Flyin to the Hoop Recap: Snowstorm has no effect; Baker, McConnell lead Spire to W; Bol Bol shines in victory over USA Today #1; Stars of Day 1

With Flyin to the Hoop underway, we decided to summarize the Opening Night and how the games ended up on a blistery cold snow storm type of night.

Bol Bol, son of former NBA player Manute Bol, was the star of the Night in Flyin.

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Winter Storm doesn't stop fans

The Winter stom that halted every high school game in the Miami Valley area and beyond couldn't stop Flyin to the Hoop in its 15 season.
With snow flying everywhere, blustery winds up to 30 mph, and ice possible, it seemed that all the reasons for cancellation would happen.
Not so fast my peeps.

Horstman, in a exclusive interview with Dayton HS Sports on Wednesday, stated "The show will go on as advertised" & there would be no delay.

And the move worked out, as over 4500 people packed into Trent Arena to  watch some of the best teams in the country, on Friday night.

There were no reported incidents or accidents from the event, which is a good sign.


Former Dunbar players lead Spire Academy to win over Fairmont

The last time Star HS Players Caleb McConnell and Devon Baker were in Trent Arena, they had just fell to Trotwood in the Regional Final as members of the Dunbar Wolverines.

Fast forward 10 months later, and the dynamic duo led rising Prep School Spire Academy to a 80-70 win over the host Fairmont Firebirds in the tipoff game of Flyin'.

Fairmont came out firing, as sharpshooter Jack Hendricks led Fairmont to a 34-25 1st half lead.
On top of that Star PG Devon Baker was scoreless at half.

One of the Fairmont coaches noted that in watching film on Baker, he had went scoreless in the 1st half, then scored 30 in the 2nd half of a game to defeat a opponent.

While he didn't get 30, he scored 22 points, in leading the Lakehawks to a 29-15 take charge type 3rd quarter, and McConnell (19pts, 9 reb, 2 dimes, 2 blks) & F Isaac Mushila (16 pts, 17 reb) helped seal the deal in the 4th, despite the heroics of Hendricks and the hot shooting of Fairmont.

Hendricks dropped 29 on the night, leading all scorers, on 10-17 shooting, including 8-12 from long distance. Teammate Kellan Bochenek also added 18 points to go with 5 boards.




Bol Bol leads Findlay Prep over USA Today #1 

In the Showcase game of the Night, Bol Bol, son of NBA legend Manute Bol, led Findlay Prep to a last minute 50-48 victory over top ranked Huntington Prep as Bol hit the Game winning shot to send Findlay Prep to the win in the Primetime Game of the Night.

With possible 1 and done NBA prospects on both sides, it was a lot of oohing and aaahing as both teams showed incredible defense, athleticism, and good coaching as well.

Top Ranked Huntington Prep works on execution in 50-48 loss in Flyin' on Friday Night

In a game that was tight was the beginning to the end, Bol Bol showed why he is the #4 ranked HS player in the world and why Oregon will be a instant Final Four Candidate with the big man.

Standing at 7'2 Bol has the movement of a 6'7 small forward, and his rebounding (8), shot blocking (2) and altering, and his offensive game merits him as a probable 1 and done prospect in college.

After a baseline jumper by junior (PG)  Johnathan McGriff for Huntington Prep to tie the game at 48, Findlay was able to work the ball around and get a mid range basket by Bol for the difference.

Huntington got off a shot but it was no good and Findlay was able to win the game.

Bol led all scorers with 18, while McGriff led all scorers for Huntington with 14, 5 rebs, & 2 dimes.
Arkansas commit Reggie Chaney also chipped (10 pts, 5 boards) for the winner.
5-star recruit Jaemyn Brakefield had 6 pts, 9 boards, and great D, as he is one of the top players in the 2020 class.

Huntington Prep had started out as a USA Today #1 during the season.



Top Stars in Day 1

Caleb McConnell  - Spire Academy 
Bol Bol  - Findlay Prep                         
Devon Baker  - Spire Academy
Johnathan McGriff  - Huntington Prep
Jack Hendricks  - Fairmont
Isaac Mushila  - Spire Academy
Reggie Chaney - Findlay Prep
Kellan Bochenek - Fairmont
Jaemyn Brakefield - Huntington Prep



Day 2 Games
Springboro  vs Tipp City (Girls)  11:30
Olentangy   vs  Xenia                      1:15
Spire Academy  vs  Hillard Bradley  3pm
Pickerington North  vs Princeton   4:45
McEachern (Ga)   vs Trotwood      6:30    (Game of the Night)
IMG Academy     vs  Prolific Prep  8:15










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District Recap: Trotwood rolls; Dunbar finishes Wyoming late; Taft spoils Carroll party; Country Day stops Brookville; State Berth on the Line tonight as Alter, Carroll girls collide

Here's the recap of District Final Games this week

Star G Amir Foster goes up for 3 in win vs Urbana 

Trotwood stymies Urbana  
The Rams used patience, a balanced effort and smothering D to throttle Urbana 86-52.
While the game was close in the 1st, Trotwood turned up the pressure and the result was a 24-5 quarter Urbana could not recover from.
 The Rams had 4 scorers in double figures, and will now move on to the Regional Semis to face the team that put them out of the tourney last season in Taft.


Dunbar McConnell leads Wolves past Wyoming
Dunbar star F Caleb McConnell dropped a couple key buckets late, the Wolverines used a 10-0 spurt to end the game and the Wolverines moved back to the Regional Semis after a 66-56 win.
Wyoming had tied the game after being down 7 going into the 4th (45-38) but rallied to tie it up and had a breakaway to take the lead. After the turnover from Wyoming, Dunbar put the game away and will march on. The Wolverines had 3 players (Cook, Baker, McConnell) in double figures.



Taft D shuts Carroll down to get win  
The Senators came out cold as ice, and Carroll was hitting on all cylinders to take a 19-3 lead in the 1st quarter.
After the 1st quarter, it was all Taft as the Patriots would not score in double digits in the last 3 quarters to fall 52-40. While Taft looked bad, Carroll had the momentum. But Taft continued to battle, and the interior defense took over while the offense started to click.
Taft will face Trotwood in the Regional Semis

Country Day too much for Brookville
Cincy Country Day moved on to the Regionals after a convincing win over Brookville. Country Day was hitting on all cylinders, and Brookville couldn't match the offense.





Star Players of the Week  - Who were the top players in District Finals?

Amari Davis - Trotwood   - Davis dropped another 20 spot on great shooting, and has his flow going.

Caleb McConnell -  Dunbar  - McConnell hit a huge 3 to snap a tie game late and another to send the Wolverines to the next round. He ended with 19 and 7 rebs

Ezyontae Brazzle -  Taft  - Brazzle dropped 19 and kept the Senators afloat until they took over the game

Malek Green   - Taft  - The big man was huge, with a  double double (10 pts, 12 rebs, 2 blks) and provided inside presence for a Taft win

Torrey Patton  - Trotwood  - The smooth PG added another great all around game to the resume (19 pts, 8 assists, 7 rebs, 3 stls) to lead the Rams

Lonnie Grayson  - Wyoming  - Grayson did everything in the game, with 16pts, 6 reb, 4 dimes, 1 blk and 2 steals in the loss

Eli Ramsey  -  Carroll  - The big forward was the most effective player for Carroll with 12 pts and 5 boards, and 2 blocks to add

Levi Boettcher   - Urbana  - Boettcher was rock solid, with a double double (15pts, 11rbs, 3 dimes, 2 blocks) in the loss.




Girls (D-2)
State Semifinal Berth Tonight  on the line Between Carroll and Alter

Two of the best teams in D-2 will go at it tonight with a State Semifinal Berth on the line as Carroll (23-4) will take on Alter (24-2) @ Springfield HS (7pm).

The 2-time Defending State Champs are led by All-American Candidate  Braxtin Miller, who is headed to Oklahoma State. The PG has put the team in another position to reach the State, which is the stuff of legends.
On the other hand, you have a hungry and focused Carroll team, who has steamrolled everyone in their way.
They are led by All-State baller Amanda Schroeder, who is a serious threat all over the court and at 6'0 can post up with the best of em.
Only problem is, she averaged 7 ppg against Alter this season, both losses.
Can the Patriots pull off the upset?

Dunbar Trotwood game hottest ticket in town; What did NBA 3 pt Champion say about the game? Is it bulletin board material?

Since Trotwood knocked off Dunbar last season, the Rams have showed they are the top squad in the Miami Valley.

Who wins the HS Game of the Year?
Dunbar (16-2)  @ Trotwood  (16-2) 

When the season schedule came out, Dunbar @ Trotwod was #1 on the list of "Must See" games on everyone's watch list when it comes to HS Hoops in Dayton.

No question about it.

That's why it was no suprise that this game was sold out within 2 days of the tickets being on sale.

By Wednesday social media had found out that tickets were already sold out. And people were already panicking.

  Some parents from Dunbar didn't even have tickets, which has some of the Wolverine nation upset.

However, the Rams weren't too happy with the distribution of tickets last season for the game at Dunbar either.

Regardless, one thing is for sure.

This is the Regular Season HS Game of the Year in the Miami Valley.

The hottest ticket in town.

Better than what the college hoop king Dayton Flyers and The Raiders have on the slate too?

Yessir.

Which leads me to believe that both colleges should have a scout or two at this game. Along with a Calipari and a Matta, and who knows?

If u have a ticket?
You definitely are in high demand.

Word is that scalpers are selling tickets for 50 a pop.
This game has all the makings of a Dayton HS Sports Classic:

Let's examine the teams:

 Trotwood, who feature a dynamic starting 5, have D-1 talent all over the court & it seems that.they could be destined for a trip to Columbus come late March.
 Led by All-State G Torrey Patton, Sophomore Sensation Amari Davis, explosive Senior G Amir Foster, & the one of the fastest rising juniors in the State in Myles Belyeu, the Rams are loaded. With young talent on deck and a solid Coaching Staff, the Rams have 5 legitimate D-1 prospects in the starting 5.

Dunbar, has the same type talent and then some, as they are led by Junior stars Caleb McConnell & Devon Baker. Senior sharpshooter Chris Jackson has been on fire lately and with senior G Stormi Cook bringing his steady offensive numbers, the Wolverines are primed for a deep run themselves. Throw in a wild card like Michigan St commit JoJo Scates, and the Wolverines match-up evenly with the Rams.

It has been said that former Dunbar Legend and NBA three-point Champion Daequan Cook spoke to the squad, and let them know that this is just a game, not a state game like it may feel in the Trotwood locker room.
Whether that serves as bulletin board  material 39or the Rams, that's yet to be seen. But it's evident that Dunbar is trying to look at this as a regular season game. But with Cook speaking out, it just adds a little fuel to the fire and spice to the game.


The key to the game could rely heavily on the bench, the coaching, and the late-game heroics of someone. Usually in these type of games a suprise player Rises to the top.

Whoever it is, we're looking forward to seeing it with the hottest ticket in town.

No doubt about it.

Week 9 Weekend Recap; Our top 5 Stars from the Weekend; In case you missed it

Here's what happened last weekend in the Miami Valley on the hoop front:

Can Star Player of Week 9 Paris Minnifield and the Stivers Tigers continue their wining streak?

Trotwood rolls past Northmont in GWOC Showdown

The Rams was able to shut down Northmont early in what was billed as the top 2 teams in the GWOC. The #1 State Ranked Rams seemed to play at another level, while Northmont struggled early in the game, sealing their fate as the Rams pushed out and was able to cruise, led by rising junior Myles Belyeu 26 points. Belyeu was a workhorse all night and showed why he will be one of the most coveted Seniors in the Country next year. The win moves Trotwood to 10-1


Dunbar stymies Toledo Scott on the road

The Wolverines went up to Toledo and shut down the hosts as star F Caleb McConnell racked up 28 to lead Dunbar to a 71-52 win for the state ranked Wolverines. The win moves Dunbar to 11-2.


Ponitz holds off Thurgood for 11th win 
 The Panthers were led by Star Senior Forward Scott and D'Edgar Cooks this weekend as they edged by Thurgood 51-50 and Clark Montessori. Cooks had 17 in the win vs Thurgood and Scott dropped 26 in the win against Clark. The w's put Ponitz at 11-4, 4-2 in the city and in position for a nice run in coach Steve Pittmans first season.

Alter smacks C-J in Rivalry Game
 Alter handed the Eagles a smackdown in a rivalry that has created tons of great players, coaches, and moments that rival any in the GCL.
However, in this one, it was all Alter all night as Dominic Lavarie dropped 25 to lead the Knights to a 71-50 win.

Sidney bounces back
 Sidney was able to bounce back with a win as Star G Isiah Gordon led the Yellow Jackets with 20 points.

Centerville garners another win
 Star Guard Keegan Saben led the Elks to another win, over Lebanon.

The "Field" winning streak snapped
Springfield handled business against Fairmont winning 70-64 but then lost at Cincy Moeller. Springfield is now 11-2 and sitting pretty in the GWOC atop the league.


Wayne blows out Middletown without star 
 The Warriors got back on track with a big win over Middletown 74-45 as star big man Blue Smith didn't play. Smith was held out due to a minor injury to his back on a play last week. Despite Smith not playing, Wayne was hitting on all cylinders, and was able to get back on track after a 4 game losing streak.

Minniefield leads Stivers to big win over Bowling Green
 Sharpshooter Paris Minniefield was unconscious against Bowling Green, as he led the Tigers to a big win 52-33. The 6'1 senior combo guard, Minniefield hit a flurry of 3's, dropped 25, and was able to lead the Tigers to a 9-6 record.


Here are  the Stars of Weekend:

Caleb McConnell   Dunbar        28 pts in win
Floyd Scott,             Ponitz          20+ average in two wins
Paris Minniefield    Stivers         25 in key win
Myles Belyeu           Trotwood    26 in win over Northmont
Dominic Lavarie     Alter            25 in win over C-J
Kadeim Jones         Thurgood     30 in the loss


Committed:
   Chris Jackson, Guard for Dunbar, commits to Urbana to play football and basketball.
 The 2 sport star played WR and QB for the football team, and plays the shooting guard spot for the State ranked Wolverines.
 

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.