Bio

The 1998-99 Midview boys basketball team was one of the greatest Middie teams to ever take the hardwood. And it wasn’t just their school record 20 wins that made that squad so special. It was how they did it, both on and off the floor that allows that team to stand the test of time.

Led by coach Troy DiFranco, the team featured a starting five of three seniors, Bobby Couch, Kyle Crawford and Eric Crozier, and two juniors, Doug Gerber and Ben Elwell. It was a deep squad though, with contributions off the bench from Craig Hughes, Kenny Scott, Ryan DiFranco, Brett Boron, Josh Hengartner, Shane Burnsworth and Jason Monschein. It was a Middie team in every sense of the word. Several players led the team in various statistical categories. It was a squad with a strong bond between them, and a fierce competitive desire to win. And win they did.

The Middies roared out of the gates and the victories kept coming. The squad compiled a school record 16 game winning streak to start the season. They ran the table in the Lorain County Conference, going 14-0 in league play. The Midview offense was balanced, with Gerber averaging 12 points per game, Elwell 11, and Crawford just under 11, for a team that averaged 59 points per contest. Their defense was stifling. The Middies simply locked down their opponents. They were the best defensive team in Lorain County, surrendering just 45 points per game, including holding their opponent under 40 points seven times during the campaign.

Midview earned the #2 seed in the Division 1 tournament, and while they were the only seeded team to advance to the district, they dropped a heartbreaking 38-35 contest to Brunswick in the district semi-final.

Kneeling:  Craig Hughes, Bobby Couch, Kenny Scott, Eric Crozier, Kyle Crawford

Standing:  Varsity Assistant Rob Overy, Ryan DiFranco, Doug Gerber, Jason Monschein, Shane Burnsworth, Ben Elwell, Josh Hengartner, Brett Boron and Head Coach Troy DiFranco