Tourney time: Boys set for postseason

Canfield opens Div. I play today in Canton against Uniontown Lake.

VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT

Moments after his Canfield High boys basketball team lost to Poland 73-71 on the Bulldogs’ floor, John Cullen was asked if he’d like another shot.

Cullen paused, smiled and said, “It’d be a great game, wouldn’t it?”

Poland coach Ken Grisdale agreed.

“It would be awesome,” Grisdale said, “but I don’t want to play them again.”

The Bulldogs and Cardinals split their season series to share the All-American Conference Red Tier title.

But a Poland-Canfield rematch will have for another season because the arch-rivals are in different divisions for the tournament that begins Monday.

District finals are scheduled for March 12-13.

Poland (19-1) deservedly has the top seed for the Division II district at Boardman High.

Canfield (18-2), along with East, Boardman, Fitch and Chaney, will be playing their next games at the Div. I district tournament at the Canton Civic Center.

Canfield opens the postseason on Monday at 8 p.m. against Uniontown Lake (11-8), which defeated the Cardinals earlier this season.

Cullen’s Cards were seeded fifth for the Canton bracket behind Massillon Jackson (18-2), North Canton Hoover (16-4), Canton McKinley (15-4) and Canton Timken.

If the Cards win on Monday, their next game would be on Friday, perhaps against Timken.

Also in Div. I, Warren Harding (16-4) has the top seed at the Solon High district, but the Raiders (16-4) have been on a roller coaster recently. Friday, Harding lost to Mansfield Senior, 78-68. Another one of their losses was to Canton McKinley, 59-50.

Harding has won two straight district titles, advancing to the state semifinals last winter.

In Boardman, Struthers (18-2) and Mooney (15-5) have the second and third seeds and could meet in a March 10 semifinal. That winner most likely will play Grisdale’s Bulldogs for a regional berth on March 13.

In Div. III, the two best teams in the ACC’s Blue Tier have high seeds in the district tournaments at Salem and Howland.

Campbell (15-3), which went unbeaten in ACC Blue play, has the second seed at Salem. East Canton has the top spot while Inter Tri-County League Tier One champion East Palestine (17-3) is seeded third.

The Red Devils and Bulldogs are on a course to meet in a semifinal game on March 9.

At Howland, Newton Falls (15-5) has the top seed, followed by league rival LaBrae (13-7).

Unbeaten McDonald (20-0), the ITCL Tier Two champion, and independent Youngstown Christian (19-1) has the top slots at the Div. IV district at Struthers. YCS defeated the Blue Devils in last year’s district final.

At Warren Harding’s Div. IV tournament, Northeast Athletic Conference champs Mathews (16-3) is the top seed, followed by league rival Maplewood (14-5).