The Fairborn Paper

The Catholic Central Fighting Irish are off to an undefeated start with a 5-0 overall record and a 4-0 record in the Ohio Heritage Conference. The Irish haven’t done it without adversity, however, as they defeated Northeastern and Southeastern last week after trailing at halftime in both games.

“We’re the cardiac kids, I guess you could say,” head coach Dan Shay said after Central’s 53-48 overtime win over Southeastern last Friday. “Guys have stepped up when we’ve had to. It’s amazing that we’ve come back and won like we have.”

Catholic Central trailed Northeastern 29-17 in an OHC game last Tuesday. The Irish outscored the Jets 44-28 in the second half, including a 20-11 advantage in the fourth quarter, which gave Central a 61-57 win.

The Irish trailed Southeastern 24-21 last Friday and a key early-season OHC game. The Trojans established a fast pace in the game and led for the entire half. But the Irish came from behind in the last four minutes of the game and forced overtime with a 43-43 tie score. Central then won the game from the free-throw line in overtime, going a perfect six-for-six in foul shots.

“They’ve learned that they can play through adversity, and that they can play without some key players,” Shay said. “One night, somebody’s stepping up, and another night, somebody else is stepping up. We’re very fortunate to have the depth we have this year.

“There’s no quit in our guys. It shows a lot of character.”

Central has been led so far this season by a one-two combo of senior guards in Calum Latham and Brian Kelly. Latham is averaging 16.8 points per game, while Kelly averages 16.2 points per game.
“They’re both multiple-year starters for us and our go-to guys, and they’ve really stepped up in leading roles,” Shay said. “They play well on defense too and are all over the court. They’re doing what they’re asked to.”

Catholic Central has also seen other contributors as well. Mark Ellis, a junior center, is leading the team in rebounds. Ellis had several key baskets in the Irish’s win over Southeastern and added 14 points and 14 rebounds in the win.

“He got a key few offensive rebounds for us,” Shay said. “He’s really stepped it up for us. We’re not tall — we don’t have any real height. But we’re aggressive underneath, and we fight for every rebound.”

The Irish are without returning senior forward Jake Aldridge, who underwent surgery last week for a knee injury. Aldridge, who averaged 8.5 points per game last season, has taken on a new role during his recovery and is helping to coach the team from the bench. Shay said Aldridge should return sometime in early January.

“It’s tough not having him,” Shay said. “It’s tough for him, but he’s become a student assistant coach for us on the bench. He makes sure the kids are fired up and makes sure these kids are focused. He gets on them when they come over on the sideline. He’s that competitive — you can see the fire in his eyes. He can’t wait to get back on the court.”

Shay said the team has improved on defense, and that they are trying to create points off of turnovers.

“There are a couple of my guys who take a lot of pride in their defense,” Shay said. “They make sure they’re putting pressure on the ball handler and staying on their man.

The Irish are in a good position to compete for the OHC title. Greeneview (3-1, 3-0 OHC) is the only other remaining undefeated team as of deadline. The Irish and the Rams played each other last night in a game that was completed after deadline.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Shay said. “We’re confident that we can beat them. But there’s still a long way to go before anything is set is stone.”