Lakeview knocks LaBrae from top

The Bulldogs and Liberty now share first place in the TAC.
By DOUG CHAPIN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CORTLAND -- The Lakeview High boys basketball team played like a champion Friday night in a pivotal Trumbull Athletic Conference showdown with LaBrae (14-4, 9-3) .
And after the Bulldogs' surprisingly easy 82-52 rout of the Vikings -- the teams were tied with Liberty at the top of the league standings heading into the game -- Lakeview coach Larry Herrholtz said his team has been playing well for some time.
Ironically, the good play started in the second half of a 53-50 loss to LaBrae earlier in the season at Leavittsburg.
"Since the second half of the LaBrae game, we've been a whole different team," said Herrholtz, whose team now shares first place with Liberty. "We came out after halftime and held them to nine points in the third quarter and 10 in the fourth.
"We had a chance to win, but unfortunately came up a little short," Herrholtz said. "Since then we've won seven in a row including wins over Liberty and LaBrae. Our kids dedicated themselves at the defensive end these last seven games."
Lakeview takes control
On Friday night, the Bulldogs (14-4, 10-2) scored the first eight points of the game and built an 18-4 lead with a minute remaining in the first quarter. LaBrae got as close as seven points, 25-18, midway through period two, and trailed 35-26 at the half.
The Bulldogs' lead was between seven and 12 points for most of the third quarter and stood at 50-42 with 2:28 left on the clock.
Lakeview senior forward Mark Seger then scored the next eight points of the game as the home team led 58-42 after three quarters. A 13-1 run to start the final frame decided the issue with more than five minutes remaining.
Seger finished with 18 points. Junior Dustin Opalka scored 21 for the Bulldogs and senior Eddie Mackiewicz tallied 20.
"We knew this was a big game, we wanted this one bad," Seger said. "We worked hard in practice the last couple of days and we knew our defense would do it for us. It feels so good winning in our last game on this floor."
Sharpshooting
The Bulldogs shot a phenomenal 65 percent (32-of-49) from the field and held a 32-19 edge in rebounding, led by Mackiewicz with 12. Opalka had five assists and Jon Kittle and Mike Marando had three each.
LaBrae was led offensively by Danny Hartman with 15 points and Jeffrey Morgan with 10. Mike Ryan grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots. Hartman also made five steals.
LaBrae plays Girard Tuesday and Liberty on Friday with the possibility of gaining a league co-championship. In tournament play, the Vikings must travel to the Division III Sectional-District at Lakeland Community College in Kirtland.
In the past, the Vikings have played in the Hubbard tournament, which no longer exists.
The teams that played there have been split between the tournaments at Lakeland and Salem High School. In fact, fellow TAC members Champion and Newton Falls will join LaBrae in the trek north.
Lakeview had been traveled north in the past for tournament play at Madison High School in Division II, but now plays at the Boardman tournament.
The Bulldogs drew a first-round bye and will play March 1 against Liberty or Chaney. However, Herrholtz hasn't even thought about the tournament yet.
"We play at our arch-rival, Champion, on Tuesday and that's a team that wants to knock us off," he said. "It would make their season. We have to take care of business there on Tuesday before we even think about Brookfield on Friday or the tournament."