MANSFIELD — Davion Mack’s supporting cast may have changed, but Mansfield Christian’s sophomore sensation looks comfortable in the lead.
A 6-foot-3 combo guard, Mack is the lone returning regular from last year’s record-setting team.
The Flames won 20 games in a season for just the third time in program history — thanks in no small part to Mack, who averaged 18.7 points and 7.4 rebounds a game as a freshman.
He had plenty of help last winter. Amarr Davis, the program’s all-time leading scorer, was the headliner of a senior class that included Davis Wushinske, Brock Rentzel, Gabe Westfield and Connor Loose. Combined they averaged more than 42 points a game.
In addition to the veteran senior class, Mack had a talented sidekick in fellow freshman D’Andre Martin. He averaged 10.7 points a night.
The senior group graduated last spring and Martin is playing for North Canton Hoover this season. Mack is the only holdover.
“I’ve got to do a lot more than I did last year, but I’m comfortable doing those things,” Mack said after scoring 17 points in Friday’s 70-49 Mid-Buckeye Conference win over Lucas.
“I’ve got to be more of a leader. I’m more of a vocal leader. I like to talk and get my guys going.”
Seniors Evan Hager, Taylor Hahn, Evan Keib and Alex Maiyer have all taken on bigger roles after playing sparingly last year. Hager scored 22 points — three off his career high — in the win over Lucas as the Cubs face-guarded Mack much of the night.
“Davion gets a lot of attention every game, so it’s really important for the rest of us to fill some roles when he is getting double-teamed,” Hager said. “What makes us good is we play together as a team.
“Once you start playing as a team, you get open shots and other guys get open shots.”
That all-for-one approach has Mansfield Christian in a position it hasn’t been in since Barack Obama occupied the White House.
A win Friday at Kidron Central Christian would lift the Flames (10-8, 6-1) to their first Mid-Buckeye Conference title since 2014.
“To win this championship would mean everything,” Mack said. “We haven’t won anything in a long time. We’ve been close, but we haven’t done it.
“We’re looking for it. We’re hungry.”
That is why Friday’s win over Lucas was so important. The Cubs won the last six MBC titles and had a 16-game winning streak in the series snapped in the first meeting this year, a 58-50 overtime victory at the Cub Cave.
“We were up on Central Christian the first time around by eight or 10 points and gave it away at the end of the game,” MCS coach Cary Craner said, “We’re hoping we can go over there and redeem ourselves.
“That’s all you can ask for, to give yourself a chance to win a championship.”