Destination: Canton

Poland, Newton Falls, McDonald, Maplewood have regional dates

Staff report

Even when you’ve been to state twice in the past three years, there are no guarantees.

Just ask Poland High boys basketball coach Ken Grisdale whose seniors this season were state semifinalists as freshmen and sophomores.

Grisdale’s Bulldogs (22-1) are going back to the Division II regional at the Canton Civic Center this week after defeating Mooney, 75-65, on Saturday at Boardman High.

The Bulldogs have a new appreciation for the regional. Last year, the Bulldogs lost to Streetsboro, 77-75, in the district final.

“It’s awesome,” Grisdale said after the Mooney win, “because this has not been an easy group. They are great kids and talented, but to get them all on the same page hasn’t been the easiest thing.

“When your freshman year and sophomore year ends in Columbus, they think it’s easy, they think that’s just what is supposed to happen.

“Last year, we went through a lot of growing pains,” Grisdale said. “This year, it’s been pleasant, every day they come to practice they have a good attitude. We’ve had a lot of fun and I‘m glad it’s ... where there is a lot of love in the locker room and on the court.”

Thursday at 8 p.m., Poland will play Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary’s in a regional semifinal at Canton Civic Center.

The other area teams advancing to regionals are McDonald and Maplewood in Div. IV and Newton Falls in Div. III.

Poland’s seniors are Niko Fatimus, Luke Wollet, Ben Donlow, David Baker, John Price, Dom DeFelice and Matt Mrozek.

Wollet, who has a football scholarship to Kent State, came close to skipping this season.

“My initial thoughts were I didn’t want to get hurt for college football, but as the football season came winding down, I just wanted to enjoy my last year with multiple sports,” Wollet said after scoring 13 points against Mooney. “I’m friends with all these guys and the chance to compete with them, to come back out here for one more hurrah is something I would have regretted [if I didn’t].”

Fatimus, who scored 19 points in the district championship, found motivation from his twin brother Louis’ loss one night earlier.

Louis Fatimus played this season for Youngstown Christian, which lost to McDonald 46-44 on Friday in the Div. IV district final at Struthers Fieldhouse.

“To tell you the truth, I was depressed about that,” Niko Fatimus said. “I was sad and told myself that I was not going to let this happen. They played a big rival, we played a big rival — same circumstances. That kind of motivated me.

“Especially senior year, you never want to stop playing,” Fatimus said. “We worked so hard over the offseason so it means so much, especially with this group of guys. I love them all.”

McDonald and Maplewood, winners of the Warren Harding district, advanced to the Div. IV regional at Canton Field House.

On Tuesday, McDonald (23-0) will take on Shadyside (24-0) at 6:15 p.m. Following them at 8 p.m. will be Maplewood (18-5) playing Bedford St. Peter Chanel.

McDonald hasn’t been to a regional since 2007.

“I hope that Devin Bansberg will be able to play on Tuesday,” Blue Devils coach Jeff Rasile said of one of his key players who sustained a deep gash in his left cheek.

In addition of the play of Bansberg and Nick Rota, the Blue Devils benefited from the all-around effort of Justin Rota.

“He plays 32 minutes,” Rasile said. “He’s pressing, he’s getting pressed. He did a great job handling it.”

Winning the district was a reversal of the outcome in 2009 when Youngstown Christian defeated then-top seed McDonald by two points.

Maplewood will be making its first regional appearance in 25 years.

“Their schedule consists of a lot of Division I schools,” Maplewood coach Matt Urchek said of Bedford St. Peter Chanel. “They play a lot of Cleveland schools. That will give them a huge advantage.

“They are very fast. We scouted them last Thursday in the district final. They played 11 guys in the first quarter. They come in on waves and pressure, pressure and pressure you.

“Our strategy will be to box them out,” Urchek said. “We are going to try to force them to shoot from the outside and get the rebounds.”

On Wednesday at 8 p.m., Newton Falls (19-5) will play East Canton (23-0), the team that defeated Campbell 64-56 in the Salem district final.

Vindicator sports writers Tom Williams, Joe Scalzo, John Bassetti and John Kovach contributed to this report.