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Louisville, Ohio – The Canfield Cardinals, behind a strong second half, defeated Glenville, 64-51, to win their first district championship since 2000.
It was a battle between legendary head coaches on both sides. Glenville head coach Michael Holt was at the helm for 24 years, looking for his third straight district crown. Canfield head coach John Cullen had five district titles and over 600 wins in his career.
Glenville controlled the pace early on, racing out to a 17-13 lead after the first quarter. Dominic Scott hit a pair of triples, and Damarion Witten and Ruel Tomlinson each had four points.
Canfield had five players score in the first quarter, and eventually took the lead in the second. Jake Delisio tied the score with a triple, and Drew Shapiro gave the Cardinals the lead, as the Cardinal defense held Glenville to three field goals. Canfield led 27-24 at the half.
The Cardinals continued their unselfish play in the second half, and increased their lead even further. Five different players scored, as the lead stood at 45-36 after three quarters. Ben Weaver had six points in the third, and Landon Shina had five, knocking down the lone Cardinal triple in the frame.
Despite being down by double digits, the Tarblooders fought back. Dominic Scott and Theo Castro each hit triples, and Ohio State football commit also scored a bucket. They cut their lead to four, but could get no closer.
The Tarblooders had three players foul out, most notably Dominic Scott, who picked up his fifth with 4:08 to play. Canfield eventually pulled away at the free throw line, going 12 for 16 in the final quarter.
The Canfield faithful celebrated the victory once the clock hit zero in Louisville.
Canfield advances to the Canton Regional semifinals on Thursday, March 14th. They will take on Warrensville Heights, who defeated West Branch, 51-49, in the NDCL District final Saturday afternoon. Junior guard Drew Shapiro finished with 13 points, and sophomore forward Landon Shina finished with 11. Ben Weaver, Tony Russo, and Jake Delisio all finished with nine.
Glenville finishes their season at 21-4. They were led by senior guard Dominic Scott, who finished with 13 points, as well as senior forward and Kent State football commit Ruel Tomlinson, who also had 13.
Extended highlights below:
