One of my favorite four weeks on the high school sports calendar just ended this weekend as the OHSAA boys basketball tournament concluded at UD Arena. I thought it fitting to compose a list of highlights following the annual fest of roundball frenzy at the prep level while also taking a brief look at the NCAA mens tournament.
Let’s begin with those things which make the tournament so special:
—Fan support and enthusiasm as always was special at all levels, increasing in intensity as the next round of play was reached following victories.
—Both boys and girls action saw the usual upsets, the painful losses, the anguish of seniors taking off their uniforms for the final time, and the outstanding individual and team efforts along the way.
—On the girls side congratulations again to St. Henry on winning D-VI laurels and to the Lady Raiders of Russia for claiming runner-up honors in D-VII.
—Great venues for early sectional and district competition at various sites around the area with the Student Activity Center at Vandalia-Butler being highly utilized. One of the best evenings at the SAC was the double regional finals in boys play with first Delphos St. John’s facing Botkins in D-VII followed by Tri-Village squaring off against Marion Local in D-VI. Tremendous fan followings and great teams made for a memorable night.
—At the state tournament Thursday through Sunday semifinals were held at both the Nutter Center at Wright State and UD Arena, with all seven divisions having championship games contested at the Arena. Both sites are well-suited for fans from around the state to access and both give teams the feel of big-time basketball, memories that they’ll remember forever.
—Outstanding teams in all seven divisions. Cincinnati Princeton was the class of D-I, Massillon Washington won D-II laurels, Trotwood-Madison took D-III bragging rights, Wyoming in D-IV was exceptional, Cleveland Heights Lutheran East won a fourth consecutive title in D-V, Berlin Hiland hoisted the D-VI hardware, and Delphos St. John’s claimed the D-VII crown.
—A great individual effort by Cameron Elwer of Delphos St. John’s of the MAC, ending a terrific career as the sixth highest scorer in Ohio boys basketball history with over 2,700 points. He was joined in the Jays’ lineup by his junior brother Andrew and sophomore cousin Easton in leading Head Coach Aaron Elwer, his father, and his teammates to a long anticipated crown.
—Tremendous talent displayed by the various high school students around the state who were chosen to sing the National Anthem before each of the twenty-one games!
—The importance of defense as displayed by 5’7” senior Ashton Schrock of Hiland. He completely took Marion Local out of their comfort zone with great perimeter defense, using quick hands and footwork to pressure the Flyers into uncommon turnovers. After not scoring in the first 28 minutes of the title game he quickly tallied nine points in leading the Hawks to a 54-51 double overtime win. Just a great example of will power and intensity.
—Trotwood’s last five games of the tournament consisting of a 62-61 district finals win, a 46-44 victory in the regional semifinals, a regional title win of 54-48 that was closer than the final score, a 55-53 overtime win in the state semis, and a 48-47 championship win over Steubenville. Talk about turning a coach’s hair gray along with the entire fan base!
—Overall, another year of great prep basketball!
One additional thing that needs to be mentioned: You have to feel for the Marion Local Flyers in their double overtime loss to Hiland as they missed 10 of their last 12 foul shots and two open layups down the stretch in losing 54-51 in the D-VI finals for a second consecutive year. The team made only 10 of 25 from the charity stripe for the game. Nonetheless a great season!
Two items that I found interesting:
Cleveland Glenville’s Tarblooders appeared in the D-IV title game. What’s a Tarblooder you might ask? The unique name originates from the 1940s, referencing railroad workers who applied hot tar to seal railroad ties, often resulting in a mixture of tar, dirt, and sweat symbolizing the tough, gritty nature of the school’s athletic teams!
After sitting in the front row at the Nutter Center Thursday night for two games I decided after a few trips back up to the main concourse to count the steps on the aisles. Eighty in all, not an exercise for the faint of heart, there should be an AED at the top of each stairway!!
Locally, shoutouts to the Miami RedHawks mens basketball team for a great season and First Four win over SMU before falling to a tall and talented Tennessee team, to Wright State who gave Virginia all it could handle, and to Ohio State who fell by two points to TCU. And special mention to the Miami’s mens swimming team for their appearance in Speedos at UD Arena that generated national publicity!!
Finally, my Final Four picks, assuming things progress in my bracket as anticipated: how about Michigan State, Florida, Arizona, and Iowa State, with the Cyclones of ISU winning it all. Why Iowa State? It’s my mother’s alma mater for the main thing, and they’re a complete ball club although they lost one of their key players to an ankle injury in the first round game against Tennessee State. Have a great week, enjoy the start of the baseball season Thursday as the Red
