It’s familiar ground that the Buckeye Central girls and Colonel Crawford boys are treading on this post-season. There are amazing similarities between the two successful programs.
The Buckettes fell to Springfield in the girls D-IV regional 34-28 Saturday night in Massillon to conclude an amazing 23-4 season.
The Eagles (18-7) advance to regional play on Tuesday after topping Lucas in the district finals on Friday night, 59-49. Tipoff is 6 p.m. at the Canton Memorial Fieldhouse against Dalton (16-8).
It’s not a coincidence that both programs went deep in their respective tournaments a year after stellar campaigns. But consider:
· Both teams lost a pair of all-Ohioans.
· Both teams have relied on former role players to get back to this point when many doubted that they could.
· Both teams have veteran coaches and both programs possess storied traditions.
Abram Kaple, in his 5th season as head coach, picked up a strong program and continued a tradition of winning in Division IV.
Last season his team, led by Claudia Pifher and Emily Siesel, went to Dayton, and came up short against Waterford, 53-39, in the Final Four.
A few minutes of bad play in the third quarter saw them outscored 21-7 and their season effectively end.
In a somber post-game interview, Kaple reflected on the season and what it meant to him personally.
“It’s been a really fun pleasure and an opportunity to experience five months of the year with these guys each and every year,” he said “It’s definitely going to be tough. Claud, for example, my day one was her day one. Yeah, it’ll be tough.”
Losing quality talent is tough.
Losing is tough. But losing in the state tournament can be crushing. So can losing a pair of generational talents.
Tears are shed. Then the work begins because at Buckeye Central and at Colonel Crawford, they don’t rebuild — they reload. Reload is the key word, especially when you lose Siesel, the Northwest District Player of the Year, and Pifher, the school’s all-time leading scorer.
Yet that’s exactly what they did.
The same can be said for Sheldon and his boys program.
Mason Studer and Carter Valentine, his pair of all-Ohioans, picked up diplomas last spring inside Mac Morrison Gymnasium, where the duo helped make history.
All four of those standouts are playing collegiately.
Sheldon was Coach of the Year in the strong Northern 10 Athletic Conference and Studer garnered Player of the Year honors. Both Studer and Valentine averaged about 17 points per game.
More importantly they ran roughshod through the season and the tournament, posting a 14-0 league record and going 26-1 overall. The lone blemish: A Division III regional final loss at BGSU Stroh Center falling to powerful Ottawa-Glandorf, 51-44.
Along the way the Eagles topped Carey, Elmwood, Western Reserve and Harvest Prep.
Sheldon reminds this year’s squad of that success and the tradition they enjoy. He uses it to motivate them as he has for the past 17 years and 300-plus career wins.
“We are blessed to have it,” he said after a district semifinal win over Norwalk St. Paul. “I don’t take it for granted at my age.”
It marked the 10th district final for Eagles in the past 12 years. For the Buckettes, this was their seventh straight district crown.
No one works a towel on the sideline like David Sheldon and nobody does a better job utilizing “role players” and adjusting to each season and to each game.
Jacob Maddy has developed into a very effective post player (13 points and 10 rebounds). Braxton Baker finished second in the N10 in scoring at nearly 19 points, to go with 5 rebounds.
Both have come up big in tourney action so far.
Sheldon has juniors Trevor Vogt, Ethan Holt and senior point guard and floor general Derek Horsley. All made valuable contributions this season, Holt leading the league in three-point shooting at 61.3%.
He’s also put in Ryan McMichael and Payne DeGray in various spots, and both have delivered.
Kaple is not that that different, except maybe for the towel.
His method of coaching also harnesses his bench players and this year several have emerged in “supporting roles” to standouts Ryley Kantzer and Kate Siesel. Kantzer was chosen N10 Player of the Year and Kaple honored as Coach of the Year.
Kaple has Sydney Wurm, who has nursed a foot injury the past few weeks, Paige Collene, and Kennedy Deppen as his other starters.
But enter Neveah Metzger, Ella Evak and Grace Collene for defense, rebounding and, at times, just a spark off the bench.
Both teams worked hard to get here, and it didn’t happen by accident. Both coaches and their staffs are dedicated veterans, spending hours of time scouting, watching film and developing talent.
They prepare their teams for success and the young men and women embrace that work ethic. The players also go to summer camps, stay in condition and work on their individual games, as well as find ways to fit in with new players who join each year.
Defining roles and working as a team are mantras both coaches talk about often. It isn’t your typical coach-speak.
For these two programs, it’s the culture. And that is exactly what got them back there this season.