Newark, Chillicothe Take Home State Crowns
COLUMBUS, Ohio —
New Knoxville 74, Worthington Christian 52
Ottawa-Glandorf 62, Sugarcreek Garaway 44
Newark 65, Lakewood St. Edward 52
In his wildest dreams, Greg Avery never thought it could be this good.
Avery matched his career high with 33 points and Newark ended a 65-year drought between titles
with a 65-52 victory over Lakewood St. Edward on Saturday night, locking up the Division I state
championship.
"We planned on going out with a bang, and this is a bigger bang that we expected," he said
between raucous cheers from the Newark stands at Value City Arena.
Avery was clearly the difference for the Wildcats (24-4), continually hitting pressure shots,
making steals, assisting on baskets or pulling down pivotal rebounds.
He made 14-of-18 shots from the field including his only 3-pointer. He also had 11 rebounds,
three assists and four steals. He had just one foul and one turnover despite not leaving the
floor and being the focal point of the Eagles' defense.
"He was good; we knew he was good. Everything we tried to do he pretty much overcame," St. Ed
coach Eric Flannery said. "When you're 14-of-18, that's pretty good. I don't know many guys that
could do that with nobody guarding them."
The championship was Newark's fourth overall but first since 1943. The Wildcats, with titles
in 1936, '38 and '43, became just the ninth school to win at least four state championships.
"I don't think you can describe it," Avery said of the feeling. "We're going to go and
celebrate."
The Wildcats were making their first trip to the state's final four since 1981.
"This is definitely the best win of my life," coach Jeff Quackenbush said, stating the
obvious.
Frankie Dobbs scored 15 points to lead Lakewood St. Edward (22-5), which was trying to capture
its third state title in the past two weeks. The Eagles won the Division I wrestling crown two
weeks ago (a perennial happening at St. Edward, which has won the last 12), and the state ice
hockey title on Monday at Nationwide Arena downtown.
Mike Hartnett added 12 points.
First-team All-Ohioan Tom Pritchard, a muscular 6-foot-9 Indiana signee, managed just nine
points while being hemmed in underneath all night. He took only three shots from the field - making
them all.
"It started off with our defense," Avery said.
St. Edward has stormed back from late or double-digit deficits in its last three tournament
games, but not this time. Newark came out like it was going to make up for all that lost time
between title runs.
"We maybe went to the well too often," Flannery said. "We got down and didn't have enough this
time."
The Wildcats scored on eight of their first nine possessions to take a 17-9 lead.
Ahead 19-14 after a quarter, they scored 12 of the first 14 points in the second period to go
up 31-16. Avery hit two free throws at the 4:18 mark for that 15-point lead - giving him 17 points
on the night, one more than the Eagles.
St. Ed was able to get within reach of the Wildcats by responding with a 9-0 run, wrapped up
by Tilow's 3-pointer and baseline drive off a backdoor pass from Pritchard.
With time running out in the half, though, Avery came off a pick and hit a 14-foot jumper to
give Newark a 33-25 lead as the teams headed for the locker room.
But the Eagles, as is their routine, started eating into that deficit right away.
A mini 9-5 run to start the third quarter cut the gap to 38-34. But instead of shrinking
like so many opponents have done recently in the face of St. Ed's pressure defense, the Wildcats
regrouped.
They went on a 10-2 streak to the end of the quarter, boosting the lead back to 48-36.
Avery was at the heart of the resurgence, hitting three baskets with Rahlin Watson, who
finished with 10 points, adding the other four points. With time running out in the quarter and St.
Ed with the ball, a loose ball rolled on the floor near midcourt, surrounded by Eagles players. But
Avery dived on the loose ball and called timeout, giving Newark at least a shot before the buzzer,
which missed.
One factor working against the Eagles making another comeback was they had heavy foul trouble.
Pritchard, who had 26 points and 14 rebounds in the semifinal win over Cincinnati St. Xavier, was
dogged by multiple defenders all night. He fouled out with 4:43 left and St. Ed already facing an
uphill struggle on the wrong end of a 56-43 score.
All that was left was the celebration.
"It feels great because our community is behind us," Avery said, barely heard over the roar of
the huge throng behind him.
Chillicothe 70, Toledo Libbey 69 OT
Chillicothe coach Gary Kellough said this about mercurial point guard Anthony Hitchens: "He's
lightning off the dribble."
Then lightning must have struck Toledo Libbey. Again.
Ray Chambers hit a layup with no time remaining after Hitchens' mad end-to-end dash to give
Chillicothe its first state championship with a breathtaking 70-69 overtime victory over snakebit
Libbey in the Division II state title game on Saturday.
"It was crazy," Chambers said. "I kind of threw it up there and it happened to go in."
Hitchens drove the length of the court in under 5 seconds.
"I knew it was 5 (seconds), but I really didn't think he'd be getting it off in time," a
smiling Hitchens said. "I was going to pull up for a floater, but the defender came off on me and I
had a nice little bounce pass."
The second-ranked Cavaliers (25-2) trailed after Julius Wells made two clutch foul shots with
5.1 seconds left for a 69-68 Libbey lead.
The Cavaliers inbounded to Hitchens along the Libbey baseline and he dribbled the length of
the court, weaving past a defender or two, before feeding Chambers, who released the shot quickly.
It seemed to hesitate on the rim for an instant before falling, touching off a sonic boom of a roar
from the Chillicothe faithful.
"I thought it was going to fall out," Chambers said. "I was scared - 'No! No!"'
Many thought the Division II field was the strongest in the tournament, with four teams all
ranked in the top five during the regular season. The final sure lived up to that billing.
Hitchens, a first-team All-Ohioan, had 24 points, six rebounds and eight assists along with
four steals. Chambers had 23 points and eight rebounds, while Stuart Beverly added 10 points.
Mr. Basketball William Buford also lived up to the hype. The 6-foot-5 Libbey senior, who has
signed to play next year at Ohio State, had 29 points, six rebounds and five assists. He
continually made stellar plays in the fourth quarter and overtime when the Cowboys could not afford
to not make a play.
Wells, who had the hero mantel stolen from him, had 13 points and 12 rebounds, with Brad
Sandridge added 11 points and Lance Jones had 10 for the fourth-ranked Cowboys.
Chillicothe won a state title after waiting 78 years between appearances in the final four - a
record in the state for the longest wait. The Cavaliers lost in the semifinals in 1924 and again in
1930.
It was also a lengthy wait for Kellough, who hadn't been back on the state sidelines since
leading Washington Court House Miami Trace and swingman Art Schlichter - who went on to play
quarterback at Ohio State - to the final four in 1978.
"Thirty years is a long time to go through a lot of hot locker rooms and gyms," Kellough said,
his hands shaking after cutting down the nets.
It was more misery for Libbey (24-3), which has been to the state tournament six times without
carrying home the biggest trophy. The 1966 Libbey team led by 15 points going into the fourth
quarter of the championship game but ended up losing to Dayton Chaminade 55-52.
The similarities were eerily similar: this Libbey team led by 16 points in the third
quarter.
"We got away from them for a little while, but just like bloodhounds tracking rabbits they
came back and found us," Libbey coach Leroy Bates said. "It was nip and tuck from there on."
The Cowboys were on top 33-24 at the half and then opened the second half with a 7-0 run to go
up 40-24. But that was about the time Chillicothe's alarm clock finally sounded.
The Cavaliers finished the quarter on a 23-11 run to cut the lead to 51-47 heading into the
fourth quarter.
Chambers had nine points, Hitchens seven, Beverly four and Seth Dawes three in the
spurt.
The Cavaliers led 63-61 late in the regulation.
In the final seconds, the Cowboys passed to Buford, streaking straight down the lane, but the
pass was too hard. It bounced to Jones, averaging all of 5.6 points a game, and he hit the jumper
from just inside the arc at the left foul-line for the biggest shot of his life, forcing
overtime.
In the extra 4 minutes, Libbey trailed by a point and had the ball with time running
out.
Buford missed a 3-pointer, but Wells rebounded. The Cowboys reset and Buford drove the lane
and shoveled a quick pass to Wells who was fouled by Chambers as he went up for the shot with 5.1
seconds left.
Mouthing the words "No pressure, no pressure" repeatedly, he stroked in both shots, which
never touched the rim, for a 69-68 lead. Chillicothe called an immediate timeout, setting the stage
for the memorable ending.
"When the lights went off (after Chambers' shot), I just froze for a second, just staring at
the rim," Wells said. "I thought when I hit the two foul shots it was over."
It wasn't. Not even close.
Instead, Chillicothe was in a hurry to end its wait.
New Knoxville 74, Worthington Christian 52
For more than half a century, tales were passed along by the 900 citizens of New Knoxville
about the 1947 team that made it to the state tournament. Now there will be new stories to
tell.
Brad Piehl controlled the paint and No. 1-ranked New Knoxville rocketed to a fast start from
behind the arc to beat Worthington Christian 74-52 Saturday to win the Division IV state
championship.
"When I grew up, the 1947 team was what a lot of people talked about," said Rangers head coach
Dan Hegemier. "Now they can start talking about another one."
The title was the first for New Knoxville, making its first appearance at the state tournament
since finishing second in 1947. The Rangers lost to eventual champion Georgetown last year in
the regional championship.
Piehl had 16 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Rangers (27-0), the only unbeaten
boys team in the state. Ryan VanderHorst added 13 points, Tony Meyer and Caleb Allen each had 12
and Austin Arnett 11.
"Our balance makes my job easy," said the only senior starter, Meyer, the starting point
guard. "I can pass it to anyone and they can finish it."
The Rangers shot 52 percent from the field, including a white-hot 50 percent on 8-of-16
3-pointers against a Worthington Christian team believed to be a superior outside-shooting
squad.
It was also Hegemier's third title. He led Fort Loramie to state small-school crowns in 1987
and '93 before moving to New Knoxville.
Brothers Zach Joseph and Tyler Joseph had 18 and 16 points for Worthington Christian (26-2),
which was chasing its second title after winning it all in 1999.
First-team All-Ohioan and division player of the year Brian Hecker never got untracked,
finishing with just four points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field. Part of the reason for that was
that the Warriors fell behind so far so early that they had to pump up perimeter shots and disdain
their big man just to try to get back in the game.
Worthington Christian coach Kevin Weakley said he thought the Rangers ranked among the best
Division IV teams he'd seen.
"They did today," he said. "The thing they do particularly well is to put five guys on the
floor who are threats."
The Warriors hadn't scored fewer than 59 points all season.
The game was a huge deal for the little village of New Knoxville in northwest Ohio. The entire
end of Value City Arena was decked out in red and gray, the school's colors. Inexplicably, one
student was even dressed in a Spiderman costume.
One could only hope that law enforcement officials back home were keeping an eye on all those
empty houses and businesses.
That might be a concern against next year at the state tournament. The Rangers start three
juniors and a sophomore (VanderHorst).
What's more, it was another championship for the Midwest Athletic Conference, easily the
dominant small-school league in Ohio. The league has produced more than 70 state championship
teams, with New Knoxville's title the 10th boys basketball crown.
"This means a great deal, especially in a conference like we have," Hegemier said. "We're kind
of the little dog in there. Now we can hold our heads high."
What's more, they appear they were as disciplined a team as one could imagine in the glaring
lights of the big stage. Through three quarters, they only had three turnovers.
New Knoxville came out smoking, hitting seven of its first 10 3-point shots.
Zach Joseph's basket at the 2:37 mark of the first quarter cut their lead to 12-9, but the
Rangers ran off 11 of the next 13 points to take a 23-11 lead. Piehl scored inside before Meyer,
VanderHorst and Austin Luck each hit a 3.
"The first one dropped and I said, 'All right. A good night,"' Meyer said with a grin. "The
second one went and I said, 'A special night.' Then it kept happening and I said, 'All
right!"'
The Rangers were on top 38-29 at the half and wasted no time in stretching that to 45-30,
blending some pinpoint perimeter shooting with Piehl's shots from in close.
The lead swelled to more than 20 late in the game before the starters came out to a standing
ovation.
They deserved a rest - and maybe wanted to get a head start on the partying back in New
Knoxville.
Ottawa-Glandorf 62, Sugarcreek Garaway 44
Not many seniors take it well when they're not a starter. Jake Meyer might have had
doubts, but certainly not Saturday night.
Meyer came off the bench to score 21 points and Ottawa-Glandorf unleashed its lethal press to
beat Sugarcreek Garaway 62-44 Saturday to capture the Division III state championship.
"That (No.) 34, he's a pretty good player," Garaway all-state player Tyler Gerber said. "He'd
be starting anyplace else."
Meyer started a few games but at one point in the season coach Josh Leslie sat his seniors
down and said for the betterment of the team he needed to bring somebody off the bench. Meyer was
his choice.
The player kept his thoughts private. Then he set out to make other teams pay.
"I'm overwhelmed right now," he said, flashing a broad smile. "(Players) one through 10,
or one through 15, any of those guys can step up for us. It's not necessarily me, it could have
been anybody."
On this night, it was everybody. Almost everyone on the roster contributed as Leslie trotted
out player after player to wear down the Pirates.
Ottawa Glandorf (23-5), making its fifth trip to the state tournament, walked off with its
second title in five years. The
Titans, tied for 12th in the final regular-season Associated Press poll, handed Anna its first loss in the semifinals, 65-57.
Titans, tied for 12th in the final regular-season Associated Press poll, handed Anna its first loss in the semifinals, 65-57.
Meyer had an unforgettable game - for a sixth man or a starter. He still played most of
the game, hitting 8-of-11 shots from the field, including 3-of-6 3-pointers. Honorable mention
All-Ohioan Justin Shomaeker chipped in with 15 points.
"We're subbing not just to score, but to keep the pedal down, to outscore their bench," said
Leslie, who joked that maybe now he could buy a home instead of renting one because of the tenuous
nature of being a small-town high school coach.
Yet the real heroes of the victory might have been Luke Bellman and Taylor Pothast, the
triggermen on a press that didn't just force the Pirates into 19 turnovers which led to a number of
breakaway layups and easy baskets. Bellman and Pothast were credited with only five steals
combined, but they were agitators and irritants all night.
"Their press was a major factor in the game," Garaway coach Dave Shutt said. "We'd didn't
handle it well at first, and we didn't hit our shots early."
Gerber finished with 15 points but was harassed all night. He hit just 5-of-15 shots,
including 1-of-5 behind the arc.
"They were very athletic," Gerber said of the Titans. "They could get in the passing lanes
like nothing else. We struggled at the beginning and then struggled in the middle. It took us too
long to figure out how to handle their press."
Paul Honigford added 12 points for the Pirates (24-4), tied for third in the last poll. They
were seeking their first state title, after losing in the semifinals in 1932 and in the 2003
championship game.
Garaway also lost in the Division III girls title game on Monday on the same court.
O-G's press, which started trapping at its own free-throw line, triggered its offense in the
opening half.
Four times the Titans stole the ball on the press and turned it into instant points with a
quick pass that went the other way.
Their biggest lead came at 30-14 at the 4:55 mark of the second quarter, having already
rattled the Pirates into nine turnovers.
When the Titans did face a halfcourt situation, Meyer came off the bench to hit three
3-pointers, with Taylor Kuhlman and Schomaeker adding one each. Meyer just about hit his average
with 13 points at the half.
Despite playing fast and loose with the ball, the Pirates rebounded late in the second quarter
to cut their deficit to 32-23 on Tyler Gerber's first field goal of the game. Averaging 20 points a
game, he missed his first four shots from the field before connecting on a 3 with just over a
minute left in the half.
But the Titans hurried the ball down the floor and Meyer bombed in another 3 from the right
corner for a 35-23 lead through two quarters.
At the midpoint of the third period, the Titans - now working out of a halfcourt, trapping
press - were up to their old tricks. Schomaeker hit a shot in the lane and then Meyer drove
the left baseline for a nifty reverse layup. Meyer then intercepted a pass by leaping high at
midcourt, leading to two foul shots by Brent Kuhlman. After another Garaway turnover, Taylor
Kuhlman pulled up for a 15-foot jumper that gave O-G a 49-29 lead.
From then on, it was just a matter of time until the Titans got to cut down the nets.
"We thought we had the pieces to make a run," Leslie said. "We don't have a LeBron
James, so if we didn't make it (to the state tournament) we couldn't be disgusted. We just had a
lot of solid guys."
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