Tigers Earn Rematch With McDonald

Last Friday night the WHS Men's Basketball team got their tickets validated to move on up the line in post-season play. We wouldn't call it a sound whooping but in the second round of tournament play the Tigers brought home a 16 point win over Hartville Lake Center Christian.

We have to agree with WHS SS play-by-play man , Roger Miller, when he said the Tigers were "out of sync". For being naughty, normal starter Mike Johnson sat on the bench for almost six minutes into the first quarter. We feel this set the stage for that. With Lake Center leading by four points Coach Thompson sent Johnson in with 2:53 left on the clock in that first period. The quarter ended with Lake Center still leading 12 - 8 but you could sense a change of tone with Johnston out front.

With Joe Surace remarking "it's going to be a long night" it started going in favor of Wellsville when Johnston hit a three with 5:32 left in the second. Less than a minute later Johnston had a steal and Miller remarked excitedly "there running now!" With that steal the Tigers took a 13 - 12 lead a short time later and they didn't look back. Even Surace got excited saying "the shoe has turned" when the Tigers took a five point lead. By the end of the second the Tigers were leading by eight having outscored Lake Center 17 - 5 in that frame.

Johnston isn't a one man team but he is an integral cog, being one of member of a well meshed team the coaches have put together. There are six very talented young men who get the most playing time that have had remarkable success all season long. It just seemed to us, upon reflection, that skipping a gear threw it out of whack. Bug did what he had to do but it had us worried for awhile. You fellows behave yourself!

When the Tigers took that 13 - 12 lead mid-way through the second quarter it was the last time Lake Center had a lead. By the end of three the Tigers were up 47 - 36 and finished the game with 65 - 49 win.

Nobody said anything but we feel another factor causing some out-of-sync problems was Lake Center trying to take the running game away from Wellsville. Everybody knows this year's team is deadly when they are running & gunning. We just got the impression that Lake Center was trying to slow it down. They weren't the first opponent that tried that this year.

It was a sloppy out of character game for the Tigers. There were a lot of missed foul shots and mishandled balls. It was an ugly win. One announcer remarked "we needed a game like this". We didn't personally. It's hard on our heart! Hopefully the Tigers got it out of their system. There's no easy games left.

In an excellent half time interview with Columbus area resident and WHS alumni Davey Carter there were a couple of things pointed out that the Tigers have to guard against. Carter was transferred to the Columbus area by his company a few years ago. He is the uncle of Tiger Senior Jeremy Carter. Carter got into refereeing high school basketball before moving out of the Wellsville area and stuck with it since. He's been doing it for 30 years now and said he does about 40 games a year. He knows what he's talking about when he offers a few thoughts on his observations. Like his brother Quinny, Carter has been known to light up the score board a few times back in the days when he was wearing the Orange & Black. With his schedule it was his first chance to see the Tigers this year.

Even though some of the WHS SS announcers were giving some negative remarks about the officiating Carter said "the officials were doing their job" when asked by Bud Ceneviva. He noted that two things he would be worried about is the Wellsville foul shooting and leaving the lanes to the bucket undefended. Carter said "poor foul shooting performance down the road will cost you". He also said he counted seven times in the second quarter where Lake Center was able to penetrate and get to the basket. Carter wasn't being critical. He was offering corrective critisism on what we consider both to be mental errors. We're sure the Tigers will take care of these things. Having the chance to get away with sluggish mental errors is no more and they will knock you out of the play offs.

With the win the Tigers get a shot at some revenge tomorrow night. With every game being sudden death for the rest of the season we didn't want to look ahead. Many people were and they got their wish. Wellsville travels back to Struthers to take on Number 1 seeded, AP ranked Number 3 in the State and undefeated McDonald.

McDonald has been the nemesis of the Tigers this year. The Blue Devils are the only team to beat them this year and they did it twice. It won't happen the third time. McDonald won the first meeting in over time by two points in Wellsville early January. In a home cooking demonstration early last month up there, they lost the second one. In both games Wellsville was leading by ten points or better going into the fourth quarter. They won't be giving up anymore leads like that. They got the "bad" game out of their system and they will be ready. You bet your bippy!

The Game starts at 7 P.M. The guys from the WHS Sports Station will once again be there if you can't make the trip. Tickets will be on sale at the high school office today from 1 P.M. - 3 and tomorrow from 10:45 A.M - 2. There will also be sign ups available for a Student Spirit bus at the same times.

Good Luck Tigers! Show no mercy...

ole nib