Poland fans turn out for fieldhouse rally to support their team

By Denise Dick | March 13, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

The undefeated Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 and face No. 2 Chillicothe.

POLAND — It was a sea of blue and white with warnings of “Hear the Bark, Fear the Bite.”

The Poland Seminary High School fieldhouse was filled with students, staff, administrators and community supporters Wednesday, gearing up for today’s semifinal basketball game against Chillicothe.

The game between the No. 1 undefeated Bulldogs and No. 2 Chillicothe tips off at 2 p.m. in Columbus. The final begins at 10:45 a.m. Saturday in Columbus.

Jane Marenkovic, whose grandson, David Baker, is a sophomore player, came to Wednesday’s pep rally to support the team, proudly wearing her Bulldogs shirt.

“I just love it,” she said.

Donna Nagy, seated between Marenkovic and Kathy Wolf, wife of the former high school principal, also dressed the fan part.

“I’m just an old Bulldog,” Nagy said. “I’m a former band parent and PTA president.”

Her prediction for today’s big game: Bulldogs, 75, Chillicothe, 25.

Principal Vincent Procopio said it’s a team of winners already, pointing to the undefeated season and list of championship titles.

“These are unselfish, team-centered players at all times,” he said.

Cheers, applause and foot-stomping filled the fieldhouse, especially from the student body.

Procopio also read an e-mail he received from a Canton firefighter/paramedic who attended the games the Bulldogs won in that city.

The man compliments the school spirit and behavior of the students who went to the games.

This marks the fourth time the team has gone to the state semifinals. The team went last year, in 2002 and in 1972.

Coach Ken Grisdale also thanked the students and public for supporting the team, asking that they keep it coming for today’s game.

Team seniors Ben Umbel, Anthony DeFelice, David White and Bryan Kosec took a moment from the rally’s fanfare to present fellow student Tony Spiritos with a team T-shirt. They called him their biggest fan.

Seniors Mark Turnbull and Bill Dugan were among the fans cheering and they plan to take that enthusiasm to today’s game. They go to every game.

“It’s just exciting,” Mark explained.

Both young men predict a victory. It’s the team’s depth that makes them so good, Mark said.

Throughout the rally, whenever a team player’s name was announced, the student section erupted in a cheer or chant, tailored around that player’s name.

For Umbel, they shout “Umbel-ieveable” and for DeFelice, it’s “DeFelice-Navidad.”

“When we were sophomores, the seniors started that up,” Bill said.

They’ve kept it going through high school, he said.