10 must-see boys basketball games for December
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Like it or not, basketball season is officially here. Soon to go with the chill in the air will be snow and other winter fare I'd rather not write about.
What I do want to write about is boys high school basketball and the 10 games in December I want to see involving teams from Highland County.
These are my "must-see" games for a variety of reasons, whether it be potential match-ups, rivalries, up-and-coming teams vs. veterans or games that can possibly show others that there are some new kids on the block, too.
Any way you look at it … these are the games I want to and hopefully will get to cover this month, but unfortunately, some are at the same time.
(Games will be listed by earliest date.)
[[In-content Ad]]• Saturday, Dec. 1: McClain vs. North Adams (at Zane Trace Tipoff)
What a way to begin the month of December, huh? Both teams have been building for this season, it seems, and this is a good way to start the season between two programs who have great traditions and who, in my opinion, will be on the positive side of the scoreboard more often than not throughout the season.
Two players for NA I'm interested in watching are seniors Seth Sparks and Levi Bales, who are 6-5 and 6-6, respectively. Two players I want to see again this season for the Tigers are sophomore Ryan Faulconer and senior John Turner, along with senior Brent Shannon.
This is a great game to start off the season as I've seen both of these teams in the past build and learn for this season.
• Tuesday, Dec. 4: Whiteoak at North Adams
Again, this year's NA team really piques my interest, as does Whiteoak. I know they were rated high by the coaches of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference (still getting used to typing that) in Division II of the league and for good reason. Like I said earlier in the first game mentioned, both of these teams have been building and working for this season to arrive. Should be interesting, to say the least.
• Wednesday, Dec. 5: Lynchburg-Clay at Hillsboro
If this game is anything like last season (LC won 62-61), it should be one to remember. The interest in this budding rivalry game … one team is on the rise, and the other is retooling. That makes for an interesting combination for teams who are 12 miles apart.
• Saturday, Dec. 8: Fairfield vs. Miami Trace
Two teams with a majority of their starting lineups back in a non-league game early in the season … what's not to like about this matchup? For the Lions, I'm excited to see how they match up with a team that is a division higher than they are, and for MT, I'm intrigued in seeing how their retuning players fare against the returning players of the Lions on the road. Should be a good South Central Ohio League vs. SHAC matchup.
• Friday, Dec. 14: Hillsboro at McClain
It is a rivalry game, do I need to say any more? OK … this is a game that has to be marked on the calendar of the Tigers as they have lost 10 straight times to the Indians, including a 58-41 loss in their last meeting on Feb. 4, 2012. I don't need to say anything else about this game.
• Tuesday, Dec. 18: Whiteoak at Fairfield
Like the game above, this is one of the better rivalry games of the season. This will have huge implications on the SHAC Division II standings, and this game is usually one of the better atmospheres to watch a basketball game. Can't wait for this one. With top players like Quentin Williams of FHS and Doc Seip of WHS involved in this game, what is a fan of Highland County basketball not to be excited about?
• Tuesday, Dec. 18: Lynchburg-Clay at Peebles
If the aforementioned game isn't for you, then this SHAC matchup might be. LC and Peebles will be two of the better teams in the conference (LC is my sleeper team), and PHS is traditionally one of the best teams in the area. What is the old saying? "To be the man, you have to beat the man." Very quality game here.
• Saturday, Dec. 22: SCOL vs. SHAC Showdown at Hillsboro H.S.
This annual event brings us Washington vs. Fairfield, McClain vs. Lynchburg-Clay and Whiteoak vs. Hillsboro right before Christmas. This event is like the present we all get to open early and is always a good six hours of hoops.
• Friday, Dec. 28: Whiteoak at Lynchburg-Clay
Again, December is full of Highland County rivalry games, and as the '12 calendar year comes to a close, what better way to see two county and conference rivals play one another than with the proceeds of the game going to a good cause as this is a part of the Greg Wilkin Scholarship Memorial Tournament. This is a good way for rivals to do something good for each other.
• Saturday, Dec. 29: Fairfield at McClain
What better way to end the 2012 high school sports calendar year than seeing these two teams face each other for county bargain' rights? I really like some of the match-ups this game could bring, especially in the post with Faulconer and Clay and possibly Shannon vs. Williams. A great way to toast the end of the calendar year of high school athletics.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.
What I do want to write about is boys high school basketball and the 10 games in December I want to see involving teams from Highland County.
These are my "must-see" games for a variety of reasons, whether it be potential match-ups, rivalries, up-and-coming teams vs. veterans or games that can possibly show others that there are some new kids on the block, too.
Any way you look at it … these are the games I want to and hopefully will get to cover this month, but unfortunately, some are at the same time.
(Games will be listed by earliest date.)
[[In-content Ad]]• Saturday, Dec. 1: McClain vs. North Adams (at Zane Trace Tipoff)
What a way to begin the month of December, huh? Both teams have been building for this season, it seems, and this is a good way to start the season between two programs who have great traditions and who, in my opinion, will be on the positive side of the scoreboard more often than not throughout the season.
Two players for NA I'm interested in watching are seniors Seth Sparks and Levi Bales, who are 6-5 and 6-6, respectively. Two players I want to see again this season for the Tigers are sophomore Ryan Faulconer and senior John Turner, along with senior Brent Shannon.
This is a great game to start off the season as I've seen both of these teams in the past build and learn for this season.
• Tuesday, Dec. 4: Whiteoak at North Adams
Again, this year's NA team really piques my interest, as does Whiteoak. I know they were rated high by the coaches of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference (still getting used to typing that) in Division II of the league and for good reason. Like I said earlier in the first game mentioned, both of these teams have been building and working for this season to arrive. Should be interesting, to say the least.
• Wednesday, Dec. 5: Lynchburg-Clay at Hillsboro
If this game is anything like last season (LC won 62-61), it should be one to remember. The interest in this budding rivalry game … one team is on the rise, and the other is retooling. That makes for an interesting combination for teams who are 12 miles apart.
• Saturday, Dec. 8: Fairfield vs. Miami Trace
Two teams with a majority of their starting lineups back in a non-league game early in the season … what's not to like about this matchup? For the Lions, I'm excited to see how they match up with a team that is a division higher than they are, and for MT, I'm intrigued in seeing how their retuning players fare against the returning players of the Lions on the road. Should be a good South Central Ohio League vs. SHAC matchup.
• Friday, Dec. 14: Hillsboro at McClain
It is a rivalry game, do I need to say any more? OK … this is a game that has to be marked on the calendar of the Tigers as they have lost 10 straight times to the Indians, including a 58-41 loss in their last meeting on Feb. 4, 2012. I don't need to say anything else about this game.
• Tuesday, Dec. 18: Whiteoak at Fairfield
Like the game above, this is one of the better rivalry games of the season. This will have huge implications on the SHAC Division II standings, and this game is usually one of the better atmospheres to watch a basketball game. Can't wait for this one. With top players like Quentin Williams of FHS and Doc Seip of WHS involved in this game, what is a fan of Highland County basketball not to be excited about?
• Tuesday, Dec. 18: Lynchburg-Clay at Peebles
If the aforementioned game isn't for you, then this SHAC matchup might be. LC and Peebles will be two of the better teams in the conference (LC is my sleeper team), and PHS is traditionally one of the best teams in the area. What is the old saying? "To be the man, you have to beat the man." Very quality game here.
• Saturday, Dec. 22: SCOL vs. SHAC Showdown at Hillsboro H.S.
This annual event brings us Washington vs. Fairfield, McClain vs. Lynchburg-Clay and Whiteoak vs. Hillsboro right before Christmas. This event is like the present we all get to open early and is always a good six hours of hoops.
• Friday, Dec. 28: Whiteoak at Lynchburg-Clay
Again, December is full of Highland County rivalry games, and as the '12 calendar year comes to a close, what better way to see two county and conference rivals play one another than with the proceeds of the game going to a good cause as this is a part of the Greg Wilkin Scholarship Memorial Tournament. This is a good way for rivals to do something good for each other.
• Saturday, Dec. 29: Fairfield at McClain
What better way to end the 2012 high school sports calendar year than seeing these two teams face each other for county bargain' rights? I really like some of the match-ups this game could bring, especially in the post with Faulconer and Clay and possibly Shannon vs. Williams. A great way to toast the end of the calendar year of high school athletics.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.