Tigers clinch share of crown

Canfield must beat Poland to earn a piece of the Metro Athletic Conference title.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HOWLAND -- There's a couple problems with planning a victory celebration in the middle of a high school tennis match.
For one thing, there are matches still going on. For another, you can't exactly break out champagne and start dousing kids. (The police probably wouldn't understand.)
So Howland coach Barb Trapp did the best she could Monday, lugging a couple cases of 7UP from her minivan, grabbing a can and shaking it up. Problem was, her son, Jason, also grabbed a can and opened it first, spraying her with pop.
Then Barb's other son, Ryan, dumped the contents of his can on her back.
Shutout victory
It was a restrained -- and amusing -- celebration as the Tigers clinched a share of the Metro Athletic Conference title by beating Niles, 5-0.
So how did Barb Trapp feel?
"Right now? Wet," she said with a laugh.
Canfield -- which can still share the title -- won the league every year since it formed in 1994. In fact, the Cardinals never even lost a match until Howland beat them 4-1 earlier this year.
"All in all, it was kind of fun," Barb Trapp said of beating Canfield, "and to beat them 4-1 was even more fun. It was a pleasure, although I hate to say that. But it's been frustrating over the past few years."
The Cardinals -- who split the season series with Howland -- must beat Poland today to earn a share of the title.
"I know they'll be rooting for Poland, but that's OK," Canfield coach Larry Davis said with a laugh. "We were rooting for Poland when they played against them."
Ryan Trapp officially clinched Monday's win for Howland, since his was the third match to finish.
Satisfaction
"I'm glad somebody finally did it," he said of winning a share of the league. "Especially since it was us."
Even Davis admits that it's a good thing for the MAC. For much of the last decade, the Cardinals have been the area's most dominant team. The regular season was almost an afterthought, Davis said.
"I think this will draw some attention back to the area," Davis said. "We've had it pretty easy for a long time and it's fun to have some competition. It's good for everyone."
With the regular season over, Jason (a senior) and Ryan (a junior) can focus on Wednesday's Division I district doubles tournament. The brothers won the sectional doubles title last Saturday at Solon High School -- the third straight year a Trapp tandem won a sectional doubles title.
Jason and Ryan won last year. Ryan and his brother, Kevin, won the sectional title two years ago, eventually advancing to the state tournament. Kevin now plays at Xavier University.
"I think it's easier to play with a brother than with a friend," Ryan, who plays No. 1 singles during the season for Howland, said. "You know how he plays and what he's going to do. It's like I know what he's thinking."
Goal
The Trapps lost in the first round of last year's state tournament and would like to win at least two matches at this year's state tournament.
"The ultimate goal is to win state," Jason, Howland's No. 2 singles player, said. "But it starts with getting there. Right now I'm just worried about districts."
scalzo@vindy.com