DAYTON, Ohio — Michael Bova hugged family and friends, lastly turning to his grandfather to embrace after profitable a regional championship.
Phil Bova has seen loads of basketball. He officiated within the Large Ten and Mid-American Convention for 30 years, together with 20 within the NCAA Event.
His grandson brings out feelings in contrast to any of it.
“He’s a pleasure to observe as a result of he leaves all of it on the ground,” Phil Bova mentioned of Michael. “It’s 12 months of the yr, he thinks basketball. He’s down in that gymnasium at 6:15 within the morning after which will get to class. That’s the way you get higher.”
Michael Bova is main St. Edward into the OHSAA boys basketball state semifinals, which can be Saturday on the College of Dayton. Will probably be the college’s twelfth look within the closing 4, however the first with him.
The Eagles will play Pickerington Central at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, following their 63-46 win final weekend in opposition to Archbishop Hoban in a regional closing at Copley Excessive College, the place the Bova household loved the second.
For Michael Bova, now a senior in highschool with a Division I school scholarship ready at Bellarmine College in Louisville, Ky., moments like this are 10 years within the making.
A few of his first basketball recollections got here as a second-grader on the Westlake Recreation Heart, the place his grandfather grew to become his first coach.
“At the moment, you would inform he had that knack,” Phil Bova mentioned. “If there was a free ball, he was diving for it. He was capable of dribble with each palms early. You thought, perhaps one thing particular might occur for him.”
Phil Bova had simply retired in 2006 from officiating inside just a few years. Love of household saved him from pursuing the NBA as a referee. He nonetheless saved a schedule of working two to 3 school video games per week whereas dwelling in Westlake and dealing as a vocational coordinator at Buckeye Excessive College in Medina County.
Phil and Donna Bova have three kids, Michelle, Jennifer and Michael. In time, these kids gave Phil and Donna 9 grandchildren. Many have or nonetheless play athletics. One golfs, one other bowls. Grandson Michael grew up taking part in three sports activities — basketball, baseball and soccer — similar to his grandfather.
Regardless of these shared pursuits, the retired referee didn’t take it straightforward on his grandson. He insisted younger Michael go to his left when he relied on taking the basketball to his proper.
His father and each grandfathers, together with John Kincaid on his mom’s facet, hung out as his coaches throughout elementary faculty. Bova’s father, a 1991 Westlake graduate, managed to do it via center faculty.
“My grandpa obtained slightly too intense, so he sort of needed to step down,” Bova mentioned. “He nonetheless goes loopy within the stands, which I like as a result of I like that man to loss of life.”
Retirement allowed Phil Bova to stay a relentless determine at his grandson’s video games, together with Michael’s dad and mom, Michael and Kelly. St. Edward coach Eric Flannery mentioned he hardly ever hears from them, at the least no complaints or questions in regards to the group.
“I feel the entire Bova household is only a robust group of individuals,” Flannery mentioned. “They’ve a unique mentality of competing. They’ve competed at a excessive stage, and that rubs off on Mike.”
As a sophomore two years in the past, Mike Bova made the varsity roster and got here off the bench because the sixth man on a 25-1 group. That was the closest he obtained to the state closing 4, when St. Edward’s season — together with the remainder of the state — was canceled in the course of the regional finals due to the rising coronavirus pandemic.
Bova got here again final yr as St. Edward’s solely expertise participant and led the Eagles to the regional semifinals, the place they misplaced on a last-second shot to rival St. Ignatius.
That lingered with Bova.
“The best way it ended my sophomore yr and final yr, it’s only a dream come true,” he mentioned after final week’s regional championship win vs. Hoban.
Bova made positive St. Edward handed these hurdles on the regional stage. He began final week by scoring 28 factors in a 69-60 win in opposition to Mentor that included him reaching the 1,000-point mark in his highschool profession.
He’s solely the tenth participant in class historical past to succeed in the milestone. The corporate contains former All-American Steve Logan and NBA gamers Sam Clancy and Jawad Williams.
“He’s been such a heck of a scorer and participant for us for the final three years,” Flannery mentioned. “I’ve mentioned it, and I’ll say it once more: So far as my years teaching at St. Ed’s, he’s one in all, if not the, finest gamers I’ve coached with the ball in his palms.”
A few of that comes from the teachings offered by his father and grandfathers.
“That sq. on the backboard just isn’t there for adornment,” Phil Bova recalled telling him. “It has a objective. It’s additionally one factor to shoot a jumper and it’s one other factor to take the basketball up sturdy. We tried to indicate him there’s quite a lot of methods you possibly can assault a protection.”
Recent off that milestone recreation in opposition to Mentor, the following hurdle got here Saturday in opposition to Hoban, which did its finest to hinder Bova’s scoring with double groups and face-guarding ways. He nonetheless wound up with 13 of his 14 factors within the second half, as his teammates picked up the scoring burden.
The entire household got here to observe that one.
Even Michael’s cousin, Luke, got here up from Ohio State. He wished to observe with their grandpa.
The retired referee admits he generally succumbs to the emotion of supporting his grandson.
“Are you positive?” Phil Bova mentioned he requested Luke, after they mentioned sitting collectively final week.
Seems, he didn’t scare him off.
“We talked at this time,” Phil Bova mentioned a day after the regional finals. “We’re going to Dayton.”
He’s been there earlier than as a referee, too. He even officiated an NCAA Event recreation at UD Area throughout his final yr on the job.
Quickly after, the work started on serving to mould Michael Bova into what he’s turn out to be.
“He’s taught me to be humble and maintain working,” Michael Bova mentioned. “He’s one of many hardest employees I’ve ever met.”
St. Edward (21-5) vs. Pickerington Central (24-2)
When: 5:15 p.m. Saturday
The place: UD Area on the College of Dayton
Concerning the Eagles: St. Edward is in its twelfth journey to the state semifinals underneath coach Eric Flannery, who received his five hundredth recreation in a district championship win vs. Medina. Along with senior guard Michael Bova (18.7 factors per recreation, 3.6 assists), senior wing Jair Knight (10.3 factors, 1.8 steals) has performed a co-starring function on a group that made final yr’s regional semifinals. The depth round them, together with senior guards Myles Reynolds and Dai-Yaan Solomon with versatile Zyion Freer-Brown (9.2 factors, 5.1 rebounds) and junior forwards Cameron Grant (5.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks) and Danny Lavelle, is what might push the Eagles into Sunday’s state championship recreation. Not too long ago, St. Edward made the ultimate 4 in 2019, ‘17 and ‘15 however final reached the state title recreation when it received all of it in 2014 with a 62-58 championship win vs. Higher Arlington.
Concerning the Tigers: Again after consecutive closing 4 appearances in 2017 and ‘18, Pickerington Central enters this matchup with one of many highest rising prospects within the final 12 months with 6-foot-6 junior ahead Devin Royal, who added Florida State in latest weeks to his rising listing of scholarship presents. He scored a game-high 20 factors within the Tigers’ 59-42 win in opposition to Gahanna Lincoln throughout of their regional championship at Ohio Dominican. It marked the second win this season vs. the Golden Lions, additionally one in all the state’s top-ranked groups, for coach Eric Krueger’s squad. Senior guard Sonny Types, a 6-5 Ohio State soccer commit, additionally might present matchup challenges for St. Edward. Just like the Eagles, who dropped three of their final 4 video games within the common season, Pickerington Central additionally suffered a 63-60 loss at Reynoldsburg earlier than the event. Reynoldsburg edged St. Edward, 67-63, in late December earlier than a 10-game recreation profitable streak by the Eagles. Pickerington Central hadn’t misplaced since a 47-42 setback vs. Newark on Dec. 3 earlier than that regular-season finale.
St. Ignatius (17-11) vs. Centerville (28-0)
When: 8:30 p.m. Saturday
The place: UD Area on the College of Dayton
Concerning the Wildcats: St. Ignatius started this season with excessive expectations, returning three starters — senior guard Jon Effertz, junior Braydn Szczepaniak and sophomore level guard C.J. Little — from final yr’s state semifinal run, the place the Wildcats fell to Westerville Central, 51-42. It prevented them from a matchup in opposition to Centerville in final yr’s title recreation. They now get it this yr after an up-and-down common season. Effertz stays a sharpshooting guard who calls for defenders’ consideration, whereas 6-10 senior ahead C.J. Yarian provides a artful inside presence and shot blocker. Little is amongst Northeast Ohio’s high guards on the subject of distributing the basketball and defending different ball handlers together with his 6-3 body. Two extra sophomore guards are very important to the lineup for third-year coach Cam Joyce, who’s beginning Ace Buckner whereas bringing Carter Jackson off the bench. Jackson earned important minutes final season and offered a lift within the final three video games, together with a career-high 24 factors of their 70-64 district closing win vs. Brunswick, 13 in a 58-52 regional semifinal victory in opposition to Cleveland Heights and 15 in a 74-58 win Saturday vs. Lima Senior. Buckner led the way in which with 17 factors in that one.
Concerning the Elks: The defending state champs are driving a 44-game profitable streak into Dayton, led by junior level guard and Indiana commit Gabe Cupps. He’s flanked by senior forwards Tom Home, a 6-6 Florida State commit who hit the profitable shot in a two-point regional semifinal win vs. Kettering Fairmont, and 6-7 Wealthy Rolf, who’s dedicated to Drexel. Rolf had 22 factors and 11 rebounds within the Elks’ 55-39 win vs. Fairfield within the regional finals. Coach Brook Cupps squad will meet its second Northeast Ohio opponent this season after edging St. Vincent-St. Mary, 52-46, earlier this season in Akron.
Division I state event bracket.
Tips on how to watch: Spectrum Information 1 will broadcast the state championships, plus the Division I state semifinals, and the OHSAA is offering stay stream protection that may be discovered by clicking right here. The stream prices $9.99, however is free for Spectrum subscribers.
State championship: 8:30 p.m. Sunday
cleveland.com choose: Centerville over Pickerington Central
Contact sports activities reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or electronic mail (mgoul@cleveland.com).