INTER-COUNTY LEAGUE Springfield adds net-cutting act to go with title

The Tigers are 58-7 with Pat Birch, James McLaughlin, James Mash and Keaton Bullen over the last three years.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NEW MIDDLETOWN -- The suspense was over, but the task wasn't.
After his team's 88-41 Inter-County League-clinching win over Western Reserve Tuesday, Springfield High coach Jeff Brink had a message for his team.
"I told them if we didn't win tonight, we weren't cutting down the nets," Brink said. "We wanted to win it on our floor."
The Tigers won, and they did it in style, beating visiting Mineral Ridge 71-43 Friday for their third straight ICL title and 35th league win in a row.
Springfield's senior class of Pat Birch, James McLaughlin, James Mash and Keaton Bullen has a combined 58-7 record over the past three years.
Worth the work: "This feels great," Mash said. "We've been together going to camps since junior high. We've worked our butts off."
The Tigers have lost to one team this season -- Poland. They'll get a chance at redemption when they visit the Bulldogs Friday night.
"We want revenge," McLaughlin, who scored 13 points, said. "It's a good game for us."
The win over the Rams had decidedly less drama. Springfield out-rebounded Mineral Ridge 19-6 in the first quarter and held the Rams without a field goal during that span to take an 18-2 lead.
The Rams never got closer than 15 the rest of the way.
"It's been a tremendous streak," Brink said. "And we've done it because the kids have bought into our system. They play defense, they play unselfishly and they play as a team."
Jim Mash led Springfield with 15 points and 11 rebounds -- including seven rebounds in the first quarter -- and Dan Schuler added 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Bullen had 10 points and five rebounds and Birch added 10 rebounds.
The Tigers out-rebounded Mineral Ridge 50-30 for the game.
Ammunition ineffective: "We just threw everything we had at them and they had an answer," Mineral Ridge coach Del Ruiter said. "I just told our kids that we had a bad night."
Malachi Hall had 15 points and Dan Miller added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Rams, who are tied with South Range for second place in the ICL.
"People take the teams in the ICL for granted," Brink said. "A lot of schools slam us and our schedule, but we've got some great talent in this league."
Springfield went 25-for-58 from the field (43 percent), but was perfect at the line (14 of 14). The Rams shot 24.5 percent (14-for-57) and were 15 of 17 at the line.
Springfield lost three all-state players from last year's undefeated team and many expected them to have a rebuilding year this season.
"We were doubted," Bullen said. "But we never had any doubts."
scalzo@vindy.com