MANSFIELD, Ohio — The blueprint Colonel Crawford coach David Sheldon is following was provided by the Eagles’ opponent in Friday’s Division IV district championship game.
Two years ago, St. Peter’s played the part of David to Plymouth’s Goliath in the Division IV Willard district tournament. The upstart Spartans — playing a wealth of talented underclassmen — pushed the veteran Big Red to the brink before falling 48-41 in the district semifinals.
Top-seeded St. Peter’s (23-2) will be the hunted Friday and the feisty Eagles — with only one senior on the roster — will be the hunters.
“It’s a process, not just for this year, but for years to come,” Sheldon said. “I look at this very good St. Peter’s team and when they were freshmen they were 14-8 and got beat in the district semifinals.
“Now look at where they’re at. It’s where we want to get to.”
St. Peter’s, ranked second in Division IV in the final Associated Press state poll, isn’t ready to relinquish its stranglehold on the district title just yet. The Spartans cruised to a 79-41 win over South Central in the semifinals, shortly after the Eagles (18-6) put the finishing touches on a 57-49 win overtime win against Norwalk St. Paul.
“Colonel Crawford, we saw the end of that game, those guys are tough,” St. Peter’s point guard Tyson Kent said. “That’s a great team we’re going to play.”
A senior, Kent scored 18 points in the win over South Central. He was one of four Spartans to reach double figures, joining Jared Jakubick (22 points, eight rebounds), Elijah Cobb (21 points) and Mason Campbell (14 points, five rebounds).
Campbell returned to the starting lineup after missing the sectional tournament with an unspecified ailment.
“It was great watching them win, but I think we’re more comfortable now (with everyone on the floor together),” Campbell said.
The Spartans will need to figure out a way to deal with Heath Starkey, Colonel Crawford’s imposing 6-foot-10 senior center. Starkey was one of four Eagles in double figures against St. Paul with 13 points.
“Obviously Colonel Crawford is a great team, they are very well-coached, disciplined,” Jakubick said. “We’re going to have to play very well to beat them.”
Jakubick’s father, St. Peter’s coach Joe Jakubick, agreed.
“Colonel Crawford is another dangerous team,” Joe Jakubick said. “They provide a lot of problems that we’ll have to be able to defend.”
