Dayton 1 and 2 Division I Sectional Preview
Photo Credit: Marc Pendleton With the brackets now released, it is time for analysis and predictions. In Division 1, the Dayton bracket is split in three. The top half is home to the #1 seed in Dayton in the Centerville…
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Continue ReadingPhoto Credit: Marc Pendleton
With the brackets now released, it is time for analysis and predictions. In Division 1, the Dayton bracket is split in three. The top half is home to the #1 seed in Dayton in the Centerville Elks. In the bottom half, we see Top 5 teams Wayne and Butler, as well as a talented Fairmont team. In this article, I predict all Sectional matchups and predict the Sectional champions in both Dayton brackets. I will look at the third Dayton bracket this week.
Dayton 1
Miamisburg over Lebanon- The Vikings have already defeated Lebanon twice this season, but will set up an interesting third matchup between the top two GWOC West teams. Miamisburg has plenty of talent and should use it to their advantage against the Warriors. Duncan Hall (2019) will be a difference maker.
Centerville over Piqua- Hard to consider the Indians pulling an upset here. Centerville has won 10 straight games and has beaten the likes of top teams in the Dayton area. Piqua just doesn’t have the firepower to run with this Centerville team.
Miamisburg over Xenia- After defeating Lebanon, we expect the Vikings to again win against a high scoring Xenia team. The Vikings have already defeated the Bucs once earlier this season, but will need a strong defensive effort to contain Samari Curtis (2019) and his 34 ppg.
Centerville over Northmont- Centerville dominated the Bolts earlier this season and should get through Northmont again. The Bolts have been giving up an average of 67 points per game. In order for Northmont to win this one, they will need to contain the Elks backcourt and try and speed up Centerville into a more up-tempo game.
Sectional Final: Centerville over Miamisburg- Centerville will get another rematch in their bracket as they face a Vikings team they defeated earlier in the season. Miamisburg’s bench will not be able to support their starting 5 like the Elks can. As a result, I expect Centerville to outlast the Vikings, especially in their slow-paced offensive style.
Dayton 2
Wayne over Stebbins- Stebbins just doesn’t have the athleticism to compete with a Warriors team that is deeper and has faced tougher competition. It will be extremely difficult for the Indians to pull an upset here.
Fairmont over Franklin- The Firebirds have been one of the most consistent teams in the Dayton area and should have no issue beating a Wildcats team that although has many offensive weapons, have not faced a team with Fairmont’s caliber. Ryan Hall (2019) and Kellan Bochenek (2019) will overpower the Wildcats defense that is allowing almost 60 points per game.
Butler over Belmont- The Bison are athletic and have one of the best scorers in the City League in Kendall Moore (2019). Unfortunately, Belmont faces one of the top defensive teams in the GWOC. I believe this will be a close game through halftime, with the Aviators outlasting the Bison after a back and forth first half.
Wayne over Beavercreek- After defeating Stebbins, Wayne will have to turn around and face a Beavers team that knows the Warriors very well. Wayne has a deep bench and will outlast Beavercreek who has not been a dominant team this year.
Fairmont over Butler- This is a tough one for me to pick. I do think Butler is one of the best teams in Dayton, however Fairmont has played such a tough schedule this year that has prepared them for this game. Butler will definitely make the Firebirds work for all of their points, but in the end, Fairmont will prevail.
Sectional Final: Wayne over Fairmont- Both teams split their regular season meetings. In the biggest game for both teams, I expect Wayne to come out on top. Fairmont won’t have the depth to hang with the Warriors. If Wayne can contain the glass again, this should be their ticket to the District final.