The Road Ahead for SW Ohio’s State Reps
Southwest Ohio has several great teams that have advanced into the State tournament this year. Moeller will look to defend their state title while Trotwood looks to get revenge after losing in the State Championship last season. Purcell Marian and…
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Continue ReadingSouthwest Ohio has several great teams that have advanced into the State tournament this year. Moeller will look to defend their state title while Trotwood looks to get revenge after losing in the State Championship last season. Purcell Marian and St. Henry look to make their own mark as they try and win a state title this year. Today, I look at the 4 teams that advanced out of the SW Ohio regions, recap their Regional runs, and provide my take on if they will find themselves as the state champions in 2019.
Moeller- The Crusaders continued their undefeated season with a 47-33 win over Lakota East and a 59-41 victory against Centerville in the Region 4 tournament. Alex Williams (2021) gave Moeller a major spark off the bench in both wins, averaging 15.5 points per game. A well-coached and overall truly athletic team, Moeller has shown they can overpower anyone they face and now they prepare for a very talented St. Edward team. Miles McBride (2019), Alec Pfriem (2019), and Max Land (2020) star in a very elite starting 5 that makes them one of the best defensive teams in the state. I predict Moeller to ultimately defend their state title, but not before they knock off St. Ed’s and win what I expect to be a rematch between SVSM and the Crusaders.
Trotwood-Madison- The Rams defeated Aiken and Northridge by a combined 62 points in route to a Regional title. Trotwood never faced any real competition as they dominated throughout this postseason run. Amari Davis (2019) has been a huge contributor on both ends of the floor and has been a mismatch for any opponent so far. The Rams will have their hands full against a very good Buchtel team Friday night. Between Davis, Carl Blanton (2020), and Justin Stephens (2019), the Rams are loaded with athleticism and should be able to outlast Chris Livingston (2022) and his Buchtel team. This should setup a great matchup with Columbus South for a Division II title which I expect Trotwood to win.
Purcell Marian- The Cavaliers won a Regional Final after defeating Versailles 52-37 and then used a strong 2nd quarter to breakaway from Anna 67-56 in the Final. Purcell is absolutely loaded with talent. The backcourt is led by senior duo Alex Dotson and Javonta Lyons. Dotson is one of the most explosive guards in SW Ohio while Lyons is one of the most physical guards you will find. Playing in the GCL prepared this team for the physicality they will face in the State tournament. A.J. Garrett (2019) is a long and lengthy frontcourt guy that makes his presence known on the glass. Boxing him out and winning the battle on the glass will be the key to beating the Cavaliers. Purcell faces off against Harvest Prep in the State Semifinals on Thursday. Although I believe Purcell is one of the top teams in SW Ohio in Division III, I expect Harvest to runaway with game.
St. Henry- The Redskins outlasted Springfield Catholic Central 54-36 in the Regional Semifinals before finishing off Jackson Center 46-43 to win the Region 16 championship. The depth of St. Henry makes them such a difference maker as they go 9-10 guys deep at times. Between Caden Niekamp (2019) and Zach Niekamp (2019), the Redskins have plenty of scoring threats and have shown they can hang with some of the best teams, getting through the Midwest Athletic Conference. I think beating Berlin Hiland will be a challenge, but if the Redskins were to advance, I believe beating Crestview will be too muc