MEDINA — High school boys basketball fans got their money's worth Tuesday night at Medina High School.
Archbishop Hoban junior center Sam Greer and Olmsted Falls sophomore guard Mason Cerovac brough their "A" games to Richard H. Clevidence Gymnasium in a triple-overtime classic in a Division III, Region 9 semifinal.
Greer and Cerovac both scored 30 points, but only one could win.
And it was Greer, who finished strong with eight points in the final overtime to lead Hoban to a 75-63 victory.
"It was an emotional game," said Greer, a freshman starter on Hoban's Division I state championship team in 2023. "I was getting a little pressed sometimes and getting a little mad. Then, we get these runs going and I was getting a little happy.
"It is a lot of fun coming out here and playing and competing like that. That was a real competitive game."
Hoban (21-5) will return to Medina on Friday to play Garfield Heights (23-2) in a regional final at 7 p.m.
"It is incredible because we put so much work into this," Hoban coach T.K. Griffith said. "We were there on Sunday and Monday. ... All year long, we have had a problem with reacting and not responding, which you might have saw a little bit of tonight. We react and we don't respond. They are two different things. React, you go down. Respond, you go up. I thought we responded again and again and again tonight and we have been talking about that all year.
"I am exhausted, but I am also fired up. I am exhausted, but it is fun."
Garfield Heights won Tuesday's nightcap 64-41 over Parma Padua (19-7). Junior guard Marcus Johnson, an Ohio State recruit, led Garfield Heights with 33 points.
Cerovac and Olmsted Falls (19-7) eliminated Tallmadge and St. Vincent-St. Mary to win a district title and almost conquered another Summit County foe.
"He was unbelievable," Griffith said of the 6-foot-3 Cerovac. "You talk about a gritty high school basketball player. I would love to have him on my team. He is a hell of a competitor. We knew on film he was going to give us trouble. He really proved his worth to his community. His community should be proud of him.
"... He looks like a college sophomore, maybe. Not a high school sophomore. He is a big boy."
Greer praised Cerovac, who is also a standout in baseball and football, for being "a dog" and "a good matchup." Cerovac scored 20 points after halftime.
Sam Greer, Kenny Scott and James McCarthy lead Hoban past Olmsted Falls
Hoban received all of its scoring from its starters. Greer had 30 points, nine rebounds and five blocks. Senior guard Kenny Scott finished with 18 points and nine assists, senior guard James McCarthy contributed 17 points, sophomore guard John Johnson chipped in seven points and senior forward Kamran Ensley made a 3-pointer.
"Each one has a different story," Griffith said of Greer, Scott and McCarthy. "Kenny really wants to prove himself. I think he really wants to get to a state final four."
Scott made 6 of 6 free throws in the third overtime as Hoban outscored Olmsted Falls 16-4.
"James is a CYO kid from Holy Family who loves Hoban basketball," Griffith said. "He was in the practice gym when the state championship team happened and has always waited his turn, although he has been a varsity player for two years.
"Sam is a different entity. He is a once-in-a-lifetime guy. I have coached for 32 years and I have never had a 6-8, 310-pound guy whose No. 1 sport is football and not even basketball, but yet he had 30. He is showing what kind of a competitor he is out there."
Greer, who has decided this will be his final season on the court, has plenty of opportunities ahead of him with 25 football scholarship offers from Division I colleges. He plans to play football as a Hoban senior offensive tackle and enroll at college in January 2026.
"This is in essence his senior year," Griffith said. "There is a call to action that he feels, for sure. ... He is anchoring our team. We are not even close to the same team without him."
Greer said he intends to follow what Hoban linebacker Eli Lee did two months ago when he enrolled at Ohio State and was on the sidelines during the Buckeyes' run to a national championship win over Notre Dame.
"I want to get back to my football," Greer said. "That is my bread and butter. That is what I am going to do in college. I enjoy basketball, but I love football."
Greer received basketball scholarship offers from the University of Akron and Kent State as a freshman. He plans to make football visits to Missouri, Ohio State, Michigan, Miami of Florida, Louisville, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State and Wisconsin.
"Sam is a complete matchup nightmare against every team," McCarthy said. "It is so special to have a kid like that on our team."
Sam Greer leads Hoban to fast start before Olmsted Falls rallies with Mason Cerovac
Hoban jumped out to a 20-4 lead over Olmsted Falls with 2:56 to go in the first quarter. Greer scored nine and Scott scored five of Hoban's first 20 points.
"The environment was big," Johnson said. "The momentum was crazy. Our team played well, we moved the ball a lot and Sam Greer went off."
The Knights led 24-8 at the end of the first quarter, but the Bulldogs chipped away and trailed 28-20 at halftime and drew even at 40-40 through three quarters.
"We can't get comfortable," Scott said. "We went up big. We can't get stagnant. We have to keep our foot on the gas pedal."
The score was tied 47-47 at the end of regulation, 53-53 at the end of the first overtime and 59-59 at the conclusion of the second overtime. Cerovac, senior Ryan Raich (13 points) and junior Logan Connelly (seven points) led Olmsted Falls' comeback.
"It was a stay-the-course and keep-playing-hard and do-whatever-you-can-to-win mindset," McCarthy said. "It was such a long game. I wasn't really thinking about how tired I was getting until after the game. This was a great game, a crazy game."
Hoban compiled a 10-0 run to lead 69-59 with 1:57 to go in the third overtime as Greer made a layup, a two-hand slam dunk and another layup and Scott made 4 of 4 free throws.
"James and Kenny stepped up," Greer said. "James stepped up with big-time layups and 3s [in regulation] and Kenny was dishing out dimes and making shots. He was hustling, running and diving everywhere."
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at [email protected].