Marquee Matchups: Week 4 in Northwest Ohio
Early season jitters are no longer an excuse, as conference play has begun around the state. Just before holiday tournaments start next week, we’re going to take a look at the top week four games in each state region.
The Northwest Ohio matchups this week include two teams taking a crack at Toledo St. John’s.
Dec. 19: Lima Senior at St. John’s
The first of two tough conference games for the Titans comes against Lima Senior, the most physically imposing team in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference. The Spartans will look to push the tempo against St. John’s. They suffered some injuries over the weekend, but are being led by junior wing Jaleel King and senior point guard BJ Miller. They’ll need to utilize their size on the defensive end and seal the paint against VCU commit Vincent Williams. Houston King and Ryan Christie make for a tough senior trio to surround Williams.
Dec. 22: Whitmer at St. John’s
Whitmer is one of three teams vying for second place in the TRAC. They’re undefeated coming into the week after an impressive win against St. Francis on Friday. The Panthers have received surprising contributions from Leon Hughes and Eddie Colbert in the early going. Junior point guard Trey Syroka showed considerable improvements in the summer as well, as the high-academic prospect is another player to watch in this one.
Dec. 23: Archbold at Ottawa-Glandorf
Archbold has rebounded after a season opening loss at Wauseon. They’re now 3-1 entering the week and appear to be Regional Title competitors once again in Division III. They have a strong group of upperclassmen in Rigo Ramos, Eli Miller, Bryce Williams, and Kaiden Bedsole. Ottawa-Glandorf enters the week 4-0, but Archbold will be their first test. They’re still without senior leader Jay Kaufman, who tore his ACL before the season. In his absence, guys like Jake Dible, Owen Hiegel, Richie Knowlton, Bryce Schroeder and Carter Heringhaus have stepped up. Once Kaufman returns, we believe O-G will be primed for a postseason run in Division II.