Tigers' historic season ends in regional semifinal

CANTON – Seneca East's best performance still might not have been enough. The Tigers' best season in school history ran into a powerhouse in Richmond Heights on Tuesday and it wasn't pretty. Seneca East fell behind quickly and often against the No. 3 Spartans and lost, 87-37, in a Division IV regional semifinal at Canton Fieldhouse. "Us calling plays was out the window right off the bat," SE coach Anthony Langhurst said. "They're quick with their hands and quick with their feet. Their anticipation is off the charts. It's like the most simple basic pass - everything had to be perfect. "Even when you beat one dude, they always had another athlete there waiting for you." The Tigers finish the season 21-6. Seneca East won its first league title since 2002, advanced to the district round for the first time since 1990, and then won the school's first-ever district title last week. "They're going to be able to look in the gym and see their class up there three different times on the banner," Langhurst said. "That's something that will bond them all. They're going to meet each other down the line and they're going to remember that." Richmond Heights (16-9) is no ordinary Division IV team. The Spartans face perhaps the toughest schedule in the state of Ohio, facing the likes of Cleveland St. Ignatius, Pickerington Central, Garfield Heights, Lutheran East, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron Buchtel, and Lakewood St. Edward. The Spartans even played a nationally televised game on ESPN2 earlier this season. The Tigers had a tough go of it from the tip. Richmond Heights led 7-0 just 45 seconds in, playing at a frantic pace. Seneca East committed turnover after turnover and when the Tigers did get the ball up court, it faced height and size everywhere on the court. That led to quick shots that often found rim, but not the net. Timeouts didn't do anything to help Seneca East as the Spartans scored the first 35 points of the game. Just a 3-pointer by Aiden Hines got the Tigers on the board in the first quarter. Richmond Heights led 37-3 after eight minutes. Seneca East was able to shoot a little bit better in the second quarter. Lucas Bordner nailed a 3 and Blake Foos scored on a putback. Bordner added a second and third 3-pointer later in the quarter, but the Spartans were relentless. Demarris Winters tallied 18 points in the first quarter alone while Dorian Jones came on strong. Seneca East had 17 turnovers by halftime and trailed 63-19. "The games were great, but just hanging with the guys," said Langhurst of what he'll miss the most about this group. "Seeing how much they love being around each other. Practices on a Sunday morning can drag, but you have a Luke Mason who gets excited for a lay-up line drill or a Blake Foos who really wants to compete in a mundane passing drill. "That's the biggest thing we'll miss next year. We have some big shoes to fill." Whether against Richmond Heights or any other team, the Tigers didn't shoot well. Seneca East missed its first 14 shots before Hines' triple. The Tigers were just 7-of-32 in the first half and 13-of-47 for the night. "We had some shots that went in and out," Langhurst said. "It is one of those things where even when they're not blocking shots, they alter shots or you're thinking about a defender." After trailing 35-0, Seneca East was only outscored 40-32 through the end of the third quarter. A running clock was in effect for the entirety of the second half. "I was just proud of the way our guys continued to compete," Langhurst said. "They easily could've hung their head and felt sorry for themselves. I didn't necessarily have to reinforce that, but they continued to battle." Bordner topped the Tigers with 16 points. Mason backed him with eight points. Both are underclassmen and will return for Seneca East next season. "Lucas is a shot maker," said Langhurst of the junior. "He was comfortable out there because he's one of the best athletes in the area. It was nice to see him get going because we were hoping for buckets at a time." The loss brought an end to the careers of Aiden Hines, Jake Bowerman, Caden Fritz, Foos, Lucas Hicks, and Keeno Ruffing. The group has set the standard for the future with what they were able to accomplish in their time together. "That group of seniors are going to be missed," Langhurst said. "I think (assistant) coach (Doug) Mason put it best that they make mundane practice drills fun and competitive. That's going to be the biggest thing. "We (will) miss that leadership. Obviously they do a lot of great things on the floor, but on a day-to-day basis, they do things the right way." Richmond Heights 87, Seneca East 37 Richmond Heights (16-9): DeErick Barber 0-2-2; Demarris Winters 9-1-22; Hosea Steele 4-1-9; Jeremy Wilson 4-1-9; Dorian Jones 9-0-21; Bryalen Salters 3-0-8; Tyson Garner 1-6-9; Joey Emory 2-0-4; Chevy Dozier 1-0-3. Totals: 33-11-87. Seneca East (21-6): Aiden Hines 1-2-5; Luke Mason 3-1-8; Lucas Bordner 6-0-16; Blake Foos 1-0-2; Lucas Hicks 0-0-0; Keeno Ruffing 1-0-2; Caden Fritz 1-2-4. Totals: 13-5-37.Richmond Hts. 37 26 12 12 — 87 Seneca East 3 16 13 5 — 37 Field goals: Richmond Heights 33-62; Seneca East 13-47. 3-point goals: Richmond Heights 10-20 (Winters 3, Jones 3, Salters 2, Garner, Dozier); Seneca East 6-12 (Bordner 4, Hines, Mason). Foul shots: Richmond Heights 11-15; Seneca East 5-7. Rebounds: Richmond Heights 33 (Winters 6); Seneca East 33 (Mason 8). Turnovers: Richmond Heights 10; Seneca East 28.