Boys basketball: Connor Soltis gets chance to shine on senior night for Elyria Catholic in win over Mansfield Madison

ELYRIA — Senior Nights are for making memories and for one Elyria Catholic player it was a dream come true. For the last four years, Connor Soltis has done everything to help the team with whatever was needed and that included suiting up for the first time Monday night. The Panthers (5-17) put the game away by scoring 49 points in the middle quarters and giving Soltis a chance to step on the floor in the fourth quarter of their 76-42 regular-season finale win against Mansfield Madison at the Coliseum. His teammates did everything they could to get him the ball and with 4:40 left Soltis drained a 3-pointer on his first shot, giving he and the rest of the team a memory to last a lifetime. "I've been the team manager for four years," Soltis said. "I've been to every practice, helping with water or the scoreboard, whatever they needed. It was so awesome. We have an amazing coach — amazing team — even to just make me part of the game for a minute was so awesome." For Panthers coach Jason Smith, it was an emotional moment. "Connor has been part of this program for four straight years, helping out any way he can," Smith said. "To be able to get him on the court is one thing, for him to be able to come out, hit that three ... there are very few moments in my life where I felt that level of joy and excitement for someone else. I'm speechless. You couldn't have scripted tonight any better." The night started great for EC as it jumped out to a 7-2 lead, but the Panthers trailed 9-7 after the first quarter after the Rams' Zion McCraney nailed a half-court shot as time ran out. Madison (4-18) built that lead to 16-13 before the Panthers took control by scoring the next 14 points to go up 27-16. Sophomore Matisse Williams led the charge, scoring eight of his game-high 19 points to go with two points each from Donovan Shumpert, Purvie Smallwood III and Zeke Lind. "I thought this was the best Senior Night I have ever been a part of," Williams said. "We had a lot of turnovers (seven in the first quarter) and that kept the other team in the game. When we started taking care of the ball, we got the lead." EC finished the half leading 32-23, then held Madison to just 1-of-16 (6 percent) shooting from the floor in the third quarter as the Panthers went up 56-27. Smallwood III picked up five more points, while Williams, Tyler Wilson and Jazear Terry (14 points) all added four as Elyria Catholic outscored Madison 24-4 in the third. "We learned so much from (starting the season 1-15), we don't want to look at the past and just look to the future," Wilson said. "We gotta have each other's back and just stick together. I feel like we are in a good spot and we want to keep this momentum going and get some more wins." Contact James Brady at (440) 329-7135 or jbrady_ct@yahoo.com. Elyria Catholic 76, Mansfield Madison 42 MANSFIELD MADISON (42): Randy Jameson 0-0-0, Kaleb Gordon 3-0-7, Carter Branham 1-0-3, Colton Adlzing 3-0-7, Cameron Kuhn 2-1-6, Tyler Medley 0-0-0, Justin McCranes 0-2-2, Brady O'Brien 2-0-6, Owen Wigton 3-1-8, Dame Roper 0-3-3. Totals 14-7-42. ELYRIA CATHOLIC (76): Dominique Stamper 2-0-5, Connor Soltis 2-0-5, Purvie Smallwood III 2-3-8, Sean O'Donnell 1-0-2, Tyler Wilson 2-2-6, Donovan Shumpert 3-0-6, Matisse Williams 7-3-19, Trent Merrell 1-0-2, Kingston Daniels 1-1-3, Zeke Lind 2-0-4, Ben Essenmacher 1-0-2, Jazear Terry 7-0-14. Totals 31-9-76. Manfield Madison&emsp;9&emsp;14&emsp;4&emsp;15&emsp;—&emsp;42 Elyria Catholic&emsp;7&emsp;25&emsp;24&emsp;20&emsp;—&emsp;76 Three-point goals: Madison 7-27 (26 percent, O'Brien 2, Gordon, Branham, Adlzing, Kuhn, Wigton), Elyria Catholic 5-21 (24 percent, Williams 2, Stamper, Soltis, Smallwood III). Field goals: Madison 14-53 (26 percent); Elyria Catholic 31-63 (49 percent). Free throws: Madison 7-14 (50 percent); Elyria Catholic 9-12 (75 percent). Rebounds: Madison 32, Elyria Catholic 45. Turnovers: Madison 23, Elyria Catholic 16. Junior varsity: Mansfield Madison, 51-30.