Lever is too quick, too crafty for
Dearborn Heights Crestwood

Dec. 9, 2009, 1:15 a.m.

  When it comes to defending Canton's super-slick point guard Deitrich Lever, you have to pick your poison.

  And, trust everyone who's ever guarded Lever -- neither of the poisons tastes good.

  If you get in his face and play him toe-to-toe, the 5-10 junior guard will flip a dead-on pass to a streaking teammate.

  If you give him some space, he'll fill the space in the mesh net with the basketball.

  On Tuesday at Dearborn Heights Crestwood, Lever did a little bit of everything, piling up 24 points and seven assists to lead the chiefs to a comfortable 53-40 victory over the Chargers in Jimmy Reddy's varsity basketball coaching debut.

  "Dietrich was attacking on our transition game and getting to the paint off the dribble," said Reddy.

  "It feels good to get a win in my first game because that first win, in a lot of cases, is the hardest to get. Hopefully, we can keep it going."

  Canton established a 17-10 after one quarter before the Chargers narrowed the gap to 23-21 at the half. The Chiefs reestablished their dominance in the third quarter, outscoring Crestwooed, 20-11.

  Also playing well for Canton were sophomore Kyle Adams, who netted nine points and five rebounds.

  "Kyle hit two early threes to get his confidence going," said Reddy.

  Kevin Weisz added eight points and five rebounds.

  Lever slickest pass came early in the third quarter when he exploded down the baseline then threaded a left handed shovel pass to Paul Baumbart, who converted the easy layup.

  Canton hit 12-of-21 free throws. The Chargers were just 10-of-20.