BOYS BASKETBALL Friday's showdown

Who: Springfield (22-0) vs. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (21-1).
What: Division III district final.
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Youngstown State University's Beeghly Center. The site was moved from Salem High after a huge demand for tickets. Gates open at 6 p.m.
Ticket information: Tickets may be purchased from the participating schools at a cost of $6 for reserved seats, $5 for general admission and $3 for students.
At stake: The winner advances to the regional tournament at the Canton Fieldhouse to face the Wooster district champion March 15 at 8 p.m.
Springfield coach: Jeff Brink is in his third season as head coach. He has a career record of 53-13 after his Springfield teams posted records of 13-8 and 18-5 in his first two seasons and 22-0 so far this season. Brink's previous head coaching experience came at Newcomerstown High, where he served as the girls coach for two years. St. Vincent-St. Mary coach: Keith Dambrot is in his third season with the Irish and is attempting to lead them to their second straight state title. Dambrot has had head coaching stints with Tiffin University, Ashland University and Division I Central Michigan.
Springfield scouting: After defending their Inter-County League title, the Tigers have eyed this district title game for some time. They rolled through their first two tournament games, defeating Rootstown (73-44) and Waterloo (83-48). Now comes the challenge, which will be trying to handle the intense pressure and balance of St. Vincent-St. Mary. Springfield players have shown confidence and focus the entire season and have thrived in adversity. Senior Jim Schuler (6-foot-3) leads the team in scoring with 14 points per game; he also averages 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Senior Ben Haug (6-2) scores 12 points per game and is one of the team's many outside threats. Senior Isaac Smolko (6-5) is the team's inside threat, averaging 11.4 points and seven rebounds. Also contributing handily are senior Matt Walker (5-9), junior Pat Birch (6-1) and sophomores David Rispinto (5-11) and Dan Schuler (6-4). Birch and Rispinto average nearly 10 points per game. As a team, the Tigers are averaging around 70 points per game and allowing just 41.
St. Vincent-St. Mary scouting: The Irish finished as the top-ranked team in Division III for the second straight year and are currently rated fifth by USA Today. St. Vincent-St. Mary breezed through its first two tournament games in Salem by defeating Tri-County League members United (99-42) and Lisbon (94-58). Although sophomore standout LeBron James (6-6) garners much of the attention with his 25 points-per-game scoring average, the Irish are well-balanced. Senior Aly Samabaly attacks many teams with his outside accuracy, as does sophomore Dru Joyce. Sophomore Sian Cotton is a heavy load inside for the Irish, while sophomore Romeo Travis is a threat, as well. The point guard is senior John Taylor, who left early in the game against Lisbon after falling hard. St. Vincent-St. Mary, whose only loss came to national power Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, has six players who are 6-4 or taller.
-- Brian Richesson