VERMILION — Move over Jim Bachna, Don Feierabend, Tom Miller and the rest of the 1976-77 Lakeland Conference Champion North Ridgeville Rangers basketball team.
You’ve got company.
After 31 years of frustration, the North Ridgeville Rangers have won another boys conference basketball title, capturing the outright West Shore Conference championship on Friday night with a 63-46 win over Vermilion.
To make the win even sweeter, Dave Dudik, the coach of the ’76-77 championship team, was at Friday night’s game, welcoming current Rangers coach Bill Noggle into his exclusive club.
Once again it was some unlikely role players that came through for the Rangers, who raised their record to 14-3 overall and 10-1 in the league.
When point guard Will Mahaffey was knocked out of the game early in the first quarter, freshman Danny Montgomery stepped in and up for the Rangers. Meanwhile, Matt Murphy, the other starting guard, whose role is to help spread the ball around to the scorers, became a scorer himself with 10 points — one of five Rangers, in fact, to hit double figures.
“When Will went out I knew we needed someone to help get the offense going,” Murphy said.
Six of Murphy’s points came early in the game when he hit two 3-pointers to help loosen the team up.
Following Murphy’s two baskets, the Rangers went on an 8-1 run to open a 14-7 lead and finish the first quarter ahead 19-14.
As for Montgomery, he let the coaches know he wanted to contribute.
“I told them I wanted to go in,” he said, “and the coaches told me to take it to the hole and I did.”
He also added 10 points to the cause.
“Sometimes you have to take your hat off to the other team,” Vermilion coach Kurt Habermehl said. “They were a much better team tonight. They played very well and we just couldn’t stop them. I think the biggest thing is that the players you don’t hear about stepped up for them tonight. Matt Murphy and Danny Montgomery, you know who the big three are and you know they’re going to score, but when people like those two start hitting their shots they’re going to be real, real hard to beat.”  
North Ridgeville outscored the Sailors 17-9 in the second quarter behind the hot hand of the Rangers’ sixth man, Adam Quinones (11 points), and went into the locker room sitting on a 36-23 lead.
Montgomery started the third quarter with four points and finished with a three-pointer followed by a Murphy jump shot to stretch the lead to 54-38.
“When we lost Will we lost our spark plug,” Noggle said. “He may not score a lot, but he’s a major part of this team. When I looked in the team’s eyes, it told me they wanted to win this one for Will, and they stepped it up and played well.”
North Ridgeville went into a stall in the fourth to run time off the clock, but when they did go to the basket they were able to draw fouls.
“I’ve been saying it all year that we are a balanced team and not one person worries about who scores,” Noggle said when told five of his players reached double figures. “Everyone on this team knows their role and that’s what makes this a good team.”
The Rangers celebrated in the locker room after the game — after the traditional cutting down of the net.
“I can’t tell you what a great feeling this is,” center Drew McGhee said.
His sentiments were echoed by several of his teammates, including Keene Cockburn, who fills in as the floor leader when needed. Cockburn had five blocked shots and 10 points to go along with McGhee’s four blocks and 10 points.
Vermilion (8-4, 10-6) came into the game two games behind the Rangers and got an emotional lift when senior point guard Andy Pena set foot on the floor for the first time since suffering a severe leg injury. It was an emotional lift for the Vermilion faithful as well.
“Yesterday was the first time he set foot on the floor and I felt it was an opportunity to give him some playing time and give the team a lift,” Habermehl said.
 

North Ridgeville 63, Vermilion 46

NORTH RIDGEVILLE (63): Drew McGhee 5-0-10, Keene Cockburn 3-4-10, Adam Quinones 4-8-16, Will Mahaffey 0-0-0, Tim Ice 0-0-0, Dan Montgomery 4-1-10, Jeff Hammond 0-0-0, Matt Murphy 4-0-10, Nick Rogerson 1-3-5, Jacob Rigsby 0-1-1, Jason Ice 0-0-0, Devan White 0-0-0, Ryan McNamara 0-1-1. Totals: 21-18-63.
VERMILION (46): Justin Turner 3-2-8, Nick Farley 4-1-9, Derek Hoebing 3-5-11, Tim Clark 4-1-9, Kurt Innes 1-0-2, Derek Barbato 0-0-0, Matt Liljegren 1-1-3, Paul Kishman 0-0-0, Kyle Herchler 0-0-0, Andy Pena 0-0-0. Totals 17-10-46.
North Ridgeville     19    17    18        9     —   63
Vermilon    14    9    15    8     —   46
Three-point goals: NR (3): Murphy 2, Montgomery. Ver: Nick Farley 2. Field Goals: N Ridgeville 21-48, Vermilion 17-41. Free Throws: North Ridgeville 18-30, Vermilion 10-17. Rebounds: N Ridgeville 25 (McGhee 7) Vermilion 21 (Clark 7). Turnovers: N Ridgeville 10, Vermilion 11. Fouls: North Ridgeville16, Vermilion 21.
Junior Varsity: North Ridgeville 54 Vermilion 31

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