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Panthers’ excellent season comes to end

By Brian Yauger 3 min read

AKRON -- Coming into the season, nobody was sure what to expect out of Bristol. The Panthers lost a strong senior class and had a relatively fresh lineup.

After making it all the way to the regional, Bristol's season came to a close on Tuesday after a 77-37 loss to state favorite Richmond Heights at Akron's Firestone High School.

"Nobody really expected what they saw on the floor from this group this year," Panthers coach Craig Giesy said. "They stepped up to the plate and they played great this year. Can't be more proud of them for that.

"When we reflect after tonight, obviously, we're gonna reflect back and know that we had a very successful season and I'm very proud of the kids that we put on the floor each night."

While the score was lopsided, the Panthers ensured Richmond Heights earned every bucket. Bristol didn't back down despite being horribly outsized.

"None of us were nervous before the game because our kids have been so poised that we knew we'd get their best effort," Giesy said. "We knew they wouldn't be scared of the moment. It's just when you're playing 6-6, 6-7 guys and they're shooting 70 percent from outside 15 feet, it's gonna be a tall task.

"I played college ball at the Division II level and that lineup was as big, if not bigger than most teams we played at that level, so it is what it is."

That size advantage led to pacing issues in the first quarter as the Panthers were finding their bearings. Richmond Heights led 28-5 after the first quarter.

"We had a solid game plan, they just sped us up a little bit in the first quarter," Giesy said. "And it seemed like they made every shot they took tonight."

The Spartans hit 12 shots from beyond the arc, with Jaiden Cox-Holloway scoring 21 points off seven deep balls. Josiah Harris led the team with 22 points.

Bristol ends its season at 13-4 and graduates five seniors, including the team's starting backcourt of Jake Erjavec and Jeremy Miller.

Both Erjavec and Miller stepped into much larger roles with the team this season and made the most of it, guiding the Panthers to an undefeated season in league play and a regional run.

"They had a great year," Giesy said. "They were never scared of a situation, they went undefeated in league play, they won 13 games and then they made that tournament run.

"I could not have asked for any more from those guys."

Returning to the court next season are junior Nick Church and freshman Mikey Burbach, who led the team Tuesday with 14 points.

The talent pipeline in Bristolville continues to flow as Giesy noted the upcoming freshman class will impress next season.

"We're excited," he said. "The juniors will be seniors, obviously our freshman class was playing a high level against high competition and then our eighth grade group's really good as well, so we're really, really excited about what we're going to have.

"We'll reflect on that as we move through the summer and the offseason, and we will put the time in and get better. We're looking to come back."

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