The Bedford Bearcats kicked off the game Wednesday night against the Blue Devils of Brunswick with a defensive intensity that teams usually reserve for the end of close games. Bedford hounded Brunswick at every turn, pressing full court and collapsing on their opponents every time they picked up their dribble.
The tough defense led to quick Blue Devil turnovers, and a 11-2 lead for the Bearcats at the 5:04 mark in the first quarter. Brunswick called a timeout, but once play resumed, Bedford was able to maintain the intensity and its lead grew to 17-2 by the 2:17 mark. The Bearcats brought so much vigor, Brunswick could barely find space to breathe, let alone run their offense or get off quality shots.
The Blue Devils settled down a bit and climbed back into the game with some timely shooting, and the score stood at 18-9 at the end of the quarter. At 6:06 in the second quarter, Brunswick was able to get the deficit to 6 points at 20-14, but that was about as close as they would get, as the Bearcats (10-1) rose to their tenth straight victory, 61-47, while Brunswick finished their season at a respectable 13-9.
Bedford was ranked as a 6th seed in the district bracket while Brunswick was a 7th seed coming into the tournament, so they were considered comparable opponents going into the contest at Maple Heights Wylie Athletic Center. Brunswick had defeated Parma Normandy 88-47 to advance to play Bedford. Earlier in the season, Brunswick lost a close one to Division I powerhouse Mentor (22-0) by a score of 97-91. So Brunswick’s ability to score was not in question, nor was it’s ability to run with the elite.
But because of Bedford’s defense, Brunswick never was able to get into a scoring groove the whole night. There were some flashes, but whenever they seemed to be on the verge of getting things going, Bedford would respond with a score of its own or another defensive stand.
Ultimately, Brunswick had no real answer to Malik Simmons on either end of the court. The 6’4″, 218-pound senior exerted his will throughout the game. He was a centerpiece to the full-court press (collecting 5 steals in the game), as well as a dominant presence inside, scoring 22 points, while grabbing 7 rebounds and supplying 5 blocks according to statistics from MaxPreps.com. Simmons was a standout wide receiver for the football team, and has signed an intent to attend and play college football at Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina. He brings a unique skill set of speed and agility to the Bearcats center position, which can create match-up difficulties for other teams.
Another match-up headache for other teams is Bedford senior Chase Harris. Also listed at 6’4″, Harris can dribble like a point guard, drive like strong forward, and rebound and defend like a center. He finished the game with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and he converted an impressive 9 out of 9 at the free-throw line.
Another big man, 6’2″ junior Malik Baker also had a efficient night, adding 10 rebounds and 8 points in the effort. Still, at the end of the day, it was the consistent hustle by the whole team that set the tone and eventually sealed the victory.
Bedford will now move on to play 1st-seeded Lakewood St. Edward Eagles, Saturday at 7 p.m. in Lakewood. See game information here. St. Edward’s (14-3) defeated 11th seeded Brecksville-Broadview Heights on Wednesday, 72-50 according to the OHSAA website. The Eagles started the season 9-0, and according to MaxPreps.com, their three losses have come against Shaker Heights (77-71), St. Ignatius (52-44) and St. Vincent-St. Mary (88-58).
