Week 4 Recap: Wayne rolls past Miamisburg; Belmont thumps Meadowdale; Trotwood drops 50+ on Tipp; Thurgood, Ponitz, get W's; Fairmont, Franklin stay undefeated

Here's the Week 4 Recap and Headlines of football in the Miami Valley:

Wayne stops the Burg as McKee erupts for 6 TDs
Wayne was down 7 midway through the 2nd quarter, and the Vikings continent was feeling like "this could be the year" after a TD had put them up 21-14 right before the half.
Would this be the year that Miamisburg continues through its season undefeated, beating one of its nemesis, the Wayne Warriors?
Was Wayne overrated?
Warriors head coach Jay Minton felt, that at that moment, he would see what his team was truly made of.
Backs against the wall, young team as a whole, and playing against a good team salivating for a win against them?

"I just hoped the guys would stay calm" Minton said.
Erupt was more like it.

Rashad McKee Jr, the fast rising junior QB, then took the game into his own hands and delivered one of the best peformances by a QB in this young season.
He directed the Warriors to a TD drive capped  on a run by himself to tie the game before half, then directed 5 more drives in the 2nd half en route to a 56-28 blowout win at Heidkamp Stadium on Friday Night.

Wayne tied it up at half, then took the lead on a McKee to Blue Smith TD immediately after the half.
From there it was all Wayne.
Junior WR Steven Victoria was also a stud for the night, as he had a career high 6 catches for a whopping 203 yards on the game.
Wayne new moves to 3-1 while Miamisburg falls to 3-1.
 Star WR Tyler Johnson caught a TD for the Vikings in the first loss on the season.

Belmont continues its dominant defensive run, shuts out Lions
The Bison continued to show why they could be headed towards a 3rd consecutive playoff run as they dominated the Lions in a 57-0 win. The Bison have given up 1.3 points a game, a stifling mark this far into the season. Coach White was happy with the performance, but knows that its still early and the Bison must stay focused for the playoff stretch. Senior RB's Elijah Malcolm and Dawson Martin led the Bison.

Trotwood pounds Tipp as Hargrove goes wild
The Rams rode the All-American candidate in Raveion Hargrove as they pummeled Tippecanoe 55-10. Hargrove ran over, around, and through the Tipp defense for over 230 yards and 2 TDs' as the #1 Team in D-3 and possibly the entire state cruised to a road win. Trotwood now improves to 4-0.

Elks stop Springfield after miscues doom Cats  
Centerville continued to ride first year coach Brent Ullery magic to a big 24-12 road win in Springfield this weekend in a clash between 2 undefeated squads. The keys in the game was the miscues made by the Cats' in the red zone, and with star QB Alec Grandin lighting it up for over 230 yards passing and 2 TD's for Centerville, the Elks avenged defeat last year on their home field by the Cats. Centerville (4-0) is now ranked #7 in the State poll while Springfield falls to 3-1.

Thurgood rallies to snatch first W
Thurgood was on the ropes against Western Hills, but used a dynamic 2nd half to get their first W of the season in Cincy. Western Hills had cut the lead to 3 (24-21) and the momentum had shifted, but the Cougars ran off 21 straight points to lockdown their first victory on the season and in the SWOPL.

Bowser carries Sidney to another epic win with record setting performance
Northwestern commit Isaiah Bowser powered the Yellow Jackets to a 4-0 mark with a 413 yard 6- TD performance against Xenia as they outpaced the Bucs 55-48.
 Sidney needed every yard of the efforts as they couldn't stop the Bucs. So they relied on their monster back, and he delivered. Again. And again. And again.
He has over 1,000 yards already, and could be headed for OHSAA record type numbers at this point. Not to mention that Sidney is now 4-0.

Fairmont continues to ride the unbeaten streak after improbable comeback
Fairmont continued its great run with a big comeback victory over Springboro, as 2nd year head coach David Miller runs the Firebirds record to 4-0. A Braden Miller to Ryan Hall bomb was the difference as the Fairmont only threw the ball 3 times, but the 3rd times a charm as the bomb helped keep the Firebirds undefeated.

Ponitz shuts out Riverview Academy
Ponitz was able to pick up its first win of the season, a 32-0 shutout over Riverview Academy. Coach Jim Place knows he has a young team, but the Panthers came out focused and took care of business to get their first defensive shutout and win on the season in the SWOPL.

Stars of Week 4 

Rashad McKee, QB Wayne 
McKee a junior, was the biggest star of the Weekend, with 6 TD's total against a top opponent in Miamisburg. Not only did he produce 6 TD's, McKee stepped up when the Warriors needed him most.

Tavion Thomas, Dunbar 
Thomas has found his groove with another 160 yard performance in a big win over Schoder.

Raveion Hargrove, RB  Trotwood 
Hargrove was ultra dynamic in rushing for 230+ yards and 2 TD's as the Rams routed Tipp. The Bowling Green commit broke off a couple of long runs, which helped the Top Ranked Rams.

Isaiah Bowser, RB Sidney 
Bowser rushed around, through, and past Sidney defenders for 413 yards and 6 TD's as the Xenia defense had no answer for the Northwestern commit

Alec Grandin, QB Centerville 
Grandin was nearly flawless in a hostile environment against a team who has playoff hopes, in which he went 20-24 for 230 against a very tough defense. He also kept the Elks undefeated and now ranked in the state (#7)

Elijah Malcolm, RB Belmont   Malcolm was unstoppable along with the O-Line as they did what they wanted in the big win over Meadowdale.


Ayyoub Muhummed,  QB  Thurgood  Muhummed took the Cougars to a big win with a decisive 4th quarter in which he led the attack as Thurgood grabbed its first W of the season in SWOPL play.




Here are the Top Games in Week 5 around the Miami Valley


SWOPL 
Woodward (1-3) @ Belmont (4-0)
Can Woodward find the recipe for a upset tonight at Welcome StadiALum? Belmont has been lights out this season, and put their No Touchdown Rule back on the board. While Woodward hasn't had the season they wanted, they still boast a lot of talent and will be ready to battle. However, this isn't the same Belmont team who has been accustomed to losing. Coach White will have his squad ready to go.

Dunbar (3-1) @  Aiken (3-1) (Saturday)
Can the Wolverines get a big W on the road against one of the best teams in the league? Aiken lost last week, but have played well overall this season. Dunbar has been one of the best teams outside of Week 1, and seem to be getting more confidence as a team. Tavion Thomas has started to explode, which can be attributed to the O-Line getting more camaraderie and cohesion. Aiken will be ready, can the Wolverines pull off another key road victory in Cincy?


GWOC

Wayne (3-1)  @  Northmont  (3-1)
In the Game of the Week, are the Bolts forreal? Or will the Wayne Train continue to roll, as they are on a 3 game winning streak? Northmont has been on a roll lately, but will face a beast few have been able to conquer in the last decade, and with the Wayne Train offense playing well and getting some key guys back on D such as Taz Wilcox and Antwuan Johnson, the Warriors should be ready for a big game in Northmont.

Springfield (3-1)   @ Lebanon (2-2)
Can the Cats' shake off a tough home loss and go on the road against a tough Lebanon team that is playing well in the last couple weeks? Will be a tough task for Coach Moe and Springfield.

Fairmont  (4-0)  @ Beavercreek (4-0) 
Which of the unlikely 4-0 teams will continue the magic ride? The Firebirds, or the Beavers, which both have had great success early this season.
 
Greenville (2-2)  @ Trotwood (4-0)
Can Greenville pull off the biggest upset in OHSAA this season? Or will the Rams prove to be too much like they have for every opponent this season?



SWBL

Franklin  (4-0)   @ Valley View (4-0)  In a game that could feature 2 teams headed to the playoffs, this is no doubt the game of the year in the SWBL. With both teams featuring high octane rushing offenses, it could come down to the defense on who gains the advantage on being the best in the SWBL.

GCL
Alter (3-1)    @  Fenwick (1-3)  Can Alter continue its torrid stretch after a 58-0 rout and a 3 game winning streak? Or will Fenwick get back on track after losing 3 in a row?

C-J  (2-2)   @ Bloom-Carroll (1-3)  - Can C-J continue its midseason push for a possible playoff spot? The Eagles used that big win over Meadowdale and defeated Fenwick to get them back to .500. Can they pull off a big road win?





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OHSAA Hoop State Recap; Rams fall to St V; Cincy teams falter; LeBron reaches out to Patton

Here's the Recap of what went down, hot topics, and more at the OHSAA State Championship last weekend

What did LBJ say about the 2-Time Ohio Player of the Year in Torrey Patton? 

Rams let one slip away as St V wins at buzzer
The Trotwood Rams felt like they had a good chance to win the State this year, considering they would take on a team who they beat earlier in the season in the Semifinal game.

Taking on Akron St Vincent St Mary, the prestigious HS that LeBron James went to, didn't seem that tough, as the Rams put a 100 spot on them in January (100-61).

However, Coach Dru Joyce is hard to beat twice in a season, delivering the game plan to slow down the Rams, and that's exactly what happened as Akron St. Vincent upset Trotwood 62-60.

 The Rams shot poorly in the 1st half (10-36) and it cost them as they trailed heading into 2nd half.

 Trotwood finally settled into the game in the 3rd quarter, but by that time Akron star F Jayvon Graves had already had 3 monster dunks in the game, and was the star of the 1st half.

Jayvon Graves throws down one of his powerful dunks vs Trotwood in D-2 Semifinal 

 In the 2nd half it was "Patton Time" as Star G Torrey Patton took over the game for the Rams.
Patton scored 15 of his OHSAA D-2 record 34 points in the 1st half to keep Trotwood afloat, then electrified the crowd by dropping 19 in the 2nd half to guide the Rams to the lead.

 St.V had no answer for the 6'4  2-Time Player of the Year, and it became a highlight show in the 2nd half.
Patton would finish with 34, 11 boards, a block and a steal. And his normal 4th quarter clutch play was in effect.

So much so that LeBron himself had to make a couple calls after the game to find out who this Patton kid was.
And to also find out why he hasn't received a offer from a D-1 yet as well.

"We couldn't stop him" James said.
"Who is this Patton kid?"

All-Ohio G Torrey Patton puts up a FT in State Title Game vs Akron SVSM 

 But St V kept fighting, and a 4-point lead (56-52) for the Rams late in the 4th turned into the decisive 10-2 run, (led by Graves), as St V would take advantage of back to back turnovers by the Rams.

After the final basket (a floater by Graves as the time expired), St V, and LBJ knows that they pulled off one of their greatest wins in the Dru Joyce era.

Akron SVSM celebrates upset win over Trotwood Madison in OHSAA State Semifinal game

They stormed the court, sans the coaches, and the players celebrated all the way down to the Trotwood side of the court.

They knew that they had sleighed the best team in D-2, and possibly in all of Ohio.

For Trotwood?
Utter disbelief, and shock. The players were stunned, and the fans, hurt.
Even the press row was shocked as the Rams came into the Final four averaging 90 ppg and being the "It Squad" for the weekend in Columbus.

Sr G Amir Foster shoots one over the backboard in the Semifinal Game vs Akron SVSM

Still a very good season for the Rams.
But it definitely will be a game that will resonate in the minds of the Rams as they know they let one slip away.

Highly touted Junior Myles Belyeu tallied 13 points, 4 rebs, 3 steals for the Rams in the Semifinals

Trotwood had 3 players in double figures as Junior Myles Belyeu dropped 13 and Sophomore sensation Amari Davis added 10.  Amir Foster led the Rams with 5 assists.
Jayvon Graves led St. V with 22 pts, 10 boards and 3 steals.




St. V wins State Title; Cleveland dominates Tourney
Akron St Vincent St Mary's defeated Wauseon 45-30 to take another State Championship. Wauseon, who had only lost once before the game, felt good about their chances.

Akron St Vincent St Mary, OHSAA D-2 Champs 

But Star F Jayvon Graves, (Buffalo) came up big with 25 points, sealing the deal as Tourney MVP, and State Champs to boot.
 Salute the champs, as Coach Dru Joyce won his 7th  State Title.
This one might be one of the sweetest, considering how we won it this season, having to defeat a team in the Semis who hammered them by almost 40 earlier in the season.



LeBron reaches out to Patton;  Akron, Toledo in the mix
LeBron James, sat and watched himself the OHSAA State Semifinal Game from out of town as he and the Cavs were on a road trip.  His St. V squad would take on the team who dismantled them in Dayton in January, so while he wouldn't be able to root on his boys in Columbus, he'd be able to check out the game on TV against the heavily favored Trotwood Rams.
The King wanted to know, "Were they really that good as advertised?
 And did his St. V boys have a real shot?

What he would see made him pick up the phone and call his old coach, as he usually does if he's not in attendance.

But this time, there would be a couple questions about the other team, and a player in particular.

Torrey Patton, to be exact.

LeBron is all about the big stage, and after watching what the 6'4 combo guard did to his Alma Mater, he had to inquire, along with coach Joyce.

"Who is this Patton kid, and where is he going to school?"
When Coach Joyce found out the lack of offers he had before the Tourney, he was befuddled.

"I would definitely recruit him if I was a college coach, but hey what do I know?
We couldn't stop him" Joyce said.

Patton set OHSAA record for most points in a D-2 Title Game (34) 

Then LeBron decided to take things into his own hands.
LBJ reached out, made a couple calls, to congratulate Patton on his record setting performance and to inquire about his future.

Since then, Patton has recieved serious consideration from Akron, Toledo, Niagara, Georgia State, and now Wright State has tried to come back into the mix.

Which shows you the type of guy LBJ is.
Call it the "LeBron Effect".

He recognizes greatness and recognizes talent, and understands that a kid of Pattons' magnitude should not be taken lightly.

James once, was on that big stage and understands how that stage can sometimes make or break your career.

Shoutout to the King on showing love to a kid, he had never met, never even known until now.

The kid lives in Dayton, Ohio.
Trotwood to be exact.
Nowhere near Akron, or "The Land."
LeBron just watched the game, heard the story, and here we are.

Will Patton end up at Akron? Or Toledo?
Yet to be seen.
 Very possible, unless some of the Big Ten teams start to open their eyes and realize how good this Patton kid is.

 Hell, LeBron did.
 After 1 game.
Will Ohio State jump in? Who knows.

But a couple things are for sure.

(1) When LeBron speaks, you listen.

(2) And it's never to late to make a great impression.
Just look at Norris Cole. A late D-1 signee, now he resides in the NBA.

Where will the hottest hoop prospect in Ohio end up?



Cincy Teams Fall
Undefeated Moeller falls in Championship Game 
Cincy Moeller, undefeated all season, fell in the title game, losing 39-38 to Massillion Jackson.

Massillion spoils Moeller perfect season, win D-3 Championship 

Moeller had went undefeated all season, and lost in heartbreaking fashion.
This marks the first time a D-1 team has won a State tile since 1945 without scoring 40 points.
Is it time for a shot clock in High School era?
Something the committee should seriously think about.

Roger Bacon falls in the Championship Game as well, losing to Cleveland Villa St Joseph in the D-3 Title Game 54-52.



OHSAA Key Notes

The Cleveland / Akron schools won all 4 boys divisions.

The first time in 72 years (1945) a D-1 game was won with a final winning score under 40
 (Massillion wins 39-38)

Trotwood G Torrey Patton broke scoring record (34) for a Individual perfromance (D-2)

Akron SVSM F & Buffalo commit Jayvon Graves scored the most points in the tournament this year (47).

GWOC on display tonight in Sectional Finals; Rams #1 in final State Poll; Boddie nabs Player of Year in City League

The 2nd weekend of the OHSAA Tournament  will feature some of the best teams, exciting matchups, & rivalries in Southwest Ohio in HS hoops.
Not to mention a few intriguing rematches to boot.

Will "Blue Smith" and the Wayne Train roll over the Elks tonight?

Here's the Marquee Matchups for the Sectional Finals tonight: 

WAYNE   vs.  CENTERVILLE  @Butler HS (7:30)  
Wayne has been playing well lately, as evidenced by the shutdown Performance they had vs Miamisburg.  Centerville has also been playing at a high level, and know this is as good a shot as they will have to beat the Wayne Train in a tourney setting.

Problem is, L'Christian Blue Smith is back, and playing well. Not good for the Elks, who also are dealing with a angry Wayne team who felt like they underachieved a little bit last season, and want to atone for that.

We know that these 2 teams have no love for each other, but mutual respect.  And we also know the game will be close. Add great coaching, and you have the GWOC at its best.

Can the Cats continue to move towards a State Berth?

SPRINGFIELD   vs  XENIA  @ Centerville HS (7:30)
 In this game, Can Xenia and their high powered offense stay on pace with the top dog in the Bracket?
Xenia was able to win late in the first 2 tourney  games, and now find themselves against a extremely confident and talented Wildcats team. The Bucs, led by Samari Curtis, can score in bunches, but the Cats have done it more consistently this season, and the key is the Cats, D, which is downright stifling during stretches in games.



CITY LEAGUE  ALL CITY TEAM, PLAYER OF THE YEAR SELECTED 
Dayton Public League selected their All-City Players and Player of the Year last week.

Stivers Tigers F Tony Boddie was selected as the Player of the Year, after he led the Tigers to 2nd place in the City League this season.

2017 Dayton City League 1st Team

Trotwood ends up #1 in State in Final Regular Season Poll 
The Trotwood Rams finished the Regular season #1 in the OHSAA State D-2 Basketball Poll.
Trotwood (20-2) had a banner year, only losing to Sidney and Nationally ranked Prolific Prep featuring Nationally Ranked player Gary Trent Jr.

The Rams will play tomorrow at UD Arena.

Key Games go down this weekend as Regular Season nears end

Here's the Top 5 Games of the Night as we hit the final weeks of the Regular Season:

Will the State Ranked Rams continue the great play @ Xenia? 

(1) Springfield (16-2) @ Wayne (14-6) (GWOC)

 Can the "Field continue its great season? At the expense of one of the very few down seasons at Wayne? With one of the stars (Blue Smith) not playing, can the Wayne Train survive the dynamic squad that the Wildcats boast, led by Wisconsin commit and Star G Danny Davis and F-C Leonard Taylor?
  The Wildcats will go into this game as a slight favorite, but can they pull off the huge task of beating Wayne in their gym? Davis and the crew haven't done that since he joined the varsity.

Best belive both coaches (Travis Trice - Wayne & Isiah Carson - Springfield) will have their respective teams ready for war tonight.



(2) Dunbar (16-3) @ Stivers (13-7)
 After a near loss against Rival Thurgood, how will the State Ranked Wolverines bounce back against a Stivers team playing it's best ball of the season? The Tigers sit in 2nd place in the city League and have been led by Tony Boddie and Paris Minnifield this season. It has a been a great coaching job by Felix Turner and the staff and they would love nothing more than to knock off the undefeated Wolverines in City League play.



(3) Springboro  @ Northmont (15-4)
 Can the Boro knock off one of the hottest teams in the Miami Valley?
 Northmont has played it's best ball down the stretch, enabling them to win their Division and to work for a nice seed in the tourney.
 Springboro has had a .500 season, and this will be no easy task, as Northmont has been lights out at home this season.


(4) Trotwood (17-2) @ Xenia
 Will Trotwood have a lapse against a solid Xenia team who has played well in the 2nd half of the season?
 The Rams are coming off a 98-89 win over Dunbar in one of the premiere match ups in the City.
Will they come out focused tonight vs a offensive minded Xenia team who can score with the best of em on a good night?


(5) Meadowdale @ Ponitz (13-6)
   Can the Panthers continue on a good season and tie for a 2 spot in the City League?  It's been a god season for the Panthers. Or will the Lions continue their solid play late in the season?

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 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

Trotwood, Wayne both ready for showdown; City League Recap

 Big Showdown in GWOC

With the GWOC Game of the Year possibly on tap tonight, Trotwood (14-1) & Wayne (13-0) both have had banner seasons.
    With D-1 players all over the court, this is sure to be a epic battle of some of the best basketball to offer in Dayton.

    The youth of Trotwood has meant absolutely nothing as the Rams have thwarted everyone in the state of Ohio. Included in that is a signature win at Dunbar, which the Rams showed more poise and maturity then that of the Wolverines, who usually eat up opponents on their home court.

    But facing the heralded Wayne Train has been no fun for any team in the GWOC, especially in the last 3 or 4 years.
   Coach Travis Trice has put the Warriors squarely on the National Map, and they have all the weapons to stay there, in Trey Landers, Rodrick Caldwell and L'Christian "Blue" Smith.
  The Warriors have supreme confidence that they will get the job done. They have risen up to every challenge this (and last) season.

    Trotwood has all the weapons to win the game, question is, can they actually outplay the Top Team in Ohio and possibly the country?

 A very tall task for a talented group of youngsters.
But not impossible.



City League Recap - Headlines

Thurgood wins on last second FT; Williams combo leads Stivers; Dunbar wins shootout with Belmont

As Thurgood trailed going into the 4th quarter, it loomed as if the Lions would stay in a good spot for the City Title Race...however, Thurgood stifled the Lions in the 4th, holding them to 10 points and winning a defensive battle 47-46.
Meadowdale (5-3) had shut down the Cougars in the 2nd and 3rd, holding them to under 10 points in both the 2nd and 3rd...But the 4th quarter Hoskins Jr. got going, and led all scorers with 17...

     Coach Chastain was not very happy about the final call, which setup the final score as Hoskins Jr. hit the 1st Free throw and missed the second, securing the win.
 Joe Keeble had 17 for the Lions.
 Thurgood now stays tied with Dunbar for 1st place (6-1)



Stivers trio downs Ponitz

   The Tigers got back in the win column as bug man Isiah Williams dropped 22 points to lead all scorers as Stivers defeated Ponitz 65-56.
Joey Williams Jr. Had 11 and Boddie added 14.

  Ponitz was down 11 at half, and seemed to stay close enough for sticking distance,  but just not able to get it under 7. Ponitz was led by Scott with 18.


Dunbar races past Belmont, holds off Bison late
Wy

The Wolverines have been simple to figure out  this season;
When they Start fast? They win big
When they start slow?  No big deal.

And last Friday night the Wolverines jumped out fast, and hammered a 86-80 win.
 Dunbar held a lead from the 1st quarter, and jumped out to a 18-7 lead.
It was game over until the Bison woke up and delivered 31 points in the 4th to make it interesting.

 Chris Jackson led the Wolverines with 19, while Pete Baker had 15.
   Ford led the Bison with 18 and dropped 2 3's.
Dunbar stays tied with Thurgood for City League Supremacy.




   

Rams jump out on Wolverines, hold on for big W; Showdown with Wayne up next

Trotwood superb frosh getting it done

If you attended the sold out Trotwood - Dunbar game,  you started to see the future of basketball in the Miami Valley.

  And in one word, it's looks bright.

 But on this night, the Rams young guns came out firing and put on a offensive display to upend the Wolverines  @ Dunbar 82-72.
 
   The Rams were led by Freshman Guard Amari Davis and Sophomore wing Myles Belyeu (Son of former Miami Redhawk Scott Belyeu), as they controlled the game, put the Rams ahead early 22-12 & was able to set the tone.

Davis, the wiry strong 6'3 lefty,
 was sensational, from start to finish.

   Dunbar got back in the game in the 2nd, and was only down by a few as Senior Wing Terrance Landers Jr. (Purdue signee) got hot and lead the Wolverines to a comeback, seemingly setting the stage for a big 2nd half.

   However Trotwood continued to play great ball, as Davis and the Rams made play after play after play.

     After a foul filled late 3rd period, the Rams had pushed the lead up to double digits, and had all but taken the drama out of the game.

   The Wolverines made a run late, but poor Free Throw shooting didn't help Dunbar's (7-5) cause.

  The Rams never looked rattled in the game, and to have the moxie to go into the toughest place to play in Southwest Ohio and get a W?

  Big for the Rams, who now move to 12-1.

  The win now sets up a major showdown against the Undefeated Champs (Wayne) next week.



 

Wayne rolls over Reynoldsburg; Trotwood pounds Celina; Belmont star falls, GWOC results

With the 1st round of playoffs jumpin off last weekend, here's our top Headlines for Week 1 of the OHSAA football playoffs in Southwest Ohio:

Matt Wilcox moving up national radar

Wayne Train starts slow, finishes fast 
  This season, the Wayne Train has scored 14 or more in every 1st quarter this season. So when it was 7-7 early into the 2nd quarter in week 1 in the Playoffs, there was some whispers about, Could Reynoldsburg pull off the upset?

No Chance.

Wayne (11-0)  went on to outscore Reynoldsburg (7-4)  49-10 in less than 3 quarters as the Warriors cruised 56-17 at Heidkamp Stadium Saturday night.

  Michigan St. Starting QB in-waiting Messiah DeWeaver threw 4 TD'S and showed why Spartans fans are already waiting on his arrival via Twitter.

    3 of those TDs were caught by 6'7 Super Soph L'Christian "Blue" Smith, who is rising up the National Hype Train faster than any kid in Ohio High School since LeBron James. He has caught the eye of the Ohio State Buckeyes already. The other TD was snatched by dynamic WR Matt Wilcox Jr, who is coveted by the entire MAC conference,  and now some bigger D-1s are showing interest.

   The D was rock solid after the first score, and the 12th man was in full effect, with tailgating and fandom like no other for High School Football.

Up next for the Wayne Train?
The Boro'  @ (Centerville HS) in a GWOC showdown.




Trotwood routs Celina behind Hargrove

Celina came out and battled early,  but once Trotwood shook off the jitters and adjusted, it was no turning back. Celina had some early opportunities to change the flow of the game,  but when they didn't take advantage of a couple of turnovers like they should have?
     Trotwood Star RB Ravieon Hargrove ran for multiple TDs and the Rams cruised in the second half to a easy victory.
   Celina cut the lead to 4 early in the 3rd quarter, but never got closer than that after a 18- yard Hargrove TD midway through the 3rd Quarter.
   The Rams D tightened up and shut down Celina while the Rams scored the last 26 points of the game.








Belmont falls to Wapakoneta as star injured

The Bison, finally in the playoffs after 37 years, started out the game fast @ Wapakoneta,  and did whatever they wanted for most of the 1st quarter. But Star RB Davion Lankford suffered a concussion on a run late in the quarter, and the tide turned from there, as Wapakoneta coach even admitted himself.

    Lankford had broken runs of 50+ and 40+ before the injury.  He looked completely unstoppable.
   Some felt Wapakoneta played a little too physical, almost dirty, as multiple Belmont players went down during the game.

   Belmont was ahead 14-7 before Wapak took control and outscored them 37- 8 for the rest of the game, going on a 30-0 run during the game.

Belmont had their best season in 37 years & the coaches feel like they will be back next season. Elijah Malcolm scored two TDs for the Bison. Belmont fought hard but was a little undermanned and now understands what playoff football is all about.

Great season nevertheless for the Belmont Bison.





The Boro' avenges loss @ Mason, 42-21; faces Wayne next

 Springboro pulled off a huge win @ Mason to move to the next round. Mason defeated Springboro earlier in the season, and that actually played into the Panthers advantage.
Elijah Cunningham threw for 4 TDs, was razor sharp, & In control for most of the game as the Boro got some get back, @ Mason to ice the cake.
Now can they do that to a Wayne team who will be playing at its highest level ever?
Well find out this weekend.



Miamisburg loses in epic finale to Lima Sr 44-42


The Burg had been no stranger to late game heriocs, and it looked as if we'd see another one from the Vikings. But Lima Sr. stuffed the Burg' on the 2-pt conversion and Lima Sr. wind a wild one 44-42 in the last game at Harmon Field.

With maybe the greatest single game rushing performance in Miamisburg history on display with
Sophomore Tony Clark.
   Clark ran a whopping 53 times for 249 and was - in one word - amazing.
 
    But not quite amazing enough to get through the Lima D Line, that made the play,  one of the few on Clark.

Coach Steve Channell knows that one will be a tough one to forget, but loved the effort and season his boys pulled off.

GWOC set to jump off tnite with Trotwood, Miamisburg, Piqua, Springboro, Vandailia Butler in action

After the GWOC football teams beat up on each other this season, 6 teams made the playoffs.
 5 will play tonight, with the marquee team playing tomorrow night - Wayne of course.
But to have 6 teams in the playoffs out of one division? It is a major accomplishment to say the least.

Let's take a look at the matchups for tonight and see who has the best chance moving on to the next round.

D-1   (11)  Springboro @  (6) Mason
The Boro' ended the season with a nice win over Lebanon as dual threat Elijah Cunningham threw 3 TD'S and ran for one. Mason has had a banner year, and has been playing top notch the last few weeks.
We're taking the Boro' in a minor upset 27-25.



D-2  (5) Lima Senior  @  (4) Miamisburg  (7pm)
Lima Senior, powered by a balanced attack (200 rushing and passing a game) lost its last game to Central Catholic by blowing a 20 -Point lead, while Miamisburg dismantled West Carrollton. Miamisburg has been playing lights out, but has surrendered big leads as well. But this being the last game ever in Harmon field, and the fact that Lima Senior barely escaped Piqua with a OT win leads us to belive the Burg' will move on to the next round by a score of 26-17.



D-2  (8) Vandalia Butler  @  (1) Cincinnati LaSalle
  while Butler lost his last game at Trotwood by a wide margin, they still had a very good year, and didn't really hurt themselves too bad in the loss. unfortunately, with the loss they will play one of the highest ranked teams in the state. The cell is loaded, and will look to use the home field advantage and their great play of late.
We're taking LaSalle by a score of 31-22.



D-3 (7) Piqua  @  (2) Tippecanoe   (7pm)
 Piqua is coming into the tourney feelin real good about themselves after a 2 big weeks with wins over Trotwood and rival Troy to squeeze into the playoffs.
However Tipp has been lights out lately dominating a tough Stebbins and shutting out Kenton Ridge 40-0.
We think that Piqua will get the upset, as they seemingly have found their rhythm. If Tipps-Clemons gets rolling, watch out.
 Piqua wins 31-28 in OT




D-3   (6) Celina   @  (3)  Trotwood Madison
With Celina coming in playing good football, this will be a real test for Trotwod, who slumped late in the season.
When I spoke with Coach Jeff Graham earlier in the season, he felt like his team was young,  but would be OK with seasoning.
After giving a beatdown last week to D2 Butler 57-35, it's safe to say they're ready.
Ravieon Hargrove, the next superstar HS player from Trotwood, ran for almost 400 yards last week.
   With a healthy Hargrove, it takes pressure off the entire team to produce.
Look for the Rams to produce a similar score if things go right.
We're taking the Rams 28-18.

  Last week prediction record 3-2

Wayne starts fast, stops Moeller late to win 24-22 on ESPN

At the beginning of the Wayne - Moeller game it looked as if the #WayneTrain would steamroll another opponent, only this time it would be a team they beat in the playoffs last season - just this time on ESPN3.


After a nearly flawless first half which seen Wayne's QB Messiah DeWeaver be nearly perfect, Sophmore sensation WR Christian " L'Blu" Smith have his coming out party and Wayne clicking on all cylinders, it looked like it would be a rout.




17-0 Wayne in the second quarter.
Not so fast WayneTrain.




Moeller regrouped late in the first half with a long bomb to Butz to cut it to 17-6. (Missed extra point, which would cost them).


Who would Wayne turn to?
Insert two way star Daryl McClesky.


McClesky took a pass to the flat on 3rd and 22 and turned it into a 91-yard TD with savvy running, a couple nice jukes and a burst that Moeller couldn't match.
24-6 @ half. Game over right?
Wrong.




Moeller turned up the defense, and shut downs Wayne's high powered offense. They also scored twice to cut lead to 24-16 late in the third. After Wayne stalled a couple more times, Moeller pushed down the field and scored a huge 4th down TD by Hunter Hughes to pull it to 24-22 with less than a minute left in the 4th.
Beacause Moeller missed the extra point after their first score they would have to go for two, which was stopped by Wayne to the relief of coach Jay Minton and his squad.


Moeller a recovered onside kick (after a penalty forced a re-kick) but wasn't able to get into field goal range and Wayne sacked the QB to end the rally.


Ballgame.






There could be a chance these two powers meet again, in the playoffs, but as of right now?




The Warriors have knocked off the perennial Cincy power in the last two big games.






Not too late to jump on that #WayneTrain before it gets to state.
All aboard.










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