Sunday, March 28, 1999
MOELLER NOTEBOOK
Good luck charm may soon get shave
BY DAVE SCHUTTE
Enquirer contributor
COLUMBUS — Moeller had a little lamb, little lamb ...
When a team has won five tournament games in which it was considered the underdog, it's bound to pick up some superstition on the way to the state title.
In Moeller's case, it's been hard to miss — an oversized stuffed lamb that occupies a place of honor on the Moeller bench.
The lamb has quite a history. It was adopted when found dirty and abandoned in the Moeller locker room at LaSalle in the season's final regular-season game — a 68-65 victory that set the stage for Moeller's tourney run.
Moeller seniors Tre Hughes and Mike McHugh took it home, cleaned it up and turned it into an unofficial mascot.
It occupies its own seat on the bench during games and, before every practice, was placed prominently on the stage at the end of the gym, positioned to watch over the workout.
Junior center Steve Rosfeld carried the lamb into the Value City Arena Saturday for warmups before the championship game against Shaker Heights.
“The players plan to shave it if we win the championship,” Moeller athletic director Dick Beerman said.
After the game, all of the players gathered around the lamb at midcourt and bowed. It will be taken back to Moeller and placed alongside the state championship trophy.
STANDOUT SYLVESTER: The fact that sophomore Matthew Sylvester played an important role in Moeller's drive to the state championship comes as no surprise to his father, Mike, a 1970 graduate.
“I've worked with Matthew since he was 2 years old,” Mike Sylvester said.
Although Matthew was born in Cincinnati (1983), he spent much of his life in Italy where Mike played 17 years for a professional team following graduation from the University of Dayton (1974).
Matthew Sylvester's only brother was killed in an automobile accident in Italy at the age of 4.
“Matthew is a source of pride for me and my wife, Lisa, for obvious reasons,” Mike Sylvester said. “He would have been in that car with his brother but stayed home with me because of sickness.”
“My mother and dad have been everything to me,” Matthew Sylvester said. “Before I could, walk, Dad had a ball in my hand working with me. He makes me go and is my drive.”
Many major colleges — including Kentucky, Xavier, UC, Dayton, Indiana and Ohio State — already have ex pressed interest in Sylvester, who is expected to grow at least 4 more inches to 6-foot-10.
Mike Sylvester pointed to his son's 18-point second-half effort against Beavercreek, including the winning tip-in, as indicative of his potential.
During the state finals, Matthew Sylvester scored 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting, pulled down five rebounds and contributed an assist in 26 minutes. He took only one shot in the second half.
MONSEREZ MVP: Mike Monserez of Moeller was named MVP of the tournament.
The Notre Dame-bound Monserez scored 13 points in Friday's victory over Mansfield, including the final six from the free throw line.
In the championship game, Monserez sank two cluch three-pointers and two free throws during the final two minutes to clinch it for the Crusaders.
Overall, Monserez scored 29 points, grabbed nine rebounds and added 14 assists in the two games.
Teammates Sylvester and Jeremy Duncan also made the team along with Sidney Williams from Shaker Heights and Danny Swonger from East Liverpool.
Moeller captures state title
