District Recap: Trotwood, Wayne cruise; Springfield holds off Elder; Dunbar, C-J, Fairmont fall; Stars of District; Regional Matchups; Kicks of the Week

Here's a recap of the District Championship Games that was held across the Miami Valley;
The top headlines:

Wayne Star Forward L'Christian "Blue" Smith drops 1 of his game high 23 pts in a District win over Cincinnati Oak Hills

(1) Trotwood stops C-J 78-60

The Rams jumped out to an early lead en route to another District win.

All-State G-F Amari Davis slams it home on C-J in District win at UD Arena as Rams defeated Eagles 78-60.

 The Rams was never really tested by the Eagles, who couldn't really get the deficit under single digits. The Rams now face Columbus South who are 22-4 and have a very good team coming into Trent Arena Thursday.

(2) Wayne stars show out in win vs Oak Hills
The Wayne train got rolling early due to star football player and big man L'Christian "Blue" Smith, and then Darius Quisenberry continued the push as Wayne jumped out to a 30 - 11 halftime lead in a stifling defensive showing to defeat Oak Hills 68-54.
Smith led all scorers with 23 & 9 along with Quisenberry 19 led the way.
Wayne will face Steve Wright led Princeton Wednesday night (8pm).

(3) Moller shows mettle in 2nd half against Fairmont
While Fairmont played Moeller to a tilt in the first half,  the second half the Cincy power showed why they are a favorite to get back to the state with a dominating performance and a 65-50 win over Fairmont.
 The game was 23-20 at half when Moeller came out in the third and dictated the tempo and got on track offensively.
Moeller will face Springfield on Wednesday night.

(4) Springfield claws to District Title behind Wallace
Springfield G Mike Wallace came through in the clutch for the cats as he has often does, despite not getting the headlines.

 Wallace hit a couple of key baskets and got a couple of key steals to clinch the game against Cincinnati Elder. Elder had two opportunities to pull even or take the lead, however they were not able to capitalize sending the Cats back to the Regionals for the third time in 4 years.

Coach Carson knows that this could be as good as time as any for the Cats to make it happen, but they will have to exercise their demons as Moeller defeated them in Springfield earlier in the season. Can they find it within themselves to seek revenge and get a huge victory in the Regionals?

(5) Dunbar falls to Woodward

The Dunbar Wolverines crazy season came to a surprising end on Saturday as Woodward knocked off the Wolverines 68 - 60.
  Dunbar had defeated Woodward early in the season on Woodward's home court, in convincing fashion (84-73) nonetheless.

   However in this District Final game at Hamilton HS, Woodward came out firing, got a huge double-double performance from one of its key players, and had the lead for most of the game as Dunbar played catch-up for most of the night.

The season ends for the Wolverines, in one of the wilder seasons in recent history for the organization. Despite the great coaching done by the staff, the heat is on because of the fight earlier in the season, as the Lawsuit against OHSAA begins to heat up.



Top Players (District)

Amari Davis - G-F - (Trotwood)  Davis dropped 22 on the Eagles on 9-10 shooting as Chaminade had no answer for the All-State Swingman. Junior stock is rapidly rising to Top 10 All Ohio Status.

Mike Wallace garners our #KicksOfTheWeek with this dope look; feeling this or nah?

Mike Wallace G - (Springfield)  Wallace led the cats with 13 but it was his key plays down the stretch (3 steals) which guided Springfield back to the regional for the third time in 4 years. Stock is also rising.

L'Christian "Blue" Smith  F-C - (Wayne) "Blue"  dominated from the start, dropping two 3s to start the onslaught and leading the Warriors (23pts, 9reb) offensively.
 Smith also showed he's fully capable of being a top Division 1 Prospect on the hoop circuit as well.
 2 sport star at Ohio State?
Hmmm

Myles Belyeu - G-F (Trotwood)
Belyeu was rock solid once again accounting for a double double (16pts, 10 rebs)  to knock off CJ. Belyeu has been ultra consistent this season.

Darius Quiesnberry  G - (Wayne) Quisenberry put on a show against Oak Hills, showing why he was the gwoc player of the year. He scored 19 in the game and imposed his will throughout.
The Youngstown State commit has been clutch for the Wayne Train all season.

Trevon Ellis  G - (Stivers)
Ellis showed out for the Tigers with 19pts and 7 boards and kept Stivers in the contest, almost leading to a win over the top team in D-3 (Deer Park). Ellis should be ready for Player of the year type season next year. Standing at 6'3 with the ability to play both guard spots makes a intriguing D-1 prospect.


Nick Deifel - Oak Hills
Deifel got hot in 2nd half, dropping 21 total Ina losing effort

Zach Harp - Elder
Harp kept the Panthers within winning distance the entire 2nd half, scoring 20 points on 6-14 shooting

Darweshi Hunter - Princeton
Hunter willed his squad to a victory with a 25 point, 7 reb, 3 steal game which he went 14-14 from the line, as they defeated Lakota East 53-51. Hunter played the star role after All-Ohio F Darius Bazeley had to sit out game due to fight earlier in the tournament.



Tonight's Regional Semifinal Games 
@Cintas Center 

Springfield   vs Moeller  (6:15 pm)
Will Springfield be able to exact revenge on a Moeller team who handily beat them at their own home earlier in the season? Or will Moeller show why they are the favorites to win the Region?


Wayne   vs  Princeton  (8pm)
Can the Wayne Train take advantage of Princeton not having their best player in Darius Bazeley on the floor tonight?
 We know they'll be ready, guided by former Colonel White Cougar Steven Wright, but can they handle the top team in  the OHSAA D1 rankings in the state?

"Stall Ball" works as Dunbar Survives; Stivers falls in final minute; Rams set to take on C-J tonight

Early in the 3rd Quarter the Middletown Fenwick hoop squad seemingly was about to take control of their District Championship Game against the Dunbar Wolverines.

 However Dunbar flipped the tables on Fenwick, giving them a dose of their own medicine with the "Stall Ball" technique and winning one of the lowest scoring games in modern history, as the Wolverines defeated Fenwick 27-26 to win the division 2 District championship at UD Arena.

Fenwick held a slim early lead but Dunbar erased that and the game was nip and tuck, going into halftime at 18-all tie.

Dunbar then was able to garner a 2-point lead (24-22) in which the Wolverines then decided to do the "Stall Ball" technique for over 9 minutes.
 It wasn't until 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter did Fenwick come out the zone. The stall tactics didn't start until midway through the 3rd quarter.

https://daytonhssports.blogspot.com/2018/03/while-dunbar-wins-decision-dps.html?m=1

Dunbar held a 27-24 lead but Fenwick was fouled on a 3-pointer with a few seconds left;
 after cooly swishing the first 2 free throws, Fenwick big man C.J. Napier missed the 3rd after a Dunbar Timeout, and the Wolverines would hold on for the 1-point victory.

 The Wolverines would rejoice, and there was one word that has resonated inside the Wolverines organization.

Survive.
Survive and advance.

In a game which Fenwick had the master game plan, Coach Taylor and the Dunbar staff outwitted the Middletown team.

And won at their own game plan to boot.

In the midst of one of the controversial weeks in Dunbar history, the Wolverines was able to rise up to.the occasion, knocking off the #2 seed in the process.

In one of the most controversial games in OHSAA history.

Dunbar will now face Cincy Woodward in the Regional Semifinals.

Stivers falls in final minute to Top team in State
The Stivers Tigers played Deer Park to the tilt on Wednesday night at UD Arena; to the point where it almost looked like the Tigers would pull off the huge upset of the number 1 ranked team in the state.

 However Deer Park was able to hit some key free throws late in the game and a couple of key plays defensively helped them pull out the 72-63 victory and their first-ever District championship (D-3).

 The Tigers were led by freshman sensation Allen Lattimore (12) and sophomore stud Trayvon Ellis (19pts, 7 reb, 3dimes).

 Deer Park was led by Guard Mark Wise, who dropped 24 pts in the win.

 24 TOs, and 1-11 from 3 hurt the Tigers chances, but salute the Tigers coaches and the staff on a great showing this season in the Tourney.


Trotwood, C-J, set to battle for District championsip

The Trotwood Rams and the C-J Eagles are set to battle for the D-2 District Championship tonight at UD Arena.
The Rams  continue to boast one of the best offenses in Ohio, led by Myles Belyeu and Amari Davis.

The dynamic duo has led the Rams back into major contention for a OHSAA State berth.

Chaminade also has some very good players and can score offensively, but will need to be on their top game in order to compete tonight against the Rams.
If the Eagles can match up defensively and are able to slow down Davis and Belyeu it could be a bigger tighter game than anticipated.

While Dunbar wins the decision, DPS Athletics loses - again; Why? Wolverines play tonight; Weekend Recap;

Once again its spring, and instead of celebrating the success of its student athletes athletics, Dayton Public Schools will be wondering what could have been, in the midst of another ugly public issue with its top program at the forefront.

Only this time, it seems to have gotten personal, as DPS filed a wrongful claim saying that OHSAA was unfairly treating DPS and that the Wolverines should not have forfeited the Tournament game against its rival in Thurgood Marshall.

Tim Stried, one of the main spokesmen for OHSAA, had stated he reached out to DPS 7 times in regards to the fight that happened at Dunbar High School, to let them know who was suspended, and what were the repercussions.

Somehow, the emails that were sent from Stried to DPS office, to be responded back to wasnt.

Weeks went by and nobody checked in from the DPS. Week by week Stried contacted DPS to find out the situation.

While it was reported that a email was sent back by administration stating the situation, it was sent to a email that was not able to be reached.

After the 2 teams played in the OHSAA Tournament, Dunbar won, which after the game it was found out a ineligible player who hadn't sat out the amount of games necessary after the big fight at the JV game.

Dunbar coaching staff had reiterated that the kid who was suspended wasn't the player who was involved.

While this was clearly the right decision, the problem still remains.

 How did this happen?

It happened because, clearly, the DPS Athletics  Staff has shown incompetent work over the last 2 years.

The attitude, the lack of accountability, the inability to cross the Ts and dot the I's, the braggadocio of "We Are Dunbar" has seemingly reared its head in another incident.

While the Appeal was reversed, it was only reversed by a local Dayton Judge, which leads us to believe that if this had made it to a higher Court?

 Might not have went that way.

Tim Stried, the media specialist for OHSAA, said he was dissapointed by the decision, but would not legally pursue action.

Due to the fact that the OHSAA tournament is going on right now and they can't hold up the process any longer.

And while we are thrilled for the kids of Dunbar who get to play out their season, one that could see them reach the State, what about Thurgood?

The Cougars did all of the necessary requirements in the allotted amount of time and they are the ones penalized because Dunbar didn't?

  While we all understand Dunbar has a great coaching staff, this is the type of thing that sets the entire DPS program back 2 steps.

 The Dayton Public Schools Athletic Program is starting to become a black eye that won't  go away. There is no reason this should have happened.

But it did.
Because why?
No accountability by the upper brass.
The ability to do whatever they want, pass the blame, and keep their jobs.

In the meantime, DPS continues to be the laughing stock of the State and year after year we will continue to hear this type of stuff. The brass will continue to look for the easy way out, and until the city does something about it, nothing will change.

Sad for the kids.
Get it together DPS.

Stivers, Dunbar play tonight for district championships at UD Arena

The Stivers Tigers will continue their great tournament run as they play for a D-3 district title tonight at 7:30.
The Tigers have been winning due to a balanced offense led by Fab Frosh Allen Lattimore and Junior Trevon Ellis. They will take on one of the top teams in the state tonight. However the tigers have the ammo and if they can just play together defensively we could see an upset tonight.

Dunbar will be playing in the 9:30 game as they have received the ruling that they are allowed to play in the ohsaa tournament after being ruled ineligible for playing an ineligible player.
They will go for the D-2 Sectional Title.

1st round Recap; Stars of Week 1 in the OHSAA Hoop Tournament

Here' the Recap / Headlines in Week 1 of the OHSAA Playoffs in the Miami Valley:

Star G Andre Gordon goes up for 2 in OHSAA tournament vs Beavercreek


TOP SEEDS ALL ADVANCE  
There were no major upsets except for 1 in the  D-3 circuit, as Trotwood, Wayne, Dunbar, and Butler all advanced. Madison fell to Stivers, which could make the entire bracket interesting. Dayton Christian is also in the bracket  (14-6).
Franklin (17-4)  lost to Beavercreek which was the only upset in D-1.


City League goes 5-1 in 1st round 
Dayton Public Schools had a very successful 1st week in the OHSAA Tourney as the 6 team league went 5-1.
 They only loss was a upset by Alter over Ponitz. Stivers and Belmont had the biggest wins as Stivers beat Madison (18-3), while Belmont defeated a tough Lebanon squad  (15-5)
Dunbar & Thurgood square off in Week 2.


BELMONT defeats LEBANON for groundbreaking win  
The Belmont Bison was able to outlast Lebanon 55-51 for their first OHSAA playoff win in hoops since the Adrian "Spanky" Parks era. Led by Miami Signee Jaden Rucker Furlow (18 pts), the Bison controlled the game early and held on after a late push by Lebanon to get the win. Harrison Hookfin led the Warriors with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.


ALTER stops PONITZ  in upset 
While Ponitz had the better record, it was the Alter Knights who grabbed their 6th win of the season in a upset win over Ponitz 64-54. The Knights dictated the entire game, and once the Panthers got within striking range, the Knights reasserted themselves for the win. Fab Frosh Damonte Bailey led the Panthers in the loss (16 pts, 10 rebs). 



DUNBAR stifles WEST CARROLLTON 
The Wolverines had no trouble dispatching West Carrollton in first round action. Senior Big man Johnathan Allen and former Pirate Dylan Craver (16) led the Wolverines in scoring.

THURGOOD defeats EATON
Thurgood grabbed a first round playoff win over Eaton as Freshman star Chance Amerson led the Cougars in the big victory. Coach McCullough knows he has a team for the future, and that future looks very bright.
Thurgood will battle Dunbar for a shot at a Sectional Championship next.


LIONS grab 1st tourney win under Coach Chastain 
Former Sinclair All-American Dwayne Chastain was able to grab his first OHSAA tournament win with a 59-56 win over Ben Logan.
Senior do it all player Jabali Leonard led the way with 24 pts, 5 rebs, 4 steals, 2 blocks, as the Lions was able to win te 4th quarter after a great 3rd for Ben Logan, which gave them the lead. Key clutch baskets by Leonard, and solid defense got the job done.


STIVERS easily wins in 1st round over top ranked Madison 
The Stivers Tigers snatched a big 1st round victory with a resounding victory over top seeded Madison with a 55-37 win. Madison came into game with a 18-3 record, but was clearly no match for the Tigers.
Led by Fab Frosh Lattimore and junior star Trevon Ellis, the Tigers was able to execute on offense and defense for a big win. The tigers will be taking on Twin Valley South @Butler on Thursday night.


GWOC

 TROTWOOD dominates GREENVILLE 
The Rams continued to push the offensive needle with a 83-30 win over Greenville. Top Junior Amari Davis and senior Myles Belyeu led the attack. The state ranked Rams face Northwestern in the 2nd round.


WAYNE handles biz with balanced effort
The WayneTrain was able to start out the OHSAA Tournament with a  76-59 win over Stebbins in the 1st round of the OHSAA Tournament. The Warriors had 4 players in double figures, led by D-1 Commit Deshon Parker. Up next? Tecumseh in the 2nd round

NORTHMONT garners easy win

The Bolts were able to grab a big win over Fairborn in the 1st round of the OHSAA Playoffs. Jabari Perkins led the Bolts with 24, while Junior G Danny Davis (12pts, 5reb, 6 dimes) and Fab Frosh Phophet Johnson added 11 pts, and 2 steals to the cause in the w

SIDNEY wins despite off night from Gordon

The Sidney Yellow Jackets was able to easily trounce Troy 55-35 despite a rare off night by junior sensation Andre Gordon.
 Sidney will face Beavercreek next, who suprised Franklin with a big win. The Beavers have their own star in F Joe Alessandro.

OTHERS 

Dayton Christian advances 
Jefferson falls 
C-J advances 

Stars of Week 1 
Jabali Leonard - Meadowdale  
Amari Davis  - Trotwood 
Jabari Perkins - Northmont 
Joe Alessandro  - Beavercreek 
Jaden Rucker Furlow - Belmont 
Johnathan Allen - Dunbar 
DeShon Parker - Wayne 
Chance Amerson - Thurgood 

Weekend Recap: Springfield knocks off #1 Wayne; Trotwood drops 121 on Xenia; Dunbar clinches City League;

Here' the Top headlines, Recap of the Weekends Games:

(1) Springfield defeats #1 ranked Warriors 
The Springfield Wildcats feel like they are one of the top teams in the State, and with a 13-0 record from the start? The Cats were on a roll. After 3 losses in 5 games, the Cats were reeling a little bit.
With the Wayne train rolling in, the Cats knew their time was now to make a statement.

And statement they made.

 With all the players back in tow, the Cats were able to knock off the #1 ranked Wayne Warriors in Springfield on Friday night by a score of 55-47.

 Led by Junior Sensation Raheim Moss and senior big Leonard Taylor, the Cats controlled the game and was able to keep the Warriors guards off balance as the Warriors shot (24%) 14-53 on the night. The loss is the first for Wayne (19-1). Darius Quisenberry led the Warriors with 21pts, 10 boards, while Blue Smith provided 14 and 10 as well.

The Cats led from nearly start to finish, and was able to thwart all of #1 State ranked Wayne game-changing runs.
Springfield moves to 16-3 on the season and 9-2 in the divison, sitting 1-game behind Wayne, who currently sits in top spot in GWOC at 10-1.

Could we be looking at a precursor at a Regional Final matchup, where the winner could be headed to a OHSAA State Berth come Mid-March?
Hmmmm.....

(2) Trotwood drops 121 on Xenia, wins 10th in a row
Trotwood continued to drop record numbers on opponents as the Bucs were no match for the Rams vaunted offense, which scored 34 points in the 1st quarter and never looked back. Rams improve to 17-3 and have won 10 straight since the loss to Wayne.

Star Senior Myles Belyeu and Junior Star Amari Davis led the Rams to their 8th 100-point performance of the season, an incredible feat in itself.

(3) Dunbar clinches City League title with big 2nd half over Stivers
The Dunbar Wolverines clinched the Dayton City League Championship with a  convincing 2nd half and runaway victory over the Stivers Tigers.
   Stivers, who held a 7-point lead at half and 3-pt lead in the 4th quarter, couldn't stop Dunbar in the 2nd half and the 24-5 run in the 4th quarter sealed the deal. The Wolverines had balanced scoring with 5 guys in double figures. The Wolverines started slowly, but has been nearly unstoppable of late, winning 15 of last 17 games, and showing they could be a player come march.
City League football signees JoJo Scates (Iowa State) and Tavion Thomas (Cincinnati) led the Wolverines balanced scoring.
Dunbar coach Chuck Taylor and staff has done a great job of prepping the Wolverines through the ups and downs this season.

Salute the Wolverines.

(4) Belmont keeps pace with complete team effort 
The Belmont Bison came off a tough stretch, and was able to keep pace in the City League with a big win over Thurgood Friday night; It was a team effort as the Bison outscored the Cougars in every quarter. Belmont sits at 6-2 in the City League and 12-6 overall.
Can the Bison find their rhythm for the OHSAA tourney?

(5) Miamisburg stops Lebanon, clinches division title, wins 7th straight
The Burg has been on a roll, and after a showdown with Lebanon for the top spot in the divison, it was clear; The Vikings are the GWOC West Champs (6-4) with a 41-29 victory over Lebanon. In a game that was tight at half, the Vikings unleashed a 15-2 run to seal the deal and grab the big victory.  Jason Hubbard (15) led the Vikings in scoring, as Miamisburg have won 7 straight and have great momentum heading into OHSAA Playoffs.
Lebanon falls to 4-6 in the division and 14-6 overall.

(6) Ponitz upends Meadowdale behind Juice Smith, Sealey
The Ponitz Panthers garnered a nice win over rival Meadowdale with a 70-60 win at Ponitz HS.
The Panthers had 5 guys in double figures, led by Senior Eric Sealey and Jaren "Juice" Smith. Sealey led all scorers with 16 while Smith added a great all around performance with 15 pts, 8 dimes, 3 reb, and 3 steals on the night. Meadowdale was led by Jabali Leonard, who had 17 points on the night. The win puts Ponitz in 3rd place (4-5) in the City League, while Meadowdale falls to 2-7 in City League play.



(7) Butler stays at top of division after trouncing Troy as Justice prevails
Butler star G Court Justice  has had a good season so far, and with the game against Troy?
It got even better, as Justice led the Aviators to a 65-29 beatdown of Troy. The win keeps Vandalia in the top spot in the GWOC North (11-2) and 18-2 overall. Butler leads Sidney by 1 game for the race for supremacy.
  Justice dropped 24 on 8-16 shooting with 4-3ptrs on the night.


(8) Franklin regroups, take out Eaton
The Wildcats shook off a tough loss earlier in the week to post a big win over Eaton.
Franklin now sits tied with Bellbrook (9-2) for the SWBL lead, while Middletown Madison sits atop the Buckeye Division (11-1).
  Franklin sits at 16-5 on the season.

City League Recap (Tues): Belmont falls late; Dunbar regains top spot, stops Thurgood; Lattimore leads Stivers;

Here's what went down in the Dayton Public City League last night:

Dunbar Star F Tavion Thomas goes up for 2 against Thurgood 

Dunbar stops Thurgood as Fab Frosh, bigs dominate 
In a series that was marred by a scuffle at the end of the JV game in the last meeting between these two teams, this game was played without the students, who were not allowed to attend due to the situation from last time.

Nevertheless, these two teams always provide a great game and, the Dunbar-Thurgood series could arguably be the Rivalry of the Decade in the Gem City.

So it was no surprise that the game would come down to the final moments as the Wolverines were able to hold off a young Thurgood team 69-61 and reclaim the top spot in the Dayton City League with only a couple weeks left in the regular season.

The Cougars would get the game to a 2 & 3- point deficit in the final minutes, but timely passing, good execution late by the Wolverines and key FTs by Allen sealed the deal.

 The Wolverines were led by senior bigs Tavion Thomas (17 pts), JoJo Scates (11 pts, 7 dimes, 4 stls), big fundamental and star junior Johnathan Allen (14 pts, 7 reb, 5 blks) and Fab Frosh DaShaun Huffman - a 6'3 combo G-F - who had a breakout performance (14 pts, 6-7 FGs) and could be headed for a more prominent role with the injury to Jamar Walker and suspension of Dylan Craver.

Dunbar now sits at 8-1 on the season and with 2 more games left, sit in the driver seat for another City League Championship.
Major shoutout to the staff as they have maintained consistency over the last month despite all the turmoil that has ensued.



Bailey leads Ponitz to upset over Belmont 
Ponitz big man Damonte Bailey lead the Ponitz Panthers to a big win over the top-seeded Belmont Bison in a 3-point win at Ponitz HS.

 Bailey who earlier in the season had a string of eight consecutive double-figure games,  was able to get back on track and scored 17 pts with 9 boards and 3 steals in the big win. He was one of three scores in double figures for the Panthers who have been playing well in the last 10 games. Eric Sealy Jr. (10) & Derrick Henderson (11) also supplied solid offensive outings.

Bison fall to Ponitz; Can they get back to top spot?

Belmont had an opportunity to win but couldn't take advantage of a couple late baskets. Combine that with solid free throw shooting and big shots to notch the upset win.

Panthers Head Coach Steve Pittman knows that his team has been playing better and seems geared up for a possible run in a tournament but on this night? They were able to stop the Bisons great run this season, which now puts Belmont at one game behind Dunbar for the City League Championship.

Belmont Head Coach Art Winston was pleased with the effort, and knows his team still has a legit shot at the City League title.

Young studs takes out Meadowdale as Stivers gets back on winning track

Fabulous freshman Allen Lattimore has had a good season by all standards, but he continues to get better each and every week and with that being said Lattimore was able to lead the Tigers over Meadowdale & their player of the year Candidate in Jabali Leonard and defeat the Meadowdale Lions 67-53 halting a losing streak in the City League.

Lattimore has been very consistent this season, and with his play along with Trevon Ellis, the Tigers were able to jump out in the third quarter and seize control of the game. Lions Star G Leonard did his thing (20 pts, 11 reb) but it was not enough as the Tigers had two guys with 20 points, and Ellis almost with the triple double himself (9 pts, 7 reb, 8 dimes).


Season Standings 
                    Conf.   Overall 
Dunbar     (8-1)      (13-4) 
Belmont   (5-2)      (11-5) 
Thurgood  (4-5)    (7-12) 
Ponitz       (3-5)     (7-11)
Stivers      (2-5)     (9-10)
Meadowdale  (2-6)  (6-11)

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.

TOP HEADLINES

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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