RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio — The Richmond Heights Spartans boys basketball team is on top of the basketball world after winning Division IV State Championship on Sunday, their first-ever state championship, even after one of their star players was injured.
This week’s Student Athlete of the Week stepped in and stepped up.
"I just put a zero on the board — we have no games left,” said Quentin Rogers, Richmond Heights head coach. “So, mission accomplished and you got out on the highest level you can. There are 794 teams, only four can be champions, and they're one of them."
The Spartans are the Division IV State Champions after beating Tri-Village 50-29 this past weekend, dominating even without one of its star players, Josiah Thomas, who was injured the night before.
“Different seniors stepped up, but all the players play off each other energy and how they play up and down the court,” Rogers said.
One of those seniors who stepped up was Jaiden Cox-Holloway.
"We're the first, I feel like we're legends,” Cox-Holloway said. He led Richmond Heights in scoring, with 18 points, 5 rebounds, two blocks and a steal in his final high school game.
“If you come to Richmond you're going to have to put everything in,” he said. “Because to get where we are now we had to put everything in and sacrifice."
Cox-Holloway has his sights set on playing at Wooster come fall while helping lay a championship tradition for future generations of Spartans to uphold.
"I’m definitely glad we played the foundation for all of this,” he said. “I think the young guys and all of that — they're just going to carry the legacy forward."
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