Numbing loss
Triway defenders shackled Poland in a 71-47 victory.
CANTON -- The Poland High players shuffled out, one by one, from the Civic Center locker room, heads down, hoods up, dreams deferred.
As they made their way out of the stairwell, the lingering parents and fans began clapping, showing their appreciation for what this team has meant to Poland's community, especially the last four years.
"When you look at what this senior class has accomplished," said Poland coach Ken Grisdale, "it's pretty amazing."
The Bulldogs' season came to an abrupt end against Wooster Triway Wednesday night. The Titans took a 31-17 halftime lead and were never threatened, beating Poland 71-47 in a Division II regional semifinal.
"I'm numb right now," said Grisdale. "I'm looking at a bunch of kids [in the locker room] who are really broken.
"I don't know what it's going to be like tomorrow morning when I wake up and all five [seniors] are gone."
Intense defense
Chad Fender, a four-year starter and Youngstown State recruit, struggled all night against Triway's defense, scoring just 11 points while committing nine of Poland's 17 turnovers.
"We were determined to make someone else beat us," said Triway coach Keith Snoddy, a former Youngstown State quarterback. "I told my guys, 'If we keep Fender under 12 points, we win.' He got 11, but I bet he'd say he earned them."
The Titans switched from a box-and-one to a variety of zones, harassing Fender at the top of the key while forcing the Bulldogs to beat them from the outside.
They didn't.
To make things worse, Poland sophomore Lou Coppola, a 6-foot-7 center, struggled with foul trouble all night, picking up three in the first half.
Ryan Witmer, Triway's tallest player at 6-3, got the better of the inside matchup, scoring 20 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
"I told Witmer that he had to take the ball right at [Coppola]," said Snoddy. "He's not as experienced and we wanted to dare him to block our shots."
Once Coppola sat down, Poland lost its only real mismatch, which was just what Snoddy was hoping for.
Big game for Coppola
"We don't have anyone to match up with him," Snoddy said.
Coppola finished with a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs (21-3), who have won three district titles and one regional title the past four years.
Fender, the only starter remaining from the 2002 state tournament team and Poland's all-time leading scorer, added five rebounds and three assists, while Cameron Marchese -- one of four senior starters -- had seven assists.
"They had a great defensive strategy," Grisdale said of Triway. "They're so quick and they run the court so well.
"They were just all over the place. I just saw a bunch of purple blurs."
Junior Linc Rottman added 10 points and 13 rebounds for Triway (21-3), which advanced to play Painesville Harvey in Saturday's regional final.
Darius Wallace had 17 points and Jamie Breneman added 10.
As the Titans' perimeter defense was harassing the Bulldogs' guards, the interior players were dominating the boards, outrebounding Poland 21-11 in the first half, including 11 on the offensive end.
"I really did feel like we were quicker," Snoddy said. "We tried to run the ball early because we felt we had an advantage in that area."
At the end of the game, Poland's fans began chanting "Let's go Harvey."
But the Red Raiders should be warned. This Triway team won't go quietly.
"They're a lot better in person than they are on film," Grisdale said.