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January 2010
Trotwood linebacker commit rounds out Rams recruits
Willie Ballard, a Trotwood-Madison linebacker, has chosen Buffalo for his college football future as one of 12 Rams who will play football for four-year or two-year colleges next season, coach Maurice Douglass said.
Two Trotwood players — cornerback Jordon Paschal (Louisville) and tight end Justin Favors (Colorado) — will attend schools in Bowl Championship Series conferences, and two others — Ballard and offensive lineman Darion Delaney (Bowling Green) — will accept Division I scholarships.
Cornerback Hank Benton (Ashland), free safety Sean Freeman (Tiffin) and defensive lineman Derrick Stark (Tiffin) will play for D-II colleges, and defensive tackle Anthony Render (Mount Union) and receiver Ralph Allen (College of Mount St. Joseph) will play in D-III.
Cornerback Thailand Pierce, offensive lineman Deshawn Byrd and defensive end Chris Townsend will play for junior colleges, Douglass said.
Wednesday, Feb. 3, is the first day football recruits can sign their letters of intent for next season.
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TweetBellbrook adds to the proof: Playing better opponents helps
The Bellbrook girls basketball team might not have seemed like a pick as one of the best in the area when the Golden Eagles started the season 2-3. That is, if you were only looking at the record.
But consider the losses. The defeats came against Fairmont, Vandalia Butler and Xenia, three of the best big-school teams in the area that now have a combined record of 35-10.
Since the loss to Xenia on Dec. 7, Bellbrook is undefeated. The Golden Eagles (11-3) have won nine straight, including tonight’s 44-43 win against Brookville, the second key defeat of the SWBL Southwestern Division rival this season. Brookville dropped to 13-3, and two of those losses have come against Bellbrook.
Brookville scoring machine Courtney Boyd put up 16 points against Bellbrook, but the Golden Eagles’ Leisha Crawford led a balanced scoring attack with 12 points as three teammates each scored eight points.
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TweetTexas Southern still using Dayton connection
Texas Southern football coach Johnnie Cole is a Dayton native, and he’s still using those connections to draw players to the Houston Division I-AA school.
Chaminade Julienne receiver Laron Brown is visiting Youngstown State today, Jan. 28, before getting on a plane and heading to Houston to see Texas Southern.
If Brown — a 6-foot-4, 180-pounder who caught 22 passes for 244 yards and two scores this season — joins the team, he will be the third area player to accept a scholarship from Cole. The Tigers already boast a pair of former city league running backs in Dunbar’s Marcus Wright and Marshall’s Ryan Jones.
It also helps that Cole uses tight ends coach Raymond James, a Xenia native to recruit players in this area.
Brown is the second CJ player likely to earn a D-I football scholarship. Offensive lineman Andy Jomantas is set to sign his letter of intent with North Carolina State on Wednesday, Feb. 3, the first day allowed.
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TweetHawaii roster spot a dream for former CJ safety
Sean Branick was once a safety for the Chaminade Julienne football team — seen here during a game in 2006 — but he has since traded this climate for life at the University of Hawaii.
He hasn’t, though, dropped his dream of playing football.
Noted in this Honolulu Advertiser story about walk-on tryouts for the Hawaii football team, Branick has been working with the program but now wants to play:
Branick, a junior, last played four years ago as a safety for Chaminade Julienne Catholic High. Asked why he would relinquish a manager’s scholarship, Branick said: “It’s not about the money. Coming out to practice every day, seeing it, wanting to live it, you never really let it go. I want to see how I tested against these guys.”
After middling results, it is unlikely he will have to give up his day job.
“I’m just happy to be part of this team in any way possible,” Branick said.
Branick, who answers to “Pot Sticker,” received another nickname yesterday. UH players chanted “Rudy! … Rudy!” when Branick ran his 40-yard dash.
Branick has been working with the football team as a team manager, so he’ll likely be around the team no matter what.
Seems like he just got that itch to play.
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TweetMiami turning away from local, Ohio football recruits
Except for the late recruiting movement involving the Boucher brothers from Alter before football signing day last year, we haven’t heard much from Miami University in local recruiting lately.
The Bouchers, QB Austin and LB Collin, decommitted from Toledo last year when the Rockets made a coaching change. That opened up their recruitment, and they eventually landed with the RedHawks.
Before that, 2007 was the last class to involve a local player signing. But the Miami Valley isn’t alone.
This year, according to Rivals.com, Miami hasd 13 recruits in its class, and only three are from Ohio.
There are as many players from Texas coming to play for the RedHawks as there are from Ohio.
Miami coaches in the past have praised Ohio for producing enough talent to go around to all the college football teams. The RedHawks have also discussed the need to recruit from other parts of the country to find undervalued players.
This year, they took the idea of going out of state very seriously.
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TweetAfter cancer, Gossard helps Waynesville to big win with biggest night
On Jan. 12, we wrote about Waynesville senior Stephen Gossard and his return to the team following a bout with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Last night, Jan. 26, was Gossard’s statement game.
In his sixth game since he was cleared to return to the team full-time, Gossard scored 23 points to help the Spartans beat Bellbrook 83-69. It was Bellbrook’s third loss, against 11 wins, and Waynesville improved to 5-8.
Waynesville is 2-4 since the return of the player lovingly called “Goose,” and the 6-6 forward has increased his impact with 10, 6, 7, 16 and 13 points before his 23-point game last night.
The Spartans were 16-6 last season and looked promising again before Gossard learned during the summer he had a large tumor in his chest. Chemotherapy drastically decreased the tumor, and radiation treatment remains, but Gossard missed all but one of Waynesville’s first seven games.
Waynesville has seven games remaining, and Gossard is hoping to display skills that will help him join a college team in the fall.
Last night was his biggest performance yet.
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TweetDunbar facing wild enthusiasm, increased expectations
Dunbar basketball coach Pete Pullen almost has to laugh when you ask him how his week is going.
“It’s been hectic,” he says.
Massive understatement.
Since Dunbar whipped visiting Whitney Young from Chicago in the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena on Sunday, Jan. 17, Pullen’s Wolverines have been a major talking point in Miami Valley basketball, if not throughout Ohio.
The win got Dunbar into at least one top 25, as the Wolverines stand No. 22 in the MaxPreps.com national rankings. There’s not much time to rest, as they’re probably midway through the first half against Meadowdale as I’m writing this and face Trotwood-Madison on Sunday at the Nutter Center.
But there were four game-free days to bask in the frantic what-if and just-how-good chit chat created by that win.
Pullen said he’s talked with plenty of people who told him they have never seen a better half than the first 16 minutes turned in by the Wolverines against Whitney Young. It was mostly a blur.
If Dunbar keeps rolling — the Wolverines have started 11-0 — expect plenty more slaps on the back for the players and coaches.
“The hardest part is trying to match what we did Sunday, because that’s what some people expect to see all the time now,” Pullen said. “We have to play at our level, and we still have the meet the challenges coming up.”
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TweetFlyin’ to the Hoop 2011 already filling up
Flyin’ to the Hoop president Eric Horstman has spent the past few days both decompressing from the weekend event and answering inquiries from those who want a piece in 2011.
So far, seven local teams are contractually committed for next year: Fairmont, Dunbar, Troy, Wayne, Lakota East, Trotwood-Madison and Centerville.
Some of the more likely out-of-area teams in talks to either come or return are: Chillicothe, George Rogers Clark (Winchester, Ky.), Westerville South (which would likely feature 6-3 guard Traevon Jackson, son of Jimmy Jackson), Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Findlay Prep and Bloomington (Ind.) South.
It’s doubtful Horstman would be able to cram any more games into the schedule than this year’s six per day and 18 total. But, if enough desired teams are available, he could cut down on the number of double-dippers to include more than the 31 teams that were in town this year.
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TweetDunbar now nationally ranked, according to one site
We wondered what effect Dunbar’s 98-76 win against nationally ranked Whitney Young at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event would have on the Wolverines’ reputation around the country, and at least one site has noticed.
On Tuesday, MaxPreps.com ranked Dunbar No. 22 in its newest Xcellent 25 national ranking.
Their thoughts:
Entering the Xcellent 25 after being totally off the radar a week ago, Dunbar grabbed the nation’s attention with a 98-76 win over then-No. 25 Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) at the Flyin’ to the Hoop event in Ohio on Sunday. The Wolverines have won nine games in a row by 13 points or more and feature a balanced scoring attack led by 6-4 senior guard Geron Johnson (14.2 points per game), 5-9 senior guard Ryan Bass (13.7), 6-2 senior wing Deon Stewart (11.4) and 6-6 sophomore forward Deontae Hawkins (11.0).
Dunbar did not make the USA Today Super 25, but Whitney Young, which was No. 16 in that ranking, was out of the poll.
Two other Flyin’ to the Hoop participants improved in USA Today’s ratings. Findlay Prep (Nev.) moved from No. 4 to No. 2, and Montverde (Fla.) Academy moved from No. 25 to No. 24 after defeats on Trotwood-Madison and Wayne.
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TweetTipp-Northwestern girls game postponed
A girls basketball game between Tippecanoe and Northwestern scheduled for tonight, Jan. 20, has been postponed due to the death of the mother of two Northwestern players.
The game, at Tipp, has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 8. The varsity game will begin at 8.
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TweetFlyin’ to the Hoop all-event team filled with big stats and stars
Here is the Flyin’ to the Hoop all-event team, as announced at the end of the three-day, 18-game showcase:
Brandon Knight, 6-3 senior guard, Pine Crest School (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Knight, the nation’s No. 1-ranked senior recruit, put on a show in both of Pine Crest’s games this weekend, wins against Princeton and Jefferson. His combined two-game stat line: 75 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists. Plus, he might’ve had the biggest assist of all. Kentucky coach John Calipari, who is one of the final coaches in the running for the uncommitted Knight, flew to Cincinnati and drove to Kettering to see him in person, to the crowd’s delight.
Devonta’ White, 6-0 senior guard, Centennial High School (Roswell, Ga.)
After scoring 28 points with six rebounds and six assists in Centennial’s Saturday loss against Marion-Franklin, the point guard for the No. 3-ranked big school in Georgia torched Chaminade Julienne for 26 points, two rebounds and five assists in CJ’s dramatic final-minute win. Combined, White made 21-of-33 shots.
Geron Johnson, 6-3 senior guard, Dunbar
Johnson was one of the driving forces behind Dunbar’s blistering charge against Whitney Young (Chicago), ranked No. 16 nationally by USA Today, in a 98-76 win on Sunday night. Johnson finished with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting and pitched in six rebounds, five assists and two steals while continuing to impress with his quickness and transition ability.
Gorgui Sy Dieng, 6-10 senior center, Huntington (W.Va.) Prep
In Huntington Prep’s game against Alter on Sunday, a 57-47 Huntington Prep win, Dieng scored 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds while collecting four blocks and two assists for the first-year, privately owned academy. Dieng, from Senegal, gained notice last summer at the Nike Global Challenge when he held Adreian Payne, the 6-10 Jefferson center and Michigan State recruit, to no field goal and no rebounds in a game.
Joe Staley, 6-3 senior forward/center, Chaminade Julienne
Against Centennial on Monday, Staley finished with 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting with five rebounds. He also made the deciding free throw with 14 seconds left in CJ’s 59-58 win. As he has all season, Staley showed a set of smooth inside moves that continues to get him to the basket, even with taller players guarding the post.
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TweetWayne’s Trice says Warriors ‘haven’t played well this entire year’
Wayne basketball coach Travis Trice took awhile talking to his team following the Warriors’ 53-43 loss against Montverde (Fla.) Academy in the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event on Monday, Jan. 18, at Trent Arena.
When he came out, he wasn’t much nicer.
One might think the coach of a 9-2 team with losses only to respected Gahanna Lincoln and Montverde, ranked No. 25 nationally by USA Today, would be somewhat pleased.
First quote: “We haven’t played well this entire year.”
Later, he talked about “trying to tell the guys about working hard every game.”
And that Montverde, despite the ranking, was “a team, I’m sorry, that was primed and ready for us to beat them.”
“Mentally,” Trice said, “we were very weak tonight.”
One of Wayne’s biggest problems Monday was the lack of offensive production by Travis Trice Jr. The Greater Western Ohio Conference’s leading scorer, at 23.3 points per game, finished with six points on 2-of-14 shooting, including 1-of-8 on 3-point attempts.
Trice was playing against taller guards — including 6-5 James Bell, a Villanova recruit who finished with 22 points, and 6-5 Jamail Jones, a Marquette recruit. But Trice Sr. said his son’s decision-making should have been better.
“If guys are taller, you don’t try shooting over them,” Trice Sr. said of some of Trice Jr.’s shots that were high arcs to avoid the long opponent arms. “I know some people don’t think so, but he’s been one of the best players in Dayton over the past couple years, and when things aren’t working, he has to be able to turn it into something else.”
But, wait a minute. Isn’t Wayne 9-2 and No. 1 in the DDN area Division I ratings?
“We’re 9-2, but we’ve probably only played a game and a half of good basketball all season,” Trice Sr. said.
Well, if the gap between how Wayne is currently playing and how the Warriors should be playing is so vast — “very, very big” was how Trice Sr. put it — we’d certainly like to see Wayne at full-potential.
That just wasn’t how the Warriors played Monday night.
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TweetHere’s hoping for Dunbar-CJ, Round 2
Dunbar and Chaminade Julienne have provided two of the most inspiring performances in the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena.
Dunbar, on Sunday night, sprinted out in front of nationally ranked Whitney Young and won 98-76. This afternoon, Jan. 18, CJ came from 13 points down in the third quarter to topple Centennial, which is ranked No. 3 among Georgia big schools, 59-58 on a free throw by Joe Staley with 12 seconds left and a wild defensive stop.
The two have already played, in the season’s second game that became a five-point Dunbar win.
Beginning in the minutes following that game at Dunbar High School, we found ourselves hoping the two would meet again.
Dunbar has improved to 11-0 with the state’s No. 1 ranking in Division II, and CJ is 11-1 and No. 5 in D-II.
“If we play them again, that means we’ve gone pretty far in the tournament, which is a positive,” said Staley, who finished with 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting. “That would mean we’re doing our jobs.”
Unfortunately, even though many of the Dunbar players and coaches stopped by Flyin’ to the Hoop on Monday, we couldn’t line them up on the Trent Arena floor this afternoon.
We wish we could. Regardless, we’re still hoping for Round 2.
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TweetMemphis recruit leads big-time fourth quarter against Lakota East
Lakota East, which led the defending Georgia big-school state champion 26-22 at halftime, pushed to a 45-39 advantage to start the fourth quarter. The Thunderhawks had lost Sunday to drop to 5-5, and they were leading the No 4-ranked team in Georgia, Wheeler High School from Marieta, Ga. The players were excited.
A Cameron Lee basket made it 47-41 East with 7:20 left in the game, but the Thunderhawks didn’t score for the next four minutes in what became a 69-54 loss at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event.
It was as strong a performance in one quarter as we saw, especially for a team as talented as Wheeler that needed a late surge.
During that four minutes East went without a point, Wheeler scored 15 consecutive points with a mix of pressure defense that forced turnovers (East committed 24 in the game) and energy produced by Jelan Kendrick, the 6-foot-6 Memphis recruit ranked the eighth-best senior nationally by Rivals.com.
After not playing much of the first half, Kendrick finished with 14 points, all scored in the final quarter as Wheeler made 14-of-16 free throws in the frame. The Wheeler pressure, meanwhile, frustrated East.
“That last quarter for some reason we felt like there was a shot clock,” said East assistant Clint Adams, who coached the team while head coach Wally Vickers tended to a family emergency.
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TweetTop recruit scores 39, and Jefferson misses key scorer in Flyin’ loss
In front of Kentucky coach John Calipari, Pine Crest School’s Brandon Knight, the nation’s No. 1 recruit who remains uncommitted, scored 39 points in leading Pine Crest to a 68-61 defeat of Jefferson to the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event on Monday, Jan. 18.
Adreian Payne, the 6-10 Jefferson center and Michigan State recruit, scored 16 points on 4-of-11 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds in the matchup between top 20 recruits. Payne is ranked No. 20 nationally by Rivals.com.
But Jefferson played its third game without injured forward Cody Latimer, who suffered a scary injury against Meadowdale on Jan. 9. Jefferson coach Art Winston said Latimer was heading up for a dunk when a Meadowdale player tripped and undercut him, causing Latimer to land awkwardly on the ground.
Latimer, a junior who picked up much of the scoring when teams focused defenses on Payne, was knocked unconscious for a few moments and sustained a concussion and a broken toe. Winston said Latimer also felt effects on his shoulder, which was already fatigued from football season.
Latimer left the Jefferson locker room with a pizza following the game and walked down the hall telling reporters he was feeling better, but a man pushed him along and said any questions about his injury should go to Winston.
Winston said Latimer would miss three to four weeks with the injuries.
Jefferson, ranked No. 7 in the state in Division IV, dropped to 8-2 with the loss.
Pine Crest, meanwhile, won its second Flyin’ to the Hoop game after topping Princeton by three points on Saturday. In two games, Knight scored a combined 75 points in bringing both big crowds and Calipari to Kettering.
Calipari had originally planned to land a helicopter on the Fairmont soccer field before fog canceled that idea Monday morning. Calipari and an assistant instead took a private jet.
But, that wasn’t without its problems, either. The weather caused the jet to be diverted from several Dayton-area landing strips, and the coaches instead landed in Cincinnati and rented a car to drive to Kettering.
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TweetUD signee Ralph Hill impresses at Flyin’
During the summer, after Westerville North senior Ralph Hill committed to play basketball at the University of Dayton, Flyers coach Brian Gregory sent him a list of things to work on.
He CC’d Westerville North coach Kevin Thuman. A major priority: Shooting hundreds of free throws per day.
The work has showed. Thuman said Hill is averaging better than 90 percent from the line this season, and the 6-6 senior made 8-of-8 free throws as part of his 28 points in North’s 67-56 defeat of Flora Macdonald Academy on Monday, Jan. 18, at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena.
Hill made 9-of-15 shots and 2-of-6 3-pointers while collecting nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Even more, Hill was often matched against Flora’s Luke Cothron, a 6-8 North Carolina State recruit who finished with 23 points and eight rebounds.
Thuman said Hill’s commitment to the Flyers has created crowds littered with UD fans even at North games. Hill said he noticed the significant amount of Flyers fans in the crowd for the game on Monday, which North accepted in part to ensure Hill could play in the Dayton area.
“It was great to see the people out here who were excited,” Hill said.
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TweetCalipari has landed
Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari took a private jet and a car to get to Trent Arena, and he arrived in the first few minutes of Jefferson’s game against Pine Crest School at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event.
Calipari was escorted to a seat in an area semi-designated for scouting coaches and media, and he has assistant coach Orlando Antigua with him.
Calipari, like many in the building crowd, is here to see Brandon Knight, the 6-3 Pine Crest senior guard who is considered the nation’s top recruit. Knight is reportedly considering Kentucky, Kansas, Connecticut, Florida and Miami.
Flyin’ officials worked Sunday to plan for a helicopter landing for Calipari, but weather scrapped that flight.
During the first time out, Calipari accepted a line of autograph-seekers, and Antigua is helping by passing items to the middle of the row. When the timeout ended, officials asked the autograph-seekers to return to their seats so Calipari could watch the game.
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TweetDunbar’s major win: The day after
It was hard not to feel the energy of the Dunbar High School basketball team on Sunday night, Jan. 18.
Not just on the court, although that was significant energy against nationally ranked Whitney Young (a Chicago high school). The Wolverines and Dolphins started with an almost unreal pace that left the public address announcer calling for water by the second quarter. It was tough to look up and see the next basket after writing down the previous one.
Dunbar eventually led 51-30 at halftime and by as many as 35 points in the third quarter before beating Whitney Young, ranked No. 16 nationally by USA Today, 98-76.
Then, there was the energy afterward. Parents and players mingled on the Trent Arena floor for long enough that staff had to turn out the lights to encourage an exit, as the victory was the last of six games that day.
But there was a lot to celebrate. Dunbar, ranked No. 1 in the state in Division II, improved to 11-0 and looks to clearly be the team to beat during the tournament.
As the supporters met on the floor and buzzed about the game, you could feel them all wondering the same thing: Just how good is Dunbar?
Wolverines coach Pete Pullen tried to mute the excitement just a bit afterward by saying, “They just played last night, and travel, so they could’ve been tired or fatigued.”
He couldn’t help but smile.
“But I can’t take away anything from our team,’ Pullen said. “We played well, and I’m proud of the kids.”
Now, the stats: Six Dunbar players finished in double figures: Delve Givens (19), Deon Stewart (17), Ryan Bass (13), Geron Johnson (13), Derrick Benson (10) and Devon Carter (10). The Wolverines shot 57.7 percent (41-of-71) and forced 23 turnovers. They made 5-of-10 3-pointers and 11-of-15 free throws.
How about this: Dunbar had 33 points off turnovers.
So, just how good is Dunbar? The Wolverines next face a heated city league game against Meadowdale on Friday before meeting Trotwood-Madison on Sunday afternoon. With Marshall and Jefferson on the schedule, the Wolverines will also face out-of-area opponents Canton GlenOak, Shaker Heights and Buchtel.
The coaches, players and fans are excited, and there’s good reason to be. It was an outstanding performance, particularly in transition. Before his team’s game against Westerville North this morning, Flora Macdonald Academy coach Derrick Bond was buzzing about it.
There was, in fact, only one reason Dunbar was booed on Sunday night.
A foul with 15.5 seconds left that forced Whitney Young to shoot free throws allowed Dunbar the opportunity to get to triple digits. But, guard Roger Williamson quietly walked the ball up the floor to a round of jeers from the crowd.
The fans wanted to see 100 points. But, hadn’t they already seen enough?
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TweetCalipari’s helicopter has been cancelled
Kentucky coach John Calipari’s planned helicopter landing at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event today, Jan. 18, has apparently changed to a private jet and a car trip.
Flyin’ president Eric Horstman said word came this morning that weather issues wouldn’t allow the helicopter flight, but Calipari was still expected for the 1:15 p.m. game between Pine Crest School and Jefferson.
Pine Crest features 6-3 guard Brandon Knight, considered by many the nation’s No. 1 recruit who has Kentucky among his favorites. He scored 36 points, a 3-pointer with about 6 seconds left, as Pine Crest beat Princeton, one of Ohio’s best, on Saturday.
Hearing that he was expected to be here, several Kentucky sweatshirts and caps are already visible throughout Trent Arena as Flora Macdonald Academy and Westerville North prepare for the day’s first game.
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TweetDunbar roasts Chicago power
After leading by as many as 35 points late in the third quarter, Dunbar upset nationally ranked Whitney Young 98-76 on Sunday, Jan. 17, at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena.
Whitney Young, ranked No. 16 nationally by USA Today, paired with Dunbar to establish a break-neck early pace that led to a 28-15 Wolverines lead after the first quarter and a 51-30 lead at halftime.
Dunbar pushed that lead to as much as 80-45 with 1:12 left in the third quarter.
The Wolverines, ranked No. 1 in the state in Division II, improved to 11-0 and made its statement as the clear D-II team to beat in Ohio.
A foul with 15.5 seconds left that forced Whitney Young to shoot free throws allowed Dunbar the opportunity to get to triple digits, but guard Roger Williamson quietly walked the ball up the floor to a round of boos from the crowd.
HALFTIME: Dunbar started fast, scoring on seven of its first eight possessions, and led by as many as 23 points before taking a 51-30 halftime lead against nationally ranked Whitney Young at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena tonight, Jan. 17.
Delve Givens leads Dunbar with 11 points, and Ryan Bass has 10 as the Dunbar defense has forced 16 turnovers by Whitney Young, ranked No. 16 nationally by USA Today.
Purdue recruit Anthony Johnson leads Whitney Young with 10 points in front of a sold out crowd estimated at 4,000.
The Wolverines (10-0), ranked No. 1 in the state in Division II, have made 62.2 percent of their 37 first-half shots in maintaining an almost unbelievable pace. But, the pace hasn’t been fast enough for some. With 3:36 left, after his team scored to cut Dunbar’s lead to 14-13, Whitney Young coach Tyrone Slaughter screamed to his team, “Speed the game up. Have to make it faster!”
We the observers aren’t sure how that could happen.
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TweetMarshall comes back on 6-8 NC State recruit, loses in overtime
The fifth Flyin’ to the Hoop game of Sunday, Jan. 17, was filled with big-time stats.
But, in the end, the final score didn’t help Marshall: A 77-73 overtime loss against Flora Macdonald Academy of Red Springs, N.C.
Marshall trailed 63-58 with 2:15 left but charged back to tie the score at 65-65 on a Mark Alstork 3-pointer with 11 seconds left. Flora then jumped ahead in the overtime and held the lead.
There were other numbers that did help: Marshall senior Greg Gainey scored 20 points and added 14 rebounds, and Jordan Watson collected 11 points and 10 assists.
Flora was led by Luke Cothron, a 6-8 North Carolina State recruit who combined 29 points (on 8-of-25 shooting and 12-of-19 free throws) with 14 rebounds, which is even better considering he played much of the fourth quarter and overtime with four fouls. Jerome Seagears, a 6-3 guard, added 21 points and 10 rebounds and made 13-of-16 free throws.
At halftime, officials already started asking attendees to scoot tighter into seats to help fit the expected sellout, which would be about 4,000 people, for the Dunbar-Whitney Young nightcap.
The moment of levity came with 1:19 left in the overtime, when Flora Macdonald made its first substitution of the game, putting in 5-8 guard Graham Norton. The end-of-bencher got a jokingly strong cheer from fans sitting behind the Flora Macdonald bench, and even he had to grin while running to the scorer’s table.
The only louder cheer? When Norton made a free throw with 37 seconds left. For playing only one game, Flora Macdonald produced one of the showcase’s biggest crowd favorites.
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TweetFans squeezing in for final Flyin’ games
Flyin’ to the Hoop officials have asked people to squeeze tighter into the sets at halftime of the Marshall-Flora Macdonald Academy game in preparation for the anticipated nightcap between Dunbar and Whitney Young and the large crowd still coming in.
Dunbar, 10-0, is the No. 1-ranked Division II team in the state behind strong guard play from Ryan Bass and Geron Johnon and an improving inside presence from Gary Akbar and Deontae Hawkins.
Whitney Young, from the Chicago area, is ranked No. 16 nationally by USA Today and claims three Division I commitments on the roster — 5-9 Ahmad Starks (Oregon State), 6-4 Anthony Johnson (Purdue) and 6-5 J.R. Reynolds (Rice).
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TweetJohn Calipari expected Monday by helicopter
The University of Kentucky is reportedly one of the final schools vying for coveted recruit Brandon Knight of Pine Crest School, and coach John Calipari is apparently taking every chance possible to see him in person.
The next comes Monday, when Knight, ranked the No. 1 senior nationally many services, and Pine Crest face Jefferson at 1:15 p.m. at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena.
But just how does a busy coach make time to get from Lexington and suburban Dayton?
It’s easier when there’s a helicopter involved.
Flyin’ president Eric Horstman was asked Sunday morning by intermediaries if there were any helicopter landing spots near Trent Arena for Calipari to come Monday. He worked with Trent Arena executive director Matt Wahrhaftig and Fairmont athletic director Brian Donoher to find an appropriate place, and the plan is set.
Calipari has been known to arrive by helicopter before, including at a local chamber of conference banquet or while building new relationships when he first got the Kentucky job.
Still, it might be a recruiting first for Fairmont High School and Trent Arena.
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TweetCenterville suffers another loss within reach
Against West Jessamine, a high school from Nicholasville, Ky., Centerville turned the ball over 19 times, and West Jessamine scored 17 points off of those turnovers.
That stat was part of a 47-39 Centerville loss at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event on Sunday, Jan. 17.
It was another Centerville loss by less than 10 points, and there have already been plenty. The Elks have dropped six of seven losses by 2, 1, 5, 8, 7, and 8 points. The 12-point loss against Troy was most out of reach, but Centerville has seemingly been close in the others.
With the defeat, the Elks are 4-7 after losing plenty of their offense with the graduation of a talented senior class that included University of Dayton freshman Matt Kavanaugh.
With more than half of the regular season over, the Elks will hope to get hot and gain some momentum heading into tournament time.
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TweetShooting performance of the day comes in free-throw contest
At halftime of the Centerville-West Jessamine game at Flyin’ to the Hoop, Pepsi and Fricker’s co-sponsored a free-throw shooting contest.
It turned out to be one of the more impressive performances of the day. Alexis Kemper, a senior who plays basketball for the Centerville girls team, made 14-of-17 free throws in the minute allowed to easily win the contest.
After she drained the first few, a few in the crowd pointed toward Wright State coach Brad Brownell, who was sitting in the crowd, and suggested he offer a scholarship.
There were four participants, and Kemper was part of the first group of two. About 20 seconds into the second group, as the next two participants continued missing, the public address announcer said, “Get that trophy ready for Alexis.”
It was a no-doubter, and one of the most crowd-pleasing performances of the day.
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TweetWright State possibly in Cleveland Heights player’s future
Cleveland Heights High School guard Alfonzo Houston is 6-foot-5, which gives him an advantage at the position.
“He’s long and he has good strength to go with good length,” said Cleveland Heights coach Barry Egan, a former Troy coach.
Houston could end up taking those skills to Wright State, but he might arrive via junior college.
After scoring 18 points as Cleveland Heights lost to Roger Bacon 55-45 in the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena on Sunday, Jan. 17, Houston said he has received a scholarship offer from Wright State and is waiting on academics and test scores to determine his next move.
Egan and Houston said he could go through a junior college first, but he would like to go to Wright State. Cleveland State is also recruiting him, Egan said.
“I just have to work on those grades and score higher,” Houston said.
If he ends up in a Raiders uniform, Houston looks like he could provide one of those taller guards that makes for a matchup problem. At 6-5, he made 2-of-5 3-pointers and grabbed three steals against Roger Bacon.
But, Egan was clearly disappointed with the Cleveland Heights performance, and he was clearly audible screaming inside the locker room afterward.
“Anytime that you can hear just the basketball in the gymnasium during a game dribbling, it shows that there’s certainly not enough intensity,” he said.
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TweetThe day’s first dunk show, courtesy of Huntington Prep
UPDATE: Max Zukowitz scored 23 points for Alter, but the Knights fell 57-47 to Huntington Prep. Trey Freshwater added 15 points for Alter, and Gorgui Sy Dieng led Huntington Prep with 18 points and 15 rebounds.
Before the day’s second game in the Flyin’ to the Hoop, Huntington Prep gave us the first big-time dunk display warmup of the showcase.
Huntington Prep, a “privately owned basketball academy that makes its home at Covenant School” in Huntington, W.Va., boasts eight players 6-6 or taller, while its opponent, Alter, has one, 6-6 sophomore Greg Heine.
The warmup period featured everything from ally-oop passes to players setting themselves up for dunks with high bounces to reserves to 360s.
The game, which Huntington Prep leads 9-4 midway through the first quarter, immediately became a clash of styles, high-flying against set and slower.
Huntington Prep’s starting lineup goes 6-10, 6-8, 6-5, 6-4 and 6-foot.
Alter counters with 6-5, 6-3, 6-2, 5-11 and 5-10.
It’s a size mismatch, no question, but we’ll see if Alter’s disciplined zone defense can frustrate the fast-moving Express.
As one Alter assistant coach put it before the game, “I had to get our scouting report from ESPN.com.” Generally, not a good sign.
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TweetFairmont beats six-player opponent at Flyin’
It was an interesting start to the Sunday action at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena.
Host Fairmont met Future Academy, an outfit from High Point, N.C., that brought six players and one coach. One of the biggest questions about the game was whether sixth-man Darius Parks, who was part of a lonely bench that included only coach Kenneth Drummond, would get into the game.
He did, and he played 10 minutes. But Fairmont got 21 points and 11 rebounds from Adam Westbeld and 16 points from Mark Shadowens to beat Future 69-56.
Fairmont improved to 6-5 but is back near full strength after facing several early-season injuries.
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TweetRecapping a strong Day1 from Flyin’
As Fairmont and Future Academy prepare to begin the first game of the second day of the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena, let’s recall how strong of a first day it was at the eighth-year showcase.
Of the six games, five were decided by eight points or less, and one, Winton Woods’ 72-70 defeat of Garfield Heights, went to overtime.
The nation’s No. 1 recruit, Pine Crest’s Brandon Knight, hit a 3-pointer with about 6 seconds left for the deciding points in an exciting game with Princeton, one of Ohio’s best Division I teams.
Trotwood-Madison looked like it might fold when Montverde took a 30-15 lead at the start of the second half, but the Rams started driving stronger to the basket and closed the gap to tie in the fourth quarter before losing 55-51.
Then, in the nightcap, Cleveland Benedictine fought back from a double-digit deficit to make it close against Findlay Prep, ranked No. 4 nationally, in a 64-60 loss.
The only blowout came when Miller Grove, which will play Wilmington at 6:30 p.m. Monday, pulled away late and topped Cincinnati Aiken 69-48.
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TweetFlyin’ Day 1 ends with Findlay Prep win
The sixth game, and the first day of the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event, ended with a 64-60 Findlay Prep victory against Cleveland Benedictine in the nightcap.
Findlay Prep, ranked No. 4 nationally by USA Today, held on after taking a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and avoided a second loss this season in Ohio.
Earlier this season, Findlay Prep dropped a nationally televised game against Columbus Northland played at Otterbein College.
The second day started Sunday at 11:30 a.m. with a game between Future Academy and Fairmont, the host school.
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TweetTrotwood attacks after tough practices
DaWuan Thomas knows who he likes to attack in practice: The quarterback.
“I like going against Marcus Graham,” said Thomas, the Trotwood-Madison senior guard, about the junior quarterback for the football team who is also a Rams’ guard. “He’s tough.”
But that’s how the Rams’ practices are. With a roster built more for slashing to the basket than pounding with big men, Trotwood has to be a team attacking off the dribble.
Once they got into that mode, it worked for them Saturday, Jan. 16. Unfortunately for Trotwood, it was trailing Montverde Academy, ranked No. 25 nationally by USA Today, by the time the Rams went full-speed toward the basket and the rally came up short in a 55-51 loss at the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena.
Thomas led Trotwood with 17 points, but a few key offensive rebounds late for Montverde canceled the comeback, which led the Rams to a 46-46 tie with 2:36 left.
With two losses against Chaminade Julienne and Montverde, Trotwood still looks like one of the best teams in the Miami Valley. The Rams showed it Saturday in battling a notable national-caliber team.
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TweetFinal Seconds: The Brandon Knight Story
Princeton’s Marcus Davis had made 1-of-2 free throws with 20 seconds left in its Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball game against Pine Crest School. That tied the score 61-61 in a hard-fought game.
In the next 20 seconds, Knight would prove why he’s considered by many the nation’s No. 1 basketball recruit in a game of two very talented teams — Pine Crest recently dropped out of the national Top 25 and Princeton is ranked No. 5 in the Ohio Division I poll.
As Pine Crest brought the ball up the floor, Knight called a timeout off the ball with 11.6 seconds left. In the timeout, as Pine Crest coach David Beckerman drew up a play on a clip board, Knight was in the huddle pointing at the play and giving his thoughts to Beckerman. Clearly listening, Beckerman made marks to what Knight was saying.
Beckerman said earlier in the week that’s the kind of player Knight is: Strong athletically, but also smart, even thoughtful.
On the inbounds, the ball went to Pine Crest’s Traveon Henry, who passed to Knight on the right wing. Knight held the ball for a moment, faked, moved right and let a half-fadeaway 3-pointer go with 6.6 seconds left. It was a no-doubter.
The basket gave Pine Crest a 64-61 lead and Knight 36 points (on 10-of-29 shooting and 11-of-13 free throws), but he wasn’t done talking to his team. After Princeton called a timeout to draw up the final 3.1 seconds, Knight was again vocal in the huddle, clapping his hands and screaming, “Let’s go!”
As the team came back on the floor, he pointed to his head and continued telling teammates, “Three seconds! Three more seconds!”
Princeton’s court-length pass found Jay McCants, who dribbled to the 3-point line and let go a shot that banked to the left of the rim as the game ended in a 64-61 Pine Crest victory.
Jordan Sibert, the Princeton guard and Ohio State recruit, finished with 15 points.
But Knight was impressive both in skill and leadership in those final 20 seconds to finish what had been throughout a highly entertaining game.
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TweetMajor Flyin’ draw scores 3,000th point
Much of Trent Arena is full for the afternoon matchup between Princeton, the Ohio Division I runner-up last season, and Pine Crest School, the Fort Lauderdale private school.
One of the major draws is Brandon Knight, the Pine Crest senior who is rated the nation’s No. 1 recruit by several services. He has already shown his passing and driving ability early in scoring 13 halftime points as Pine Crest trails Princeton 32-26.
Knight’s coach at Pine Crest said this week that attendees would be impressed by Knight’s all-around game, and not just his scoring, which is true. Still, his scoring is significant.
With a 3-pointer late in the first quarter, Knight collected his 3,000th career point, a major milestone for the player recruited by all of the nation’s major programs (rumor is that Kentucky coach John Calipari will be here himself on Monday when Pine Crest faces Jefferson).
To put that in perspective, the state record in Ohio is 3,208, held by current Ohio State junior Jon Diebler, who played his prep career at Upper Sandusky. The previous record had been the 2,958 scored by Jay Burson at New Concord John Glenn from 1981-85.
Jordan Sibert, a 6-4 guard and Ohio recruit, led Princeton with 11 first-half points.
We expect the significant crowds to continue as Trotwood-Madison faces national No. 25 Montverde Academy (from Montverde, Fla.) next before national No. 4 Findlay Prep takes on Cleveland Catholic school Benedictine in the nightcap.
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TweetThe star quarterback can score, too
Dominique Brown was already a notable athlete after leading the Winton Woods football team to a Division II state championship last month as its quarterback.
On the basketball court, the 6-4, 220-pound senior was just as clutch on Saturday, Jan. 16.
Brown scored the final baskets for Winton Woods in both regulation and overtime to help the Warriors to a 72-70 victory against Garfield Heights at Trent Arena. He finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds, but he was sought-after following the game for more than this basketball skills.
After a reporter asked Brown two questions about the game, he turned to the others gathered and said, “Does anyone have anything else about the game?” No one did.
That’s because Brown dropped his football commitment to Cincinnati when coach Brian Kelly left for Notre Dame and has since become a hot recruit. Ohio State offered him a scholarship late this week, and others are asking for his services.
Brown said he likely won’t sign his letter of intent on Feb. 3, the first day allowed, and instead make a few campus visits during the month before deciding.
He said his suitors include Ohio State, UC, Hawaii, Georgia Tech and others. Asked which schools he was likely visit, Brown said he didn’t know.
“I know I’m going to Hawaii,” he said to a round of laughs.
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TweetThe smallest player at Flyin’ to the Hoop
And the first crowd favorite of the day is: Marquis Jackson, a sophomore from Garfield Heights, which is playing Winton Woods in the second Flyin’ to the Hoop game.
Jackson is listed at 5 feet 5 and 125 pounds, and there were definitely a few who seemed surprised to see him among the other Garfield Heights players when he checked in.
But, in the second quarter, Jackson sank a 3-pointer in a game that remains close and got a strong reaction and plenty of applause from the crowd. Jackson grinned on his way down the floor.
Those remain his only three points in the middle of the third quarter, but they’ll be three of the most entertaining points of the weekend.
Some of the other Garfield Heights players don’t have as bright of a green light. As one player checked in, coach Sonny Johnson urged him to the scorer’s table with the motivational phrase, “If you take another jump shot, you’re not playing for the rest of the season.”
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TweetWest Virginia commitment quick decision for sophomore
Things happened fast for Elijah Macon, the 6-foot-8 Marion-Franklin sophomore.
“I went to their camp, and they offered me,” Macon said of West Virginia. “I talked to my mom about it, talked with people and told them I was ready to commit.”
With two and a half high school seasons left, Macon already knows where he’ll be playing college basketball. He talked about the decision after leading Marion-Franklin to an 83-75 victory against Centennial on Saturday, Jan. 16, in the first game of the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event at Trent Arena.
“It seemed comfortable,” Macon said outside the Marion-Franklin locker room wearing a West Virginia stocking cap.
Some might be skeptical of a sophomore already making a college commitment, especially in the time of quick changes at the top of college programs. It’s a question many of these talented players at Flyin’ will face: How do you best play the recruiting game, and how do you make the best decision?
There are a lot of pressures, but Macon seemed confident and intelligent about his during our conversation. Plus, he clearly has the talent, as he was strong in the paint and precise from the free-throw line in scoring 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against Centennial, the No. 3-ranked big-school team in Georgia.
It’s tough to think of the recruiting process as over when a player is midway through his sophomore year, but West Virginia fans have to like what they see in Macon.
“I’m not really sure yet,” Macon said when asked whether he was relieved to already be committed. “I didn’t really have a long process.”
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TweetFirst Flyin’ quarter: 42 points
The first quarter of the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event just ended, and the fans of high-scoring games are pleased.
Indicative of the fast-paced talent that comes to Trent Arena each Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, Centennial High School (from suburban Atlanta) leads Columbus-area Marion-Franklin 26-16.
So, we have Centennial on pace to score 104 points. On Friday night in the Dayton area, Beavercreek scored 34 points against Centerville in the game. (Centerville won by five, with 39 points.)
That’s not a game for the Flyin’ crowd, but this is.
Looks like it’ll be that kind of weekend.
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TweetCJ basking in defeat of Moeller
The Chaminade Julienne basketball team arrived early to Flyin’ to the Hoop today to scout its Monday opponent in the event, Centennial, which will face Marion-Franklin in the first game in about 15 minutes.
The Eagles seem to have an extra bounce to their step following Friday night’s 54-50 defeat of Moeller, one of those Greater Catholic League South Division teams that has frustrated Dayton-area programs for years. The win was CJ’s first against Moeller in a decade and a half.
CJ coach Joe Staley, sitting high in the last row of Trent Arena, said he had already received numerous calls from former players and CJ enthusiasts energized by the victory.
“They make you play every possession,” Staley said. “So here’s what we did, we pushed the ball on them. It’s still an incredible feeling.”
Centennial, from suburban Atlanta, will give the Eagles their next test. At 10-1, CJ has lost only to Dunbar, the state’s No. 1 D-II team, by five points in the season’s second game. Since, the Eagles, ranked No. 5 in D-II, have beaten Meadowdale, Marshall, Trotwood-Madison and Moeller.
After Centennial, which is ranked No. 3 in the Georgia big-school state poll, CJ’s toughest tests include 9-1 Fenwick (twice) and St. Xavier in Cincinnati.
Whatever happens, CJ will be led by seniors Joe Staley, the coach’s son and a strong inside player at 6-foot-3, and Matt Vest, the Wright State recruit who has significantly improved his game for his final season. Staley (18.2 points per game) and Vest (16.1) rank Nos. 2 and 3 in the GCL in scoring
But, already, the Eagles have become a big-time talking point in Miami Valley basketball.
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TweetTwo possible OSU football recruits appear in first two Flyin’ games
For an up-close look at two players who could soon be wearing Ohio State football uniforms, try Kettering early Saturday afternoon.
In the first two games of the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event, Marion-Franklin and Winton Woods both feature talented quarterbacks, one who has committed to Ohio State and one who is gaining OSU interest.
First, Marion-Franklin, a Columbus-area school, plays Georgia high school Centennial at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the event’s first game. Even though Marion-Franklin sophomore Elijah Macon has caused a splash by already committing to play basketball at West Virginia, forward Verlon Reed is also notable because he has accepted his scholarship offer from Ohio State.
Reed gained 1,395 yards rushing and passed for 1,548 more last season and made his commitment in December.
The second game, at 1:15 p.m., features Cleveland-area Garfield Heights against Cincinnati Winton Woods, the reigning D-II Ohio football champion (which beat Trotwood-Madison in the regional final on its way to the title). Winton Woods quarterback Dominique Brown, a big, bruising rusher, had committed to Cincinnati but backed off when coach Brian Kelly left for Notre Dame.
With a strong senior season, including All-State honors and statistics that boasted 1,998 rushing yards, 723 passing yards and 39 combined touchdowns, Brown gained greater interest. Ohio State is one of the schools giving Brown another look.
Brown is also strong on the court, as he averaged 13.4 points per game for Winton Woods.
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TweetJefferson enters defining basketball stretch
After all of the anticipation surrounding the Jefferson boys basketball season with Adreian Payne, the 6-10 center signed with Michigan State, there was somewhat of a letdown when Jefferson lost its opener 54-46 against Madison on Dec. 4.
But Jefferson has rallied, and Madison has proven strong. While Madison has continued undefeated and premiered at No. 3 in D-III in the first AP state basketball poll this week, Jefferson has won six straight and stands No. 7 in D-IV.
Now, here comes a defining stretch. Starting Friday, Jan. 15, Jefferson will play Middletown Christian, Northmont, Pine Crest School (of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with the nation’s No. 1 recruit in guard Brandon Knight in the Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event), Marshall and Harvest Prep (in the Ohio Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic at the Schottenstein Center), all in the next nine days.
It will be a stretch that will truly test Payne and Jefferson’s junior football and basketball star Cody Latimer. Both have averaged in double figures, while Latimer has often led the team in scoring with such attention on Payne.
“They feed off of each other,” Jefferson coach Art Winston said. “When one is playing well, the other plays even better, and they’ve been good together.”
Jefferson awaits later matchups against Trotwood-Madison (Feb. 2) and Dunbar (Feb. 16), two of the area’s best.
Starting Friday, Payne, Latimer and the Broncos will have plenty of chances to impress.
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TweetNorthmont’s Ringer on All-America team
Kaleb Ringer, as a sophomore, was already showing signs this season that he could be the next great linebacker recruit in the Miami Valley.
The national high school sports Web site Maxpreps.com backed that up by including the Northmont High School star on its national sophomore All-America Team, which was released last week.
Ringer, the third of four Ringer brothers in the Northmont program and the nephew of former Chaminade Julienne running back Javon Ringer, proved to be one of the best blitzers around with a mix of size (6-0, 200) and explosive speed.
He was the only sophomore on the DDN All-Area first team this season, which provides a lot of interest in his next two seasons.
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TweetThursday’s postponed athletic events
The snow is starting to pile up … and so are the postponed games for Thursday, Jan. 7. Here’s a list of schools that have postponed activities for tonight. Check back for updates. If you’re going out to a game tonight call ahead to make sure it’s still on.
As for boys basketball games on Friday, school officials and athletic directors will take a wait-and-see approach to the road and weather conditions before postponing. The schools I’ve spoken with said they can still play that night even if school is canceled.
Thursday’s girls postponed events and rescheduled dates:
• Alter, Fairborn, Miamisburg swimming, TBA.
• Arcanum at Miss Valley hoop, TBA.
• Lehman Catholic at Anna hoop, Feb. 4.
• Belmont at Ponitz Tech hoop, TBA.
• Bradford at Franklin-Monroe hoop, TBA.
• Brookville at Bellbrook hoop, TBA.
• Carroll vs. Fenwick bowling, TBA.
• Catholic Central at Triad hoop, Jan. 25.
• Coldwater at Wapakaneta swimming, TBA.
• Dayton Christian at Yellow Springs, Feb. 5.
• Dunbar at Marshall hoop, TBA.
• Ft. Recovery at Versailles, Jan. 11.
• Franklin at Eaton hoop, Feb. 1.
• Greeneview at Cedarville hoop, Feb. 11.
• Marion Local at St. Henry hoop, noon Jan. 9.
• Meadowdale at Stivers hoop, TBA.
• Mid. Madison at Preble Shawnee hoop, TBA.
• Milton-Union at Oakwood hoop, Jan. 25.
• Monroe at Dixie hoop, TBA.
• National Trail at Ansonia hoop, Jan. 25.
• New Bremen at Minster hoop, TBA.
• Parkway at Coldwater hoop, Feb. 13.
• Sidney Christian at Emmanuel Christian hoop, Feb. 2.
• Southeastern at Mechanicsburg hoop, Jan. 21.
• Valley View at West Carrollton hoop, Feb. 1.
• West Carrollton vs. Fairborn bowling, TBA.
• WL-Salem at Northeastern hoop, TBA.
Also, all girls and boys events at all levels at Greenon, Fairborn, Houston, Northmont, Springfield, Tippecanoe, Trotwood-Madison and Valley View.
Thursday’s boys postponed events and rescheduled dates:
• Alter, Fairborn, Miamisburg swimming, TBA.
• Beavercreek vs. Fairmont wrestling, TBA.
• Bellefontaine vs. WL-Salem wrestling, TBA.
• Carroll vs. Fenwick bowling, TBA.
• Carroll, Stebbins, Piqua, Bellbrook wrestling, Jan. 27.
• Coldwater at Wapakaneta swimming, TBA.
• Franklin at Wilmington wrestling, Jan. 26.
• Franklin vs. Little Miami bowling, TBA.
• West Carrollton vs. Fairborn bowling, TBA.
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TweetBoys hockey state poll
Here is the third state poll for boys high school hockey, followed by the Cincinnati/Columbus/Dayton poll. First-place votes are in parenthesis.
STATE POLL
Cleveland St. Ignatius — 74 (4)
Toledo St Francis — 68 (2)
Parma Padua — 67 (2)
Hunting Valley University School — 52
Lakewood St. Edward — 37
Sylvania Northview — 36
Toledo St. Johns — 34
Gates Mills Gilmour Academy — 33
Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit — 19
Dublin Coffman — 5
Others receiving votes: Findlay, Hudson, Strongsville, Bowling Green, Mentor Lake Catholic, Rocky River.
CINCINNATI - COLUMBUS - DAYTON POLL
Dublin Coffman — 119 (11)
Dublin Jerome — 95
Cincinnati Moeller — 83 (1)
Cincinnati Sycamore — 75
Olentangy Liberty — 58
Beavercreek — 48
Centerville — 44
Upper Arlington — 32
Springboro — 30
Columbus St. Charles — 24
Others receiving votes: Oxford Talawanda, Olenatangy Orange, Olentangy, Troy, Cincinnat St. Xavier, Gahanna Lincoln and Thomas Worthington.
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TweetESPN, others coming to Kettering for Flyin’ to the Hoop
Eric Horstman said he just got the official word this morning. The director of the upcoming Flyin’ to the Hoop boys basketball event said ESPN is expected to have two recruiting reporters at Fairmont’s Trent Arena on Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.
Scout.com and Rivals.com, arguably the country’s two premier recruiting sites, will also have reporters on scene for the 31-team, three-day event that has become one of the country’s most notable prep basketball happenings on the annually recruiting calendar.
In an hour-long chat over coffee at Panera Bread, Horstman also laid out his finalizing of plans for the event, which include lodging, meals and the regular assortment of last-minute challenges in putting a weekend event together.
This season’s event will be the eighth playing of Flyin’ to the Hoop, which has grown from a tournament format to a weekend full of matchups between some of the area’s best teams and top recruits from throughout the country.
Local teams like playing for the exposure to recruiters who often visit. The national teams have said they like playing in this event for its organization and competitiveness.
The Saturday-through-Monday event will be Jan. 16-18. There’s no question it has become a must-circle weekend on the local athletics calendar.
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