Solomon Callaghan leads Wadsworth on and off the court

WADSWORTH, OHIO – Solomon Callaghan put on a show Tuesday night as Wadsworth defeated Highland 68-60 in a cross-conference Suburban League battle.

On four straight possessions in the second quarter, Callaghan raised up and let the ball fly from 3-point range, with each finding the bottom of the net.

“I just kind of got hot,” Callaghan said. “I like to think of myself as a streaky shooter. Once I see one go in, it is kind of easier for me and eases the tension a little bit. I think it is that way for a lot of players. Once I saw that first one go in, I felt the freedom and had a little more range on my jumper.”

As the senior guard was pulling up from different spots on the floor and knocking down 3s, Wadsworth head coach Mike Moser was just like one of the spectators in the crowd.

“He is certainly capable of doing that,” Moser said. “I kind of sometimes as a coach just enjoy sitting there and clapping him on.”

When the fourth 3-pointer dropped, the Grizzlies had finished a 21-6 run that saw them turn a one-point lead into a 16-point advantage after Highland looked poised to make a run of its own.

“I think we really came together as a team,” Callaghan said. “We are a group of seniors, so we come together, we rally together, and we know how to fight through adversity.”

Callaghan scored the first 14 points of the second quarter for the Grizzlies and finished with a game-high 31 points.

But as impressive as his scoring was, there were two plays that stood out above his lights-out shooting.

In the first quarter, Callaghan got the ball at the defensive end and started up the floor before firing a one-handed pass three-fourths of the length of the court to fellow senior Maxx Bosley for an easy layup. The former pitcher was trying to relive his days on the mound with the pass.

“That’s one of my favorite ones,” Callaghan said. “I am a retired baseball player, so I like to add that into my game as much as possible, throw a fastball down the middle. That’s what I tried to do on that one.”

That kind of pass has become routine for Callaghan during his four years in red and white.

“I have said this many times, I don’t know if I have ever seen someone with better court vision in my coaching career,” Moser said. “The ability to pass the ball 70 feet down the court, I have seen that numerous times from him. He is incredible that way.”

The other play came on the defensive side of the ball with Wadsworth holding a 56-44 lead in the fourth quarter. Callaghan saw the offensive player coming, squared up his body, took the contact and hit the floor. When the whistle blew, the official signaled a charge on Highland.

“That’s a staple to my game, I try to play with as much passion and as much effort as possible,” Callaghan said. “Growing up, that was a huge thing for me, taking charges, getting on the floor. Doing little things like diving on the floor and taking charges, that gets your team going.”

It was a play that Moser has come to expect from his leader.

“I am not shocked by that because he is leading our team in charges, he is selfless,” Moser said. “When you get a kid like that, who is willing to get stops on the defensive end and sacrifice his body for his teammates, goodness gracious, kids like that don’t come around very often.”

When asked about Callaghan, Moser couldn’t help but smile. But instead of talking about the performance he had just seen, the first thing out of the coach’s mouth wasn’t about basketball at all. It was about Callaghan as a person.

“He is tremendous in more ways than one,” Moser said. “I see him as a kid that I have known for a very long time. Obviously, he can put points on the board, and he is a phenomenal teammate but what he is off the court, he is like an extra son. His character is top-notch, he is a phenomenal kid in the classroom.

“I see him all the time with his peers and just seeing what he means to his classmates who aren’t on the team, he is tremendous. I can’t speak highly enough.”

Tuesday night was the final regular season home game for the Wadsworth seniors, including Callaghan. The Grizzlies will finish off their regular season on the road this Friday at Twinsburg before returning home to host a sectional playoff game where Wadsworth, the No. 14 seed in the Northeast 5 District, will face No. 19 Lorain.

The 6-foot-1 guard was walking around the court Tuesday night after the game just trying to take in the moment.

“I have poured a lot in on this court,” Callaghan said. “It has been super awesome playing with my guys for four years. I am super blessed by God to be able to come out here. It is really a full-circle moment. I have been playing since I was a freshman, and now senior year I have one more game left on this court, so I am trying to soak it all in.”

Photo Gallery (photos by Jeff Harwell)