Canfield sends a message to rivals
By Joe Scalzo
Junior Mike Podolsky scored a career-high 36 points as the Cards scored a huge road victory.
POLAND — Inside the locker room before Friday’s game, Canfield High boys basketball coach John Cullen wrote on the team board “Send a message.”
“We were not going to go out there and be the raw meat we were last year with a 20-point [deficit] in the first quarter,” said Cullen, referring to a 15-point loss to Poland last February.
His team got the message, immediately taking a seven-point lead over the first two minutes to set a tone that would last the next 30.
Led by a career-high 36 points from junior Mike Podolsky, and a dominating performance on the boards, the Cardinals shifted the balance of power in the All-American Conference Red Tier with a 85-80 victory at Poland High School.
“My class, the junior class, hasn’t beaten Poland, ever,” said the 6-2 Podolsky, who also grabbed six rebounds. “To do it tonight with all my friends and to do it together, just feels so good.”
Although Podolsky did plenty of damage early on — he scored 11 points in the first quarter — he was at his best in the fourth quarter when he scored 10 straight points over a crucial stretch to give Canfield a 75-66 lead with less than four minutes remaining.
Although Poland chipped away, the outcome was never in doubt as the Cardinals made 10 of 12 free throws in the last 90 seconds to put the game away.
“We knew we could win this game,” Podolsky said. “We had the game plan, coach gave us the strategy and we knew it was on us to do it.”
Junior Justin Vrabel added 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Cardinals (8-4, 1-0), who held a 36-22 edge in rebounds.
Junior Casey Carroll added 10 points, senior Adam Muth had seven points and eight rebounds and senior Rick LaVe had five assists and six steals.
“I think we all had something extra,” said Podolsky, who deflected all attempts at individual praise. “Justin had some quick points and nice rebounds, Casey came out strong in the second half, Ricky had some nice buckets at the end. ...
“Everyone had something else. When you play Poland, you have to.”
Still, it was Podolsky who made the biggest impact. (When asked if the 36 points was a career-high, Cullen joked, “He wouldn’t score that much if you left him in the gym overnight.)
Afterward, Poland coach Ken Grisdale lamented his team’s poor defense, which was ineffective with its traps, lazy with its on-the-ball defense and too quick to gamble, leaving junior center David Baker exposed and, consequently, in severe foul trouble. Despite playing a full-court trap, the Bulldogs had just two steals in the first half and finished with nine overall.
(Ben Umbel, the Bulldogs’ best player last year, averaged nine steals per game last season and only played about 20 minutes per contest.)
“We’re still figuring out where we’re at,” Grisdale said. “We’re not committing to making stops. We believe now we can outscore people.
“It’s not the scheme, it’s the execution of the scheme. We don’t have people where they’re supposed to be. It’s a chaotic philosophy, but it’s not an undisciplined philosophy. And we’re taking gambles where we shouldn’t.”
Junior Niko Fatimus again played well, particularly on offense, by pouring in 28 points for the Bulldogs (8-4, 0-1).
Junior Ben Donlow was terrific at times, adding 21 points and eight rebounds while Baker had 10 points, three rebounds and three steals.
The Bulldogs were without starting point guard Ben Brocker (flu), but Grisdale was in no mood for excuses.
“Until we make a commitment to [defense], we’re going to beat the teams we’re supposed to beat and lose to the good teams,” Grisdale said. “And Canfield is a good team.”
scalzo@vindy.com