Canfield clamps down on Howland

HOWLAND – After a slow start, The Canfield High boys basketball team completely dominated Howland Tuesday night, defeating the Tigers 68-46.

Howland (6-8, 1-3 All-American Red Division) burst out to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes of the game. But Canfield (12-2, 4-0) quickly turned the game around, tying the game 11-11 at the end of the first quarter.

Canfield then outscored Howland 17-12 in the second quarter.

The Cardinals completely tamed the Tigers in the third quarter, limiting Howland to just three points while scoring 14. Canfield held a 42-26 lead after three quarters, and had clearly taken control.

Canfield was led by Mike Podolsky, who scored a game-high 24 point.

Despite his offensive heroics, Podolsky said defense was the key.

“It was our defense that really got us going,” he said.

The Cardinals harassed the Tigers all night on both ends of the court, frequently creating turnovers and frustrating Howland’s offensive efforts.

As part of the defensive efforts, Canfield’s Gene Wollett pulled down nine rebounds.

“Everyone has their job,” Podolsky said. “It’s the most selfless team I’ve ever been one. It’s a lot of fun.”

“We forced them to turn the ball over a lot more than they wanted,” said Canfield coach John Cullen. “Team defense is the key.”

Cullen also praised his team’s unselfish efforts on offense.

“They made some very unselfish passes,” he said.

Howland coach Dan Campana said his team took the early lead because “we stuck to our game plan.”

But Canfield was able to recover and force the Howland team out of its game plan because “they pressure you. We gave up a lot of things we don’t like to give up.”

Campana praised Podolsky’s efforts.

“He seemed to have the ball every time I turned around,” he said.

T.J. Lanier scored 21 points for the Tigers, while Dontea Dawson pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. Lanier connected on the first two field goals of the game as part of Howland’s game-opening 7-0 lead.

Justin Vrabel put the first points on the board for the Cardinals, connecting on two field goals to start Canfield on the road to recovery.

Canfield’s Donny Allison scored in the closing minute of the first quarter to bring the Cardinals even with the Tigers for the first time.

The Cardinals’ offense started to away in the second quarter. Canfield’s lead reached seven points, 24-17, when Vrable drove the lane and sank a layup.

The fourth quarter turned into a shootout, with both teams putting up their biggest offensive totals of the game. But Canfield put the game away by outscoring Howland 26-20 in the game’s final stanza.