Poland’s Grisdale reaches milestone

January 13, 2016 at 12:10a.m.

BOARDMAN

If a basketball coach is going to achieve a milestone away from home, the court where his teams have earned so many big victories is a pretty good alternative.

Tuesday at Boardman High School, Poland’s Ken Grisdale earned his 400th career victory when his Bulldogs defeated the Spartans, 59-49. Over his 23-year career as head coach, Grisdale’s teams won eight Division II district tournament games at Boardman.

“We’ve been very successful on this court,” Grisdale said. “It’s special.

“The time to reflect will be the end of the season,” Grisdale said. “I’m happy I’ve done it at one school. To be able to stay in one school district to teach and coach for as long as I have, to have the administrative support I’ve had, I’ve been so fortunate.

“I’ve had great assistants all the way through, and every year we’ve had solid kids,” said Grisdale who took over the program in the 1993-94 season. His teams have won nine district titles and gone to state three times.

After the Bulldogs (10-1, 7-1 All-American Conference Red) jumped out to a double-digit lead, the Spartans (5-5) kept the game interesting.

“We really battled and the kids kept fighting,” Boardman coach Pat Birch said.

Holden Lipke led the Spartans with 17 points. His first basket tied the game at 6 midway through the first quarter. The Bulldogs finished the frame with a 10-0 run that included 3-pointers by Nick Buccieri and Jared Burkert.

Early in the third quarter, Matt Baker’s 3-pointer gave Poland a 15-point lead (34-19), but the Spartans wouldn’t quit.

“If we could shoot the ball a little bit better, we’re right there instead of a 10-point game,” Birch said.

Burns admitted that the Spartans frustrated the Bulldogs.

“We were getting out of control a little bit, doing dumb fouls,” Burns said.

Burns called the milestone win “awesome. He’s been [coaching] so long so to get him this accomplishment is awesome.”

Baker agreed.

“It’s a real honor to get this win for him,” Baker said.

Burns said playing for Grisdale is not easy.

“It’s tough but when we get the job done, he’s a happy man,” Burns said.

Baker scored 20 points to lead the Bulldogs while Buccieri and Burkert each scored 12.

Birch, who played against Grisdale teams when he was at Springfield High School, said Grisdale “is a guy I have a tremendous amount of respect for. Coaching against him now makes me realize the incredible job he’s done for Poland.

“They are a consistent district champion and to me he’s the standard I look up to and I know a lot of other coaches [do]. He’s a class act.”