GALION — Advancing during tournament season means not looking past any team.
For eight straight years, Colonel Crawford coach David Sheldon has lived by those words.
Sheldon’s Eagles played lockdown defense to build a 10-point first-half lead, then the offense exploded for 21 points in the third quarter as Colonel Crawford defeated Crestline going away, 64-40, to secure the upper bracket Division IV sectional championship at Galion High School.
“To get our eighth straight sectional championship, it’s credit to the Colonel Crawford basketball program. It’s not one guy, it’s the program, the guys before that set the foundation seven years ago and those guys in that locker room carrying on that tradition.”
Gavin Feichtner set the tone for the Eagles, hitting a pair of 3-point shots in the first quarter to help Colonel Crawford (19-4) ease out to a 15-7 lead.
Defensively, the Eagles held the Bulldogs to two of eight shooting from the field, a theme for the night.
“They’ve got a weapon named Dave Sheldon and he’s just ready for everything,” Crestline coach Tyler Sanders said. “He did a good job preparing for his stuff. We prepare for his stuff. We hear it called out. You do a good job of stopping what they’re going to go to first and then they counter you with something else which is what makes them so good.”
Crestline (9-15) controlled the pace for the first two quarters and managed to stay within shouting distance, trailing just 25-15 at halftime.
“I thought we played great defense all night, even the first half,” Sheldon said. “They were trying to be patient offensively and I thought we just sat down and defended to hold them to 15. A 10-point lead with that kind of pace is a lot bigger than it seems.”
The third quarter erased all doubt. All five Eagles starters scored in the frame as Colonel Crawford exploded for 21. The Bulldogs tried to keep pace with 14 points, but the faster pace had expanded their 10-point half-time deficit to 17, 46-29, after three.
“(Colonel Crawford) executed well coming out (in the second half),” Sanders said. “They hit a couple of shots. You get a 20 percent 3-point shooter and another kid who probably shoots less than 30 percent hit a couple of 3s in the second half and it just kind of takes the air out of you.”
The Eagles kept their foot on the gas in the fourth quarter to coast to the win.
Feichtner led all scorers with 22 points for Colonel Crawford. Jordan Fenner had 12 points and Zye Shipman added 11. Chase Walker grabbed 10 rebounds.
“We’re a tough matchup all around when we go 6-4 and above at four spots,” Sheldon said. “Tonight, we get three guys in doubles, one with eight and one with seven. Credit to the guys, that’s an unselfish group.”
Kaden Ronk led Crestline with 17 points and Ty Clark added seven points and eight rebounds. Clark, Max Anatra, Caleb Moore and Andrew Gundrum all played their final game in a Crestline uniform.
“They played well, Dave was just prepared for it,” Sanders said. “Hats off to these kids. They’re the reason I wanted to come here. It’s been a tough season, but I would do it 100 times over for these kids.”
Ronk, a junior, received praise from both coaches.
“Ronk’s a really nice player,” Sheldon said. “He’s a 3-year letter winner as a junior. Clarks’ a 4-year letter winner and Anatra’s a 2-year.
“They got their feet wet (under Sanders) but down the stretch they played really well, the end of the season and into the tournament.”
“Kaden’s one of those kids that I don’t think he understands that he doesn’t have to settle from the outside,” Sanders said. “Obviously, he can shoot from the outside, but he can get to the rim too. He did a pretty nice job of that at times tonight.”
Colonel Crawford advances to the district tournament at Willard, where the Eagles will face Lucas, a 58-49 winner over Norwalk St. Paul in the second game at Galion.
“I’m happy about them being focused all week,” Sheldon said. “It’s one round and we get to move on to Tuesday.”
Box score
Crestline 7 8 14 11 — 40
Colonel Crawford 15 10 21 18 — 64
Stats
Crestline (9-15): Shots 13-39; 3-pt shots 4-11 (Kaden Ronk 3, Calvin Reed); Free throws 10-12; Rebounds 20 (Ty Clark 8); Turnovers 10. Scoring: Kaden Ronk 4 6 17, Max Anatra 2 0 4, Trevor Phillips 2 1 5, Ty Clark 3 1 7, Calvin Reed 1 2 5, Ethan Clark 1 0 2.
Colonel Crawford (19-4): Shots 22-45; 3-pt shots 5-14 (Gavin Feichtner 3, Reis Walker, Zye Shipman); Free throws 15-18; Rebounds 28 (Chase Walker 10); Turnovers 6. Scoring: Reis Walker 2 3 8, Jordan Fenner 3 6 12, Brock Ritzhaupt 1 0 2, Zye Shipman 3 4 11, Mason Studer 1 0 2, Gavin Feichtner 9 1 22, Chase Walker 3 1 7.