Bees Boys Basketball

 

DAY TWO AT CAMP

By Dom DiPasqua/Staff Writer

Thursday night, June 19, 2014. Posted at 11:17 pm.

This is part two of a three-part story.

SHERRODSVILLE – Overnight rain had puddled the parking lot of the Schoenbrunn Inn on Route 39 in New Philadelphia. Dark clouds hung in the morning sky. The air was cool and clammy. It was 6:39 am.

Back inside at the hotels breakfast nook, Normandy head coach and former Bees assistant Timmy Schmotzer was the first familiar face I saw. With a styrofoam coffee cup in his hand and a fresh off-the-press copy of the local daily, The Times-Reporter, under his other arm Coach Schmotzer was talking a mile a minute. Even at that hour he was excited. He was going to coach basketball, in shorts and a t-shirt – all day long, in whatever elements Mother Nature would deal him.

Wisps of fog began to slowly evaporate, rising from the hollows on the way to Eastern Ohio Basketball Camp. An old, pot-bellied coach from parts unknown walked bare-back across the camps gravel parking lot, a towel was draped around his neck. He was off for an early morning dip in the pool.

Players sauntered down the hill from breakfast. The Bees were easy to spot. Red and gold stands out among the lush dark green background of the heavily wooded perimeter. At 6-4 Demetrius Maddox looked like a skyscraper in the country.

On The Road

Jimmy Henyey reported that he found his blueberry muffins. He ate three of the four and shared another. Thunder ripped through the valley as teams boarded four starkly painted dark gray buses for the 25-minute ride to Tuscarawas Valley Middle School. “This is like Shawshank Redemption,” Brecksville-Broadview Heights head coach Steve Mehalik said while climbing aboard one of them.

The scribe opted for the Blue Goose, following the caravan through the dips and ascending and descending s-curves to Tusky Valley. The Bees would be playing indoors this morning. It didn’t matter. It was basketball.

Sophomore forward Matt Dimitrijevs joined the team this morning, having left home at 6:00 am to get to camp. He yawned his way into the middle school gym.

Maddox wore two pairs of rainbow colored socks that looked like a lava lamp, left over from 1975, had exploded above his sneakers. The games for day two at camp had begun.  Schmotzer, ever a bearer for detail, complained that they didn’t start on time.

Sluggish Start

Mehalik was not happy with Brecksville’s performance against East Canton. Nearby Indian Valley provided the competition in game two. It was a sloppy contest, but the Bees play improved slightly.

The journey through the small schools from all points on the Ohio map continued. Fort Recovery was next. Beeville got into the grove, passing the ball around the perimeter, finding the open man and matching buckets with The Fort. Jake Sweeney’s break-away layup at the buzzer won it for the good guys.

Norton was waiting in the wings. The Panthers returned the favor, eking one out with a buzzer-beater of their own. Game five was a re-match with Lowellville. Brecksville was not as crisp against the Rockets as they were Sunday night. At one point a wayward basketball found its way into a 55-gallon garbage can in the corner of the gym. “We want the ball to go in the other basket. Not that basket,” Mehalik quipped as Dan Harwood retrieved the orange. At least the coach still had his sense of humor.

Life in a Distant County

During a break before a game with Tecumseh Harwood asked, “Why is it that everywhere I put down my stuff a million guys sit down by it? Every time!”

The Bees battled against a scrappy Tecumseh team. Soon they would board the prison bus and travel back to camp.

“Where is Tecumseh?”, the scribed asked one of its players.

“It’s by New Carlisle,” he replied, pronouncing the town NEWCAR-lyle.

“Where is NEWCAR-lyle?”, the scribe beckoned.

With an incredulous look the player asked, “Have you ever heard of Springfield?”

I guess you need to be Rand McNally to cover games at EOBC.

The BP station in Monroe Township, a suburb (if you will) of Sherrodsville, was doing brisk business. The female townsfolk gossiped openly at the counter. The pace is slow in these parts. The conversation was of the upcoming Sherrodsville Community Festival. The event is certain to draw dozens. Brecksville Home Days it is not.

Back at camp the Olmsted Falls coaches were exiting another bus. “I got one for you,” said Bulldog assistant coach Kevin Ciolek. “On the first day of camp Coach Mehalik was a great example of how to handle Eastern Ohio. He took a charge from Coach Huggins during the demonstration of what not to do.”

Star Gazing

After a lunch that consisted of sawdust-like burrito meat and corn out of a can all eyes turned to court one where tryouts for the camps all-star team were taking place. Mehalik nominated senior guard Luke Cipolla. Forty players played in alternating sets against each other. Only three from this camp session would be chosen to represent EOBC at a national all-star game in Las Vegas in July.

Cipolla, a second-team All-Southwestern Conference performer last season, played very well. He made the cut on a vote of coaches who huddled after the game upstairs in the legendary Bearcat Lodge. Luke would be among the final 14 that would play it out on Tuesday for an all-expense paid trip to southern Nevada and a shot at playing in front of college scouts.

“It was a typical showcase. I just tried to play the game the way I know how,” Cipolla, whose sweet no-look assist drew applause from the hundreds of campers that were clustered around the court, said.

By 1:15 the temperature was 88 degrees and the Mercury was inching north. The air was thick. It was summer with a vengeance. Snow days were a distant memory.

By this time BBHHS assistant coach Greg Sejba had arrived. He instantly fell in love with the place. “This is great,” Sejba said with a big grin. “I wish I could have come here as a player.”

 

Friends and Foes

Brecksville faced Olmsted Falls on open air court seven. There are no secrets between these two Southwestern Conference rivals. The coaching staffs are great acquaintances. They sit near each other when scouting mutual opponents. Their relationship is one of pure respect.

In as highly competitive game as you would expect from these two long-time foes, which was played in searing heat without the faintest hint of a breeze, Cipolla caught a bow to the jaw. No one kept score. There was no reason to. Both teams were just trying to get better. I called it a draw. “We competed well,” Mehalik told his team.

Shortly into the next game, played on the same court against Field. The rains came. The concrete court became slick in a hurry. Both coaches looked at each other and shook their heads. The game was called on account of unsafe playing conditions. Cover was taken.

Rain, Rain Go Away

“I always wondered what it would sound like if I lived in a house with a steel roof when it rained. Now I know,” Sejba said as the Bees staff hunkered down under the double pavilion.

The downpour didn’t last long, just a passing summer shower. At least eight EOBC staff members took to courts six and seven with long-handled squeegies and industrial leaf blowers. Before long the courts were playable. If anyone knows how important playing basketball games is, it’s the Huggins clan.

While waiting for the next cluster of games, coaches familiar with each other bantered while Mehalik was busy turning assistant coach John Silva’s trunk into an ice chest on wheels.

This exchange took place.

“What took you so long to get here? Stevie was worried,” Schmotzer asked Sejba.

“I’m not a teacher. I have to work,” Sejba replied.

“I’m not a salesman so I cant make money,” Schmotzer shot back.

And so the afternoon went.

Blue Skies Forever 

The afternoon became picture-perfect. The shower lowered the humidity. The sky morphed into a soft blue. Marlington (Northeastern Buckeye Conference) and Elyria Catholic (West Shore Conference) were waiting under single-pavilion court four. The most regal court on the grounds.

A perspiration saturated Marlington Dukes player swatted away a fly while guarding Cipolla. Luke broke his defenders ankles and spotted up to drain a three. A minute later the Bees number 5 chased the ball into the nearby thicket of briar. “Just pull the pricker branches back and get the ball,” offered Sejba without missing a beat. “Luke is looking for Sasquatch,” Dee Maddox said with a grin. Harwood noted that the team already found the shaggy beast.

Mehalik’s father, Bill, arrived in time for the game with E-C. Mr. Mehalik and the scribe enjoyed a delightfully long, lazy summer afternoon chatting about the virtues of this part of the state while the Bees handed the Spartans their first loss of the camp.

Dinner was served and that gave Sejba a chance to cart Mehalik and company up the hill in his vehicle. And he took the opportunity to check out Brecksville’s dorm. “It’s phenomenal. I’d sleep here. No problem,” said Sejba.

Dog Days of Summer

After dinner on day two is when players, coaches and tag-a-long media types become catatonic. The games become a blur. The senses are numbed, yet somehow heightened to a focused gaze by the steady routine of play two games. Rest. Play two games. Rest. Basketball becomes you. It is who you are. It was what you do.

Somewhere in the dog daze the Bees played Sparta Highland. Where is Sparta? “It’s near Centerburg,” replied their coach. Here we go again. Where is Centerburg? “It’s in the geographic center of Ohio. 17 miles north of Columbus,” he added. Thanks coach. No need now to consult my dog-eared Rand McNally.

Item: A mom drove five hours from Ashland, Kentucky (Boyd County as the locals call it) to deliver her son his cell phone. “He probably has a million text messages from his girl friend,” the women said in a distinct and heavy Ohio River dialect. She waited for what seemed like a half hour. She spotted her son amid the mass of sweaty, shirtless upper torsos, gave him the phone, kissed him on the cheek. And then drive five hours home. That is what moms do.

Combat Duty

The Bees 11th game of the day was against East Canton again. This time on court one. I viewed this scrimmage chatting with the official EOBC medical trainer. No one calls him by his real name. But the Huggins call him “Combat”. Combat and I have become friends over the years.

“I had a bad day,” Combat, whose real job is the trainer at Tusky Valley High School, said. (Think of Combat as a Trainer Tom.)

“This morning, while you guys were at the middle school, a kid landed hard on the hump that the hoop is on on court four. He broke his ankle. It was bad. As bad as I’ve ever seen. We called the squad. They took him to New Philly. But he needed surgery. They took him up to Mercy Hospital in Canton and he had screws and a pin put in. Somehow his teammates had pictures of his post-surgery x-rays on their cell phones. Here’s the kicker,” Combat said, shaking his head. “He is one of mine. He goes to Tusky Valley. And his dad is an orthopedic surgeon.”

Eastern Ohio Basketball Camp is like being in the service. You just never want to see Combat.

Not Rocket Science

After hearing that sobering story this enlightening conversation took place with one of the East Canton players. How come you guys are the Rockets and your girls team is called the Wizards? The scribe implored. “The Rockets is our real nickname, but a long time ago our girls team went to the state tournament. Our school is actually in Oz Township. A sportswriter called them the Wizards of Oz. And it stuck,” he said with a smile.

Somewhere over the rainbow Dan Auble dozed. He and his Brecksville teammates were laying flat. Shirtless and zonked out on the concrete surface just off court four. They were lined up like sardines, their knapsacks as pillows. Only a 16-year old could catch some shut-eye like that.

Soon it was off to the Barnasium for the final two games of the longest day in camp. Liberty-Benton and Strasburg were waiting in the open barn doors while anther game was wrapping up.

An Old-Fashioned Barn Dance

“This is like playing in the industrial arts room,” Mehalik said when he walked into the red barn. “Old Bessie got milked in here a few times,” added Sejba.

Meanwhile Silva had his game face on. He had seen Liberty-Benton play earlier and he liked the way they played defense.

Andrew Bruno, who had a sensational camp at both ends of the floor, playing serious minutes without as much as batting an eye, opened the game against L-B with a steal and a score. P.J. Austin came off the bench and added another bucket the same way. Henyey snagged a rebound and put it back in with a reverse layup that drew a chorus of “Yaaaaa’s” from his teammates who crammed themselves onto a dilapidated wooden bench.

Brecksville imposed its will on Liberty-Benton. Silva’s concerns quickly melted away. The Bees knew exactly how they wanted to end their day and they did it with swift precision.

Strasburg witnessed this emaciation from the far corner of the barn. When they lined up to face Beeville their eyes were as big as saucers. They too had had a long day. The Tigers were in for a serious taming.

Mehalik let Sejba take the reins for the nightcap. The Bees made him look like Coach K. Jake Sweeney ran the floor for a layup. Bruno made a steal and went coast-to-coast on the 50-foot plastic floor. Auble made yet another steal and gave it up to a streaking teammate for a deuce. The Tigers coach had both his hands on his head. Cipolla drained a triple. Strasburg had not yet scored. “Coach, can I get a quick time out?”, the opposing coach asked of Sejba.

The onslaught continued. Maddox finished off a solid day by tallying on a reverse layup. Luke drilled another trey. Good night Irene!

Mehalik congratulated his team on another excellent day of basketball. After a less than stellar start, way back at Tusky Valley Middle School, Brecksville had turned it on, game-by-game, as the day progressed. They jump-started themselves against Olmsted Falls just after lunch. They weathered a rain delay and got better with each game. The effort was there. The results were palpable.

Winding Down

The coach was happy as his players lugged their tied and aching bodies back up the hill to a shower, a meal and a futile search for more muffins.

Mehalik watched his team grow over the course of the last day and a half. He too was ready for a shower and a good meal. Sejba and Silva beat us both to the Texas Road House in New Philly and killed several appetizers while waiting.

“All I had today was about eight protein bars. I don’t want to see another one of those things for six months,” Silva said while cutting into a ribs and chicken combo platter.

The seat of Tuscarawas County was turning out its lights as the coaches walked out into the parking lot on a clue given by the waitress who began putting chairs on tables.

Another day at EOBC was in the books. Tomorrow would be another one, filled with hoops and dreams. That’s how summer vacation should be.

 

Please stay tuned to the Bees website. Part three of this three-part story should be posted Friday night.

 

See You At The Bee Hive!

To contact: Ddipa67834@aol.com.

Follow the Lady Bees on-line at: beesbasketball.com.

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