Elyria Catholic boys basketball: Jacob Radcliffe leads Panthers’ youth movement

Jacob Radcliffe has only played in five of Elyria Catholic’s nine games this season, but his scoring ability has been on full display.

The sophomore lefty is averaging 20.2 points per game in his five appearances, and he’s quickly proven to be the leading scorer for this young team.

“It feels great having that kind of confidence in myself and the trust that my teammates have in me,” Radcliffe said. “As long as they trust me, I feel like I’m always going to play good, and they’ll have my back no matter what.”

In a 66-53 win over Rocky River on Jan. 12, which is EC’s biggest win of the season so far, Radcliffe showed what he can do at all three levels. He’s shooting 38.1% from 3-point range and he made one in this game. He also can knock down open mid-range jumpers and has the length to get deep into the paint.

That doesn’t include his impact on the defensive end also, as he’s averaging over two steals per game.

“He can score in a multitude of ways,” Elyria Catholic coach Jeff Huber said. “Some in transition, some from 3, some from the free-throw line and driving to the basket. I think that makes him a tough cover, and he’s certainly a very talented player. We count on him heavily, and I think that he’s going to have a great career.”

The Panthers have built chemistry along the way this season, but it was going to take some adjusting after losing a lot of talent from an 18-win team. It’s going to take trust when all of these players are in the same boat trying to grow together and win basketball games.

Coming into this year, new players were going to have to step up. This year’s Panthers are led by only two seniors. A lot of young players are getting big minutes, and Radcliffe is one of two players currently averaging double digits. Junior Zavior Castillo is averaging 14.8 points per game along with 9.4 from senior Teddy Budinger and 8.1 from freshman AJ Defazio.

The Panthers are a balanced scoring team behind Radcliffe, as there are multiple guys who can in double digits on every given night. This team has an exciting future ahead of them. But already in glimpses this year, they’re starting to show something.

“We definitely are,” Radcliffe said. “Everyone’s getting playing time, and that’s why we’re playing so well. We have depth on the bench, and that’s really good for us. We’re all learning together, and that’s what’s going to be so good about us for the next couple years is that we’re going to have a lot of experience in our core.”

Through not even half of this season, you’ve seen what the team has to offer, good or bad. Elyria Catholic’s full-court pressure has been lethal, forcing over 14 steals per game. On the flip side, the offense has the ability to put up points, especially at home. However, things have gone south such as losing after going up double digits early at Bay and losing four times in double figures.

We’ve reached the meat of the season, and EC has a chance to leave its mark. It already learned in one game how to get out to a great start and hold onto it against Rocky River. There are some difficult games ahead, but having a volume scorer such as Radcliffe could help solve a lot of issues.

“The things you’re looking for in a younger team is if we’re developing, and I think (the Rocky River win) was a good developmental step for us,” Huber said.