It’s been 13 years since the Clearview boys have advanced to a regional basketball tournament.
They’re going to one tonight in Bowling Green, and those who make up the Clippers’ famously avid and close-knit sports community are going with them in large numbers.

“This means a lot to everyone,” said the Clippers’ Kyle Baughman, a 6-foot-1 senior guard. “Everyone’s talking about it, everyone’s excited about it. I’m not used to walking down the street or I see someone in a store and they recognize me and say, ‘Good luck.’ It’s pretty cool. The whole community is really pumped and we hope we can keep going.”

To keep going, Clearview has to knock off the Celina Bulldogs (15-8) in a Division II regional semifinal tonight at Bowling Green State University. Tipoff is 6:15.

The winner will play the winner of the second game between fourth-ranked Port Clinton and No. 7 Defiance at 3 p.m. Saturday. A spot in the Final Four hangs in the balance.

To have a shot, the Clippers will also have to contend with Celina’s superior height and sharp outside shooting. Coach John Szalay said he has not seen the Bulldogs play, but had a scout at their district championship game with Elida.

“They’re very solid,” he said. “Every starter is over 6-foot, 6-4 being the tallest. They didn’t go really deep into the bench in their district final. They try to control the tempo, they’ll make extra passes. They play man-to-man defense with a lot of weak-side help and I think they’ll probably collapse worrying about us beating them off the dribble.

“I think it’s just a matter of who can play their style better Thursday night,” said Szalay. “If they slow us down and take care of the ball, then we’re going to have a rough time. But if we can make them hurry a little bit and get some turnovers, I think we’ll be right there.”

“We heard they’re big,” said Tony Williams, the Clippers’ 6-0 senior shooting guard. “The coaches told us that last game they shot 6-of-10 from the 3-point line so we’re going to have to defend the arc and use our speed and quickness.

“We’re pretty confident but we’re not cocky. We want to go out and have fun and win this game for our community. We want to see how far we can go, make it to the Final Four and see if we can win state.”

Iowa recruit Anthony Hitchens, a 6-1 senior wing, said the team has been working hard since last summer.

“We knew we had a bunch of veterans coming back,” he said. “They’re all good athletes, but athletes aren’t enough to win a championship. It’s about work ethic and the team. We’ve been working since the summer and we haven’t stopped since the summer.

“We knew we were going to have a good year, but no idea we’d come this far. We always wanted to keep one goal in mind and that’s state. Only one team can win state every year, but we’re (seniors) going to keep working hard because the underclassmen feed off of us. They can be in the same spot next year. They’re very good underclassmen.”

The Clippers’ last appearance in a regional was 1997. That team was a little different than this year’s, Szalay said.

“I think we had a little more size in ’97,” Szalay said. “We had some big guys who I thought were go-to guys. We had a real nice group. The group I have this year is probably better defensively, though. They’re a little more athletic and they use their quickness a little better. They do some things that upset other teams.

“The other team was a good defensive team as well. But we played a lot of zone and this team is playing a lot more man and trapping and being aggressive. That (’97) team was probably a little better offensively and this team is a little better defensively.”

But the community remains the same, and that’s supportive of Clearview athletic teams.

“This means a lot to the community,” Hitchens said. “Coach Szalay and our coaches all grew up around here. It’s a small town. Everybody knows everybody, and everybody’s rooting for us. All we gotta do is bring one home.”

“The things our parents give our kids are values and they’re very supportive of them,” said Szalay, who played on Clearview’s 1974 state championship team. “They’re doing everything they can to help the kids enjoy this week. They’ve gone out of their way to make sure they’re supporting them without putting too much pressure on them.

“I saw a lot of alumni at our last two games at Westlake. I think that brings back a little of that sense of tradition. They definitely get behind them and support them. It’s a good feeling right now. It’s good to see kids rewarded for hard work.”

Tonight

• Who: Clearview (21-2) vs. Celina (15-8)
• What: Division II regional semifinal
• Time: 6:15
• Where: Anderson Arena, Bowling Green State University
• Radio: WEOL 930-AM, WOBL 1320-AM
• At stake: A berth in Saturday’s regional championship game at 3 p.m.

Contact Bob Daniels at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

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