Trinity takes down Warriors at SPIRE
Dec. 30—HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP — Edgewood boys basketball coach John Bowler is hoping things get back to normal ... real soon.
In the last several weeks the Warriors have dealt with sickness, injury and rotating practice schedules courtesy of a water-damaged Edgewood High School.
The school's holiday basketball tournament changed significantly when Saint John School was not able to attend and was replaced by Garfield Heights Trinity. The event turned into a one-game Thursday experience between Edgewood and Trinity and a doubleheader today at SPIRE Institute.
The game was moved from Edgewood to SPIRE after several pipes broke at the high school causing significant damage at the school late on Christmas Day.
Trinity took the lead early in the game and held on for a 70-62 victory.
Trinity led 14-13 after one quarter and 30-26 at halftime. The Warriors kept things close and drew within three points, 49-46, after three quarters.
"I think we played well enough to win," said Trinity head coach Dan Urban.
He said it was a good win as Edgewood is a good program.
Urban said his team has had trouble getting shots to drop but that was not the case on Thursday. Shawn Wood scored 22 points for the Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division team.
Urban said his team normally spreads the scoring around, but Wood's effort was a career-best for him.
"It has been an up-and-down season," Bowler said.
He said the combination of injuries, sickness and school damage has made the season challenging.
Bowler credited Trinity, but also questioned his team's defensive effort.
"If we don't play better man-to-man defense and help, it is going to be a long season. We can't give up 70 points," he said.
He said the offensive end of the floor was not a big problem.
"Offensively we didn't play bad," he said.
The Warriors moved the ball well, making several passes before taking shots in most instances.
Jacob Ernst led the Warriors (6-2) with 23 points and Zack Vencill added 18 points to keep the game close.
Bowler said his team has been practicing at SPIRE for the last several days and will be returning to Harpersfield Township today for a 7 p.m. make-up game with Hawken.
Trinity (5-2) will be back in town as well to take on Conneaut at 3:30 p.m. at SPIRE. The Spartans junior varsity team is scheduled to play Trinity at 1:30 p.m. and the Edgewood-Hawken junior varsity teams are scheduled to play at 5:30 p.m.
