SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- In the third game of the season, Shaker Heights lost to Mentor. It was a two-point loss to a team just two seasons removed from a state title, but it put Raiders coach Danny Young into discovery mode.
"After the Mentor loss, my self and my staff started watching a lot of video to see what went wrong and where can we improve." Young said. "The answer was we needed to establish more offensive options."
It took a little time, but after a 3-3 start to the season, Shaker Heights, which is ranked No. 3 in the cleveland.com Top 25 poll, has won 10 games in a row heading into Tuesday's showdown with No. 1 St. Vincent-St. Mary. Although standout senior Esa Ahmad has led the way, it's been his willingness to defer that has the team rolling.
"I love to pass," Ahmad said. "Getting my teammates going is just as good as scoring. I feel great when I see my teammates scoring the ball."
Things got started for Shaker Heights without Ahmad. During the Mentor loss, Ahmad hurt his shoulder and was forced to miss the team's next game. That came against St. Benedict's (N.J.), which at the time was a nationally ranked program.
Without Ahmad, the Raiders held their own. Shaker Heights loss by just nine points and players stepped up to fill the void left by Ahmad.
"That was a pivotal game to show them we have other pieces besides Esa Ahmad," Young said.
But even though the team played well, the reality was that the Raiders held a 1-2 record heading into a holiday tournament in South Carolina. But a trip away from the state proved to be the perfect recipe.
"It was just us," Young said. "No distractions from parents, relatives or girlfriends or school. We just bonded as a unit and as a brotherhood. We haven't lost a game since then."
It all began to click while the team was in South Carolina. Ahmad was healthy, and other players were showing that there were more scoring options beyond the West Virginia signee. In particular, it was two players, Kaleb Roy and David Wright, who stepped up.
Roy had played most of his career at shooting guard, but he began to log more minutes at point guard. He didn't concern himself with scoring, and that was creating opportunities for his teammates.
"I bring all my teammates to one court, and now we're communicating more than ever before," Roy said.
Then there's Wright. His name is most commonly associated with football, as he's become a Division I caliber receiver for the Raiders. But he's taken his game to another level on the court this season, as he's become the team's second-leading scorer due to a smooth jumper.
The success is making Wright's path to college a little more difficult.
"Producing the way I am makes me second guess if I want to go to school for football," Wright said. "It's going to be a tough year to choose."
But the catalyst for a balanced offense is Ahmad. The senior's scoring average is down from nearly 28 points per game last season to 22 ppg this season. However, he doesn't care and is enjoying the benefits of winning.
"It's just in my DNA," Ahmad said. "I'm an unselfish guy. If I see an open guy, I'm going to hit him. That's just me."
Aside from a balanced offense, the Raiders also put together a close-knit offense during the trip to South Carolina. Between buses, hotels, dinners and games, the team spent a lot of time around each other during the holidays and left the tournament with a whole new element of chemistry.
If any disputes arise, the team handles them internally and immediately to make sure it doesn't disrupt the togetherness that has developed.
"We have little circles and talk to each other and air our differences as men," Young said. "We understand families go through that, but it will strengthen our team."
Now Shaker Heights is in the stretch run. After St. Vincent-St. Mary, the Raiders play No. 6 Garfield Heights and No. 5 St. Edward. It's a difficult but not impossible stretch and the type of run that the Raiders must go through to win a state title.
"I think we have the chance to be special and win a state championship," Ahmad said. "It's up to us and how hard we work."
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