Boardman beats Ursuline; Coach Moschella OK after collision with official

By Joe Scalzo

YOUNGSTOWN — In a matter of hours, Boardman High girls assistant Jeff Hammerton went from being a guy who nearly stayed home because of a sick kid to being the interim head coach surrounded by a group of nervous teenagers with tears in their eyes.

“It was tough,” he said.

Fortunately for him, his players got tough.

After Spartans coach Ron Moschella collided with an official and was forced to leave Monday’s game at Ursuline midway through the third quarter, Hammerton gathered his team in the locker room — “They thought he had a heart attack,” he said — gave them a chance to calm down and put that nervous energy to use.

He switched from a zone defense to a three-quarter trap, sparking a big run that turned a close game into a 51-38 victory.

Read the story in Tuesday’s Vindicator.