The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Chardon moves on past Chagrin
The prevailing line of thinking in terms of game planning against Chardon is simple: limiting Nathanael Sulka and Brady Toth is imperative.
Planning on stopping the Hilltopper stalwarts is often one thing, and actually doing it is another feat in itself.
Sulka (27) and Toth (22) combined for 49 points in a Division II sectional semifinal on Feb. 23 at Chagrin Falls, and the Hilltoppers emerged with a 75-73 victory.
Chardon surged ahead with a 16-2 run in the second quarter, but the Tigers caught them and took the lead twice in the third.
A 15-5 Hilltoppers run spanning the third and fourth quarters gave them a 59-51 lead, and this time they were able to hold off a late Chagrin Falls push for the win.
Chardon will travel to Perry on Feb.26 for a Division II sectional final in a rematch of a regular season game won by the Pirates, 78-69.
“We prepared for their big guy,” Toth said.”We stopped him, made shots, and scored on fast breaks. They (Chagrin Falls) all crash the boards. We’re not the best rebounding team, but tonight we showed (we can be), and got the win.”
Chardon (10-9) held a 30-25 edge in rebounding, a solid accomplishment against the usually strongon-the-boards Tigers.
Toth was Mr. Outside (four of Chardon’s five 3s), and Sulka was Mr.Inside for the Hilltoppers, scoring the majority of his points in the paint or at the free throw line (11 of 15).
Sulka thought the key to Chardon’s win stemmed from its play at the other end of the court.
“Our key was to play better defense than them,” he said. “We played a zone, and (the focus was) to not them score inside, don’t let them get easy 2s.”
Chagrin Falls (8-5) took a 19-15 first-quarter lead, and pushed it to 23-17 early in the second. The Tigers took advantage of six Hilltopper turnovers, scoring in transition or on cuts to the basket when in the half court.
Sulka started off Chardon’s 16-2 run with an and-1 basket and three free throws, and Toth and Nathan Tager capped it with back-to-back 3s, giving the Hilltoppers a 33-25 lead.
Sulka scored 14 points in the first half and 13 in the second, displaying spin moves on inside buckets, banking short jumpers, or drawing contact and going to the foul line.
“They (Chardon) are very streaky in how they play, and we told (our guys) that once they got their momentum going they would be difficult to stop,” Chagrin Falls coach Dave Bargar said. “If you told me we were going to score 73 points I would have felt
pretty good, because usually we find a way to slow teams down.
“They have two really good players, and we just didn’t have an answer for them. We tried everything, but nothing worked tonight.”
The Tigers certainly gave everything they had in the second half, taking a 41-40 lead on a 3-point play by Jack McMullen. Chagrin Falls took one final lead later in the third quarter when Xavier Perez stole a pass and passed to Tate Yonker for a layup to go ahead, 46-44.
Toth answered with a basket, and Joshua Bruce scored on an offensive rebound, was fouled, and sank the free throw to put Chardon back in front for good.
Chagrin Falls drew within 62-60 in the fourth quarter on two Josh Norton free throws, but Sulka scored three straight baskets to push it back out to 68-60.
“In these types of games, your big-time players have to make big-time plays,” Chardon coach Chad Murawski said. “Brady and Sulka did that, they got going, then the pieces we have around them are incredible when they get going.
“It was a total team effort
offensively and defensively. The coaches did a great job preparing the team, they executed, and I’m very proud of their effort.”
Bruce chipped in 11 points for Chardon, 9 in the second half. The Hilltoppers have a chance at redemption against the Pirates in the sectional final.
“I’m looking for a great game,” Murawski said of the upcoming matchup. “Coach Iacofano runs a great program. They’ve got some dudes that we’re going to have to compete with, and we’ll give it our best shot and see where we’re at.”
Four players finished in double figures for Chagrin Falls, led by Perez with 23 points. Norton added 19, and Mullen and Yonker tallied 12 each. Jack Stauffer chipped in 7 points.
All are part of a strong senior class that left its mark on the Chagrin Falls program, with a CVC division title last season on its resume.
“They put a banner up there last year,” Bargar said. “They were CVC champs. They’re winners and champions in my book and in life. They’re all going to be stars somewhere down the line because of the way the approach their schooling, games, and everything.”