Tigers take one game at a time

Hang around the Springfield High boys basketball team for long, and it's easy to begin to root for Coach Jeff Brink's Tigers.
And, it's easy to quickly understand why.
You'll root for them not just because the team is incredibly successful -- 21 victories this season, including 14 to become Inter-County League champions.
How the Tigers have accomplished their perfect regular season, plus a 29-point opening-round win in the Division III tournament at Salem, is also appealing.
All business: Like their coach has argued throughout the season, the Tigers take a businesslike approach to each game. Their focus is victory, and they don't let opponents, egos or any other obstacles stand in the way.
Though Springfield's average margin of victory is more than 26 points, you'll see no chest-bumping or hand-slapping, no trash-talking or loud-mouthing when the Tigers take the court.
The Tigers want opponents to fear them, but not because of their attitudes; because of their play.
"Our kids have realized they can play with anyone," Brink said, looking ahead to the possibility of facing nationally-ranked Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in the district final.
Jim Schuler, the standout quarterback on the Tigers' football team which has lost one regular season game the past two seasons, and the top scorer on the basketball team, said a football playoff victory over Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph two seasons ago probably boosted the Tigers' confidence more than anything.
At the last second, Schuler completed a Hail Mary pass to tight end Isaac Smolko for a touchdown and victory.
"Ever since that win, we've known that it's still the end of the game," Schuler said. "We didn't quit then, and I think that's what we've been going on."
Dominating: In the past three years, Springfield has won three ICL baseball crowns, two football championships, and this year completed its second straight ICL basketball title run.
When Brink took over three years ago, the Tigers were coming off a 4-16 season. Since then, they've gone 13-7, 16-4 and 20-0 in the regular season.
"I'll probably remember that for the rest of my life, knowing that I was part of turning [the program] around," said Schuler, who was a sophomore when Brink took charge.
"We expect to win," said fellow senior Ben Haug. "If we don't win, we find out what we did wrong, and we fix it.
"We know that we're half-decent athletes, and we can play with anybody. If they're from a bigger school, it's not like they breed high-bred athletes there. They're just the same as us, and we'll take it to them."
"We want people to dread coming in here to play," Brink said after a recent practice.
Pat Birch, a junior, said the standard was set by last year's 16-4 squad.
"They just always won, all through high school," he said. "So, you're expected to win when you get up here. You have to follow what they've done."
Team effort: The Tigers don't squabble over points distribution, or who's taking shots at critical moments. There's no evidence of class preference.
Schuler, for example, averages fewer points per game as a senior (13.4) than he did last year (15.2), but he's willing to sacrifice that for the good of the team.
"Work hard, and dedicate yourself to winning," is the example he tries to set for younger players, he said. "If you want to get somewhere, you should be able to reach that goal."
At the beginning of the season, the Tigers had two goals -- a perfect season, and a date with Akron St. V-M. One down. One to go.
XGeorge Welker covers high school sports for The Vindicator.