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

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.

 




 

 

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.



 

Stivers defeats Schroeder in final seconds as Williams duo shines

Stivers won the Cincy-Dyt hoop battle last night as they defeated  Cincinnati Schroeder 49-48 @ Stivers HS.

Isiah Williams finishing at the line

  The Tigers were led by star big man Isiah Williams, the D-1 signee who delivered 18 points, had double figure boards, and played his best overall game this season to date...The dynamic 6'9" Williams played in control, dominated when needed and provided ball handling, defensive intensity and toughness to pull it out.
   Sharpshooter Joey Williams Jr, also dropped 11, and had 3 huge 3's to help alleviate some offensive pressure that the Tigers had been feeling of late.
 

    Schroeder put on the pressure in the 4th, and cut the Tigers lead, which was as big as 10, to 48-all with less than a minute left.
 
 Stivers was fouled and hit the front end of a 1&1 which setup the final plays.
 
    Schroeder had numerous opportunities, and plenty of time, but couldn't get the ball to drop as the Tigers fans rushed the court in jubilation afterwards.

Belmont wins in OT, moves to 5-1; Jefferson cruises

10 minutes after the game between Ponitz & Belmont, Bison Coach Earl White face said it all in one word:

Lankford clutch sack in OT

RELIEF

    After another dramatic encounter, their 5th straight win, and the Bison faithful rooting to no end? What more was there to say?

  The Bison escaped from the Golden Panthers grasp in OT as two-way star Davion Lankford scored a TD, a 2-pt conversion & got a key sack to help Belmont upend Ponitz 30-22.
   It wasn't easy to say the least, but this Bison team will not fold, as you have seen in the last three weeks.
With Belmont nursing a 22-6 lead in the 4th, Ponitz engineered two straight TD drives - with the second drive covering 85 yards within the last two minutes; The Panthers also got the 2-pt conversion, with less than 15 seconds left. It was great execution by the Panthers, and you felt a sense of "the upset bug" in the air.

  Belmont received the ball first in OT, and Lankford scored the TD and the 2-pt conversion.
    Ponitz also scored on the first play from scimmage, but a offensive penalty negated the play, and the Bison D took over.

   Belmont knows that in order to get to the playoffs, they will have to play harder and finish better.

But hey, at least the Bison are thinkin' playoffs.
For the first time in a long time.
Salute the Bison.




Jefferson gets big W 

Jefferson grabbed a much needed victory last night
as they defeated Hillcrest 24-14.

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

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

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



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

Dunbar pulls off comeback, defeats Franklin in OT

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

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

Luke Kennard passes Jay Burleson on All-Time Scoring List

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

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

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

Chris Jackson cuts down the nets after Huge 3's

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




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

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

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

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

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

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

Brawl between the "Field" and "WayneTrain"

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

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

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

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




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

Eagles back to State in D-3

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

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