Foul on the court or assault?

PERRY TOWNSHIP -- Police are investigating and on the court hit that could send one player to a court of a different kind.

The incident in question happened Saturday night when Canton Central Catholic's boy?s basketball team played Perry Township.

In the second half, the Crusader's Cory Berry went up for a rebound and ended up hitting Panther's Kenny Frease in the face.

"Of course it made my stomach sick," says Kenny's mother, Marge Frease. "I watched him go down and he was dazed after it happened and confused. He was wandering aimlessly and it was hard to watch."

Frease suffered two fractures to his orbital socket and days later his eye is still swollen shut. At seven feet tall, Frease is a highly recruited junior, possibilities that make his injury frustrating to his family and fans.

"It's upsetting; he just came off a wrist injury," says Mrs. Frease. "He sat out nine games, so happy to be back on the floor, now something else is happening. He just wants to play basketball."

Perry High Schools Athletic Director saw something more on the court and contacted Perry Township Police Chief Tim Escola.

"They said they felt it was an intentional act," says Chief Escola. "The family is complaining this is an assault so we're gonna take it and investigate it thoroughly."

But this story is like most sports stories; one where everyone takes sides.

"It was clean," says Berry's coach, Kevin Finefrock. He enhanced the game tape and gave the media the play-by-play today. "After viewing the professionally-edited film, Cory Berry was making a clean attempt at the ball with an open hand and had his head focused on the ball at all times."

Meaning Coach Finefrock thinks the hit was just part of the game, not a criminal act.

"No person deserves what Cory has had to endure these last couple days," says Finefrock.

Berry and his father also filed a complaint this week. The high school senior received a threatening phone call because of the incident.

The Perry Township Police Department is wrapping up its investigation and plans to present to the Stark County Prosecutor on Wednesday.