PREPS

PREPS
Akron teamgot all the calls
Fanfare:
Residents of Mahoning Valley can easily see why Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary is ranked the number one boys basketball team in the state of Ohio after the game on Friday, March 9, 2001. The calls made by officials appeared to be biased throughout most of the game. I know that I am not alone in this opinion. Springfield fans were on their feet, shocked by several calls, or the lack thereof. My opinions are not just those of a general member of the audience, but are based on my experience as a former basketball player who is aware of the rules of the game.
It became apparent in the first quarter that a majority of fouls would be called against Springfield. Often, Springfield players could barely lay a finger on a St. V's player without having calls made against them. Some situations were so questionable, that I wonder how the officials reached their conclusions. In one instance, a St. V's player tripped over a Springfield player, who was standing still, and a foul was called on the Tigers. Also a St. V's player jumped over a Springfield player, kicking him in the process, and the Tigers were called for traveling.
St. V's offense and defense were extremely physical, but resulted in few foul calls. Over the back, hand checks, traveling, shoving, tripping and pulling on jerseys were just a few witnessed by the audience, but most ignored by officials.
I was interested in watching St. V's play, since they were supposed to be such a good team. But after watching Friday's game, I was not impressed by the team or the coaches. Also, quotes from St. V's head coach that were published in The Vindicator on Saturday, March 10, 2001, seemed to be uninformed and unsportsmanlike. In response, I have to say that Springfield does handle the ball well. How else would they have achieved an undefeated regular season?
The Tiger basketball team has worked hard throughout the season, and played well against a school that specifically recruits students for their playing ability. St. V's does have strong players, but with officials making calls in their favor a majority of the time, their chances for winning are increased. A loss is always disappointing, but becomes more so when a game is not fairly played. When so many poor calls are made, it makes the game an entirely different situation. The highly anticipated game between the Tigers and Irish was one of the worst officiated games I have ever seen as a player and spectator.
Nancy Tipple
Boardman