St. Edward Defeats Mentor in District Finals

Eagles overcome fast start by Cardinals to advance to regional semifinals

Mar. 7, 2026 at 11:06pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The St. Edward Eagles overcame an early 13-5 deficit to defeat the Mentor Cardinals 87-68 in the OHSAA Division I district finals. Led by the senior trio of J.T. Kelsheimer, Bryan Vlosich and Zymir Knox, the Eagles used their depth and balance to push past Mentor's fast-paced attack. St. Edward will now advance to the regional semifinals at the University of Akron next week.

Why it matters

This victory marks St. Edward's 23rd regional appearance in 30 seasons under coach Eric Flannery, highlighting the program's sustained excellence. The win also sets up a potential rematch with rival St. Ignatius, who the Eagles split their regular season series with earlier this year.

The details

Mentor jumped out to a 13-5 lead in the first quarter, led by sophomore point guard Jack Kennedy's two early 3-pointers. However, St. Edward responded with a 14-2 run to close the quarter and take control of the game. The Eagles' defense and rebounding were key, as they limited Mentor's second-chance opportunities. St. Edward's balanced scoring attack, with four players reaching double figures, proved too much for the Cardinals to overcome.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at Lakewood High School.

The players

J.T. Kelsheimer

A senior leader for St. Edward, Kelsheimer scored 16 points and dished out 8 assists in the victory.

Bryan Vlosich

Another senior standout for the Eagles, Vlosich contributed 15 points to the winning effort.

Zymir Knox

The defensive anchor for St. Edward, Knox had 3 blocks and 7 rebounds to go along with 12 points.

Jack Kennedy

Mentor's sophomore point guard led the Cardinals with 21 points, including 4 made 3-pointers.

Eric Flannery

The veteran head coach of St. Edward, Flannery will be making his 23rd regional appearance in 30 seasons with the program.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We knew they were going to press and we'll get open shots every time, but it really came down to, can we get stops? Once we started getting stops and rebounds, not giving up offensive boards, that's really when we took off.”

— J.T. Kelsheimer (cleveland.com)

“It was like a sauna, but it gets us ready.”

— Bryan Vlosich (cleveland.com)

“I think the biggest thing was, we kind of settled in defensively more than anything. We were leaving our feet early, trying to block shots and got out of position. I think once we got in our position and once we kind of settled in on that end, that really got us going.”

— Eric Flannery, Head Coach, St. Edward (cleveland.com)

What’s next

St. Edward will face either St. Ignatius or Cleveland Heights in the regional semifinals at the University of Akron on Wednesday.

The takeaway

St. Edward's balanced scoring attack, stifling defense, and veteran leadership have propelled them to the regional semifinals, setting up a potential rematch with rival St. Ignatius in a battle of two of Northeast Ohio's top high school basketball programs.