“Nothing is given; everything is earned.” stated Coach Andy Olesky last Friday night and no words could ever ring truer.
The No.2-seeded G-Men made their way to the Warren Division III District championship where they beat out the No.1-seeded, and previously unbeaten, Leavittsburg LaBrae, 58-56 in a game that at times stopped the hearts of many G-Men fans — fans that spent most of the fourth quarter on their feet.
The G-Men didn’t let a previous meeting with the Vikings set the tone for the evening — the G-Men came to play and play they did! They came in mentally and physically strong – unwilling to let this game end their season.
Tied at the end of the first half, the resilient G-Men pulled ahead in the third quarter and fought hard to keep the lead until the final buzzer – making them District Champions for the first time in school history.
Garfield senior Tommy Bissler finished the night with 22 points and Dalton Fall with 15 points, however it was an entire team effort that won this game.
The G-Men (18-8) advanced to the state Regional Tournament on Wednesday night (after press time) where they faced No. 8 Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (19-6) at the Canton Fieldhouse.
Look for more about the G-Men in next week’s Villager.
