Weekend Recap: Springfield shows grit, wins in OT; Northmont, Centerville fall; Alter girls reach State

Here's the recap of last weekend District Final 

Leonard Taylor, Danny Davis & Wildcats celebrates OT victory over Oak Hill for District Championship

SPRINGFIELD shows resolve, wins in OT

 In what might be the Game of the OHSAA Tournament so far in Southwest Ohio, the Springfield Wildcats held off Cincy Oak Hills in OT  by the score of 46-42.

  Oak Hills led early, but Star G Danny Davis led the Wildcats to a lead at half (18-15)  as he scored 8 of his game high 16 to pace the Cats.

Sharpshooter Mike McKay pressures Oak Hills in 2nd half

But Oak Hill stormed out the 2nd half and took control of the game, led by the hot shooting of Ryan Batte,  who led them with 15. 

  Late in the 4th the Wildcats clutch players came alive, as Davis, Star big man Leonard Taylor (15 pts, 9 reb, 4 dimes, 5 stls) & sharpshooter Mike McKay  connected on some big 3s to keep the Cats afloat, then to take control of OT.

  Springfield showed some true moxie in the win, and with a ruckus crowd and a little inspiration from above never hurts.

   Head Coach Isiah Carson has a brother who passed a few years ago and was a legend on the court. A while ago Johnny "Showtime" Carson was dominating the court for Springfield, before he signed with the Bearcats, and Isaiah remembers fondly of watching his older bro fall to that Oak Hill team his senior year.

Oak Hill shot 1-6 in the 4th quarter from the FT line.
Divine intervention from big bro maybe?

Wildcats celebrate District Title 

A great moment for Springfield & their hoop program and respected coach?
Most definitely.

But you have to give credit where it's due.

They didn't fold when the chips were down, and showed extreme calm and the "clutch gene" in the midst of the wildness and anxiety that OHSAA Tournament brings.

Salute the Cats, District Champs
On to the Regionals.

CENTERVILLE falls late to Mason

Centerville started out strong, and held a lead over Mason in the 1st half as PG Donnie Shelton was dominant in leading the Elks. Centerville led 23-21 at the half, but couldn't score in double digits in either half as Mason regained momentum and shut down the Elks by a score of 44-38.

Edward Puisis led the Comets with 21 big points  & 2 steals as they head to the Regionals.

 Star G Keegan Saben scored 12 while Shelton led the Elks with 13, 4 dimes, and 5 rebs.

 Centerville shot 2-11 from the field in the decisive 4th quarter, sealing their fate.

NORTHMONT starts  slow, LaSalle advances 

The Bolts got off to a slow start and was unable to recover as they fell to Cincy LaSalle 62-33 Saturday night.

 Northmont shot 6-22 in the 1st half, and LaSalle shot 62% (13-21) en route to a big lead. Northmont went 1-17 overall from 3, which was a killer.

     LaSalle was led by F Tre Crigler, who dropped 17 , while teammates Riley Haubner  (16) & CJ Fleming (15, 7 rebs, 5 ass) to lead a balanced attack.

Alter gets back to 3rd straight State

Alter was able to shut down Carroll for a 3rd time this season last weekend, and as a result the Knights will reach a 3rd consecutive Final Four. 
 The Knights are the 2 -Time defending champions, so to accomplish this feat is second to none. 
 They are led by Senior All-American Candidate Braxtin Miller, who eas Co-MVP of the Region. 

  Miller has committed to Oklahoma State, which is a true loss for Ohio State as they have watched her dominate at the OHSAA Tournament, only to watch her leave the state. 

Week 4 Recap: Wayne rolls, while"The Field" wins on Hail Mary; Ponitz sets record, Dunbar, Thurgood get Ws;

Here's some of the highlights and headlines from Week 4 in the Miami Valley:

Danny Davis, Leonard Taylor a dynamic duo
for 3-1 Springfield 

(1) Springfield wins on final play of game, stuns Centerville 
  Springfield has been in a couple of thrilling games already this season, and this one was no different.
Tied up at 20, in which the Wildcats had lost last year to the Elks, at home, and on top of that, in heartbreaking fashion.
Trailing 17-6 early in the 4th quarter, the Wildcats looked doomed again.
  Not this time, as the Wildcats came back in a 4th quarter blitz, and then broke the Elks heart on the final play, as Star WR Danny Davis snatched a Hail Mary pass from a group of defenders to get a electric 26-20 win @ Centerville HS.
 Feeling that it was too far to try a kick, the Wildcats decided to give it one last heave before overtime.

And what a heave it was.

  The Wildcats went wild, celebrating on the Elks turf, & solidifying themselves as a serious contender this year for a deep run.
 Coach Douglass was very happy with the win, but knows there's a lot of season to go. The Wildcats are now 3-1, while Centerville falls to 2-2.
 
Dayton HS Sports star of the game: Danny Davis, Springfield


(2) Wayne continues dominance of GWOC, Miamisburg 
The Wayne Train was in a dogfight for a half vs the Burg.
 They only led 17-12, & the Vikings were thinking upset in their new Stadium.
Not so fast Miamisburg, as Wayne sprinted out in the 2nd half to score 28 unanswered points to cruise to a win 45-12 Friday night.
 Miamisburg used the crowd, new stadium
, tough defense, and offensive explosion to stay in the game in the first half.
However, in the 2nd half was all Wayne as nationally top ranked prospect L'Christian "Blie" Smith scored and RB Fred Pitts bulled his way to a couple TDS as well. Wayne moves to 3-0-1 while Miamisburg falls to 3-1.

Dayton HS Sports Star of the Game:  Fred Pitts RB, Wayne


(3) Ponitz  sets mark early in season with W               Ponitz coaching staff and seniors truly felt like this year they would make a difference.
And they are, as the Panthers defeated Cincy Woodward to go to 3-1 for the first time in their history 22-20.
    The Panthers played solid ball throughout, and we're led by the defense which stood pat late in the game. The Panthers coaching staff was extremely pleased with the way their team handled adversity on the road, and feels like the Panthers are headed for a special season, if they can stay focused on the bigger prize.


(4) Dunbar smacks Cincy Hughes  
     Dunbar  bounced back after a tough loss last week by pounding Cincy Hughes 56-6. The Wolverines had a bad taste in their mouth after the Princeton loss, and took it out on Hughes.
The Wolverines scored early and often vs Hughes, who were severely outmatched.
   The coaching staff was pleased with the effort in the week and gameday, as the players were focused and ready to get back in the win column.

 Dunbar now moves to 3-1.


(5) Trotwood runs past Tipp in 2nd half  
    Trotwood shook off a rain delay, and a slow first half to thump previously unbeaten Tipp 43-6.
Tippecanoe was only down 2 at half (8-6) but 2 defensive TDs got the Rams rolling as the Rams scored 4 straight TDs after half.  Trotwood played without its Star RB Raveion Hargrove, who sat out with a leg pull.

 DaytonHSSports Star of the game: Darius Wortham, DB,  Trotwood


Other news:

Belmont races past Aiken 56-30
 Belmont also stormed back to a rout of another Cincy team, as the Bison ran wild on Aiken.
 Belmont RB Elijah Malcolm was unstoppable, and  scored 4 TDS to lead the Bison.
Belmont now ups their record to 2-2  

Player of the Game: Elijah Malcolm 
 Thurgood, Meadowdale both get 1st Ws of season 
Thurgood coach Brian Carter notched his first W of his head coaching career as Thurgood grabbed it's first W of the season.
Meadowdale also grabbed a tough victory on the road as they defeated Shroeder Paideia Academy 14-7.
Both teams are now 1-3

City League Championship on the line; Wayne - Springfield rematch

Here's the key games this weekend as we hit the late stretch of the Hoop Season:

(1) City League Championship in balance as Dunbar travels to Thurgood.

   In the last 15 years, the City League hoop Championship has been decided by 2 teams - 

Dunbar and Thurgood. 

     And to no surprise to many, Thurgood Marshall and Dunbar will battle tonight for the City League crown.

 LISTEN TO DUNBAR -THURGOOD GAME TONIGHT ON LINK BELOW: 
                   radio1.gemcitysports.com

  While The last time these teams played, Thurgood hit a huge 3 at the buzzer to defeat the Wolverines - in Heroic fashion no less. 

    Darnell Hoskins Jr. was terrific, and hit 2 huge buzzer beaters (one to end each half) that catapulted the Cougars into the early lead, then gave them the final win, shocking the Wolverines.

    Now tonight both teams know exactly what is at stake, as it seems every year for the last 15 years that these two teams are playing for it all. 

   Dunbar is 7-1 in the City League Standings & if they win, will win the City League outright; If Thurgood (6-1) wins, they will control their own destiny, as they have one game left, and could win it outright as well. 

   

   The one factor that will be different in this game than before is the presence of Evan Claiborne.  

   Claiborne, the former Wolverine now Cougar, was the talk of the summer for the transfer he made from the State Semifinalist. 

   

   The 6'10 defensive stopper with range has played well since being inserted in the Cougars lineup, and watch for the emotions to fly in this game, which will be on a Championship level to say the least. 

      Dunbar has seemingly found its rhythm, and while it hasn't been a dominant year, the Wolverines have had a good one nonetheless, and it could be sweeter with a revenge win in the Cougardome to grab another City League title. 

 Who wins the epic matchup? 

Let's compare the two sides & matchups a little further: 

GUARD PLAY:  ADVANTAGE  -  Cougars 

    While Dunbar's Stormi Cook has had a breakout year, and Chris Jackson started fast, the Cougars get the nod as Hoskins Jr. has been so good, that he is the front runner for Player of the Year in the City League. 

7

FORWARDS: Advantage -  Wolverines 

     While Thurgood has players to matchup with Wolverines, they have nobody on the level of Senior Wing Terrance Landers Jr, who, with a big game tonight,  could also make a serious claim for the City League Player of the Year. 

CENTERS: Advantage - Cougars

   While the Wolverines now play small ball, the Cougars now have the big presence in the paint in Claiborne,  and this is a huge advantage that the Wolverines had the luxury of for the past two years. 

  If the big men show up for Dunbar, it could propel them to a win. If not, could be a HUGE night for Claiborne. 

COACHING :  ADVANTAGE   - Even

 With some of the best coaching minds on the sidelines for each team, its safe to say that neither side will have a real advantage come tonight. 

   Coach Pete Pullen of Dunbar has been in this situation so many times, that him and his staff are used to it. Thurgood Coach Darnell Hoskins has also thrived in tough situations, and will be ready to lock wits with the Wolverines.

 when the season started, most people thought that this would be the matchup for the City League title. And right on cue, it hasn't let us down. 

Be prepared for one of the games of the year tonight in

 Its goin' down in the Cougar dome. (Around 730 -8pm)

& it will be a sellout, so get there early.

NOTE: In case you can't make it, you can LISTEN TO THE GAME WITH THE LINK Below 
(Courtesy of Gem City Radio):

        radio1.gemcitysports.com






(2) "The Field" takes on Wayne Train tonight 

 With so many victories on this incredible run, the Warriors have hurt everybody's feelings who have been in the way.

  And in a way, they could thank the Wildcats for that.
 Springfield tapped Wayne a couple seasons ago, and since that tapping, the Warriors haven't looked back in the last two years.
  While everyone knows about the wildness that took place between the Warriors and Wildcats last year, the Wildcats did play the Warriors almost to a even tilt, and even gave the Wayne Train all they could handle in the OHSAA Regionals.

    But when the smoke settled, the Wayne Train is still on the tracks..and running over opponents in the process as they look to get into USA Top 10 (Ranked 11th) in the country.
   Which brings us to the match up tonight.

Wayne has been winning all type of ways.

    Springfield has lost a series of heartbreaking games, but still has had a solid season to date.

 Does the Wildcats have enough to pull off the upset that could change their season?

Let's look at the matchups:

GUARD PLAY: ADVANTAGE - Even

    Despite having Rodrick Caldwell, a BGSU signee, the Wildcats have Danny Davis, a super talented, athletic Guard who has D-1 coaches hoping for his services. Whole Wayne has more than Caldwell, the Wildcats do too.

FORWARDS: Advantage  - Wayne

While Springfield has size at the 3 and 4, the Wayne Train duo of Chazz George and Trey Landers is, quite possibly, the best in the state. Landers has been nothing short of dominant, and that was no more evident in the destroyal inside against Trotwood. The Warriors had their way the first time..Will it change this time?

CENTERS: Advantage - Wayne 

 While Springfield has a monster on the block, who, once started up, can't be stopped, the Warriors have a future All-american in L'Christian Smith.
 Smith has been phenomenal, especially in the last up games, and has helped taken the Warriors to the next level. And yes, he's only a sophomore.
  While Wayne has a slight advantage,  it could be taken away if the Field can get the big man working early.


COACHING : ADVANTAGE - Even

    While there is no doubt that Wayne Coach Travis Trice Sr, is the man, the top HS Hoop coach right now in Southwest Ohio, the Wildcats have a great mind as well in Coach Isiah Carson.

 While Carson hasn't been able to win the big one, he still has done a good job of having the team ready to play. And make no mistake,  they will be ready to play tonight.
  Can he push the right buttons to pull off the upset?

No matter what the records are, this game will be as intense as a Regular season game can be.
GWOC style.

 


 

Dunbar defeats Ponitz; Melee stops game; Trotwood, Meadowdale, Alter all win

 Her the's the recap of last night's games and what went down:

Caleb McConnell driving for 2 vs Ponitz

 Dunbar gets victory over Ponitz;  Fight stops game momentarily
   After Dunbar lost their last 2 games, there was some skepticism that maybe the Wolverines could be ripe for the taking in the City League this season.
 
Not so fast City League.

   The Wolverines took advantage of a sloppy 1st half by Ponitz to grab a double digit lead in the 1st half, & cruised to a 69-50 win, in a game that was marred with fighting (in the crowd) from jump.

  After the first basket of the game, a melee ensued in the upper level of the Panthers gym.
 
     The game was delayed for a few minutes, and security was on the job, to keep the incident to a minimum.
   The word was if there was another incident coming into the season, that the teams will have to play with no fans or parents in the stands.
 
       There has been no final word from Jonas Smith, the AD of Dayton Public Schools, but the incident is under investigation.

 Sophomore Caleb McConnell, Stormi Cook, Terrance Landers Jr. led the Wolverines.
   The Panthers did get the lead under 10 briefly in the 4th, but McConnell and Landers Jr. dominated in the 4th quarter, pushing the lead up and finishing the game.
   Ponitz Head Coach Dwayne Hansbro was not happy with the outcome; he felt like his players played hard, but the early lack of execution and turnovers led to their doom.
  Will Ponitz and Dunbar have to play with no fans or parents for the next game?
  Dunbar moves to 6-4 overall and 3-1 in City League.
Ponitz falls to 5-3 overall and 1-2 in City League play.



Alter defeats Centerville 

   Alter took out Centerville in a key matchup. The Knights were able to overcome former Knight Keegan Saben great night to win in OT 63-59.
 
  Dominic Laravie had a great game, dropping 25 to lead the Knights to a huge victory.  Saben had 35 on the night, as the Knights had no answer for the smooth 6'3 guard.
 

 


Trotwood cruises to 8th win

 Trotwood wasted no time in dispatching of the Beavers en route to their 8th win on the season.
Beavercreek hasn't won a game, and the Rams made sure there would be no upsets as they jumped on the Beavers early and often.



Springfield dominates 

Springfield showed the Xenia Bucs why they are a team to be reckoned with as they won at home. Led by 1,000 point scorer Danny Davis the Wildcats set the tone and got another key victory in the GWOC. A huge GWOC match up awaits the Wildcats this weekend.

Franklin moves to 8-0 

No Luke? No problem.
The Wildcats defeated Carlisle to move to 8-0 on the season by a score of 67-55.
 A lot of people thought that the Franklin run would end after Luke Kennard graduated.
  We with a new group of hungry players, it's safe to say coach Brian Bales stable is still filled with talent.   How far can the Kennard less Wildcats go this season?




Meadowdale thumps Winton Woods 

Meadowdale trounced Cin. Winton Woods 56-29 on Tuesday night.
    The Lions put on their best defensive performance of the season.
   Winton Woods shot horribly on the night (under 30% FG) & had no chance in the Lions Den.
  The Lions move to 8-5 on the season and have found their groove.
    CJ Williams led the Lions in scoring with 11. Gary Smith added 10.

Week 2 Recap: Northridge moves to 5-0; Trotowood, Meadowdale, Dunbar all win

Here's our TOP headlines for week 2 in hoops:

Rams gearing for a State Run this season?

(1)  Northridge defeats undefeated Carlisle, move to 5-0
 
      After a breakout year last season,  one couldn't help but wonder about the expectations of this season for the Polar Bears.
    Last season they got to the Regionals for the 1st time in decades; they defeated some teams who they took losses from for decades; & they set the tone for what would happen this year.
 
     After a 71-60 defeat of Carlisle, it's safe to say the Polar Bears are "In it to win it"  as they move to 5-0.
  They have already defeated the State Champions (Tri-Village)  this season, ending a huge winning streak (32) in the process.

      Leading scorer Averon Ely Jr. led the Bears with 21, while Malik Akbar had 19 & D'Anthony Ivery 17.

  Could the Polar Bears be headed for a State run?
Sure looks that way. Early to say, but a huge statement has been made. And don't be suprised to see Northridge in the State polls next week.



  (2)  Meadowdale takes out Thurgood, Coach Chastain gets his first City League W

    After Meadowdale came out flat against Dunbar in their opening game, Coach Chastain knew one thing:
 He didn't want that to happen again.
 
    After playing Thurgood to a near even 1st quarter, Meadowdale dominated the 2nd quarter 16-4 en route to their first City League win over Thurgood 62-43 @ Meadowdale HS.

 Jarvis Smith (18) and Gary Smith (16) combined for 34 points -
almost as many as Thurgood had itself (43).
 
      Thurgood is still missing it's "Big 3" of  Hoskins Jr. (concussion), Evan Claiborne (transfer), & Derrick Daniels (Grades)  and hopes that Daniels and Hoskins Jr will be back within next week or so.

   Meadowdale moves to 2-1 while Thurgood falls to 1-4.



(3) GWOC Action: 
Trotwood dismantles Piqua; Elks star guard leads them to W's over "The Field & Xenia; Wayne make debut :

    In GWOC action, Trotwood handles Piqua as star guard T.Patten drops 32 on the Indians.....Trotwood also defeated Fairland 79-62 Saturday as well to move to 4-0...

     Centerville (4-0) squeaks by a tough Springfield (1-2) squad 56-55 as former Alter guard Keegan Saben dropped the GW 3pt-play to defeat the Wildcats in Springfield.... Saben hit the GW FT with a ruckus crowd going crazy....
His response to crazy fans?.
After hitting huge FT's last year against Dunbar in  that epic District Finals game, this pressure was,

"Nothing compared to the thousands of fans at that game."....
Keegan dropped 26, while Danny Davis led Wildcats with 16....The Field had a final shot but it didn't drop....
Then the next night they defeated Xenia as Keegan scored 25 against the Bucs. Xenia was 4-0 & coming off a big win but came out slow and was down 21-11 after 1st quarter. The Elks held that lead throughout the game and won another close one.
 
Wayne opens season with thumping of Beavercreek

    The Defending Champs opened its season with a 71-38 thrashing of the Beavers in Beavercreek....UD Flyer signee Trey Landers poured in 27 points and was unstoppable, while rising star L'Christian "Blue" Smith dropped 15 and plenty inside presence for the champs.




(4)  Dunbar rolling, routs Belmont in Versailles
 
      The Wolverines look to be back on their fast, frenetic, dominant style as they cruised to 2 easy wins this weekend.
    Dunbar was led by Junior PG Stormi Cook and star Forward Terrance Landers Jr. as they routed Belmont and Versailles this weekend.

      Landers scored 21 on the Bison and led 4 players in double figures as they cruised to a W 92-55.
   Cook led the Wolverines against Versailles as they jumped out to a 27-13 lead and never looked back, winning 73-54.

      Dunbar is averaging 24 points in the 1st quarter this season while giving up 10. The most points scored in the 1st quarter against the Wolverines?
  Versailles with a whopping 13.





 


 

Week 9 Recap: Wayne, Trotwood cruise; Miamisburg wins late; Thurgood wins city battle

Here are the headlines from week 9 around the Miami Valley:

Thurgood escapes for a Huge Play

Wayne cruises to W  
Wayne started fast, star WR L'Christian "Blu" Smith scored 3 TDS on 3 catches and the Warriors shut down Beavercreek. Future Michigan St QB Messiah DeWeaver had 4TDs in limited time.
 Can the Creek win next week and slide into a playoff spot? Remains to be seen.
As far as Wayne?
TOP 25 in the COUNTRY.



Thurgood D clinches win over Meadowdale 
Meadowdale scored the first 13 points & held a 13-8 lead into half, but Thurgood scored late in the 3rd and Intercepted 3 Lions passes in the 4th to seal the deal in the City League battle.


 Miamisburg wins its final game at home come back style
Miamisburg jumped out to a big lead, but

The Burg' racing to end zone in last game at Harmon Field  

Springboro came roaring back. The Vikings scored with less than a minute remaining to win the final game 35-32. The thriller was the last game played in Miamisburg legendary Harmon Field. The Boro' falls to 7--2, while Miamisburg wins their division, ups their record to 8-1 & solidifies a playoff spot.


 Trotwood comes back strong verses Green Greenville
Trotwood came back with a resounding win In Greenville as the D stepped up and the O came to life. The Rams now move to 6-3  &, with a win next week, should be in the playoffs.


 Dunbar falls in a shootout 
The Wolverines lost 43-40 in a shootout to Cincinnati Taft. The Wolverines had a chance late in the game, but couldn't get it done.
The Wolverines fall to 4-5.


  Centerville defeats  Springfield to keep its playoff hopes alive
The Elks continue to walk a tightrope as they defeated the Wildcats 35-32 Friday night. After starting 2-3 the Elks have won 4 straight and with a win next week, could sneak into the playoffs.  Despite a great game from Star Danny Davis, the Wildcats couldn't survive the epic battle.


Prediction Record this week: 3-3 

Wayne Train outlasts Springfield, makes 1st ever State Appearance; Dunbar snatches state berth from Franklin; C-J headed back to state led by Vest

Going into the weekend, 5 schools from Southwest Ohio had a chance to get to state.
4 of the teams would have to play each other to get there.
After this epic weekend of hoops?

Dunbar, Wayne, and C-J all will head to Columbus as they clinched berths to Ohio HS State semifinals on Saturday.  Here's the recap:



A.J. Harris goes up over Austin Doliboa and Matt Thompson
 

Dunbar pulls off comeback, defeats Franklin in OT

 In the words of  Dunbar Coach Powell,  "Pressure bursts pipes."
And that was no more evident in this prime time matchup, which featured superstar players, great coaching, a almost sold out Arena, ruckus fans, and more twists and turns than your favorite roller coaster at Kings Island.
 
   In what may be billed in the future as the High School game of the Decade, Franklin dictated the first half, took control in the 3rd, only to have Dunbar come back from a 10- point deficit in the final quarter. Sophomore wing Chris Jackson  then hit one of his 2 huge 3's to send the game into OT. Dunbar used a late miss by Kennard and a free throw by A.J. Harris to take the final lead (77-76) and a missed 30-ft shot by Kennard to get back to state since 2012 - Harris freshman year.

Franklin had every chance to win the game, but could not shut the door on the Wolverines.

Luke Kennard passes Jay Burleson on All-Time Scoring List

    They led by 13 in the 3rd, led by 10 midway through the 4th and by 6 with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game. Kennard was dominant (41 pts, 9 reb), and it seemed that the Wildcats would claw their way to the first EVER State appearance.
 
   But A.J. Harris woke up in the final quarter (23 pts, 9 dimes) and it was no doubt that he would not let the Wolverines die. After a airball early in the 4th, Dunbar coach Pullen grabbed his senior captain and told him to "calm down" and to "play his game." And indeed he did, as he showed all 12,000+  people why he will be attending Ohio State next year. 

When the game was over? Stunned faces on the Franklin faithful. Anger on the players faces.
When I spoke with Franklin coach Brian Bales after the game, he didn't have many words. Just in shock. Felt like his squad had it. As he looked over the empty arena, one could only imagine what was going on in his and his teams mind. It was a great season, but was almost magical. And now its over.
That "Damn AJ Harris" he said.

As for Dunbar?  Jubilation. Exhalation. Celebration. And preparation. For the moment.
For these moments.

Chris Jackson cuts down the nets after Huge 3's

They'll be heading to state and solidifying themselves as The marquee high school in Dayton.
                                No pressure on the Wolverines. No pressure at all.




Wayne Train rolls through Wildcats late to get to first ever State Semifinals

Wayne Train gets to first ever State for HS Hoops
 (courtesy of Image Jock)

With all that happened with these two teams there was no doubt that Wayne and Springfield would be fired up Saturday. A state berth on the line, two talented programs, a altercation earlier in the season, and with everything on the line?
  It was all that and then some.

   Springfield jumped out early, and seemed to set the tone of the game, along with the officials, with lots of fouls calls early as they didn't want any physical problems like in the earlier game.
And yes, the game was chippy.

  But Springfield seemed to play with more moxie and coolness, and looked to be the more experienced squad in the first half, as they held a small lead.

Despite early foul trouble, Wayne was able to stay in the game. Danny Davis and Darius Harper provided the bulk of the work for the "Field" to gain that momentum.

Brawl between the "Field" and "WayneTrain"

   However, in the second half the Wayne Train got going and with their State title hopes on the line, a early National Ranking to boot, D-1 players all over the roster, a top notch coaching staff, and all the expectations and disappointment that might follow? Could they rise up?
The Wayne Train got rolling and outscored the Wildcats by 12 in the fourth to capture its first ever State berth. Coach Travis Trice, while super excited, celebrated with the squad, then had to hit the road to watch Travis Trice Jr. (Michigan St) as they take on Virginia in the NCAA tourney.

Dayton bound hoopers Trey Landers, Xeyrius Williams, and  junior sensation Roderick Caldwell led the Wayne Train to the W.

Ironically, the Wayne Train will take on the same team it did in the State Football semifinals.
 Friday 8:30  vs  Cleveland St Edwards

Congrats to Wayne and its organization. They deserve it. And salute a young Springfield team who will be back next season.




C-J pulls away from Cin. Schroder, gets to another state

Eagles back to State in D-3

C-J  moves to another state after defeating Cin. Schroder 68-53. The Eagles (22-6) pulled away late in the game as Alan Vest hit some huge baskets to get them over the hump.
 Last season Cin. Schroder lost to the Eagles, and were ready for the battle. But C-J kept its composure, and once again  reached the State. Coach Staley knows his team will be tested, but was extremely proud of the team. 
The Eagles only want state appearances and titles, and will have another legit chance to bring one back to the Miami Valley.
Salute the Eagles, as they once again show that they can produce in pressure packed situations, in front of a packed house at Trent Arena.
Can they win the D-3 Title?

With that being said, Dayton has a team in  the D-1, D-2 and D-3 State semifinals.
Don't get much better than that for the Miami Valley.
Can we go 3 for 3? Very possible.