|
Welcome to our second edition of
Trail Trash for 2011 as we have reached the halfway point of this year’s
tournament.
Briefly recapping the Swami’s
predictions for the Northwest Ohio sectional and district tournaments,
they were really bad. There is nothing more to say.
Looking at the past two weeks
around Northwest Ohio, there were a few surprises. Toledo Central
Catholic and Continental had great district tournament runs with Central
Catholic knocking off Whitmer and St. John’s, and Continental
eliminating Kalida and Columbus Grove. The Swami has two words for
Central’s 28-27 win over Whitmer. Shot clock. Bowling Green was in
position to make a run to the D1 regional, but lost in the sectional.
D2 Lexington appeared to be a contender for a district title, but lost
in the sectional as well. Also in D2, Toledo Scott rallied from a large
deficit in the fourth quarter to upset state-ranked Defiance. Then
there was Norwalk, a top seed that skipped the chance at a first round
bye and lost their opening game. Not sure that I would call any Ottawa-Glandorf
win a surprise, but I expected Lima Central Catholic to defend their
district title and have a legitimate shot at returning to the D3 state
tournament. Gibsonburg also turned a few heads in D3 by advancing
easily to the district final before losing to Ontario in overtime. In
D4, Ottawa Hills losing to Toledo Christian in the district final after
winning both regular season contests was the biggest surprise. Losses
by Convoy Crestview in the sectional and New Knoxville in the district
were mild upsets.
The D3 regional final on
Saturday, March 19 will be the final basketball game played at Bowling
Green’s Anderson Arena as BGSU prepares to open the new Stroh Center
later this year. I attended my first game in Anderson Arena in 1963.
It was Nate Thurmond and Harold Anderson’s final home game at BG. My
first high school tournament game at AA was the Fort Recovery/Upper
Scioto Valley Class A regional final in 1969. I have so many memories
of tournament games at Anderson Arena. When I was a college student
with little money (at least not for basketball), I used to walk in at
halftime so I would not have to pay. There was the Findlay/Celina
district final in 1972. That was such a tough ticket that then OSU
coach Fred Taylor almost wasn’t allowed in. I watched that game from an
open back door on an unseasonably warm evening. There was the 1980
Class AA regional with four undefeated teams. In 1981, there was
Willard/Napoleon II for the Class AA regional championship in what
turned out to be for the state championship. From the early sixties
through 1981, Anderson Arena was The place for NW Ohio tournament
basketball whether it was sectional finals, district tournaments, or
regional tournaments. Beginning in 1982, the majority of the regional
tournaments were moved to Centennial Hall (later to become Savage Hall)
at the University of Toledo. There were more seats (and bathrooms) at
Toledo, but no comparison as far as the Swami is concerned as a place to
watch high school basketball. From 1982 through 2002, there were still
district tournaments at AA, but there were several years when there were
no regional tournaments at BG. There were also a few years when there
was a single regional tournament at BG and there were two regional
tournaments on a couple of occasions (1989 & 2001). Despite fewer games
during those years, there are more great memories of tournament
basketball played at Anderson Arena during. In 1985, Mansfield Senior
stunned heavily favored Toledo Scott in a Class AAA regional final.
There was Jimmy Jackson leading Toledo Macomber over Toledo Scott in a
sold out district final in 1989. In the early 90’s, there was Lima
Senior and the Greg Simpson circus at the BG district. From 2003
through 2007, Bowling Green hosted two regional tournaments (D3 and D4)
each year. Since 2008, Anderson Arena has hosted regional tournaments
for D2, D3, and D4 and with that came more great memories. In 2010,
Port Clinton packed Anderson Arena as the Redskins won their first
regional championship. 2011 will also be memorable as this marks the
end of Anderson Arena. Despite it’s shortcomings, AA remains a great
place to watch basketball. When the place is packed, the atmosphere is
electric. It is time for BG to make the move to their new arena and I
am looking forward to it. That being said, I will miss Anderson Arena.
That was going to be a couple of
sentences but turned out to be something like War and Peace. Time to
move on. If you thought the predictions from our first edition were
shaky, heed the words of Randy Bachman (sorry Governor John Kasich).
You ain’t seen nothing yet.
Top of Page
DIVISION
I
Eight of the thirteen teams
ranked in the final Associated Press poll have reached the regional
tournament. Six teams (2010 state runner-up Cincinnati Moeller,
Cincinnati LaSalle, 2010 state qualifier Mentor, Lakewood St. Edward,
2010 state qualifier Gahanna Lincoln, Columbus Northland) playing in
this year’s regional also participated in the 2010 regional tournament.
St. Ed’s is making their seventh consecutive trip to the regional while
this is the fourth year in a row for Mentor. For LaSalle and Northland,
it marks a third straight regional berth.
REGIONALS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY: #3 Cincinnati
LaSalle and #7 Cincinnati Moeller are ranked teams at the Cintas
Center. No Dayton area teams in the D1 regional this year. Cincinnati
Winton Woods knocked off #9 Huber Heights Wayne and #11 Middletown in
district play. LaSalle coach Dan Fleming missed the district tournament
after suffering a heart attack following a sectional win over Amelia.
Semifinals-Moeller over
Cincinnati Withrow; LaSalle over Winton Woods
Final-LaSalle over Moeller
UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO: No ranked
teams in this “split” regional. Toledo Central Catholic eliminated #4
Toledo St. John’s Jesuit and #10 Toledo Whitmer in the district
tournament. Canton GlenOak, one of four teams remaining in the
tournament with at least nine losses, upset defending D1 state champion
Massillon Jackson in a district final. The GlenOak/Stow semifinal will
be played at the University of Akron while the Findlay/Toledo Central
Catholic semifinal will be played at the University of Toledo. The
final is slated for UT’s Savage Arena.
Semifinals-Stow over GlenOak;
Toledo Central Catholic over Findlay
Final-Stow over Toledo Central
Catholic
CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY: #1
Garfield Heights and #12 Lakewood St. Edward are ranked teams at the
Wolstein Center. This is a tough one to pick. Only Berea doesn’t
appear to have a real shot at a regional title. Garfield Heights
stopped St. Ed’s 85-82 while Ed’s edged Mentor 108-105 during the
regular season. That was one of six times Mentor scored in triple
digits this year. Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson is a former Ohio
Mr. Basketball. This is the first regional in sixty-one years for
Garfield Heights. No need for a shot clock at CSU.
Semifinals-Garfield Heights over
St. Edward’s; Mentor over Berea
Final-Garfield Heights over
Mentor
COLUMBUS FAIRGROUNDS: #2
Columbus Northland, #5 Westerville South, #6 Lakota East, and #8 Gahanna
Lincoln compose a GREAT regional tournament. The four teams head into
regional play with a combined record of 92-4. And the Swami thought the
CSU regional was tough to pick. Northland coach Satch Sullinger will
retire after this season. Can the Vikings overcome team chemistry
issues and avenge last season’s regional final blowout loss to Gahanna
Lincoln? Westerville South’s Traevon Jackson, son of OSU great Jimmy
Jackson, is headed to the University of Wisconsin. Lakota East must
have figured that Columbus would be a little easier than battling the
GCL teams.
Semifinals-Gahanna Lincoln over
Northland; Westerville South over Lakota East
Final-Westerville South over
Gahanna Lincoln
STATE
For the fourteenth consecutive
year, D1 will close out the State Tournament. The semifinal games will
be played Friday night. D1 is guaranteed a new state champion.
Semifinals-Cincinnati LaSalle
over Stow; Westerville South over Garfield Heights
Final-Cincinnati LaSalle over
Westerville South
Top of Page
DIVISION II
Nine of the seventeen teams
ranked in the final Associated Press poll have reached the regional
tournament. Five regional qualifiers (Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary,
defending D2 state champion Dayton Dunbar, Dayton Thurgood Marshall, St.
Bernard Roger Bacon, 2010 state qualifier Zanesville) also advanced to
the regional in 2010. Akron SVSM and Dayton Thurgood Marshall are
making a third consecutive trip to the regional tournament.
REGIONALS
OHIO UNIVERSITY: #3 Zanesville,
#5 Columbus Bishop Hartley, #6 Chillicothe, and #12 New Concord John
Glenn make up a strong regional at the Convo. New Concord John Glenn
eliminated previously undefeated #2 Carrollton in a district final.
Randy Kortokrax is the head coach at Bishop Hartley.
Semifinals-Chillicothe over New
Concord John Glenn; Zanesville over Columbus Bishop Hartley
Final-Zanesville over
Chillicothe
CANTON CIVIC CENTER: #7
Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, #11 Akron SVSM (despite nine losses) and
#16 Struthers are ranked teams at Canton. Walsh Jesuit eliminated #4
Akron Buchtel in a district final. Cleveland John Hay won the Cleveland
Senate League. That was John Hay’s first championship in any sport
since reopening in 2006.
Semifinals-Walsh Jesuit over
Akron SVSM; Cleveland John Hay over Struthers
Final-Walsh Jesuit over
Cleveland John Hay
BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY:
There are no ranked teams at Anderson Arena. Mansfield Madison
eliminated #8 Shelby and Van Wert stopped #10 Celina in district
finals. Those victories avenged regular season defeats. This is
Madison’s first trip to the regional since 1948. Toledo Rogers was a D1
school in 2010 but was reclassified by the OHSAA after the closing of
Toledo Libbey. Rogers won the first district boys basketball title in
school history with a win over Toledo Scott.
Semifinals-Van Wert over Rocky
River; Toledo Rogers over Mansfield Madison
Final-Van Wert over Toledo
Rogers
KETTERING FAIRMONT: #1 Dayton
Dunbar and #14 Dayton Thurgood Marshall are ranked teams at the Trent
Arena. Columbus Mifflin eliminated #13 Delaware Buckeye Valley in a
sectional game. The Punchers entered tournament play with a losing
record. Dunbar is undefeated against teams from Ohio with two close
wins over Thurgood Marshall. Roger Bacon beat Akron SVSM for the 2002
D2 state crown while Thurgood Marshall was the 2009 D2 state champion
with a win over SVSM.
Semifinals-St. Bernard Roger
Bacon over Columbus Mifflin; Dayton Dunbar over Dayton Thurgood Marshall
Final-Dayton Dunbar over Roger
Bacon
STATE
D2 will kick off the
eighty-ninth annual Boys State Basketball Tournament on Thursday, March
24. The championship game will be played Saturday morning.
Semifinals-Zanesville over
Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit; Dayton Dunbar over Van Wert
Final-Dayton Dunbar over
Zanesville
Top of Page
DIVISION
III
Six of the twelve teams ranked
in the final Associated Press poll are in the regional tournament. Six
teams (2010 state qualifier Chesapeake, Sugarcreek Garaway, Archbold,
Cleveland Central Catholic, 2010 state runner-up Orrville, Cincinnati
Taft) from the 2010 regional tournament are making return trips in
2011. Cleveland Central Catholic also was a 2009 regional participant.
REGIONALS
BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY:
#4 Archbold is the only ranked team at BGSU. Ottawa-Glandorf eliminated
defending state champion and #3 Lima Central Catholic in a district
final. Archbold spent a couple of weeks as the state’s top-ranked D3
team before losing to D2 Defiance. This will be Africentric’s second
trip to a regional at BG losing to Liberty-Benton in 2007. As mentioned
previously, the regional final will be the final basketball game played
at Anderson Arena.
Semifinals-Archbold over
Ontario; Ottawa-Glandorf over Columbus Africentric
Final-Ottawa-Glandorf over
Archbold
KETTERING FAIRMONT: #1
Cincinnati Taft and #11 Cincinnati Summit Country Day are ranked teams
at Kettering. Taft’s only loss is to Hamilton Southeastern from the
Indianapolis area. This is Summit Country Day’s first trip to the
regional since 1980 when Dexter Bailey led the Silver Knights to the
Class A state final. Cincinnati Clark Montessori is part of the
Cincinnati public school system.
Semifinals-Cincinnati Summit
Country Day over Heath; Cincinnati Taft over Cincinnati Clark Montessori
Final: Taft over Summit Country
Day
OHIO UNIVERSITY: #2 Chesapeake,
#8 Sugarcreek Garaway, and #10 Portsmouth are ranked teams at Athens.
Chesapeake defeated #6 Piketon and Wheelersburg eliminated #9 Peebles in
district play. Peake’s only loss is to a team from West Virginia.
Portsmouth’s Andrew Bendolph played at Wheelersburg as a junior after
transferring from Portsmouth where he played as sophomore. No word
whether Tory Horne was involved in the transaction.
Semifinals-Garaway over
Chesapeake; Portsmouth over Wheelersburg
Final-Portsmouth over Garaway
CANTON MEMORIAL FIELDHOUSE: No
ranked teams at Canton. Youngstown Ursuline at 15-6 has the best record
of the teams playing at the Fieldhouse. 11-13 Orrville has the most
losses of any team remaining in the tournament, but the Red Riders are
back to defend their regional title. 6’8” Antone Grady, a Cleveland
State recruit, is the top player for Cleveland Central Catholic. As a
sophomore, he led the Ironmen to the D3 state championship.
Semifinals-Youngstown Ursuline
over Orrville; Cleveland Central Catholic over Burton Berkshire
Final-Cleveland Central Catholic
over Youngstown Ursuline
STATE
D3 will play their semifinal
games during the day on Friday with the state championship games
scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. D3 is guaranteed a new state
champion.
Semifinals-Cincinnati Taft over
Ottawa-Glandorf; Cleveland Central Catholic over Portsmouth
Final-Cincinnati Taft over
Cleveland Central Catholic
Top of Page
DIVISION
IV
Six of the ten teams ranked in
the final Associated Press poll are playing in the regional
tournament. Hard to believe that only ten teams received at least
twenty votes in that final poll. Four of the remaining teams
(Manchester, Bucyrus Wynford, McDonald, and defending D4 state champion
Dayton Jefferson) also advanced to regional play in 2010.
REGIONALS
KETTERING FAIRMONT: #6 Dayton
Jefferson is the only ranked team at Fairmont. Jefferson returns three
starters and their top sub from last year’s state championship team
including tournament MVP Cody Latimer. Franklin Monroe’s only loss is
to D3 Miami East. Minster and Houston met during the regular season
with Minster coming out on top.
Semifinals-Dayton Jefferson over
Pitsburg Franklin Monroe; Minster over Houston
Final-Dayton Jefferson over
Minster
COLUMBUS FAIRGROUNDS: No ranked
teams at this “split” regional. The South Webster/Manchester semifinal
will be played at Ohio University with the Bucyrus Wynford/Canal
Winchester Harvest Prep semifinal being played at Columbus. The
regional final will be played at “The Barn” in Columbus. Wynford went
three overtimes in their district final win over Tiffin Calvert.
Semifinals-South Webster over
Manchester; Harvest Prep over Wynford
Final-Harvest Prep over South
Webster
CANTON MEMORIAL FIELDHOUSE: #2
Berlin Hiland, #5 McDonald, and #10 Richmond Heights are ranked teams at
Canton. Hiland eliminated undefeated and #1 Zanesville Rosecrans in a
district final while Richmond Heights defeated #7 Bedford St. Peter
Chanel in a district semifinal. McDonald and Richmond Heights are two
of the three remaining undefeated teams. Hiland received a boost with
the transfer of Seger Bonifant from Strasburg. For some people in
Eastern Ohio, that move was about as popular as Le#!@% taking his
talents to South Beach. Hiland’s only loss is to Sugarcreek Garaway.
Richmond Heights received notoriety late in the season when their head
coach was fired for allegedly using improper language. McDonald has
three consecutive 20-0 regular seasons. Meanwhile, Windham finished the
regular season at 10-10.
Semifinals-Berlin Hiland over
Windham; McDonald over Richmond Heights
Final-Berlin Hiland over
McDonald
BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY:
#3 McComb and #9 Continental are ranked teams at BG. Continental
eliminated #4 Columbus Grove in a district final. The Swami was looking
forward to a McComb/Grove regional final, but hats off to Continental.
McComb is the third undefeated team remaining in the tournament. It has
been a long dry spell as the last D4 state champion to come out of the
BGSU regional was Holgate in 2004.
Semifinals-Continental over
Toledo Christian; McComb over Edgerton
Final-McComb over Continental
STATE
The D4 semifinals will be the
Thursday evening games with the championship game slated for 1:30 p.m.
on Saturday.
Semifinals-Dayton Jefferson over
Canal Winchester Harvest Prep; Berlin Hiland over McComb
Final-Dayton Jefferson over
Berlin Hiland
That wraps up Trail Trash for
another year. All facts, fiction, and opinions are those of the Swami.
Contact us at
HERE. See you in Columbus if not sooner.
Top of Page
Publisher: Davey1.com
Brackets: Davey1.com
Predictions: The Swami
|
