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Yappi.com writer MASSILLON-He is seen as a father figure to the young men that play and practice under his watch. At times, he can be an exacting figure that is always pushing his players. When he is not shouting instructions adamantly, he can be seen joking with his players and having a good time. Enter the realm of 47-year-old Massillon commander Matt Creamer. Through 10 years as the lead man in the Tiger City, the Tigers have always been a competitive team under his tenure. It was three years ago that the program was at it's peak when the Tigers took away the Canton sectional-district championship from defending kingpin Canton McKinley in a 71-67 win and went on to complete the 2002-03 season as regional finalists with a 22-4 record. Three years later, the Tigers are showing shades of that 2003 team as they are 9-1 after 10 games. "It's about the kids and their hard work including the fact that we share the ball in our system. Plus, we have good balance, shot selection, and defense every night," he said of his team. "We are committed to getting better each day and we are halfway there after 10 games." The Tigers are coming off a momentum-boosting win over GlenOak Tuesday night at GlenOak High School. With the consistent play of Michael Porrini, Greg Fite, Mario Edwards and Ricardo Wells, those players are a big reason why Creamer's Tigers will contend with Dave Hoover's Canton McKinley Bulldogs for the sectional-district crown. While there is no bad blood between Creamer and Hoover, the former was quick to hold off on speaking about the importance of the January 31st contest to be played in the Tigers' 2,967-seat gym. "I'll leave that to media experts like you to discuss," Creamer said when asked about his team contending with the Bulldogs. "For now, our focus is on Youngstown Ursuline. It's too early to look forward to Canton McKinley. We'll think about the Bulldogs when that time comes." It is not a mistake that the Tigers are probably the closest competition to their archrivals right now. But don't expect Creamer or his players to begin looking forward to the Bulldogs at least for the next 12 days. TIGERS ON THE PROWL It is not a mistake that they are 9-1 on the season with their lone loss coming to Zanesville. Most of the Tigers wins have come on the road and playing in hostile gyms such as Warren Harding, GlenOak, and Cleveland St. Ignatius all of which can be intimidating challenges. But the Tigers came away unscathed. And they are in a position to clinch the top-seed in the sectional-district tournament, which begins in late February. "Warren Harding and GlenOak were seed games (in terms of seeding) and those games were on the road," Creamer said. "And those were great wins. You have to understand that this is a great year of hoops in Stark County." The Tigers have held their own for the first 10 games of the season. They have proven why they can compete with the rest of the elite teams in the county. A good case in point is that four of Creamer's 10 Massillon teams have been seeded either first or second in his tenure. And this team is in position for one of the coveted top two spots in the sectional-district brackets. CROWD PRAISE…OR CREAMER'S CONFINES ON THE BENCH There are basketball players that are blessed with exceptional talent. Creamer has seen that from players who have played on his team or on past teams. However, if there is one thing that peeves him to an extent, it is when some of his players attempt to go for the flash instead of playing the Massillon basketball he knows they can play. That is not to say that they cannot do their own thing. However, he wants them to understand the difference between a great play and a botched play that can impress a crowd or draw moans over the course of the game. "Look at it this way; I don't want them to be like robots. I like to give them some latitude when they are on the floor," Creamer said. But missed dunks and superstar-like plays are enough to frustrate him if he is pushed that far. "When the players get dramatic instead of doing what they have to do, that is when I have to draw the line," he added. CREAMER'S COMMENTS ON CANTON MCKINLEY AND HIS SUCCESSES "We're a well-respected program. We seek respect, we don't demand it," Creamer said. "You have to understand that you earn respect, not demand it." Creamer has had his string of successes against Canton McKinley. His first win came during the 1999 season at the Canton Memorial Field House with a 51-48 triumph over the hosts. It was a win that gave the Tigers the top seed for the 1999 tournament. Three years later, the Tigers pulled off a stunning 51-48 win on their home floor, which was the first Massillon win over the Bulldogs in 31 years. That win also gave the Tigers the top seed for the sectional-district tournament. The win was punctuated with fans storming the floor to celebrate the feat with players in a moment reminiscent of a team having won the NCAA basketball championship. The next season, the Tigers turned back Canton McKinley, not once, but twice. The second one moved the district title back to the Tiger City. The Columbus St. Charles High School alumnus reached the peak of his coaching career with that triumph and the Massillon program was at the height of its dominance. "The district title always goes through Canton McKinley, always. Our team was hard-working and we had talented players on our team," he said, referring to the 2002-03 team. "Canton McKinley is a class act and any time you beat them, you know they are going to go out with class and dignity. Massillon has beaten them 44 times and no other school has beaten them more than us. People can talk all they want but no one has beaten them more than we have." TIGERS PUSH FOR NEXT 10 GAMES This is a Massillon team that can easily finish somewhere between 19-1 and 16-4 at the worst. But don't try to sell Creamer about the perks of what his team can do. There is only one way to play Massillon Tigers basketball and the heart and soul of the program holds the answer to their success. It's about looking forward to the next opponent. It is about staying on task while getting better and preparing for the next challenge ahead of them. With two state Final Four teams on the second half, one Pennsylvania team on the schedule, and the rest of the season to go, what the Tigers have to do is pretty simple… but not easy. "We stick to the game plan as we always have done this season. We get better day-to-day, game-to-game, and practice-to-practice," he said. Commander Creamer has the Tigers on deck for success in the second half of the season. |
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