YPSILANTI — Winning, even losing, a championship suddenly didn’t matter last Saturday evening during a game between Riverview Gabriel Richard and Clarkston Everest Collegiate at Eastern Michigan University’s Convocation Center.
Some 30 seconds after Richard senior guard Nick Szczechowski fired a triple to increase the Pioneers’ lead to 25-15, he hit the floor wrestling for a loose ball under Everest’s basket.
It all happened so quickly. You could tell something was seriously wrong. Coaches and other bench personnel rushed to the scene. Someone yelled, “Call 911.” Both teams retired to their locker room.
In the 10 minutes before EMS arrived. Szczechowski, who had fallen on his left side, was lying on his back. Public announcer Wright Wilson relayed the news that “he is conscious, alert and is talking.”
As Szczechowski was being wheeled out on a stretcher wearing a cervical collar to a nearby hospital, the crowd of about 600 persons applauded their best wishes and their relief that the injury didn’t appear to be more serious.
He was released from the hospital shortly after midnight and was scheduled Monday for some follow-up concussion-related tests.
Play resumed after 25 minutes. In the remaining 3 minutes and 27 seconds to the half, Richard padded its lead to 31-19.
Richard led 44-35 with 1:54 to play. Everest closed the gap to 44-43 with 15 seconds to play via back-to-back triples by Lucas Cross and Luke Walker, and a basket by Sawyer Arbogast.
Senior Michael Calhoun sank a pair of clutch free throws for a 46-43 advantage with 12 seconds to play, and freshman guard Nick Sobusz iced the 47-43 victory with another free throw eight seconds later.
The win was Gabriel Richard’s third consecutive CHSL Cardinal Trophy (Intersectional I and II divisions) and the fourth in its history. The Pioneers (19-0) are the only undefeated team this season in the Catholic League. They are ranked No. 5 in Division 3.
After the game, an emotional coach Kris Daiek talked about Szczechowski, who has played on the varsity since he was a freshman.
“We came into halftime and said, ‘Everything’s off the table. We’re doing this for him. We’ll win for Nick,’ and the kids responded to that.
“It was difficult. We were grinding those kids through. You could see that we were out of sorts. And now you know, credit to Everest to take advantage of that, a little more pressure and throw a couple of things at us at the end there. But for the most part, the kids responded.
“It’s tough when you lose a kid like Nick and that wasn’t easy . . . (He) is our heart and soul. And he’s such a great kid. You know, 4.4 student, captain, doesn’t care who gets any of the limelight. And total team guy… He’s the one who tells the guys to shut up in the locker room, and the first to give them high fives when they come off the floor.
“So it was difficult,” Daiek said. “You take him out of the lineup, and we’re trying to run things with some other kids. It’s difficult. You can see how important he is to our team.”
Daiek, in his 11th year as coach and athletic director, said, “My wife says you always want to try and leave a wrinkle in the brain for the kids. And this was the wrinkle in the brain for the kids. They’re gonna remember this, you know, forever.”
Calhoun paced Richard’s offense with 14 points and the defense with several timely rebounds. Freshman Luke Westerdale scored 13 points and senior Cainan Harrison had 10.
Lucas Cross and Joey Thibodeau each had 13 points for Everest (13-5), who also lost last year’s championship game, 46-39, to Richard.
Richard reached the finals by beating Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, 69-40, and Madison Heights Bishop Foley, 58-43. Everest topped Royal Oak Shrine, 52-40, and slipped past Marine City Cardinal Mooney, 74-71, in double overtime to qualify for the finale.
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected]
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