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. 

District Finals Tonight at UD Arena; Weekend Recap: Trotwood cruises; Dunbar rallies; Ponitz falls; Northmont pushes on; Stars of the Weekend

Here the recap on Saturday and Sunday games in Southwest Ohio in the Miami Valley:

Star Player Devon Baker led Wolverines with 29 in win vs.  C-J

Dunbar rallies, outlasts C-J 
 In a emotional roller coaster of a game, Dunbar used a gritty 4th quarter and some clutch play to rally past C-J and win the Sectional.

  Early in the game, Dunbar dictated the flow, and held a lead in the first half. But Eagles star G Christian Montague  got going, and once he did? The entire Eagles offense followed suit as they went on a 26-10 and took a commanding lead (56-49) into the 4th off a half court shot by P'Hariz Watkins.

Dunbar then used the 4th quarter, at full strength, to battle back, then a Chris Jackson bomb gave the Wolverines a lead late in the 4th they would never relinquish.

Star G Devon Baker led the Wolverines with 29 as he clearly was the dominant player on the court.
Up next for Dunbar?
 Cincy Wyoming

C-J P'Hariz Watkins takes on Dunbar Devon Baker in Sectional Final

Trotwood handles business, stops Valley View
 The Rams jumped out on Valley View and never looked back as they shut down the Spartans to single digits in the 1st 2 quarters of the game to roll to a 83-40 win. While the game wasn't flashy, it was all substance for the #1 State Ranked Rams as they won the Sectional Final at UD Arena.

 The Rams were led by Sophomore Star G Amari Davis, (20pts) who has vowed to do work this season at the Arena after his tough ending last season. Also big man Justin Stephens did damage on the defense, with 4 big blocks, and holding down the paint, shutting down the Spartans interior plans.
 The Rams stifling D was the main reason for the lopsided score.
Up next? Urbana for the District Final tonight.



Northmont wins Sectionals, stops Boro'
Northmont continued it's great play with a emphatic win over Sprinboro.
The inside outside duo of Vinson Walker & Christian Wilson was too much for the Boro to handle as the Bolts won 63-50. Wilson had 18 to lead the troops, while Walker dropped a double double (12 pts, 17reb) to help the cause.
 With the win it puts the Bolts in position to win a District title this week.
While they won't be the favorite,  it does show that  
they have came a long way this season, and they are not a fluke. With all the tools to make a state run, can Northmont continue to roll in the District Finals?
Up next: Mason


Carroll squeaks past Ponitz  
Ponitz had a chance late in the game to grab the victory, but a couple tough plays and a Star performance by F Stafford Stevens (25pts, 7 rbs) moved the Patriots over the Panthers 45-43.

    In a game that featured great defense, timely FT  shooting, and a lot of drama, Carroll defeated another City league opponent for a Sectional Title in back to back years.

  While the game was tight late, the Patriots experience and a couple key plays was the difference.
 Carroll didn't make a 3-ptr in the entire game, but they hit 19 FTs, which helped them tremendously; they will take on Taft tonight;
  The Panthers coaching staff was upset about the loss, but knows they had a good first season.

Ponitz big man Eric Sealey Jr. led the Panthers with his gritty play, similar to a Dennis Rodman style presence that Coach Pittman had talked about.

The 6-3 junior F had a season high 16 rebounds; but it was his defense, his intensity and leadership which kept Ponitz in the game in the 1st half when shots weren't falling. Ponitz only scored 14 points in the 1st half.



Taft defeats Hughes  
Cincy Taft delivered a huge w with a gutty performance over top seeded Hughes. Hughes has had a very good season, beating Taft twice;
But Taft showed why they could be a force to be reckoned with as they fought, grabbed a late lead, and was able to hold on for a Sectional Title.
Up next? Carroll



Wyoming stops Woodward in 2 OTs
 Top seeded Cincy Wyoming was able to overcome 2 OTs in order to put down Woodward.
While it looked like Woodward was about to stun Wyomng, they were able to force OT, and outlast Woodward.
Wyoming will now travel to UD Arena to face Dunbar tonight.



Brookville continues to roll 
 Brookville garnered another Sectional title with a easy win last week.
 Can they grab another District title this week?
With a good coaching staff and a couple stars on display, could Brookville reach the Regionals? They will have to defeat #1 seed Summit County Day.




Key Games Tonight
District Finals 

5:30    Trotwood  vs  Urbana    
Can Urbana continue its great run? Or will they be overwhelmed by the highest scoring & scariest team in the OHSAA Tournament?
Trotwood is averaging 104 points a game. Can Urbana match that offensive firepower, or shift the game in their favor?


7:30    Carroll   vs  Cincy  Taft 
Can Carroll continue to play their way, led by Star F Stafford Stevens? Or will talented and well coached Taft win the District Finals again in UD Arena just like last year?
In a game that will feature 2 different styles, who will win the huge matchup?


9:30    Dunbar   vs  Cincy Wyoming 
 Can Dunbar knock off the #1 seed in the bracket?  They will have the home game, but Wyoming is up for the challenge, as they were tested in the last game, a 2 OT thriller over Woodward. Dunbar is playing at a very high level. With both teams having great talent, should be a heck of a game.


Stars of the Sectional Weekend 

Here's the top players from the Sectional  Weekend  

Amari Davis, Trotwood  - Davis dropped 20 to lead Rams to easy W, and added a vicious dunk to match

Keegan Saben, Centerville  - Saben was unstoppable in halting Wayne Train; inside, outside, and at the line for a game high 25 points

Mike McKay,  Springfield  -McKays big basket helped lead the Wildcats over Xenia and a Sectional title

Devon Baker, Dunbar  - Baker clutch play and 29 points help propel the Wolverines

Stafford Stevens, Carroll  - Stevens grinded his way to a tough 27 & 7 and a Sectional win

Christian Wilson, Northmont  - Wilson led the Bolts with 18 in a Sectional win

Vinson Walker, Northmont  - Walker worked hard for 17 monstrous boards to go with 12 points in a huge double double performance to help lead Northmont to a win

Christian  Montague, C-J  In a loss, Montague was spectacular against State Ranked Dunbar,  dropping 27 & 6 reb

Chris Jackson, Dunbar  -The clutch sharpshooter delivered when it counted hitting the go ahead 3, and added 17 & 7 Reb to get Dunbar the Sectional title

Milton Gage, C-J  - Gage was downright nasty as well, pouring in 23 on a variety of moves in a loss

Justin Stephens, Trotwood  - The big man completely dominated the paint against Valley View, with 4 blocks

Eric Sealey Jr, Ponitz - Sealey, who could be the next great rebounder who is unknown, hauled in 16 boards, played shutdown defense, and kept the Panthers in the game






Next Article: Top  20 Players from Flyin to the Hoop

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Friday Recap: Springfield survives in OT; Wayne falls to Elks; Huge Games Today

Heres the recap on the Sectional games from Friday night.

Springfield wakes up in time to squeak past Xenia in OT
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Xenia Bucs had played a nearly flawless game, and seemed headed to a huge upset of the #1 seed.
Until the Springfield Wildcats unleashed a late flurry starting early in the 4th to send it into OT, then outlasted Xenia to win and move on to the District finals by a score of 73-72.
 Led by Leonard Taylor, Danny Davis and Mike McKay, the Wildcats will head to the finals for the first time in 4 years. They will face the winner of the #3 Oak Hills vs #12 Wilmington matchup.

Coach Carson and the Cats fans were very relieved after it looked as if Springfield would be the first #1 seed to go down in the OHSAA Bracket.

Centerville knocks off Wayne
The Centerville Elks used hot shooting, patient offense, and a Senior leader in Keegan Saben to shut down Wayne 74-58 on Friday night.
Wayne hit the first bucket of the game, a 3-pointer, and after that, it seemed like a struggle to get the ball in the hoop, as they shot poorly from the perimeter. While Centerville seemed comfortable in the game plan, the Wayne Train couldn't get on track, aside from Star F L'Christian "Blue" Smith, as Smith hit 3 3-pointers to keep Wayne in the game.
Ultimately, it was too much Saben and the Elks.
Centerville had 4 guys in double figures, led by Sabens 25, and will move on to play either #6 Lakota East or #4 Mason.

Keegan Saben delivers in the clutch for Centerville 

Saben was unstoppable, using screens, the baseline, back door moves and his own dribble moves to get his game off. Sam Lash (14) and G Donnie Shelton (10, 6rbs, 5ass, 4 steals) helped in a overall team effort.

Blue Smith (15) and Deshawn Parker (10) led the Warriors in scoring.



TODAYS GAMES:
D-1 NORTHMONT    vs  SPRINGBORO     @ Centerville (7:30)
 Can Northmont continue to play lights out like they have this season? Or will Springboro continue to find a way to win when it counts?
  This GWOC matchup could come down to the wire.



D-2 
#7 VALLEY VIEW    vs  #1 TROTWOOD   (5 pm)
Can Valley View compete with the best team in the State according to the OHSAA Final HS State Poll? While Valley View has had a good season, it will take a monumental effort to pull off the upset today as the Rams look to reach the District Finals. The Rams are averaging a whopping 115 points a game in the tournament.


#10 CARROLL        vs     #6  PONITZ    (6:30) 
In a game featuring a Carroll team who defeated Thurgood last season in this exact round, can they do it again against the higher seed? While Ponitz has been playing well, this Carroll team will be ready for the challenge. Former Flyer and current Ponitz head Coach Steve Pittman has had a very good first year. Can he grab a sectional title?



#5 CHAMINADE-JULIENNE      vs   #2 DUNBAR   (8pm)
In the game of the Day, can C-J and their dynamic backcourt somehow pull off the major upset of the Wolverines? Dunbar's offense has been nothing but high octane as they scored 100 in the last game. Can Chaminade play their game, slow the tempo down and keep the game in the 50's like they want it? Or will one of the Top teams in the State show that they are too much to handle?


CINCY Bracket
#2 HUGHES               vs         #3  TAFT 
Can Cincy Hughes get the big win over Taft?  While TAFT was a shot away from State last season, they will be hard pressed to stop Hughes and their marksmanship. Not to mention HUGHES winning the games this season as well. Can Taft find what it will take to pull off the big W?


#1 WYOMING            vs        #4 WOODWARD
Can WYOMING continue its great season? Or will perennial WOODWARD pull off the minor upset? Woodward has the pieces to do it, but Wyoming has been nearly unstoppable all season.

Rams show resolve, defeat Dunbar

     In the "Rematch" between Dunbar and Trotwood, after the first half it looked as if the Wolverines would be headed towards a huge win, as they outplayed, outscrapped, and beat the Rams at their own game.

Amir Foster, Amari Davis, Torrey Patton lead Rams to big W

 
    Dunbar star Forward Terrance Landers Jr. was housing the Rams, and with freshman sensation Amari Davis in major foul trouble (3 in the 1st quarter) it looked a little shaky for the #1 seed in the Region in the Nutter Center.

   The Wolverines held a 40-32 lead at half, and was brewing with confidence, as they had shaken the Rams with a mixture of D, aggressive offense, and good coaching.

      However, midway through the 3rd quarter, the Rams D bucked up, and the offense put on a flurry (9-0 run) within a 2 minute span to turn a 7-pt deficit into a lead.
 

#1 ranked Amari Davis shoots over Chris Jackson 

The Rams never looked back, en route to winning 71-64.

   While Dunbar kept the game in striking distance until the last seconds, & had chances to seize the moment, they couldn't quite match their excellent play in the 1st half.
   The Rams were led by Combo Guards Amir Foster (16) and Torrey Patton (21), as Foster started the run with a steal and thunderous finish to ignite the Rams.

      Foster said, "We gotta win all the 50-50 hustle plays," in regards to the extra effort he displayed in his game changing play to leap and snatch the steal, break out, and 2- hand slam it down, turning up the young Rams squad, coaches, and fans.

  Patton, in the 4th was in one word - dominant.

     He willed his way to the basket, hit tough layups, floaters and free throws, & added 6 rebounds to go with 5 key steals, which helped turn the tide.

   Patton said it feels "Great" to knock off the State Semifinalists of last season.

    Trotwood knocked down 10 FTs in the 4th, (mostly by Patton) & the Rams won their biggest challenge of the season.
   

All-GWOC G Torrey Patton playing D

     They did it in a fashion that they hadn't shown before (coming from behind in some adverse conditions), and on the biggest stage of their young careers?
 
 Could be the start of something special.

   Dunbar Coach Pete Pullen was happy with his teams effort, but knows that the 3rd quarter really hurt the Wolverines, when Dunbar was outscored 17-7 and lost their offensive flow for a key stretch of the game.
 
  Trotwood will play Cincinnati Taft on Sunday at UD Arena for the D-2 Distict Championship.

 




 

 

Top 5 games of Week 2 in the Miami Valley on Labor Day weekend

Now that high school football has kicked off, lets take a look at the DHSS Top 5 key games in Southwest Ohio on this Labor Day weekend:




(5) Thurgood @ Trotwood (Fri 7pm)


Thurgood (0-1), last years City League champs, despite losing last week, still has a plethora of good players on the team, but will be tested severely tested tonight facing a young but hungry Rams team itself. Trotwood won a last week, and with another win, could ease the pressure off the young QB who replaced Michigan St bound Messiah DeWeaver (who is back at Wayne)






(4) Beavercreek @ Carroll (7pm)


The Creek ran to a huge W last week behind star RB Bradshaws 3TDs and huge running stats. Carroll defeated Meadowale. Both teams look to go 2-0 early In the season.






(3) Cin Withrow @ Alter (Fri 7pm)


After Withrow (1-0) handled Dunbar last week, they will take on the State runner ups this week. Alter (1-0) will look to continue on a great W over a hyped Fairmont team. Withrow has a couple game breaker type players, but can they stand up to the Knights well balanced squad?




(2) Dunbar vs Ponitz (Fri 7pm)


In a early season game with possible Title and playoff implications, Dunbar (0-1) will look to get on track tonight after numerous missed opportunities in the last game vs Withow. Ponitz, (1-0) spearheaded by former C-J coach Jim Place and a great staff, were the only team in Dayton City League to get a W, (defeated Cin Clark).
Dunbar looked as the early season favorite for a league title, but if the Panthers can pull off the upset tonight?
Watch out for Ponitz.


(1) Wayne @ Cin Moeller (Sun 4pm)


In a game that will be featured on ESPN3, the bragging rights for Southwest Ohio is on the line. Wayne was a quarter away from a state title last season, and defeated Moeller in the state semifinals 29-22 last season. The #WayneTrain blanked one of the top teams in Canada in its opening game and looks as focused as ever.
Moeller is a championship contender as well, and has won many games in this type of atmosphere. With a tough D, rock solid Offense and a All-American candidate at TE. Not to mention the fact that the Warriors ended their dreams last year.
The Moeller crowd will be insane today in Cincy.
However, when you watch the WayneTrain, you almost are looking at a mid major D-1 college team in which their three top offensive players (Messiah DeWeaver, Matthew Wilcox Jr and ChristianLBlu Smith) will be playing on your TV screens on Saturdays for a major program very soon.
And possibly Sundays as well.
I look for a WayneTrain showcase and a convincing W on Sunday.


Just in case those NFL coaches and scouts want to see the future.




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