RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio — It's happening again. The Richmond Heights Spartans are loaded with talent on the hardwood, and they're not losing boys basketball games.
No, really: They. Don't. Lose.
"We just take it game by game," head coach Quentin Rogers says. "[We're] a young team doing a real good job of finding ways to win.
After winning last year's OHSAA Division IV state title, Richmond Heights is back for more. They've now won 44 straight games dating back to last season, and may just be the best overall team in the state of Ohio, regardless of division.
They're oozing with confidence.
"In the summertime, we struggled a little bit after team camps," sophomore point guard De'Erick Barber told 3Sports. "Then, after our second win, I texted in the [team] group chat, like, 'We could do something really special. Let's try to go undefeated this year.' And you know, we did it, and now we're just trying to go undefeated fully, and then keep it going until we all graduate."
Oh yeah, it doesn't feel like this will be ending anytime soon either. To put that into perspective, shooting guard Dorian Jones is also only a sophomore and already has college scholarship offers from Ohio State and Michigan State, among others.
Yes, the Spartans are young, they're athletic, and they're building a powerhouse program. But, they don't really talk about state championships or their historic winning streak.
"If they do, they don't bring it up to me," Rogers said. "I never hear them talk about it or anything like that. I just try to make sure their focus is on getting better each day and just worrying about the game that you're about to play."
Chances are, Richmond Heights will be winning that next game. Speaking of that, the Spartans will be playing Mogadore Friday night in Norton for the Northeast 1 district championship.