OHSAA Madness Continues in Dayton as Boys State Championship Set For Weekend; Full Weekend Schedule; LeBron To UD Arena?

 OHSAA Madness Continues in Dayton as Boys State Championship Set For Weekend

After the OHSAA Girls State Championship invaded the UD Arena last weekend, it was the best lf the best battling for supremacy.

With the likes of Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame and Fort Laramie putting on a show last weekend, what teams will be the show stealer this weekend?

 Here are some of the key Headlines for this weekend State Championship:

Can Centerville’s Young Guns compete with the big boys?

The Elks knocked off Cincinnati Elder and Moeller to get to the OHSAA State Semifinals. Now can they continue the great play against the likes of Mentor, Lima Senior, and others? 

The way they won in the Regional Finals will be a good indication of what it will be like for the Elks this weekend. Expect to see extra excitement from the Elks crowd. 

Can the trio of junior stars in Gabe Cupps, Tom House, and Rich Rolf lead the Elks all the way?

Can C-J put on a good showing in front of home crowd?

The Eagles are in a similar position, as they are a young team, with senior leadership who got hot at the right time. The Eagles are led by Seniors A.J. Solomon and big Daniel Nauseef. But the juoce has came from the underclassman as fabolous freshman Johnathan Powell Jr, super sophomore Evan Dickey and Rising Junior Luke Chandler provided some major juice to push the Eagles to this berth. Expect to see a spirited effort from the Eagles in a divison ruled by Akron St Vincent St Marys.

Can anyone stop Akron St Vincent St Mary and Coach Dru Joyce?

Joyce and his Akron St Vincent St Mary team has been unstoppable all season. The last time we saw Joyce in person, it was at the OHSAA State Championship 3 years ago as the Irish defeated Trotwood to win the State Title. In the interview, Joyce would quote his top player of all time when he said,

 “What is that Lebron say? We just win Championships.”

Joyce would love nothing more than to come to Dayton and win another State Championship.

And with the talent he has on this team, including Ohio State commit Malaki Branham, nothing less than a championship will be accepted.

Is this the Year for Cincinnati Taft?

Cincinnati Taft has had some great teams, but will this be the one that gets the legendary coach his first Championship as a head coach? The Senators have been playing lights out, even with losing star Guard and top junior Mehki Elmore to the transfer rule in mid-season. Rayvonn Griffith has been unbelievable, and get this: he’s only a freshman.

What will Botkins do after playing lights out in the Regional?

Can the Botkins Trojans keep up the great success? The Trojans will open up the Tournament with the first game. With the leadership of dynamic point guard Jayden Priddy-Powell, can the Trojans continue a great ride? They were the #1 team in the region.

Will LeBron Make A Appearance? 3 Reasons Why He Could Pullup at UD Arena

There are reports that Lebron might make a appearance this weekend at the OHSAA State Championship. Why would LBJ pullup in Dayton? 3 Reasons:

(1) Akron St V. LeBron played for them, and supports them in Championship scenarios any chance he can get

(2) Dru Joyce – Joyce always enjoys when Lebron is at the Championships. With this being a special occasion, at historic UD Arena, could Lebron show love?

(3) Centerville connect – Gabe Cupps, the star guard for The Elks, plays with Bronny James, LBJ’s oldest son, in the AAU circuits in the summer. One of the first people to congratulate Cupps?

Yep, you guessed it. LeBron James.

What stars will shine brightest?

With stars such as Laila Phelia, Sarah Ochs, K.K Bransford and others who shined brightly last weekend, who will do so this weekend?

With players such as Malaki Branham, Gabe Cupps, Rayvon Griffith, and others, this weekend is surely to be a star studded event. What players will shine the brightest when the lights are on the heaviest?

Can Dayton, Ohio handle the boys Tournament? OHSAA Event Director Tim Stried believes so.

Tim Stried, one of the guys in control of the OHSAA Tournament here in Dayton, had some good comments for the event that was held at UD Arena with the girls.

“The UD Arena Staff did a excellent job of having things prepared and with hosting the Girls State Tournament,” Stried said.

“This place (UD Arena) was built for elite hoops. We are very happy to have the girls Tournament here for the next 3 years. As far as the boys, Ohio State decided to not have it on campus this year.

Dayton came to us and made a pitch, and was very adamant about hosting it. We’re glad to have brought it here and will look to see what happens this weekend as far as bringing it back on the boys side in the future.”

Here are the Weekend Schedule of Games:

Boys State

Friday

D-4 Botkins - Richmond Heights (11am)

D-4 Col. Grove -New Boston Elmwood (2pm)

D-3 Worthington Christian - Cin Taft (5pm)

D-3 Ottawa Glandorf -Lutheran East (8pm)

Saturday

D-2 Chaminade -St Francis DeSales (11am)

D-2 Akron St Vincent -Lima Shawnee (2pm)

D-1 Mentor - Centerville (5pm)

D-1 St Ignatius - Westerville Central (8pm)

Sunday (Championship Day)

D-4 Championship 1045

D-3 Championship 2pm

D-2 Championship 5:45

D-1 Championship 830pm

Follow Us on the Journey! 

@DaytonHSSports 

@DaytonWeekly 

@SELive365  

OHSAA STATE TOURNAMENT INVADES DAYTON; HOW DID DAYTON GET TOURNAMENT? GIRLS SCHEDULE

 OHSAA GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT INVADES DAYTON; BOYS STARTS NEXT WEEK; 

FULL GIRLS SCHEDULE 

 Dayton gets a boost on the economic and sports side as OHSAA has decided to host the Annual State Basketball Tournament in Dayton Ohio at UD Arena this week, starting today. 

  The decision was Announced last month, as Beau Rugg, Tim Stried, and the OHSAA committee decided that Dayton would get a chance to host the high school basketball tournament. The Girls State Tournament will start  today at 11AM, while the Boys will start on the 18th. Each tournament will last 3 days, ending on Saturday night. 

  Usually the District Finals are held at UD Arena, but due to Covid-19 rules and regulations, it has thrown all of the normal schedules and protocol out of its normal procedure. Dayton lost the First Four and the TBT Tournament that was supposed to be held last August. 

With heavier restrictions in the capitol city (Columbus) due to DeWine and his protocol, they decided to let it be hosted in a city that’s close to Columbus that was big enough to do it with no problems. 

 Also bear in mind that UD Arena is one of the best places to play in the country in for a baller, no matter where you are from. When asked why it was brought to Dayton,  OHSAA official Tim Stried had a answer: 

"With Columbus deciding to take a break from hosting major events, specifically at Ohio State, we decided that since Dayton really wanted to host it, we would honor that request this year. The Dayton basketball scene is worthy of it." Stried said. 

While some people from north dayton wasn't too thrilled about it, it really seemed to be a no brainer, and a huge sigh of relief for some businesses in Dayton who need some more customers as we try to get back to having fans in the stands and customers in the businesses. 

   This will give a jolt to the economy of Dayton, which took a huge hit after losing millions of dollars and a possible NCAA Championship to boot. Carroll, who has been to 2 previous State Semifinal appearances,  is the only local team that will be repping the Dayton area this weekend. 

There are some local teams still have a chance to play on the boys side, as the Regionals are this weekend.  Centerville, Tippecanoe, C-J,  and Cedarville are still alive. 

Here is the FULL SCHEDULE for the Girls OHSAA Tournament This weekend: 

D-1 Semifinals
Akron Hoban (20-3)                   vs   Newark  (26-1)   (Fri 5pm) 
Cin Mount Notre Dame (26-0)  vs  Tol Notre Dame Academy  (16-1) (Fri 8pm)
D-1 Championship: Sat 8:30pm 

D-2  Semifinals
Dayton Carroll (20-4)                       vs   Napoleon (24-1)  Fri (11am)
McAurthur Vinton County  (25-1) vs   Shaker Hts Laurel (20-4)   Fri (2pm)
D-2 Championship:  Saturday 5:15 pm


D-3 Semifinals
Ottawa-Glandorf (25-2)      vs  Waynedale (25-1)  (Thursday 5pm)
Cin Purcell Marian (21-3)   vs  Berlin Hillard (26-1)  (Thursday 8pm)
D-3 Championship: Saturday 2pm


D-4 Semifinals
Convoy Crestview (23-3)  vs  Fort Laramie  (27-1)  (Thursday 11am)
Waterford  (20-6)               vs  McDonald (23-2)  (Thursday 2pm)
D-4 Championship: Saturday 10:45 AM 

 For more info on the tournament, go to OHSAA.org for more information.

 Congrats to the city of Dayton for hosting the OHSAA Tournament. Embrace it. Follow Us on the Journey! @DAYTONWEEKLY @DaytonHSSports

Notre Dame Wins 70th Straight as Defense Stops Wayne

 Mount Notre Dame Wins 70th Straight, Stops Wayne to Head to State 

In rhe Top OHSAA girls division, here was the recap of the Mount Notre Dame / Wayne recap: 

Wayne Jumps Out to Early Lead as Hargrove-Hall Catches Fire 

Wayne jumped out to a early lead, as All-State Performer Alyssa Hargrove-Hall did the heavy lifting with 3 3-pointers and 9 of the 13 points for Wayne. 

Taylor Stanley would hit a buzzer beater, which would wake up Notre Dame and send them on a huge 14-1 run. 

Notre Dame Dominates 2nd Quarter 

Notre Dame used a furious 2nd quarter stand that took a 5-point 1st quarter deficit into a 6-point hafltime lead as they shut down the Wayne Warriors to only 1-point in the entire second quarter. Laila Phelia, the Michigan commit, got going. 

The Cougars used a zone defense to shut down the Wayne offense which jumped out to burst in the 1st quarter. 

Hall Gets Hot But Lead Stays Near Double Digits

Bree Hall, the McDonalds All American, got warmed up, as she hit a few shots, including a 3 that would start to chip at the lead. However K.K. Bransford and Phelia also had solid quarters, and the Wayne offense got back rolling, but still down near double digits entering the 4th quarter. 

Duo Leads Notre Dame to 70th Straight, And A State Berth 

The dynamic duo of Phelia and Bransford  and a balanced defensive attack was enough for the #1 ranked team in the State to move to its 2nd consecutive State Appearance. 

Follow Us on the Journey for the Mens Regional as St Xavier,  Moeller, Elder, and Centerville battle for a spot in the OHSAA State Semifinals.  

@DaytonHSSports  @DaytonWeekly  @SELive365  

OHSAA Girls Regional Recap: Wayne Guts Out Win, Centerville Falls To Notre Dame

  Headlines of Regional Semifinal 

Wayne Holds Off Undefeated Mason in Slugfest;

Will Face Mount Notre Dame For State Berth

By Deon Cash 

Wayne Lady Warrior Bree Hall, a McDonald's All-American, would line up to jump ball against one of the best bigs in the state, in junior C Kyla Oldacre, who plays for Mason.

 In the jump ball, it was evident what type of game it would be as 6'4 Hall and the 6'6 Oldacre went at it, as if they were old wrestling buddies. 

It was a microcosm of how the game would go as Hall would ferociously jump first, hitting the ball and making contact with Oldacre. Oldacre, one of the strongest and fundamentally sound players in the country, took the shot and gave one, as bodies went sprawling all over the place, including Hall. When the play was finally over, it resembled a bar fight gone wrong with arms, legs, and bodies all over mid court. 

Once they re-jumped, Wayne would move on to the OHSAA Regional Final by a score of 55-51 in a gritty effort, to say the least.

The Lady Warriors would stop the Comets unbelievable year (20-0) in front of a electrifying crowd for both teams. Wayne would storm out to a 18-4 lead as the Comets were not ready for the intensity and defensive energy that the Warriors displayed.

Once Oldacre would settle in, the Comets would get rolling.  The coaching staff would change up the style, and in turn, the Comets started hitting some outside shots as well.

The lead would be trimmed down by halftime (34-26) and the Comets would stay on the heels of the Warriors the entire game, as Oldacre would heat up minute by minute.

Oldacre, one of the premiere post players in the country, has a smooth shot and is nearly unstoppable once she turns her shoulder and make a strong move. She single handedly kept the Lady Comets afloat with a brilliant effort, even getting the Comets tied with the game in the balance. 

However, when needed, Wayne Coach Travis Trice drew up some great plays off timeouts, and the dynamic Hall duo of Wayne (Alyssa Hargrove Hall and Bree Hall) stepped up in the clutch, knocking down 7 of 8 free throws to salvage the game. It was a physical, defensive battle for most of the night, and Wayne started and finished strong to seal the deal.

Wayne will face another undefeated team in Mount Notre Dame for the chance at a OHSAA State Semifinal berth next weekend in Dayton, Ohio. 

Centerville Falls to Notre Dame 

The Centerville Elks great girls tourney run was stopped in Cincinnati as they lost to Mount Notre Dame in the OHSAA Regional Semifinals at Princeton High School. 

 Centerville would have trouble slowing down undefeated Mount Notre Dame early as  the Elks were down 17-6 after the 1st quarter. Notre Dame focused on Cotie McMahon and Amy Velasco to try and shut down the Elks vaunted offense.

 The Elks had no answer for Notre Dame stars K.K Bransford (20 points, 6 assists) and Laila Phelia (18 points, 3 steals).  McMahon, the Elks star who is headed to Ohio State, played well, but Notre Dame's size, guard play, and team defense was too much to overcome. 

Notre Dame moves to 25-0 on the season and will take on the Wayne Warriors on Saturday at Princeton(Noon). 

Follow Us on the Journey! 

@DaytonHSSports 

@DaytonWeekly 

Carroll Girls One Game Away From State Berth, Outlast Valley View; Will Face Badin For A State Berth

The Patriot Way 

Carroll Girls One Game Away From State Berth, Outlasts Valley View  

 The Carroll Lady Patriots were one win away from a OHSAA State Championship last year when Covid-19 struck, forcing OHSAA to immediately cancel the 2020 State Girls and Boys Tournament.  

The Lady Patriots were on the floor when the cancellation was announced. 

Literally.

They were about to tipoff when it was relayed from OHSAA officials that the tournament had been immediately halted. 

With the team built to win it all last year, the Lady Patriots were devastated, to say the least. 

Now, after a tumultuous year of waiting, hoping, "what-if's", dealing with Covid-19, its protocols, and having a unbalanced season, the Lady Patriots sit in the Regional Finals after a gutty win against a very good Valley View team (#2 seed). 

The Spartans led for most of the game until late in the 3rd, when Carroll would tie the game up. 

In a tense game, with fans allowed (with masks on), it truly felt great to have a game with the normal aura of the March Madness feeling that we all have grown to love in Ohio and throughout the country. 

Once Carroll would regain the lead in the fourth quarter, they would not relinquish it, as the defense proved to be too much to overcome. Megan Leraas, the 2-way elite wing player, hit a huge 3-pointer to give Carroll the lead. She also led the Patriots in scoring (15). 

The Spartans seemingly ran out of gas, missing almost every field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter with the game in the balance. 

Carroll now will face Badin in the Regional Final on Friday with a chance at a State Berth on the line. Both teams played in the Greater Catholic League, as Carroll defeated Badin twice before already.  Badin defeated Columbus Hartley 50-49 in thrilling fashion. 

Can they do it a third time? And which GCL Team will be repping at State in Dayton, Ohio? 

Follow us on the Journey!

IG, FBook @DaytonHSSports  

Twitter:DaytonHSSports1