Local boys' basketball is winding down and here are a few of the local teams from last week who finished out their seasons.
No. 1 Northside Christian 55, No. 18 Danville 28
No. 18 Danville hung tight for the first half of play against No. 1 Northside Christian in the Sectional Finals of the Division IV, Central 2 tournament, but the Lions put it into high gear in the final two quarters to take a 55-28 win.
Danville came out in a “Syracuse zone” on defense for the first time this year, and it worked exactly as they practiced. The downside was that the Blue Devils were having a hard time hitting shots. Coach Steve Lyons was impressed with their play on defense, as they trailed 7-6 after one quarter and 18-13 at halftime.
The second half was a different story, however. They were outscored 21-7 in the third quarter, as the team continued to struggle shooting the ball. There was also a huge discrepancy in free throw attempts, with the Lions leading 27-9 in that category in the game. The Lions finished out the game with a 16-8 fourth quarter, and the Blue Devils were sent home with a tough loss.
Lyons had mixed feelings on the game, as he was happy with the defensive effort and execution the first two quarters, but the fact that the team couldn’t buy a bucket was concerning
“As far as the game goes, we were executing our game plan perfectly in the first half,” Lyons said. “We were playing the Syracuse zone for the first time this year. And it was working, just as we had practiced. Halftime score was 18-13. We just could not make anything or we would have been up at half. I cannot imagine what our shooting percentage is going to be. We did not make a three point shot for the first time this year.”
Walker Weckesser scored 11 points to lead the Blue Devils, which included six of the team’s seven points in the third quarter. He went 3-for-3 from the foul line. Ashton Spaulding had eight points, Wesley Payne had five points, and Kendall Carter and Carson Proper each had two points.
Danville’s season ended at 5-18, and while they are graduating three key seniors, Coach Steve Lyons likes what he sees from his underclassmen and sees potential for years to come.
“We lose a lot of minutes and a lot of experience with the graduation of Weckesser, Nate Stephens and Kendall Carter,” Lyons said. “They leave a big hole we will have to work to replace. We have good sophomore and freshman classes that we hope will take a huge step in the offseason.”
Spaulding was second team All-KMAC and District 11 as a sophomore, and Payne, also a sophomore, was an honorable mention for both accolades.
“Both have potential for big junior seasons and both will work hard in the offseason,” Lyons said.
Proper started several games for the Blue Devils and got quality minutes throughout the season in his sophomore year, and he is expected to be a key piece next season. Fellow sophomore Clayton Vance was praised by Lyons for being an “excellent shooter,” and after seeing some Varsity time this season, he will be returning in a bigger role next year.
“I tell the kids all the time, if we want different things, we have to do things differently,” Lyons said. “I am looking forward to the commitment of the freshman and sophomore class, as well as the incoming freshman to propel the program forward.”
No. 7 Triway 88, No. 49 Loudonville 45
Despite a 22 point showing for Judah Layton, the No. 49 Loudonville Redbirds went down early and could never recover in an 88-45 loss to No. 7 Triway in the Sectional Finals of the Division III Northeast 4 tournament bracket.
Loudonville trailed 20-8 after one quarter and by halftime it was a 45-22 game. It didn’t get any easier in the second half, as the Redbirds were outscored 31-13 in the third and then 12-10 in the fourth quarter.
Layton had 22 points, going 7-for-15 and 5-for-11 from three. He grabbed four rebounds and had an assist. Dilan Wade also reached double figures with 11 points, along with three rebounds and an assist. Brady Gessner had eight points, three assists, three steals and a rebound. Josiah Hershberger hit his only shot, which was a three. Kayden Cabral had four rebounds and an assist, while Elliot Strouse had three assists, three steals and a rebound.
“Tough way to end the season, but having said that, Triway is a top seed for a reason,” said Coach Jim Bates. “Very legit and playing on there historical home court for the last game gave them even more motivation. The Birds did what they could limited with experience and the opponent what can you say.”
Layton was first team All-Mid-Buckeye Conference this year, leading the team with 17.8 points per game. He was was the team’s top three point shooter going 66-for-172 (38%), and led the team in boards with 8.2 per game.
Wade was a second team All-MBC selection, averaging 14.3 points and two steals a game.
Gessner was an honorable mention, leading the team in assists at 4.7 per game to go with his 4.3 points per game.
“Layton, Wade and Gessner did some nice things out there and never quit and as a coach that’s all really you can ask,” Bates said. “The season didn’t go like planned for many reasons the program can either learn from it and do something about it or the results will stay the same.
No. 1 Columbus Academy 59, No. 23 East Knox 25
The No. 1 Columbus Academy Vikings proved to be too much for the No. 23 East Knox Bulldogs, beating them 59-25 in the Division III Central 1 Sectional Finals last week.
In the first quarter, Bryer Korosec displayed some solid rim protection with a block near the basket to keep the score at 0-0. East Knox was then able to strike for the game’s first score on a three by Kyson Miller. Corbin Poff had a couple of steals in the quarter, and Logan Whitney and Jess Wolford had steals, as well. Hayden Merritt had a block later in the quarter for East Knox, showing intensity on defense. However, the strong start and the great defense couldn’t slow the Vikings for long, as East Knox found themselves down 16-5.
In the second quarter, Poff drilled a three to make it a 20-8 game. Jesse Dudgeon also had a steal in the quarter for the Bulldogs.
The game started to get out of reach with the score 51-17 in the third quarter, but Dudgeon was able to supply some spark with a deep three. Columbus Academy was able to cruise to victory and take the Sectional title.
East Knox shot 35% and 33% from three, but Columbus Academy shot 43% from the floor. They were held to 29% from beyond the arc. East Knox had a tough time holding onto the ball, as the Vikings had a 20-8 steals advantage. The Vikings also led 28-16 in rebounds and 12-7 in assists. Both teams had two blocks.
It was a tough season for East Knox, who finished out the year with a 3-20 record. Poff made second team All-KMAC and Korosec was an honorable mention, so with the two hitting their senior seasons in 2024-2025, there is as bright future for the Bulldogs.
No. 1 Maysville 79, No. 20 West Holmes 51
The No. 20 West Holmes Knights had an early lead but they couldn’t keep up with the No. 1 Maysville Panthers in the Division II East 1 Sectional Final, losing 79-51.
West Holmes surprised the top seeded Panthers in the first quarter and took a 12-11 lead after one quarter. Maysville got things together in the second quarter and took a 25-20 lead at the half, but it was still anyone’s game to win.
Maysville came out of the locker room ready to go, outscoring the Knights 29-13 in the third quarter to go up 54-33 going into the final frame. West Holmes had their best offensive quarter of the game with 18 points, but Maysville’s offense continued to surge with 25 points to take the win.
Nate Fair led the Knights with 13 points in the game. Manny Camacho had 11 points, Collier Cline had nine points and Sam Sprang put up eight points. Koyer Miller and Lynn Cline had three points apiece, while Nate Sprang and Keston McKinney each had two points.
The Knights finished out their season with a 4-18 record. They had two honorable mentions for All-OCC in Collier Cline and Sprang, who will both be graduating in the spring.
