District disappointments fueled West Branch

March 4, 2014 at 12:05a.m.

If there’s anyone who knows the pain the Struthers High girls basketball team felt in losing the Division II district finale, it’s the players and coaches from West Branch.

Last Friday, West Branch defeated Struthers, 47-42, to earn the program’s first regional trip since 2004, the year the Warriors were state champions.

For the past three seasons, West Branch was on the losing end of the district championship games at Austintown Fitch High. In 2011, Struthers upset West Branch, 40-25. A year later, Canfield eked out a 42-40 victory. Last year, Canfield won, 40-37.

Walt DeShields, the Warriors head coach, knows what the Wildcats felt.

“They’ll look back on some good memories, just like we have the last couple of years,” said DeShields, who expected a battle because of the Wildcats’ experience.

“Any time you get five seniors like that, it’s a tough out, they don’t want the season to end,” said DeShields referring to McKenna Shives, Ashleigh Ryan, Brittaney Zupko Halle Smrek and Ashley Kane.”

Tonight at 6:15 p.m., the Warriors (22-4) will take on Parma Heights Holy Name at Barberton High School. Last year, Canfield defeated Holy Name, 52-30, in the regional semifinal.

DeShields said the journey began right after Canfield ousted West Branch, members of the Northeastern Buckeye Conference.

“It really started after we lost here last year,” DeShields said. “These girls made a commitment to come back here and win.”

Preparation included a trip last summer to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for a basketball camp.

“We got a lot of bonding time in the summer,” DeShields said. “Then we put it to them in the scrimmage schedule before the season. We played as many tough teams as we could find.

“We added [district finalists] Fort Loramie, Gilmour Academy, South Range, Canfield,” DeShields said. “Our non-league schedule got us prepared for this game.”

The Warriors revolve around the talents of junior point guard Melinda Trimmer, a Youngstown State University recruit. Against the Wildcats, Trimmer led with 24 points.

The other starters are Amanda Linhart, Pavin Heath, Taryn Hahn and Erica Johnson.

“What can I say about Melinda?” DeShields said. “She made some great plays. Pavin had a rough night but those last two minutes she played awesome.”

In the final minutes, the Warriors led 45-42. Struthers twice attempted 3-point shots. The second one rebounded to Trimmer who was fouled and sealed the win at the free throw line.

Asked which moment was more special (the rebound or the free throws), Trimmer didn’t hesitate.

“Making the free throws [to] finish it off — it felt good,” Trimmer said. “It’s the best feeling in the world.

“It was a crazy game,” Trimmer said. “Every time they got up, we knew we needed to get right back into their face, get another [basket] because we didn’t want to drop too many points down.”

Linhart said her teammates “did not quit through the entire game. They would hit us with a 3 and we would go right back out and hit them with one.

“I felt like we [made] some really good stops when we needed to. And we always answered when they tried to go on a run,” Linhart said.