Crestview’s seniors go out with title

Javin Etzler and seven of his senior teammates will never forget the last time Convoy Crestview won the state championship in boys basketball.

“I was in seventh grade,” Etzler said. “We were running alongside the bus when it came into town with the firetrucks. I was throwing toilet paper at the bus.”

Those eight seniors were in line to get the same treatment after second-ranked Crestview crushed top-ranked Berlin Hiland 58-38 in the Division IV championship game Saturday at Value City Arena.

Crestview’s height — namely 6-foot-8 sophomore Kalen Etzler and his older brother Javin, who is 6-7 — caused matchup problems galore for Berlin Hiland.

Wade Sheets had 21 points and eight rebounds for Crestview. Kalen Etzler (14 points), Derick Dealey (11 points) and Javin Etzler (10 points, 11 rebounds) also had strong games for the Knights (28-1), who outrebounded much smaller Hiland 31-14.

Cincinnati Moeller 52, Akron SV-SM 44

Moeller coach Carl Kremer took special enjoyment in watching his team fight through some adversity and beat St. Vincent-st. Mary for back-to-back titles and a 29-0 season.

“The way this journey has gone, in a weird way I’m glad it was a battle,” he said. “The guys proved to me one last time what they were made of.”

In becoming the first unbeaten bigschool champion since Zanesville in 1995 and extending its win streak to 49, Moeller had to rally from a fivepoint deficit midway through the third quarter.

Miles Mcbride scored on a floater and on an inbounds pass during a 10-0 run that pushed the Crusaders over the top for a fifth title.

Seth Wilson topped St. Vincent-st. Mary (24-4) with 19 points.

sblackledge@ dispatch.com @Blackiepreps