The biggest game of the Summit League boys’ basketball season on Friday between Hartville and Fordland doubled as the biggest night of Hartville head coach Brett Reed’s life.
Reed, a third-year head coach, picked Friday night to propose to his girlfriend and Hartville hero Maggie Arnall in a ceremony after the game. Arnall is famous for hitting the game-winning three-pointer to give the Eagles the 2006-07 State Title.
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To make it a truly perfect night, his team would have to first knock off the only other undefeated team in the Summit League.
Hartville got out to a 15-11 lead after one quarter and a 30-21 lead at the break. Fordland would refuse to roll over though.
The Eagles battled back within four in the third quarter at which point Reed had to settle his team down.
"I said 'fellas, we have played a lot of basketball up until this point and we are 17 and 3 for a reason. We get down and we guard people'," Reed said. "In times of adversity and times of struggle this is when we shine. We get stops and we take care of the basketball on the other end."
The Eagles heeded their coach’s words and expanded their lead out to a 41-35 margin after three quarters on the way to a 57-49 win that gave control of the Summit League to Hartville.
"This is huge for us. Now we are the only undefeated team left in conference. It doesn't mean we have won it by any means," Reed said.
The win would make the postgame festivities that much better.
"They (the team) knew what was going on. They knew it was a big, special night for me," Reed said. "They know how much I love them and they love me too and they showed it tonight."
Hartville was led by 18 points from Shade Piper and 14 points from Seth Hensley. Jacob Keltner was Fordland's leading scorer with 14 points. Josh Woods was the only other Eagle in double figures with 10 points.
Hartville still has three conference games remaining, but they were pushed far back into Reed’s mind as he nervously dropped to one knee to propose to a woman he calls the “Hartville Legend” in front of a packed gymnasium.
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