Some additional information about Clearview coach John Szalay.

• Szalay grew up with parents who volunteered at Clearview games, his mother worked for the school. That made him a fan for life.
• As a player, Szalay was a solid point guard who averaged seven points and six assists under coach Bob Walsh. It's not surprising that like many other undersized point guards, Szalay went into coaching.
• Walsh went out to a Clearview practice earlier this year to reinforce some of Szalay's theories. The Clippers haven't lost since, but Walsh won't take too much credit.
  "They’re where they are today because of John and because of them," he said.
• Szalay speaks very highly of Walsh, and since he was a young basketball fan, he was a big fan of one of Lorain County's most legendary coaches.
  "I don’t think it’s just because we won a state championship together, I think that bond would have bee there regardless. I grew up watching coach and wanted to play for him. Then when I played for him, he got on me when I needed it but he showed so much support all the time like he does with all his players. He’s my role model as a coach. I’m not half the coach he is but I tried to get as much as I could from him. His success speaks for itself."
• Much like Szalay did Monday, Walsh downplayed the team's move to Division II from Division III this season. Though it's impressive that the team has made it to the regional semis in its first year in the switch, neither coach thinks the division change was much of a factor.
  "The division of basketball doesn’t make any difference. You only have five guys on the floor at a time. The competition is the competition," Walsh said.
• Szalay has a strong senior class, led by Kyle Baughman, Anthony Hitchens and Tony Williams. They've grown pretty close over the past four years.
  "He tells us in the locker room before games that he doesn’t want it to be the last time he sees us on the basketball court," Baughman said.

If Clearview can slow down Celina on Thursday, it won't be. The game starts at 6:15 p.m. at Anderson Arena on the campus of Bowling Green State University.