Not off the Press: Starting the boys basketball tourney, 1 girls team remains and repeat SCOL champions
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
This past week was one full of many different emotions on a personal and professional level. Covering five high schools in Highland County, plus talking with others from all around the area, one gets to know many people, and this past week, the community of Greenfield lost one of their own in boys high school soccer coach Shawn Jackson.
Here is what we wrote for Mr. Jackson … he's going to be missed.
• McClain mourns loss of Coach Shawn Jackson: http://bit.ly/wkQOwo
• To know Shawn was to know his smile: http://bit.ly/w87uyU
- - - -
• Hillsboro Indians win 2nd straight SCOL crown
On the basketball courts this weekend, I had the opportunity to see two separate net cuttings, with the first one coming on Friday night as the Hillsboro Indians celebrated a second consecutive South Central Ohio League championship by defeating the Clinton-Massie Falcons 62-57, clinching the outright league championship at Hillsboro High School in front of a mostly sold-out venue.
The atmosphere that night was amazing with it being pretty dang loud, and if you weren't there, you missed out on one of the best crowds the "new" HHS gym has seen.
Speaking of the newer gym the Indians play in today … it has seen two championships celebrated in its short time of three years of hosting games. Last season, the Indians clinched their first SCOL league title in boys basketball in 20 years, and to repeat that feat for a second straight year … I think that gym now has a couple moments to call its own.
The next game for the Indians (10-2, 15-5) will be their first postseason game as they travel to Southeastern High School on Friday, Feb. 24 as they take on Fairland.
Just because Monday was a slow day for me, here are some Hillsboro "By the Numbers" from the regular season that have interested me:
- Total Points Scored: 1,191 (20 games)
- Points Per Game: 59.6
- Home Points (10 games): 597
- PPG at Home (10 games): 59.7
- Points as the away team (10 games): 624
- PPG as the away team (10 games): 62.4
- Points away from HHS (9 games): 543
- PPG away from HHS (9 games): 60.3
- Points in SCOL games (12 games): 718
- PPG in SCOL games (12 games): 59.8 ppg
- Total points in non-league games (8 games): 503
- PPG in non-league games (8 games): 62.9
Another fun fact about the Indians' regular season … six of the Indians' wins this season came by five points or less … which if you think about it is a plus come this time of year, as each game will be full of pressure, since from now on it is winner take all.
The only numbers that really matter now are the ones on the scoreboard this coming Friday when the Indians and Fairland will play at 6:15 p.m.
Here is a little info on Fairland:
- Overall record: 15-5
- Ohio Valley Conference record: 9-2 (2nd place)
- Points (Overall): 1,247
- PPG (Overall): 62.4
- Rebounds Per Game (RPG): 34.9
It seems as though this will be a competitive game, with both teams having the exact overall record, but it looks (on paper) the OVC was a bit more competitive at the top with Chesapeake (the division) champion at 19-1 … so this should be a very exciting game for all of those who decide to take the Friday trip to SEHS.
• More on the boys basketball tournament
There are three tournament games on Tuesday, all at the same time in three different locations for three different divisions.
In Division II, McClain will play against Miami Trace (at Southeastern); in Division III, Lynchburg-Clay faces West Union (at Waverly); and in Division IV, Whiteoak faces Western Latham (at Valley).
Let's look at the McClain vs. Miami Trace game. MHS enters as the No. 10 seed, and MT is the No. 7 seed. Both SCOL teams split their season series, with MT winning the most recent meeting this past Friday by one points at 42-41 at MTHS. The Tigers won earlier this season with a 57-39 victory over MT, so this is not only the tiebreaker, but it is the most important game for either team this season, as the winner will move on into a sectional final against Waverly on Feb. 25 at 8 p.m.
The Tigers may not score a lot of points, but this team is learning this year, and they do know how to play defense. Their past two losses have been by a combined three points.
Think about this when you look at the Tigers' overall record … six of their losses came by three points or fewer. Seven of their losses came by five points or fewer. A basket here or a basket there, an extra defense stop in the middle of the game, and possibly the Tigers have more than five regular-season wins this season.
It's just a thought.
It's been a while since I've seen Whiteoak, but they finished the regular season at 6-14 overall (5-8 in Southern Hills League), dropping their last six regular-season games. But like I've mentioned before … none of that matters anymore. Now this is the second season so to speak, and it only takes one win to move on. Plus, Whiteoak has the lineup to be dangerous in the postseason if they can get things rolling again. I like their lineup, and if things don't get rolling along this season, they have a nice future to look forward to next season, as they will be a team packed with seniors.
The Mustangs finished the regular season at 10-10, dropping their final game of the regular season, but in the second half of the regular season they have vastly improved. I like their post play, they have a win against the SCOL champions, and if things go their way in Waverly … who knows what will happen? They have the one-win West Union Dragons on Tuesday … a team they defeated twice this season, most recently this past Thursday at WUHS. The thing about West Union … they are coming off their only win of the season on Friday against Fairfield, who is a quality team.
This tournament will be really interesting, to say the least.
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• Tournament favorites
After one week of tournament games, here are some favorite moments in either traveling to or from games or at the actual venue.
- The trophy room at Adena High School. They have a shelf from one side to the other of (I think) just district and regional trophies. Very impressive.
- Speaking of Adena … very nice people, and tournament director Craig Kerns was great to work with.
- My favorite part of traveling to Lucasville … visiting the Briar Patch, where they have Charley Biggs Chicken to go. I only get this stuff a couple time a year, so when I have a piece of that chicken, it's officially tournament time. (Thanks to Ritchie Butler for introducing me to that chicken a few years ago.)
- Though it was harder to find than a needle in a haystack, I finally found a trophy at Valley High School that was proof that the HCP managing editor was a part of a winning athletic team back during her high school days.
- I'm a fan of the retired jersey wall at Northwest High School. That'd be cool to see at other schools in the area.
- More food talk … for a quick lunch at a basketball game, a $1 hot dog with mustard is always a good deal.
- Favorite roads I've passed … Jay Bird Road and Duck Run Road.
- One dislike … the rise in gas prices.
• Sectional Champions
Congratulations to Dillon Hunick on winning the 138-pound wrestling sectional championship at Washington C.H. this past Saturday. Hunick defeated three wrestlers to win the title.
Also, congratulations to the McClain Lady Tiger girls basketball team for their 41-29 victory over Logan Elm for their sectional title. MHS (a No. 4 seed) plays again this Saturday, Feb. 25 against No. 2-seeded Marietta in the district semifinals. More on that upcoming game at a later date.
• Girls Basketball Tournament
As for Highland County teams, there is just one girls team remaining in McClain. Whiteoak and Hillsboro lost their first tournament game, while Lynchburg-Clay and Fairfield each lasted two games in the postseason.
One thing I can say about all of these teams is they are in good hands, as LC became a better team from start to finish, ending the season with 16 wins under first-year head coach Whitney Lewis.
As for WHS, FHS and HHS, they all had rebuilding years, and they all are going to see better days in their respective program's future.
• More Girls Basketball
Speaking of girls basketball … the way the Lady Tigers played Saturday, they now know if they didn't know it already … they can play physical basketball.
Their win on Saturday against Logan Elm avenged their loss one year ago in the same round of the sectional, and they have a week to prepare in a tough opponent in Marietta. MHS has one week to prepare for them and vice versa, so on Saturday at high noon at SEHS … this matchup in the district semifinal will be fun.
As for their sectional title game against LE … what I liked the most about the game was the Lady Tigers didn't allow the Lady Braves to complete a comeback.
• Quote of the Week
"That's a tough loss to end our season on. It was by no means our best game of the season, and that's what you want when tournament comes, but it doesn't black mark how well we played this season. We started the season 1-3 and ended up finishing the season strong. I can't say enough about how we grew as a team both on and off the court. We finished the season 16-6, and I couldn't be more proud of them for that." — Whitney Lewis, Lynchburg-Clay girls basketball head coach in talking about their sectional final loss to Portsmouth West.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"We knew coming in this was going to be a physical ball game. They had almost all the same players back they had last year, and it was a physical ball game last year. Our defense is what won us the ball game here (Saturday)." — Dennis Overstake, McClain girls basketball coach following their win against Logan Elm on Saturday at Adena.
• (A third) Quote of the Week
"Shawn was one of the most easygoing guys I've ever been around. That shouldn't fool you, though because he was extremely competitive. He was always cheerful, always had a smile and was always encouraging. He was a great role model for our kids. He did a great job of teaching our kids about life. Not only about soccer, but about life." — Patrick Stevens, MHS athletic director in speaking about the life of Shawn Jackson.
• (A fourth) Quote of the Week
"I'm thrilled to death. I said from the beginning, our goal was always to win the league. Any coach who comes in here and gets to inherit that group of kids that I got to inherit … I just played the hand I was dealt, and it was a pretty good hand." — Brett Prince, Hillsboro boys basketball head coach following the Indians clinching the SCOL title for the second consecutive year on Friday night.
• Stat of the Week
Saturday's tournament loss by LC was their first loss since Jan. 19 against North Adams. In that span (7 wins), LC had the following results:
- Georgetown 45, Lynchburg-Clay 49
- Whiteoak 27, Lynchburg-Clay 48
- Eastern Brown 52, Lynchburg-Clay 61
- Lynchburg-Clay 47, Peebles 41
- Lynchburg-Clay 31, Washington 26
- West Union 22, Lynchburg-Clay 66
- Northwest 27, Lynchburg-Clay 49
In the seven-straight wins, LC outscored their opponents 351-240.
• (A second) Stat of the Week
I was told I've written 149 basketball stories (so far) this basketball season.
• One last item of business
With all the traveling this postseason, here is to another good week of safe, snow- and ice-free weather. That's not too much to ask!
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.
Here is what we wrote for Mr. Jackson … he's going to be missed.
• McClain mourns loss of Coach Shawn Jackson: http://bit.ly/wkQOwo
• To know Shawn was to know his smile: http://bit.ly/w87uyU
- - - -
• Hillsboro Indians win 2nd straight SCOL crown
On the basketball courts this weekend, I had the opportunity to see two separate net cuttings, with the first one coming on Friday night as the Hillsboro Indians celebrated a second consecutive South Central Ohio League championship by defeating the Clinton-Massie Falcons 62-57, clinching the outright league championship at Hillsboro High School in front of a mostly sold-out venue.
The atmosphere that night was amazing with it being pretty dang loud, and if you weren't there, you missed out on one of the best crowds the "new" HHS gym has seen.
Speaking of the newer gym the Indians play in today … it has seen two championships celebrated in its short time of three years of hosting games. Last season, the Indians clinched their first SCOL league title in boys basketball in 20 years, and to repeat that feat for a second straight year … I think that gym now has a couple moments to call its own.
The next game for the Indians (10-2, 15-5) will be their first postseason game as they travel to Southeastern High School on Friday, Feb. 24 as they take on Fairland.
Just because Monday was a slow day for me, here are some Hillsboro "By the Numbers" from the regular season that have interested me:
- Total Points Scored: 1,191 (20 games)
- Points Per Game: 59.6
- Home Points (10 games): 597
- PPG at Home (10 games): 59.7
- Points as the away team (10 games): 624
- PPG as the away team (10 games): 62.4
- Points away from HHS (9 games): 543
- PPG away from HHS (9 games): 60.3
- Points in SCOL games (12 games): 718
- PPG in SCOL games (12 games): 59.8 ppg
- Total points in non-league games (8 games): 503
- PPG in non-league games (8 games): 62.9
Another fun fact about the Indians' regular season … six of the Indians' wins this season came by five points or less … which if you think about it is a plus come this time of year, as each game will be full of pressure, since from now on it is winner take all.
The only numbers that really matter now are the ones on the scoreboard this coming Friday when the Indians and Fairland will play at 6:15 p.m.
Here is a little info on Fairland:
- Overall record: 15-5
- Ohio Valley Conference record: 9-2 (2nd place)
- Points (Overall): 1,247
- PPG (Overall): 62.4
- Rebounds Per Game (RPG): 34.9
It seems as though this will be a competitive game, with both teams having the exact overall record, but it looks (on paper) the OVC was a bit more competitive at the top with Chesapeake (the division) champion at 19-1 … so this should be a very exciting game for all of those who decide to take the Friday trip to SEHS.
• More on the boys basketball tournament
There are three tournament games on Tuesday, all at the same time in three different locations for three different divisions.
In Division II, McClain will play against Miami Trace (at Southeastern); in Division III, Lynchburg-Clay faces West Union (at Waverly); and in Division IV, Whiteoak faces Western Latham (at Valley).
Let's look at the McClain vs. Miami Trace game. MHS enters as the No. 10 seed, and MT is the No. 7 seed. Both SCOL teams split their season series, with MT winning the most recent meeting this past Friday by one points at 42-41 at MTHS. The Tigers won earlier this season with a 57-39 victory over MT, so this is not only the tiebreaker, but it is the most important game for either team this season, as the winner will move on into a sectional final against Waverly on Feb. 25 at 8 p.m.
The Tigers may not score a lot of points, but this team is learning this year, and they do know how to play defense. Their past two losses have been by a combined three points.
Think about this when you look at the Tigers' overall record … six of their losses came by three points or fewer. Seven of their losses came by five points or fewer. A basket here or a basket there, an extra defense stop in the middle of the game, and possibly the Tigers have more than five regular-season wins this season.
It's just a thought.
It's been a while since I've seen Whiteoak, but they finished the regular season at 6-14 overall (5-8 in Southern Hills League), dropping their last six regular-season games. But like I've mentioned before … none of that matters anymore. Now this is the second season so to speak, and it only takes one win to move on. Plus, Whiteoak has the lineup to be dangerous in the postseason if they can get things rolling again. I like their lineup, and if things don't get rolling along this season, they have a nice future to look forward to next season, as they will be a team packed with seniors.
The Mustangs finished the regular season at 10-10, dropping their final game of the regular season, but in the second half of the regular season they have vastly improved. I like their post play, they have a win against the SCOL champions, and if things go their way in Waverly … who knows what will happen? They have the one-win West Union Dragons on Tuesday … a team they defeated twice this season, most recently this past Thursday at WUHS. The thing about West Union … they are coming off their only win of the season on Friday against Fairfield, who is a quality team.
This tournament will be really interesting, to say the least.
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• Tournament favorites
After one week of tournament games, here are some favorite moments in either traveling to or from games or at the actual venue.
- The trophy room at Adena High School. They have a shelf from one side to the other of (I think) just district and regional trophies. Very impressive.
- Speaking of Adena … very nice people, and tournament director Craig Kerns was great to work with.
- My favorite part of traveling to Lucasville … visiting the Briar Patch, where they have Charley Biggs Chicken to go. I only get this stuff a couple time a year, so when I have a piece of that chicken, it's officially tournament time. (Thanks to Ritchie Butler for introducing me to that chicken a few years ago.)
- Though it was harder to find than a needle in a haystack, I finally found a trophy at Valley High School that was proof that the HCP managing editor was a part of a winning athletic team back during her high school days.
- I'm a fan of the retired jersey wall at Northwest High School. That'd be cool to see at other schools in the area.
- More food talk … for a quick lunch at a basketball game, a $1 hot dog with mustard is always a good deal.
- Favorite roads I've passed … Jay Bird Road and Duck Run Road.
- One dislike … the rise in gas prices.
• Sectional Champions
Congratulations to Dillon Hunick on winning the 138-pound wrestling sectional championship at Washington C.H. this past Saturday. Hunick defeated three wrestlers to win the title.
Also, congratulations to the McClain Lady Tiger girls basketball team for their 41-29 victory over Logan Elm for their sectional title. MHS (a No. 4 seed) plays again this Saturday, Feb. 25 against No. 2-seeded Marietta in the district semifinals. More on that upcoming game at a later date.
• Girls Basketball Tournament
As for Highland County teams, there is just one girls team remaining in McClain. Whiteoak and Hillsboro lost their first tournament game, while Lynchburg-Clay and Fairfield each lasted two games in the postseason.
One thing I can say about all of these teams is they are in good hands, as LC became a better team from start to finish, ending the season with 16 wins under first-year head coach Whitney Lewis.
As for WHS, FHS and HHS, they all had rebuilding years, and they all are going to see better days in their respective program's future.
• More Girls Basketball
Speaking of girls basketball … the way the Lady Tigers played Saturday, they now know if they didn't know it already … they can play physical basketball.
Their win on Saturday against Logan Elm avenged their loss one year ago in the same round of the sectional, and they have a week to prepare in a tough opponent in Marietta. MHS has one week to prepare for them and vice versa, so on Saturday at high noon at SEHS … this matchup in the district semifinal will be fun.
As for their sectional title game against LE … what I liked the most about the game was the Lady Tigers didn't allow the Lady Braves to complete a comeback.
• Quote of the Week
"That's a tough loss to end our season on. It was by no means our best game of the season, and that's what you want when tournament comes, but it doesn't black mark how well we played this season. We started the season 1-3 and ended up finishing the season strong. I can't say enough about how we grew as a team both on and off the court. We finished the season 16-6, and I couldn't be more proud of them for that." — Whitney Lewis, Lynchburg-Clay girls basketball head coach in talking about their sectional final loss to Portsmouth West.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"We knew coming in this was going to be a physical ball game. They had almost all the same players back they had last year, and it was a physical ball game last year. Our defense is what won us the ball game here (Saturday)." — Dennis Overstake, McClain girls basketball coach following their win against Logan Elm on Saturday at Adena.
• (A third) Quote of the Week
"Shawn was one of the most easygoing guys I've ever been around. That shouldn't fool you, though because he was extremely competitive. He was always cheerful, always had a smile and was always encouraging. He was a great role model for our kids. He did a great job of teaching our kids about life. Not only about soccer, but about life." — Patrick Stevens, MHS athletic director in speaking about the life of Shawn Jackson.
• (A fourth) Quote of the Week
"I'm thrilled to death. I said from the beginning, our goal was always to win the league. Any coach who comes in here and gets to inherit that group of kids that I got to inherit … I just played the hand I was dealt, and it was a pretty good hand." — Brett Prince, Hillsboro boys basketball head coach following the Indians clinching the SCOL title for the second consecutive year on Friday night.
• Stat of the Week
Saturday's tournament loss by LC was their first loss since Jan. 19 against North Adams. In that span (7 wins), LC had the following results:
- Georgetown 45, Lynchburg-Clay 49
- Whiteoak 27, Lynchburg-Clay 48
- Eastern Brown 52, Lynchburg-Clay 61
- Lynchburg-Clay 47, Peebles 41
- Lynchburg-Clay 31, Washington 26
- West Union 22, Lynchburg-Clay 66
- Northwest 27, Lynchburg-Clay 49
In the seven-straight wins, LC outscored their opponents 351-240.
• (A second) Stat of the Week
I was told I've written 149 basketball stories (so far) this basketball season.
• One last item of business
With all the traveling this postseason, here is to another good week of safe, snow- and ice-free weather. That's not too much to ask!
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.