Story of the 1993-94 Ursuline Fighting Irish boys’ basketball state championship team

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Twenty-eight years ago, Larry Senvisky’s put back as time expired earned the Ursuline Fighting Irish the Division III crown. The underdog’s march through the tournament field began with an even 10-10 mark and ended with a thrilling 55-53 victory over top-ranked and previously unbeaten Lima Central Catholic. 

For an entire region, this is the story of the last boys’ basketball state championship.  

I: The great communicator, the calming influence 

These days, the patriarch of that 1994 team is a grandfather who has children and grandchildren in almost every time zone in the United States. He spends much of his winters in Clearwater, Florida, hitting the links in the sunshine state. 

Mitch Cerny’s passion for basketball began in the mid-1960s playing for Ursuline’s longtime coach Frank Beck. As a junior, the team finished winless during the 1964-65 season.

“That really stuck with me throughout my life,” stated Cerny. 

While still in college, Cerny was asked by Tony “Scrappy” Zirafi – a fireman for the city of Girard, who had pitched in the Philadelphia Phillies’ farm system in the early-1950s – to help coach youth basketball at St. Rose.

“He somehow knew that I was interested in coaching,” Cerny said. “Coaching a team that year was trial and error. I just did things the way I thought would make the kids better.”  

Four years later, in 1972, Cerny was hired to teach at Tod Woods Middle School in Girard. He also began to assist Tony Delbene’s basketball program at Girard during the 1972-73 season.

Delbene’s Indians won the school’s first league championship (Mahoning Valley Conference) in 24 years in 1976. Cerny worked with kids from the eighth grade to those who played junior varsity until 1981. 

In 1983, Roy Nard, newly-hired head varsity basketball coach at Cardinal Mooney and former Ursuline classmate of Cerny’s, called upon his longtime friend to assist with that program.

“Mitch was extremely knowledgeable of the game,” said Coach Nard. “He was excellent at breaking down film. He had such a good handle on the game.” 

At the conclusion of their first season together, the Cardinals won the 1984 District championship. 

“We spent six years together,” said Cerny of his time at Mooney with Nard. “Roy wanted the JVs to mimic the team they were playing next. So, if they were playing South, we’d try to be like South. Our junior varsity practices were conducted without a hoop at times. As a coach, you had to be creative.” 

Nard remembers, “Mitch would finish teaching [at Girard] and arrive about 20 minutes late to practice sometimes. The kids looked forward to the door swinging open and seeing Mitch wearing a [funny] hat or earmuffs. The younger kids took to him and respected him. I was very fortunate to have him.”  

Over the course of their final three years together (1986-89), Mooney compiled an overall record of 58-14 and won a pair of district crowns (1987, 1989). 

Following the 1989-90 season, Beck had retired as Ursuline’s basketball coach, and Cerny was hired to take over the Fighting Irish’s program. 

II: Unlikely post-season run leads to greatest achievement 

Ursuline entered the 1993-94 season with four returning players from its eight-man rotation the previous year.

Seniors Joel Howard and Larry Senvisky anchored the front court. Brad Miller and Jason McCray, both juniors, gave the Irish a pair of guards who contributed greatly throughout the season and beyond.

“Brad started when he was a freshman. The game was never too big for him. Defensively, Jason was an absolute beast. He could guard anybody,” Assistant Coach Scott Nemergut said.

“Those four were really good players,” said Cerny “We had three other seniors – Ryan Batta, Jerry Howell and Billy Peake – who all played a key role for us. Batta was our other starter; he competed with a lot of energy. A strong defensive player, Howell played the most. They all played their roles extremely well.” 

“That year, we had a mature team,” said assistant Scott Grover. “They competed every night. They didn’t need much motivation. They held each other accountable.”  

During the regular season, Ursuline finished last in the Steel Valley Conference (1-7) and closed out the slate with an even 10-10 record.

Three of those setbacks were decided on the very last shot, including a late-February matchup with rival Mooney that saw the Cardinals’ Asim Please connect on a half-court heave at the buzzer.

“We lost three games in the final four seconds. If we shot 50% from the free-throw line every game, that would’ve changed two losses to wins. Now, we would’ve been 15-5,” Cerny said.  

Ursuline dropped down to Division III prior to the 1993-94 season. To balance the districts, the Irish were sent to the Trumbull County tournament in Howland.

Cerny recalled the draw, “It was the only year that I remember voting for one seed at a time. We were the only Steel Valley team in it. There was a block of schools from the Trumbull Athletic [Conference] and from Portage County. Liberty was the top seed. Newton Falls came next, and Brookfield was the three. We got the fourth seed.”

“I remember talking to the team [afterward],” Cerny added. “I told them, ‘Last year, we were a better overall team. Our opportunity this year is better.’”

Grover remembered Cerny drawing a ladder on the chalkboard before each playoff game.

“We had to stay focused on each step. We couldn’t move on until we climbed each rung,” he said.

Ursuline began tournament play with a thrilling overtime victory over Warren JFK. 

“Kennedy had the worst record (14-7) of anyone we played in the entire tournament,” Cerny recalled. “In our next game against Brookfield, we were up two in the final seconds. A great pass allowed for a kick-out to a kid who was wide open, but it didn’t go in.”

Cerny said after their sectional championship win over the Warriors, “At some point, all successful teams are more lucky than good. We were tested that whole year, had plenty of close games. You can pretend in practice that the game is tied in the waning moments. You can’t rehearse being in that situation in practice. We were well-rehearsed. We’ve been to the cliff and looked over.” 

Ursuline went on to win its first District title in 25 years by defeating Newton Falls.

The Irish edged Bedford Chanel, 54-53, in the Regional Semifinal setting up a matchup between two very familiar foes – Ursuline and Cardinal Mooney – for the opportunity to move onto Columbus.  

Mooney was riding an eight-game win streak into its third contest of the season against Ursuline.

“We were kind of watching them in our rear-view mirror,” Mooney’s coach Nick Bellino said. “They were up in Howland, and we were in Salem. We weren’t even seeded. We got by East Canton; they had 6’10 Mark Howard who went to Ohio State. In the district championship, we beat top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas, 61-50.” 

“I remember saying to Mitch before the game, ‘It’s going to be great that one of us will get to go to Columbus,’” Bellino said. “Neither [Mooney nor Ursuline] had been there. Ursuline clobbered us in the first half (31-17). Joel Howard was the difference. We had no answer for him. He was eating our lunch.” 

Despite playing an almost even final 16 minutes (38-35), the Fighting Irish prevailed 69-52 to advance to the Final Four.

Howard paced Ursuline by scoring a game-high 23 points. Brad Miller contributed 20. Four-year starter Preston Wells – who went on to play basketball for Pat Flannery’s Bucknell Bison – scored 19 to lead the Cardinals. 

In the State Semifinal, Indian Valley’s hopes of reaching the championship game were vanquished on a last-second heave by Jason Alsept, which didn’t fall as Ursuline advanced following their 38-36 win.

Up three with 6.8 seconds remaining, the Braves’ Jeremy Klaserner was fouled by Brad Miller. Klaserner went to the free-throw line and connected on one of two. With 2.3 seconds left, Alsept attempted a 20-foot shot that would’ve won the game, but it didn’t drop. 

Senvisky finished with 10 points and eight blocked shots. McCray also closed out his day in double-figures with 10 points as well. Howard was forced to sit much of the first half with foul trouble. He scored only four points. 

III: Northwest Ohio’s powerhouse 

Standing in Ursuline’s way was top-ranked and undefeated Lima Central Catholic,…