Left to right, top row: Coach Joe Suboticki, Kevin Stull, Carter Scott, Tony Ward, Jim Graham, Harold Grisby, Jim Stocker, Coach Ralph Pim.
Seated: Mark Bodnar, Jerry Vaughn, Rick Jacobs, Head Coach Jack Greynolds, Fred Grisby, Vance Cheatham, Marty Bodnar.
The Barberton High School team of 1975-76 truly lived up to their moniker, the Magics. Coming off a season starting a senior and 4 sophomores and featuring thrilling wins, the '75-'76 squad was set up for a season that was, well, magical. Sure enough, Coach Jack Greynolds and a talented cast were able to put together 26 straight wins on their way to the Class AAA State Tournament – an epic run to greatness that is remembered to this day.
At the end of the 75-76 regular season, the Magics were the top-ranked team in the Akron Beacon Journal’s Class AAA Prep Poll and second statewide by the Associated Press. In the semifinal against Toledo Scott, the Magics forced 47 turnovers to win the game 64-58. They went on to face the seven-time state champion Middletown Middies and their Hall of Fame coach, Paul Walker.
The Magics forced 28 turnovers in the title game to win 82-70, giving Walker his first loss in six championship games. The Bodnar twins, Mark and Marty, along with teammate Carter Scott, led the Magics in first-half scoring. Scott and Marty Bodnar each had 10 points while Mark Bodnar added eight, giving them a 39-25 lead at the half.
Scott actually was whistled for four first-half fouls that forced him to the bench right before the half, but came back midway through the third quarter to finish with a game-high 26 points. Mark Bodnar added 20 and his brother Marty finished with 19. It was a sweet finale for Marty, who missed several games at the beginning of the campaign to fully recover from an off-season back surgery.
With 1:30 to go and his team leading by 17, Coach Greynolds pulled his starters and sent in the five seniors who were the symbol of cohesiveness that held the Magics together.
The win brought a Class AAA State Championship to the Akron area for the first time since 1939. The Magics were awe-inspiring from the jump. In fact, they opened the season with a 122-69 throttling of Toledo Central Catholic, hinting at their offensive prowess. With his brother out of action, Mark Bodnar dominated inside by scoring 99 points in the first three games of the season.
In the seventh game of the year, Barberton survived a scare and took down undefeated Canton Timken, 70-68 in overtime, with Scott scoring the winning basket in the final seconds of OT. When teams attempted to slow the pace – which meant holding Greynolds' team in the 60s or 70s – the Magics still tended to win games by 20-plus points. In another test before a packed gym at Cuyahoga Falls, Barberton trailed 68-67 with 2:25 remaining but ended the game on a 12-4 blitz. In the following game, Barberton eked out a 55-54 win at East Liverpool, but returned home to bomb eighth-ranked Warren Western Reserve, 96-58, to get back on track.
After a couple more hard-earned wins, the Magics wiped out Massillon, 99-69, to complete an 18-0 regular season and wrap up the Ohio Big Eight championship. Scott led the way with 27 points and 12 rebounds. The Bodnars added a combined 38 points and helped Barberton dominate the boards to the tune of 41-18.
The postseason run included a 64-59 survival in a district semifinal against Akron Central-Hower staged in front of 3,400 fans in Copley. An unstoppable junior, Scott again played hero again with 18 second-half points. Barberton advanced to the state final four with a satisfying 77-70 win over Canton McKinley, avenging a 91-73 to the same team in the regional final the previous year.
All that was left was to find a way to triumph against Toledo Scott and Middletown in St. John Arena – and the Magics said "Goodbye, Columbus" with the AAA trophy in hand.
A super-athletic, left handed guard, Scott returned for a monster senior year at Barberton then went on to make an impact in a standout career at Ohio State. The Bodnar twins played at University of Michigan and Fred Grisby went on to play collegiately at the University of Akron. Fellow starter Tony Ward and sixth man Jim Graham,were yet other key pieces, capable of scoring and rebounding at a high level at any moment.
Even with the loss of several veteran contributors, the 1976-77 Magics went on to finish 25-1 and were state runner-up winning 51 consecutive games over two seasons. They averaged 99 points per game during the regular season following their State Championship. For their 3 year career, these Magics had an overall record of an astonishing 72-4.
