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By John Bombatch, Staff Writer Updated 1:08 AM Thursday, March 18, 2010

KETTERING — Madison High School boys basketball coach Jeff Smith knew the Taft Senators played great defense. He just didn’t realize how great.

Taft contested every Madison shot and took advantage of most every Madison miscue to dominate the previously unbeaten Mohawks 84-56 in the Division III regional semifinals at Kettering’s Trent Arena.

“If they don’t go on to win the state title, I’ll be amazed,” Smith said.

The two teams were even at 11-11 with just under two minutes left to play in the first quarter, but for the next seven minutes Taft went on a 19-0 run to pull away for good. Taft coach Mark Mitchell said his team could’ve played better.

“It’s a manifestation of a lot of different defensive philosophies that I’ve learned from a lot of great coaches I’ve worked with,” Taft coach Mark Mitchell said of his team’s in-your-face swarming defensive pressure. “And that wasn’t our best game. This is a young team that has really come together, but that wasn’t the best we’ve played this year.”

Mitchell’s twin sons — senior guards Cameron and Kevin Mitchell — combined for 15 and 23 points, respectively. Shawntez Johnson scored 18 points as the other Senator player in double figure scoring.

A Mohawk assistant coach pointed out that Taft might’ve actually coughed up more turnovers than Madison in the game. Madison had 16 to Taft’s 18.

“Yeah, but they were able to convert on their’s,” Smith replied.

Whenever a Mohawk player would try to get a shot off, there was a Taft defender practically inside his jersey. And whenever Madison got to the free-throw line, the Mohawks didn’t seem to have a rhythm at the line either. Madison converted 20 of 35 tries from the foul line.

“Their defense was really tough to do anything against,” Madison’s Mark Maloney said. “And for some reason we just couldn’t hit our free throws. That’s not like us. I can’t explain why we shot so poorly from the foul line.”

Maloney, a senior, led Madison (24-1) with 17 points. Josh Foster (12 points), Matt Houser (11) and senior Tyler Dietz (10) also finished in double figures.

Cole Fennel and Justin Brunswick also played their final games as seniors for Madison.

Taft moves on to play Columbus Ready, a 60-52 winner over Anna, in the D-III regional title game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 20 at Trent Arena.

Smith said the Mohawks, who were in the regionals for the first time since the 1971-72 season, have a lot to be proud of despite being eliminated from the tournament.

“We told the kids to focus on the positive things we’ve done this season,” Smith said. “Going undefeated, getting to within two games of the state championships, and breaking a long drought for sectional and district championships.

“Years from now, people will look back at how successful this team was and they’ll ask who the coach was then. And I’ll be very proud when they say Jeff Smith coached that team.”

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