Reece Gramke, better known as “SHAQ”, is leading St. Antoninus basketball to state.

Gramke is a senior here at Elder High School. He is known as “Shaq” for being an animal on the basketball court. He has played CYO basketball for four years now at Elder. This year, however, he is leading his team to state. This Friday Shaq will be traveling up to Cleveland to take on St. Edwards for the state championship.

Gramke’s best years for statistics were his sophomore and junior year. He was putting up a lot of points and assists. This year is different. Reece only averages about 4 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds a game. Reece has started to play a different game this year. He has decided to become an animal on the floor. No one works harder than Reece which makes him and his team the most hated in CYO. Reece may be a solid 2% from the free throw line, but no one works harder than Shaq.

They call themselves the “bad boys”. Named after the Detroit Pistons team name of the bad boys era. The Bad boys will talk trash and pinch you. That is what St. Antoninus does. They talk trash and Hans Taylor ball taps people.

Reece says, “There is no way a team has been more hated than us.”

Reece’s biggest rivals in the league are seniors Danny Ginn and Liam Geiser. Reece says they all talk trash but cannot back any word of it up. Reece dropped his highest point game against Geiser and St. Ignatius. Shaq dropped 20 out of the 100 points they put up against St. I’s. Reece says all his oppenents hate guarding him because he tries his heart out and goes 110%.

Hans Taylor says, “Reece is not a freakish athlete, but he is the captain of the team and also the facilitator.” Reece is a selfless player who will do anything for his team even if it means going 110% non-stop to make the other players mad. Reece never gets tired and is a workhorse out on the court.

As Reece and the rest of St. Antininus head up to Cleveland for state, he has one thing to say about it and that is “STATE IS A DEMAND”. Reece is planning on taking no prisoners this Friday and showing no mercy to get the dub for the state championship.