That all changed Friday night as Boardman took down Cardinal Mooney 52-37 in front of a packed crowd. Spartans coach Pat Birch compared the crowd to a tournament atmosphere, but kept his players focused on the main goal.

“I told these guys before the game ‘we’ll soak this in for a second’,” Birch said. “You’ve got a whole community here waiting to cheer you on and to me, that’s what’s really special. …Credit to these guys. They work hard and they play the right way. When you do those things, people want to see you succeed.”

Boardman went into the half with a five-point lead, but once the Spartan offense settled down, the shots were falling a lot easier.

“I think we decided to settle ourselves,” Birch said. “We were trying to do too much. We were going a little bit too one-on-one. … Second half I think we adjusted by moving a little bit more, guys got a little more open and found a rhythm and I firmly believe that when you find a rhythm offensively, that’s when the shots will go.”

Staff photo / Brian Yauger Cardinal Mooney’s Michael Pelini, left, lays the ball up for the Cardinals while Boardman’s Ethan Andersen defends. Pelini scored 14 points.

One player that thrived when the team got into a rhythm was Tommy Fryda. Fryda scored 16-points in the second half. Going into the fourth quarter, where Fryda scored 11, Birch kept reminding the team to not let up.

“He told us to keep pushing through it,” Fryda said. “‘We’ve got to pull away’ and that’s what we did.”

Fryda and Derrick Anderson led the Spartan offense with Fryda’s 19 points and Anderson’s 18. Anderson, the reigning All-American Conference Player of the Year, continues to improve every time he steps on the court.

“Derrick continues to make plays that really don’t surprise anyone anymore at this point,” Birch said. “I think he’s the best kid around here and he’s resulting in a lot of highs with his ability.”

Fryda has come into his own over the last week, and according to Birch, has been making near-impossible shots look easy.

“Tommy, the last two games in particular, there’s been a difference,” Birch said. “He came out against Lake on Tuesday and exploded. I think the basket looked as big as the ocean, he just kept firing.”

Mike Pelini finished the game with a team-high 14 points for the Cardinals.

The tournament atmosphere wasn’t just a benefit for Boardman, Mooney coach Carey Palermo is glad his players are getting the preparation early with a slate of tough games over the next couple weeks.

“Our kids are getting a really good experience as far as the tournament atmosphere,” Palermo said. “With these high profile games coming up it allows us to prepare ourselves for that atmosphere. Tonight I don’t think the crowd or the pressure bothered us, there was just a two minute stretch where they hit a bucket or two, we turned it over a couple of times and they converted.”

After hosting Chaney to close out the year, the Cardinals go on a four-game road trip against Harding, East, Ursuline and Warren John F. Kennedy.

Boardman returns home to host Poland where Birch expects to see a similar styled game to what they faced against Mooney.

“I think we’ll see a similar game plan where theyre going to grind out possessions and try to get in the half court,” he said. “We’ve got to find a lot of energy and try to get the game up and down.”