MONROEVILLE — Consistency has been a hallmark of the Colonel Crawford boys’ basketball program, and that consistency showed up again Friday night.
The state’s top-ranked team got off to a slow start against 12th-seeded Edison, but the Eagles ramped up the defense and blasted the Chargers, 63-27, in the Division III sectional final.
The sectional title was the 11th straight for the Eagles, a fact that was not lost on coach David Sheldon.
“I’m proud of our guys. Eleven straight sectional championships, that’s tough,” Sheldon said. “There’s a lot of people that get three or four, that’s a good group. But I told our seniors this week when we started this run of 11 straight sectionals, they were in the second grade. There’s a lot of guys from the past and the tradition that is a big reason for that.
“That’s a big reason for our success is these guys have watched the older players and they’re just continuing the tradition of success within the Crawford basketball program,” Sheldon added.
With the win, the Eagles improved to 23-0 on the season and advanced to the district tournament in Norwalk. Crawford will face fourth-seeded Elmwood, which downed Oak Harbor, 45-43, in overtime in the evening’s second game.
The young Chargers came out and played the Eagles basket-for-basket early on, tying the game at 10-10 on a basket by freshman Kayden Bourget.
But a basket from Carter Valentine and a Braxton Baker 3-point shot gave the Eagles a 15-10 lead after one period.
Crawford, however, ramped up the defense in the second period, outscoring Edison 24-4 to take a 39-14 lead at the half.
“We wanted to turn up the pressure on them, get them to play fast, and I thought turned them over, which led to offensive opportunities,” Sheldon said.
“We did a good job attacking their zone and we had multiple guys in double figures,” he added. “But our defense was very good, we changed up and gave them different pressure looks all night. We did what we were expected to do tonight. And now we move on.”
Edison coach Kyle Hammond said that his team had some opportunities early but didn’t take advantage.
“They have a lot to do with that, as far as length and physicality,” Hammond said. “We came out ready to play, but the way they play defense and the way they execute on offense, they just do a great job.”
Hammond added that Crawford is one of the better teams his Chargers have played.
“They’re a very good team,” Hammond said. “Studer and Valentine are obviously top of the area, as far as talent, and they really lead the way. And their supporting cast made plays. Baker shot the lights out and, defensively, Coach Sheldon does a great job, they really put a lot of pressure on us.”
Baker led the Eagles with 19 points and Valentine added 16 and Mason Studer scored 14.
“These guys know their focus,” Sheldon said. “It’s a win but now it’s time to focus on Thursday, which will be a tough challenge.
“They packed in the zone, and we weren’t cutting into the open areas, and we talked about getting more cutters. And then we got some offensive rebounds off some missed shots.”
Bourget led the Chargers with 11 points. Hammond said that his team is getting better.
“It’s hard to see sometimes,” Hammond said. “I’m extremely proud of how hard they worked, the way they competed all season long. There’s a lot to look forward to in the future.”
Sheldon was able to get the entire roster in the game, despite the fact that the entire fourth period was played under a running clock.
“The great thing about tonight, we got all 15 guys in the game,” Sheldon said. “Every one of those guys is important as we prepare for the week for the tournament. It’s great to get everyone some time.”
Box score
Edison 10 4 8 5 — 27
Colonel Crawford 15 24 15 9 — 63
Edison (2-21): Shots 12-37; 3-pt. shots 3 (Kayden Bourget, Jack Brown, Noah Smith); Free throws 0-0; Rebounds 16; Turnovers 19. Scoring: Jack 1 0 3, Davin Wendt 1 0 2, Kayden Bourget 5 0 11, Luke Blatnik 1 0 2, Troy Rutherford 3 0 6, Noah Smith 1 0 3.
Colonel Crawford (23-0): Shots 23-51; 3-pt shots 9 (Braxton Baker 3, Mason Studer 2, Derek Horsley 2, Carter Valentine, Lucas Foy); Free throws 8-10; Rebounds 32; Turnovers 6. Scoring: Mason Studer 6 0 14, Derek Horsley 3 0 8, Braxton Baker 7 2 19, Carter Valentine 5 5 16, Jacob Maddy 0 1 1, Kaden Bruner 1 0 2, Lucas Foy 1 0 3.