MANSFIELD — If ever there was a time for St. Peter’s to panic, it was late in fourth quarter Saturday night at Shelby.
The Whippets had erased an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit — their second significant comeback of the evening — to tie the score at 44-44 and had all the momentum, not to mention the home crowd, on their side.
The Red Rage, Shelby’s super-charged student section, had worked itself into a full-throated frenzy. St. Peter’s coach Joe Jakubick considered calling a timeout to allow the Spartans to calm their nerves, but ultimately decided against it.
It turns out no stoppage was necessary.
A driving layup by Elijah Cobb just moments later gave St. Peter’s a lead it wouldn’t relinquish again in a 50-44 win. The six-point margin of victory was the narrowest for the Spartans’ since a season-opening 67-63 win at South Central, but an inch was as good as a mile.
“We’ve played in pressure situations a lot, so we kind of know how to handle it,” said Cobb, who scored 16 points. “We can’t lose our focus. That is where most teams mess up. They lose their focus and become undisciplined.”
That Cobb and fellow senior Jared Jakubick, the coach’s son and reigning Division IV Ohio Player of the Year, never blinked Saturday night should come as no surprise. Both helped the Spartans reach the regional finals each of the past two seasons.
That juniors Luke Henrich and Caleb Stewart and sophomore Jonah Ramey didn’t wilt under the bright lights is a testament to the leadership provided by their battle-hardened teammates. Henrich scored seven points, including a baseline jumper with 1:12 remaining that proved to be the dagger. Ramey added six while battling a physical Shelby post defense and Stewart added four.
“When it comes to crunch time,” Henrich said, “our team chemistry gets us through.”
Cobb agreed.
“It’s all about trusting your teammates,” Cobb said. “I have faith in every last one of my teammates. I trust them all.”
That confidence in one another will become even more vital for the Spartans (15-0) as the postseason draws near and the spotlight continues to intensify. St. Peter’s moved up to No. 2 in Division IV in this week’s Associated Press state poll and, barring an unforeseen collapse, will be the No. 1 seed at the Willard district.
“We talk all the time about fighting through adversity and fighting through tough situations,” Joe Jakubick said. “With Elijah and Jared on the court, I feel we can work through anything.
“Elijah and Jared have been through it. For Jonah and Caleb and Luke, this is good for them.”
St. Peter’s calling card through the first half of the season has been its defense. The Spartans allow just 45 points a game and have surrendered 50 or more points only four times all year.
“We get stops. Defensively, I think we’ve done a tremendous job,” Joe Jakubick said. “We gave up 18 points in the first quarter (against Shelby) and they ended up with 44.
“If you stay solid defensively, it gives you a chance to win the game.”
It there is a knock on St. Peter’s, it’s that the team lacks depth. Joe Jakubick used only five players against Shelby.
“There are a couple of other kids we’re going to count on in different situations,” Joe Jakubick said. “We were in such a positive defensive rhythm that I didn’t want to mess it up because sometimes you don’t get it back. In a one- or two-possession game, that can make all the difference.”
The Spartans will face perhaps their biggest challenge to date Saturday. St. Peter’s hosts undefeated and state-ranked Northmor (12-0).
“We work hard and try to keep a nice even keel through everything,” Joe Jakubick said. “This was a tough game but hopefully we learned from it and we’ll continue to get better.”
