Beating Copley Tuesday was a watershed moment for defending state champ Jackson, in more ways than one.

JACKSON TWP. Tim Debevec and Mark Dente go back.

They go back to a 2017 district semifinal game in which Dente's basketball team, Copley, very nearly put out Debevec's team, Jackson, well before the Polar Bears lived the dream of winning a state title.

Tim and Mark go back further than that.

"I grew up with Tim," Dente said after Jackson beat Copley 81-66 in an interesting Tuesday night battle. "I played middle school basketball in Copley with him in the mid-'80s. I was happy he was able to get a state championship."

Dente went on to play for the Copley Indians. Debevec wound up with the Barberton Magics.

This wasn't just another game for either of them, and there's still plenty of Copley in Debevec's blood.

"Mark does a good job with them," Debevec said after his team improved to 8-4. "They've won 20 games each of the last three years. They're a good team this year. This was a good win for us."

Jackson was led in a big way by its returning starters, 6-3 senior Ethan Stanislawski (22 points) and 6-6 senior Jaret Pallotta (21 points).

"They have a championship pedigree," Copley's Dente said. "They come in expecting to win. Stanislawski is a stud point guard. Pallotta is a fantastic all-around player. They have good players around them. This is nothing to them."

It meant something to Pallotta. You could see that by the way he ripped rebound after rebound, as if someone was trying to steal his dog.

"They almost knocked us out early last year," Pallotta said. "There was definitely motivation on our part to take care of our business at home."

The ongoing theme with the Bears will be whether they can approach the level of last year's champs.

"Honestly, I can't say how good we are right now," Pallotta said. "This week is our test. We had Copley tonight. We have GlenOak Friday and Lake Saturday. I can answer better at the end of the week."

On Tuesday, the Polar Bears got hit with a blip from a bad dream.

Within moments, Jackson was nailed with an intentional foul and a technical foul and trailed a Copley team that entered with a 6-2 record. A mini-uproar broke out on the Jackson bench.

"Guys," Pallotta said. "First quarter. We're good."

Right he was.

Both teams have made big adjustments since their memorable tournament fight. Copley has tried to assimilate three key transfer students. Jackson is tweaking a rotation that has begun to include Ethan Kulich, returning from a football injury.

"Get the shooters! Get the shooters!" Jackson's coaches barked as Copley won the opening tap. But the sharpshooting Indians, with all five starters averaging double figures, got an open 3 from Brian Roberts 15 seconds into the game, then surged to an 8-2 lead.

Stanislawski scored on an inside move against Copley's half-court defense to pull Jackson to within 11-8, then junior Anthony Mazeo floated in a little bank shot to make it 11-10.

Roberts soon hit another 3, though. A few slick passes left the ball in Stanislawski's hands in the corner. He drained an open 3 for Jackson's first lead, 15-14.

Copley led 19-17 after one. Stanislawski and Mazzeo opened the second quarter with 3s that provided a 22-19 lead.

Within seconds late in the quarter, Stanislawski swished 3s from the left side and the right side. The Polar Bears peeled out to a big lead lead. Their defense was clicking. They had Copley's big man, 6-foot-6 Sam Emich, in foul trouble.

"We played harder as we got into the game," Debevec said. "We kept attacking their pressure."

It was 41-25 at halftime, but the Polar Bears hibernated through the first half of the third quarter.

Roberts, averaging 18 points a game, hit another 3 to cut a Jackson lead to 47-40. Pallotta countered with one of the Bears' longest 3s of the year and then scored on a determined drive.

Sean Reed grabbed a long rebound as the quarter was about to end and stayed in the air to beat the buzzer and give the Bears a 57-44 lead.

Copley gave Jackson a wire game last year during the unforgettable tournament run. This wasn't going to be like that.

Reach Steve at 330-580-8347 or

steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP