Wittenberg-Wooster rivalry is one of the best
Tigers and Scots elicit a range of emotions from players when teams clash.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
SPRINGFIELD — Dan Russ had the desire, the experience and the conditioning.
"I could have gone right in the game, at least for a few minutes," Russ said.
Extras
Gregg Hill of Wittenberg pumps his fist in the air as fans mob the court after an 87-86 overtime win over the Wooster on Jan. 19 at Pam Evans Smith Arena. Hill hit the game-winning shot with four seconds left in overtime. Wittenberg plays at Wooster tonight. 
Get latest headlines via RSS feedsAll Russ lacked as he watched the Wittenberg-Wooster game Jan. 19 in Springfield was the eligibility. The former Tiger used his last season in 2006 — and he made the most of his four years, scoring 1,476 points — but what he wouldn't have given to play the Scots one more time.
"I wanted to be in the game so bad," said Russ, who now works for Enterprise Rental Car in Columbus and plans to play basketball in Europe next season. "I was on the sideline just shaking."
The Wittenberg-Wooster rivalry, which continues at 7:30 tonight, Feb. 16, at Wooster, can do that to you.
It can make you shake like a dog unnerved by a thunderstorm.
It can make you cry — even in victory, as the Tigers' Gregg Hill showed in the locker room after hitting the game-winning shot with four seconds left in overtime to beat the Scots in January.
And it can make you rejoice. Check out the photo with this story or the larger one inside of the same scene for proof of that.
Mostly, it can make you marvel.
The last four meetings between the Tigers and Scots have been decided by three points or less. If you add up all the scores of the last nine meetings, Wittenberg leads 682-678 with five victories.
Perhaps no moment sums up the rivalry better than this:
With the Tigers trailing by three, Wittenberg senior Brandan Barabino was fouled on a 3-point attempt with one second left in the second half Jan. 19. He had missed two free throws seconds earlier. Now he had to make three.
Russ had company in the stands. With him behind the Wittenberg bench were former Tiger standouts Dane Borchers, Phil Steffes, Pete Walker, B.J. Harris and former assistant coach Artie Taylor.
"It was difficult being on the sideline," said Borchers, a 2007 graduate who now works at ALDI Foods in Columbus. "At the same time, it was more exciting because when a shot went in, you didn't have to get back on defense."
Borchers and Russ watched as Barabino hit all three free throws, stamping his name in the Wittenberg-Wooster history book.
"I was crossing my fingers hoping he could do it," Russ said, "but I thought there was no way he could do it."
Russ already has his name all over that book, but he would have liked one more chance.
"When you come to Wittenberg, that's the first thing you hear," Russ said. "Before you know of any other team in the conference, you know of Wooster."
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0351 or djablonski@coxohio.com.
