ONTARIO — Mansfield is Titletown once again.
The Mansfield Senior Tygers knocked off Lima Shawnee 64-61 in the Division III district championship game on Saturday, March 7, at Ontario High School for the program’s first district title since 2013-14. It was a long 12 years for head coach Marquis Sykes, but it was a feat he believed could happen.
“It feels really good because the guys worked their tails off to get to this point,” Sykes said.
The Tygers jumped out to a quick 21-16 lead after the first quarter before seeing that lead disappear when Lima Shawnee hit them with an 18-11 advantage in before halftime to go into the break with a 34-32 lead.
But it was one shot that changed the destiny of the game. With time winding down, senior DJ Corbin collected a pass and fired a deep 3-pointer that swished through the net as time expired. It helped the Tygers go into the half trailing by two rather than five and grabbed all of the momentum back on their side.
“The shot he hit at halftime, that was the biggest shot of the game,” Sykes said. “They had all of the momentum and felt like the tables turned. He hit that big shot, gave us our confidence back and we were able to take the lead in the second half because of what that shot did for us.”
The Tygers used that shot to break out toa 15-8 advantage in the third before closing out the game and earning the first district championship in more than a decade.
Sophomore Kaylen Brooks led the way with 21 points while Andrew Brooks Jr. added 16, Davion Mack had 10, Rashad Reed Jr. scored eight, Corbin chipped in with seven and D’Vontae Johnson rounded out the scoring with two.
“We have been preparing for this moment right here for three weeks,” Brooks Jr. said. “Sykes put it in our head that this was his first time being here as a head coach and we were underdogs. I wanted to come in and prove to everyone my worth to this team. I left it all on the floor.”
Brooks Jr. drew a tough task of guarding one of Shawnee’s two Bertke brothers, Trevick and Beckett, who combined for 43 of Shawnee’s 61 points. Brooks Jr. handed that assignment and then some as he was a sparkplug on the offensive end.
Especially when Shawnee went to a box-and-1 on the defensive end to try and slow down Brooks, who knocked down three 3-pointers.
“We really didn’t have an answer for their box-and-1 initially, but coach Lance Hood drew up some stuff for us that got us a little more movement and action where we attacked the paint,” Sykes said. “We were able to make shots, get out in transition, open the floor up and bring their bigs out and that was when we opened the game up a little bit.”
Mix that with a defensive intensity and it was the perfect district championship recipe for the Tygers.
“Obviously, they are bigger and stronger than us,” Sykes said. “They had the advantage in the post, but our advantage was in the front court with our ability to pressure and defend in the full court. We wore them down a little bit at the end of the game.”
Brooks added five rebounds and four steals while Corbin collected five boards and two assists. Brooks couldn’t be happier to bring a title home to Mansfield Senior.
“It doesn’t really feel real right now,” Brooks said. “We have been through so much adversity throughout the season with tough losses, but one thing we did was stick together. In moments like this, it all pays off. This is a surreal feeling. I am so thankful for my community and teammates.”
And his family.
“It’s a legacy,” Brooks said. “My dad used to play here and did the same things we are doing right now when he was in high school. To be able to carry the torch that he passed to me. It is a great feeling to make him and the entire city proud.”
The Tygers (18-7) now take on Alliance (23-2) at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11 at the University of Toledo in the Division III regional semifinals. The Tygers are also looking for their first regional tournament win since that 2013-14 season.
“We have the potential to do it, we just have to stay disciplined,” Corbin said. “We missed a lot of free throws tonight so we need to tighten that up, turn our pressure up some more and knock down more shots.”
But before they get to the regional, Sykes wants to make sure his guys take the time to enjoy the moment of winning an elusive district championship. He feels this could be the return of something special in the program.
“This is Tyger Basketball,” Sykes said. “This feels exactly what it is supposed to feel like right here. I am so happy and so excited. I am happy for our guys and our city. I am happy for myself.”
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield Senior Tygers are district champs for first time in 12 years
Reporting by Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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