BOYS BASKETBALL WAYNE IS NEW NO. 1 TEAM IN STATE D-I POLL
There’s a new No. 1 in town.
Unbeaten Wayne (11-0) drew all but one first-place vote and overtook Upper Arlington as the state’s topranked Division I boys high school basketball team in this week’s Associated Press state poll.
Ironically, the teams were to have played in the final Premier Health Flyin’ to the Hoop game at Fairmont’s Trent Arena on Monday. That anticipated No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown was scrubbed when administration ruled Upper Arlington would not be allowed to travel because of a snow and ice storm that struck Ohio over the weekend.
That wasn’t the only game Wayne missed out on. On Friday, Wayne was to have hosted unbeaten Springfield (11-0) in another showdown of Greater Western Ohio Conference National East powers. Like many others, that game, too, was postponed because of worsening road conditions.
Wayne will host Springfield in a makeup game Jan. 24. Springfield will host the rematch on Feb. 9.
Wayne did squeeze in a 68-57 defeat of visiting Akron St. Vincent St. Mary’s on Saturday. Akron SVSM has a losing record but has played one of the state’s toughest schedules. The Irish defeated Trotwood-Madison in the Division II state title game last season.
Fort Loramie (11-0) is No. 1 among D-IV boys.
Minster (12-1) remains No. 1 in the state D-IV girls rankings, but Versailles (141) fell to No. 2 among D-III girls. The teams are Midwest Athletic Conference rivals. Minster is at Verailles next Thursday.
■ There should not be any major changes in Flyin’ to the Hoop next season. Fairmont is committed to extending a long relationship with Flyin’ founder Eric Horstman and has a great venue in the Trent to host the popular four-day event over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.
At issue was the Ohio High School Athletic Association wanting host high school sites to have more control over these kinds of events that are run by third parties, such as Horstman. If the OHSAA isn’t satisfied with Flyin’ it could choose not to sanction the event. That is not expected to happen.
And not allowing dunks during pregame warm-ups? That is an old National Federation of State High School Associations rule that wasn’t enforced at Flyin’ until this year.
■ OHSAA Executive Director Dr. Dan Ross will retire from that position Sept. 15. His resignation was accepted and announced Thursday during the monthly OHSAA board meeting in Columbus.
Ross has been in place since Aug. 1, 2004 when he succeeded Clair Muscaro. Like Muscaro, Ross oversaw myriad changes to the OHSAA, none more impactful than the competitive balance issue that was instituted this school year.
Ross has been plagued by health issues in recent years. He suffered a heart attack in November 2015 following routine colon surgery for diverticulitis. He remains on a national donor list for a heart transplant. He took a long leave of absence to recover and had eased back into daily OHSAA duties.
A Portsmouth native, he also served as a superin- tendent, principal, teacher, counselor, coach and contest official prior to accepting the OHSAA position as commissioner.
■ Springboro’s girls followed up a decisive blowout of top-ranked Tippecanoe by scoring a decisive 56-27 win over Wayne on Wednesday. Jordan Diehl had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Rachel Gillum added 11 points, making all four field goal attempts and all three free throws.
Springboro defeated Tipp 57-38 in Flyin’s featured girls matchup on Saturday. Springboro (11-3) is at rival Lebanon (12-2) in a GWOC National West showdown at 1 p.m. Saturday.
■ Versailles senior Justin Ahrens scored 26 points in a 64-42 win at Lima Central Catholic. That vaulted him past Greg Kahlig of Fort Recovery and into second place all-time among MAC career scorers.
Ahrens has scored 1,738 points in his career and needs to score just seven points today against visiting Fort Recovery to surpass MAC leader Greg Kahlig (2010 Fort Recovery grad) as the conference’s all-time leading scorer.
A 6-foot-6 guard / forward, Ahrens also was on display at Flyin’ as he had 26 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a 65-50 defeat of Sidney. Versailles (12-1) is among the state’s top 10 D-III teams. Ahrens has signed with Ohio State University.
■ Samantha Whiteman of Covington is the latest area player to surpass 1,000 career points. The junior surpassed the mark by scoring 27 points in a recent 67-51 defeat of Ansonia. Contact this reporter at 937225-2381 or email Marc. Pendleton@coxinc.com. Twitter: @MarcPendleton Here’s who we consider the top high school basketball area boys teams:
DIVISION I
1. Wayne (11-0): d. Akron SVSM 68-57; at Springboro today; hosts Springfield on Wed.
2. Springfield (10-0): d. Cleveland Heights 73-67; at Fairmont today; at CJ on Sat.; at Belmont on Tue.; at Wayne on Wed.
3. Belmont (7-1): d. Franklin 68-51; hosts Stivers today; hosts Springfield on Tue.
4. Centerville (8-5): d. Sidney 67-56; hosts Lebanon today.
5. Fairmont (9-4): lost 80-70 to Spire Academy; lost 93-79 at Trotwood; hosts Springfield today; hosts Alter on Tue.
Beavercreek, Butler, Fairborn, Franklin, Lebanon, Miamisburg, Northmont, Piqua, Sidney, Springboro, Stebbins, Tecumseh, Troy, Wilmington, Xenia.
DIVISION II
1. Trotwood-Madison (8-3): lost 87-77 to McEachern (Ga.);, d. Fairmont 93-79; hosts Troy today; at Northmont on Sat.; at Tippecanoe on Tue.
2. Fenwick (8-2): d. Reading 69-65; d. Madeira 64-54; at Badin today; hosts Alter on Sat.; at Clinton-Massie on Tue.
3. Dunbar (7-3): d. Toledo Woodward 83-78; hosts Meadowdale today.
4. Carroll (7-4): d. Stivers 51-32; at Cin. Roger Bacon today; at Tecumseh on Tue.
5. Kenton Ridge (7-3): d. Indian Lake 70-66; hosts Jonathan Alder today; at Bellefontaine on Tue.
Alter, Bellbrook, Bellefontaine, Benjamin Logan, Chaminade Julienne, Clinton-Massie, Eaton, Graham, Greenville, Meadowdale, Northridge, Northwestern, Oakwood, Ponitz, Spg. Shawnee, Thurgood Marshall, Tippecanoe, Urbana, Valley View, West Carrollton.
DIVISION III
1. Versailles (12-1): d. Sidney 65-50; d. Lima Catholic 64-42; hosts Fort Recovery today.
2. Bethel (11-2): d. Arcanum 65-38; at Miami East today; hosts National Trail on Tue.
3. Anna (9-3): lost 62-59 to St. Henry; hosts Houston today; at Miami East on Sat.; hosts Fort Loramie on Tue.
4. Preble Shawnee (8-2): d. Northridge 57-50; at Carlisle today; at TC North on Sat.; hosts Dixie on Tue.
5. Troy Christian (11-2): d. Miami East 39-26; at Jefferson today; hosts Emmanuel Christian on Mon.
Arcanum, Brookville, Carlisle, Coldwater, Dayton Christian, Dixie, Fort Recovery, Greeneview, Greenon, Houston, Indian Lake, Miami East, Milton-Union, National Trail, Northeastern, Stivers, Twin Valley South, Waynesville, West Liberty-Salem.
1. Fort Loramie (12-0): d. Thurgood Marshall 58-53; at Botkins today; hosts Minster on Sat.; at Anna on Tue.
2. St. Henry (9-2): d. Anna 62-59; hosts New Knoxville today; hosts Ansonia on Sat.
3. Catholic Central (11-1): d. Emmanuel Christian 67-61; vs. West Jefferson today; vs. Triad on Tue.
4. Minster (6-2): d. Delphos SJ’s 45-41; lost 67-50 to Ottoville; d. Coldwater 80-48; hosts St. Henry today; vs. Franklin Monroe on Mon.
5. Legacy Christian (9-4): lost 71-60 at Carlisle; at Dayton Christina today; at Yellow Springs on Tue.
Ansonia, Botkins, Bradford, Cedarville, Covington, Emmanuel Christian, Fairlawn, Franklin Monroe, Jackson Center, Jefferson, Lehman Catholic, Marion Local, Mechanicsburg, Miami Valley, Mississinawa Valley, New Bremen, New Knoxville, Newton, Russia, Southeastern, Temple Christian, Tri-Village, Triad, TriCounty North, Yellow Springs.
— MARC PENDLETON Here’s who we consider the top high school basketball area girls teams:
1. Tecumseh (9-3): d. Northwestern 86-28; played Northmont on Thu.; at Bellefontaine on Sat.; hosts Miamisburg on Mon.
2. Beavercreek (11-3): d. Miamisburg 60-31; at Bellbrook on Mon.
3. Springboro (11-3): d. Tippecanoe 57-38;, d. Wayne 56-27; at Lebanon on Sat.; at Lakota East on Mon.
4. Lebanon (12-2): lost 66-62 to Centerville; hosts Springboro on Sat.; hosts Wayne on Wed.
5. Wayne (9-6): lost 41-39 to Newark, d. Regis Jesuit 49-44; lost 56-27 to Springboro; hosts Stivers on Mon.; at Lebanon on Wed.
Butler, Centerville, Fairborn, Fairmont, Miamisburg, Northmont, Piqua, Sidney, Springfield, Stebbins, Troy, West Carrollton, Wilmington, Xenia.
1. Trotwood-Madison (11-1): d. Troy 70-31; hosts Tippecanoe on Sat.; at Sidney on Wed.
2. Tippecanoe (12-2): lost 57-38 to Springboro; d. Stebbins 67-47; at Trotwood-Madison on Sat.; hosts Carroll on Mon.
3. Valley View (12-1): d. Bellbrook 51-50; lost 41-38 to Monroe; played Eaton on Thu.; hosts Oakwood on Sat.; at Edgewood on Mon.
4. Franklin (11-3): d. Little Miami 52-34, d. Dixie 54-21, played Bellbrook on Thu., at Monroe at Sat., hosts Milton-Union on Mon.
5. Spg. Shawnee (9-4): lost 60-49 to Washington CH; d. Urbana 73-29; at Indian Lake on Sat.; at Catholic Central on Mon.; hosts Kenton Ridge on Wed.
Alter, Bellbrook, Bellefontaine, Belmont, Carroll, Chaminade Julienne, Clinton-Massie, Dunbar, Eaton, Fenwick, Graham, Greenville, Kenton Ridge, Meadowdale, Northwestern, Oakwood, Ponitz, Stivers, Thurgood Marshall.
1. Versailles (14-1): d. Marion Local 55-17; played Fort Recovery on Thu.; hosts Celina on Sat.
2. Waynesville (14-0): d. Carlisle 70-38; at Preble Shawnee on Sat.
3. Preble Shawnee (12-2): d. Carlisle 43-32; d. Dixie 61-36; hosts Waynesville on Sat.; at National Trail on Tue. on Thu.; at Dixie on Sat.; at TC North on Tue.
4. Miami East (12-3): d. Tri-Village 65-59; played Bethel on Thu.
5. Greeneview (8-2): d. Northeastern 96-33; played Fairbanks on Thu.; hosts Southeastern on Sat.; hosts Kenton Ridge on Mon.
Anna, Arcanum, Bethel, Brookville, Carlisle, Dayton Christian, Dixie, Greenon, Indian Lake, Milton-Union, Northeastern, Northridge, Urbana, West Liberty-Salem.
1. Minster (12-1): d. St. Henry 65-25; lost 44-41 to Elyria Catholic; played New Bremen on Thu.; hosts Ottoville on Sat.
2. Fort Recovery (11-1): d. New Bremen 36-20; d. South Adams (Ind.) 39-33; played Versailles on Thu.
3. New Bremen (12-2): lost 36-20 to Fort Recovery; d. St. Marys 49-33; played Minster on Thu.
4. Tri-Village (12-3): lost 65-59 to Miami East; d. National Trail 60-29; d. Cedarville 56-50; played TC North on Thu.; at Russia on Mon.
5. Russia (12-3): d. Houston 53-37; d. Covington 38-36; played Jackson Center on Thu.; hosts Tri-Village on Mon.
Ansonia, Botkins, Bradford, Catholic Central, Cedarville, Covington, Fairlawn, Fort Loramie, Franklin Monroe, Houston, Jackson Center, Jefferson, Legacy Christian, Lehman Catholic, Marion Local, Mechanicsburg, Miami Valley, Mississinawa Valley, National Trail, New Knoxville, Newton, Parkway, Southeastern, St. Henry, Tri-County North, Triad, Troy Christian, Twin Valley South, Yellow Springs.
— MARC PENDLETON