Lakeview triumphs to clinch tie for first

The Bulldogs have a crucial contest against Liberty on Friday.
By DOUG CHAPIN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CORTLAND -- It's that time of year for area boys basketball teams and their fans and followers. The tournament season is just around the corner and coaches, players and fans start thinking about postseason play.
That is not the case at Lakeview High where the Bulldogs dusted Brookfield, 70-42, on Tuesday night to clinch a tie for the Trumbull Athletic Conference crown.
Lakeview (14-4, 10-2 TAC) has road games remaining -- against LaBrae on Thursday and Liberty on Friday -- and both are makeup games. Liberty has four league losses and has a makeup game tonight.
"The goal our seniors set for the season was to win the league and that is what we are focused on," Lakeview coach George Lanterman said. "That may sound like coach-speak, but it's true, we haven't said much about the tournament.
"We've talked to the seniors all season that this is why we went to all those workouts in the summer. We are right where we want to be. Our four seniors have shown integrity and character all season and have been great leaders," Lanterman said.
Opalka honored
Senior Dustin Opalka, honored before the game as the school's leading career scorer, led the way with 20 points and seven rebounds.
Fellow seniors Mike Marando and Mark Novotny added 13 and six points, respectively, while Zach Repphun made a start in his final home appearance.
Junior Jon Kittle added nine points and sophomore Robert Franks scored eight.
"Dustin comes to practice every day and shows what a good leader he is," Lanterman said. "All of our seniors are good leaders."
Brookfield was led by Bobby Thompson with 10 points and nine rebounds and Chad Kostra with 10 points and six rebounds.
Surge
Lakeview pulled away from an 8-8 tie by scoring the final eight points of the first quarter, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Opalka off a well-executed set play.
He nailed another 3-pointer eight seconds into the second quarter off the same play but from the other corner. That started a 10-2 run which left Lakeview ahead 26-10. The lead was 35-18 at the half and 56-30 after three.
In the Division II tournament, Lakeview is scheduled to play March 2 against the winner of Tuesday's Rayen-Hubbard contest at Boardman.
But prior to that, of course, are the two league opponents.
"We knew from the start that it was going to be hard to win in this league on the road," Lanterman said. "We have two games to go and they are both on the road. This will show what we are made of.
"We thought that our success this season would be dependent on how our seniors played. Right now, our seniors are playing very well."