Emotional win for Cornerstone Christian as they down Warren John F. Kennedy 42-32 to win regional championship

 

(Cornerstone Christian celebrates regional championship - Photo: Chuck Cordes - Ohsfbmedia.com) 

BARBERTON, Ohio--Ted Kwasniak was with the Patriots as they marched into Jack Greynolds Court and walked away with the Division VII regional championship trophy defeating Warren John F. Kennedy 42-32 to advance to the OHSAA state semifinals. 

"His grandfather would be so happy," said the elder Kwasniak. "We know where he is, Jesus already won, that don't mean we don't miss him anymore than we do, and that's why he (Quinn) got this cane." 

Happy he would be, for the team that wouldn't let JFK make it a game until the third quarter, the first half of the game they would capitalize on the off shooting of JFK as they would only come up with four points for the first quarter.

"I just wish my grandpa was here," said Quinn Kwasniak.

Cornerstone's zone defense played a big part in the lack of scoring for the Eagles as they would be denied in the paint and couldn't find the rim through the air.

Quinn would find his way scoring 16 of his 22 points in the first half and would take a 26-11 lead into the locker room to end the half.

(Cornerstone's Darrien Davis going up for rebound. Photo: Chuck Cordes - Ohsfbmedia.com)

JFK would come out in the third with a different energy, led by Nick Ryan (9 points second half of his 16) and controlling the boards, they would hold Cornerstone scoreless until the 5:38 mark knocking down a couple 3 point shots by Christian Swogger, going on a 8-0 run to close the gap by 6 points trailing 28-22 at the 2:45 mark and holding Quinn scoreless during the quarter.

"We just went down a bad stretch," said Quinn Kwasniak. "I feel like the whole game was just slow, it was a really low scoring game and it was weird for us, but when the pressure was on we practice that all the time so um were prepared for that pressure and everything that's going to go on during the game." 

(Quinn Kwasniak finding his way through defense. Photo: Chuck Cordes - Ohsfbmedia.com)

That surge would carry into the last quarter, senior Matt Wagner would hit a 3 point shot at 6:40 that would close the gap 30-32, that would be as close as they would get as Cornerstone would go on a 6-2 run to cap off a regional championship win. 

Cornerstone will await the winner of the Arlington Red Devils and St. John's Bluejays who is playing tomorrow at Bowling Green State University with a tip-off time at 8 p.m., Warren John F. Kennedy will end their season at 17-10 with a district championship and regional runner-up trophies.