Devontey Perkins is Northeast Ohio's leading rebounder and had his biggest game against his former team.
Coach Sam Liggins knew he had talent, but couldn’t keep him on the court too long enough for much of the season during their OHSAA boys basketball state championship run. Step by step, that began to change.
Perkins’ effort in the gym, the stretch bands he tied around his ankles for drills, began to pay off. Liggins still kept his needed improvement in mind this offseason, but not before he felt comfortable with trusting him for a critical role during their regional final vs. Richmond Heights. “Part of our game plan was that if they went pick-and-roll, we would switch it with our big man,” Liggins said. “Perk was able to guard De’Errick Barber one-on-one for a portion of that game in the fourth quarter. He was moving his feet well and he understood how to contain faster guys. I knew, with that ability, he could be a really good defender.”, lost the star of that game in T.J. Crumble as a prep-school transfer. Lutheran East needed a forward to step up, and Perkins has done that. He did it Saturday in another one of their biggest games, aPerkins scored 16 points, but more importantly he pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds with seven on the offensive end. He already established himself as one of Northeast Ohio’s top rebounders,“We just rebound the ball in a different type of way than anybody else,” Perkins said. “We’ve got two bigs that are ready to go no matter what.” While Lutheran East’s guard play has been its catalyst, led by sophomore guard and Ohio State target Dylan Zeigler with juniors Chris Hill and Ty Harrison, the forwards have flown under the radar. Perkins starts with senior Ocho Davis, while freshman Bryce Irby has established himself as an inside-out threat. Perkins asserted himself not only as a rebounder, but a scorer against Garfield Heights. It’s a game he wanted because he played for the Bulldogs as a freshman. “I wanted it bad,” Perkins said. “We had lost to them last year, and I didn’t like the way it felt. I was going to do anything to help my team win. I didn’t care if I had zero points.” A lot of Perkins’ points came on second chances he created for himself, but his production led to his teammates setting him up in half-court sets. “It was a great game for him,” Hill said. “Watching film, we realized they’re big. We don’t think they can mess with Perk, so we were hard on Perk all week at practice.”Liggins recruited Lutheran East graduate Will Felder to join their staff to specifically coach Perkins and his fellow forwards. “I needed a big-man coach,” Liggins said, “and the work he puts in with Coach Will every single day is like second to none. I’m proud of him because he’s come a long way, even from last year. He was the kid that started for us, but he’s one of those guys … I’m sure every coach can relate, he’s got the kid that is big and you play him a couple of minutes and keep putting him in there to get his rhythm.” Perkins’ progression led to him being the Falcons’ summer-league MVP. Liggins saw it as an instant sign of Felder’s influence. “Coach Felder means the world to me,” Perkins said. “I couldn’t have played as well as I can or get better skill-wise without him. He just knows a lot and he treats me like family.”Matt Goul has covered high school sports with some college and pros sprinkled in since 2005 with a bachelor's degree from Kent State University. He has covered high school basketball and football in Northeast...
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