By WALTER DOERSCHUK
The Press-News
CANTON -- As a trying season neared its end, Canton South's boys basketball team searched for bright spots during last week's tournament.
The final game in a 1-20 year was a 74-46 loss to Akron Kenmore in the Wildcats' Division II sectional tournament game.
The Wildcats were unable to contain versatile Kenmore guard Charles Hearn, who scored a game-high 28 points.
The Cardinals' full-court pressure defense gave South trouble early and often, as Kenmore built a 37-19 advantage by halftime.
Five-foot-9 point guard Armand Fontes excited a sparse Memorial Fieldhouse crowd with four 3-balls. Fontes led Canton South in scoring with 17 points.
Head coach Matt Kramer applauded Fontes' freshman season, which included a team-high 35 charges taken. Kramer said Fontes was not concerned about playing at Memorial Fieldhouse, Stark County's most venerable basketball venue.
"He was the one kid who came in tonight not consumed by the environment," Kramer said.
In the final moments of a season when Kramer tried to use more younger players, senior Greg Harris entered the game and scored South's final four points. Harris enjoyed his bittersweet moment after knee surgery and rehab took away a month and a half of his season.
"It was pretty cool to show my hard work and that I got to play again," Harris said.
Harris, Mark Trissel and Trevon Boone each played their final game for Canton South.
Kramer's freshmen and sophomores saw most of the court time in 2010 and admitted they "took their lumps." He looks forward to getting them back next season.
"We had virtually no points coming back from last year going into this year," Kramer said. "Now we've got virtually every single point coming back next year, and I think that bodes well for the future."
"Right now we're putting the system in, and we've got some things to do and hone in on during the offeseason."
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