Marquee Matchups: Week 10 in Northwest Ohio
A Toledo City League matchup and difficult back-to-back for Marion Local are the headliners for week 10 in Northwest Ohio.
Jan. 30: Toledo Waite at Toledo Rogers
Although the overall records don’t indicate successful seasons, Waite and Rogers were the preseason favorites in the City League. While their places in the CL Championship don’t appear as guaranteed as they once did, Rogers and Waite both have a few unsigned seniors to watch.
Christian Smith, a 6’5” wing from Rogers, is a talented offensive player with a smooth mid-range scoring game. His finesse style is complimented by an athletic and explosive 6’5” sophomore wing/forward Desean Nelson. Waite’s 6’3”-6’4” forward Keyshawn Leach needs to be outstanding protecting the paint and as a rebounder.
Feb. 2: Minster at Marion Local
Minster’s size, specifically juniors Jarod Schulze and Cody Frericks, come head-to-head with the best defense in the Midwest Athletic Conference. Marion Local is undefeated in the conference, allowing right around 42 points per game on the season. The key for Marion Local could be defending Schulze and Frericks one-on-one with senior 6’1” forward Tyler Mescher and 6’5” junior Nathan Bruns. Both upperclassmen play larger than their listed heights and Bruns might even make Frericks uncomfortable with his offensive package on the other end.
Feb. 3: Marion Local at Fort Loramie
It doesn’t get any easier for Marion Local on Saturday night as they’ll get another chance to prove themselves as a Division IV Regional contender. Northwest Ohio is loaded with D-IV teams but if the Flyers can compete with Loramie, they’ll gain a lot of confidence for the stretch run.
Formally the #1 ranked team in Division IV, Fort Loramie dropped their first game of the season last week at Anna. They’ll have an advantage in the backcourt with the reliable senior Evan Berning and shooting specialist Dillon Braun. Marion Local’s choice of who to assign Nathan Bruns to on defense is a pivotal decision.