STRATFORD — When you’re saddled with the name Jack Ryan, you’d better be cool, calm and collected under pressure.
That’s what made novelist Tom Clancy’s fictional character such a high-profile and popular action star, and it’s also what makes Stratford High’s aptly named point guard so lethal.
Ryan, a 6-foot-2 junior, scored 22 points, including 13 in the opening quarter, to lead the Red Devils to an 84-65 nonconference win over Brien McMahon on Thursday night.
The win avenged a season-opening 78-57 loss to the Senators a year ago.
“We played them last year and they just killed us. They just handed it to us,” Ryan said. “So we did have this circled on our schedule. We knew they had some kids coming back, but we just wanted revenge.”
McMahon — which gave up 91 points in a season-opening loss to Waterford — is especially struggling on defense, which is something the Red Devils took advantage of early and often.
Trailing 10-6, Stratford’s Sean Carroll started a 12-2 Devils run, giving the hosts an 18-12 lead.
Ryan had six points in the run as part of his big first quarter slicing and dicing through the Senators’ Swiss cheese defense for easy layups.
“Jack is so valuable for us,” Stratford coach Tim Swaller said. “He controls everything. He takes over the game, but he can settle us down when he needs to, as well. He’s got a high basketball IQ, gets his teammates involved and he’s unselfish, which is huge for a point guard. He does it all and he played great tonight.”
Ryan opened the second quarter with a runner and closed it with a layup off a McMahon turnover for a 43-28 lead at the break.
“We just kept attacking and doing our thing to get a big lead,” Ryan said.
THE SUPPORTING CAST
While Ryan had the starring role early on — he had 19 points at the half — his Red Devils teammates were much more involved in the second half.
Carroll finished with 21 points for Stratford while Michael August had 17 and Javier Hernandez added 12.
“I have a lot of friends on the team and I trust them and we trust each other,” Ryan said. “We’ve played together forever.”
A GIVING MOOD
For the second straight game, McMahon’s defense was in the holiday mood for giving … as in giving up many easy buckets. In two games, McMahon has allowed 175 points.
Stratford’s shot chart was filled with layups and buckets that came from within the paint.
“It’s just a matter of continuity more than anything,” first-year coach Darrick Eason said. “They haven’t really played much together, much less in our system. We’ve got one starter returning and a lot of guys with no experience. We just have to be patient.”
What McMahon did have, though, was balance, as 10 different players scored, six of them scoring six points or more.
Saikwon Williams led the way with 11, while Justin Lebron added 10. Justin Forde added nine and Sharod Blackwell added eight.
“It’s harder for the older guys,” Eason said. “The younger guys are still eager, but the older guys think it’s their time.”
jnash@hearstmediact.com
STRATFORD 84, BRIEN McMAHON 65
BRIEN McMAHON (0-2)
Eric Miller 2 2-4 7, Paul Louis 2 1-2 5, Saikwon Williams 5 1-2 11, Latrel Stewart 2 2-2 6, Justin Lebron 4 0-0 10, Justin Forde 4 1-2 9, Jajuan Wiggins 2 0-0 5, Xavier Rojas-McCrea 0 3-6 3, Sharod Blackwell 3 1-1 8, Michael Fuller 0 1-2 1, Totals 24 12-21 65
STRATFORD (2-0)
Jack Ryan 9 4-6 22, Michael August 6 3-4 17, Sean Carroll 9 2-2 21, Aaron Christy 1 0-0 2, John Bike 1 2-2 5, Javier Hernandez 3 4-6 11, Joseph August 3 0-0 6, Totals 32 15-20 84
McMAHON 16 12 21 16—65
STRATFORD 22 21 18 23—84
3-pointers: BM—Lebron 2, Wiggins, Miller, Blackwell; S—Michael August 2, Carroll, Hernandez, Bike.
