-2, 1-0) when he took a long outlet pass from junior Brady Barb and threw it down for a 6-0 lead. But patient Granville (0-4, 0-1) responded with an eight-point splurge from junior Colt Shaw, including a three-point play and three-point shot, and came back to go ahead 12-8. However, it turned out to be the beginning of the end for the visitors, who didn't score again until 6:12 of the third quarter.

Siegfried, who finished with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists, scored on an inside move, 3-pointer from the right wing, on another drive, on a steal and breakaway, and off an inbounds pass by Schneider. When he assisted junior brother Kyle on a rainbow 3 just ahead of the halftime buzzer, the Johnnies led 29-12 after a 21-0 blitz and the issue was all but decided. Kyle Siegfried added 14 points with four 3s, including off another assist by Cody, and the Blue Aces never got closer than 15.

"They play well off of each other, and it's cool to see the way they've developed together over the years," Shawver said. "We're tough on each other, but we push each other to be better," Cody said.

Schneider, an All-LCL football player, held Granville junior Dante Varrasso scoreless, although he played less than three quarters and attempted only three shots as he works out the kinks from football. "Caleb knows he's going to be on the best player, and he buys into it and embraces it a lot," Shawver said. "I wanted to stay in front of him and not let him get it down low," Schneider said. "Our help side defense was also good."

"We knew they would try to take him out of the game," coach Chris Powell said of Varrasso, just named second-team All-Ohio in football and one of the best basketball players in the LCL last year as a sophomore. "For the second straight year, we didn't have him in the pre-season. But he'll get there," Powell said.

Johnstown limited Granville to 10-of-29 shooting for 34 percent. Shaw was the only Blue Ace even close to double figures with 11 points.

"We were locked in defensively," Cody Siegfried said. "That's the best energy we've had in a game this season. We played really hard on defense and offense, and our bench was really into it."

Schneider added eight points and three assists for the Johnnies, a strong 22-of-38 from the field for 58 percent. Amazingly, they never attempted a free throw.

"We play hard and together," Shawver said. "We prepare for every team and matchup like it's our last game, and we buy in."

While crediting Johnstown, Powell said his team's offensive struggles began on the defensive end.

"It's hard to score when you can't guard," he said. "When you don't get stops and rebounds, you get behind like we did tonight, and it carries over to the other end. Right now, we're not doing the little things that we did to have success last year, and we have the core of our team back, six key players."

Both teams have played a tough non-conference schedule, with the Blue Aces falling to Upper Arlington, Tri-Valley and Bishop Hartley. The Johnnies won at Worthington Christian, while losing to Mount Vernon and DeSales.

"We do it every year, play good tough teams that get us ready for the league," Cody Siegfried said. "We've played some really good teams, because we want to be a good team, take that next step and win tournament games," said Powell.

"They're still a good team," Shawver said. "They're well-disciplined, well-coached and they play hard. We may see them in the tournament."

dweidig@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Johnstown boys shut down Granville in LCL opener