Chagrin Falls' improbable run since sitting at 2-4 back in late December has carried them into the Sweet Sixteen, where they got a date with Canton Central Catholic on March 11 at Canton Memorial Fieldhouse in a Division V Region 17 semifinal.
Chagrin Falls’ improbable run since sitting at 2-4 back in late December has carried them into the Sweet Sixteen, where they got a date with Canton Central Catholic on March 11 at Canton Memorial Fieldhouse in a Division V Region 17 semifinal.
A downright historic turn of events kept the Tigers still dancing in March after a 49-36 district championship win over Norwayne on March 7.
“Points were hard to come by, but in the second half we were able to get up and down the floor a little bit more,” Chagrin Falls Head Coach Dave Bargar said. “(Norwayne) tried to run a half-court trap, and that opened up some alleys for us to get some easy baskets. Because of the way the game was being played, getting a five-point lead felt like a double-digit lead, and our guys just figured out a way to win it down the stretch like they’ve done all year.”
Finding a way to win has been one of the Tiger’ messages in this winning streak, and it is even noted on their whiteboard as the last key.
“Our three messages in the tournament — the last one on the board every time (is) ‘find a way,’” Coach Bargar said. “Find a way. We’ve been in a lot of tough games. I can’t describe what this season has been like. You win 17 games in a row in basketball, even for elite teams, that’s hard. It’s really, really hard to do. It’s a surreal feeling. All of a sudden, you’re just in it. These kids have really bought into it, and that’s the best part.”
In their district semifinal win over South Range, it was all about the hot shooting from Brady DeVito early (18 points, five 3-pointers), then the lockdown defense of Brady Kaas on the Raiders’ Timmy Titas.
“It was definitely just straight energy, getting up in his face all the way down the court and not letting him get good looks or even let him get the ball,” Kaas said. “We do that in practice, where I face-guard whoever it happens to be. Coach (Dave) Bargar puts the trust in me to go up against him and make sure he doesn’t get those good shots anymore.”
In their district title game, it was all about junior guard Jake Vasko’s eruption for 25 of his team’s 49 points scored.
“That’s a pretty good percentage,” Coach Bargar said. “He’s really an unassuming guy, but he shoots it really well, and one thing that makes it so tough to guard him is that he moves really well without the ball.
“He got a lot of buckets that way in the second half, just by cutting to the basket when we were driving, and he was also the beneficiary of some of our fast breaks. He did a fantastic job, and we needed somebody to step up and score because (scoring) was like pulling teeth for a while.”
The run isn’t over, but Canton Central Catholic would be no easy task on Wednesday.
“Our message doesn’t change,” Coach Bargar said. “Our guys have always been in the moment, and … I think anytime you’re in a championship game, it feels different, and I think our guys will be more loose on Wednesday when we play, even though it’s going to be a really difficult opponent. I think we’ll play more free and easy because there is some pressure off of them of winning a district championship.”
It’s also hard to quantify the experience of winning 18 consecutive games.
“Words are not going to do justice to these guys with what they have been able to accomplish, with all the injuries that we had, and to go out there every single game and compete, especially since the calendar went to 2026,” said their coach. “Not losing a game in this calendar year when we faced some really tough opponents is just a testament to these guys. I mean, we had different guys today step up off the bench. Brady Kaas, again, had a really, really good day for us defensively. I think he only maybe scored one bucket, but he impacted the game as much as anyone defensively. Peter Fischer gave us some great minutes off the bench, as did Jack Orazen.
“It’s a great team win, and team wins are cliché, but I think certainly that is exactly what our team seems to accomplish every time they go out on the floor.”
