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Senior-laden Louisville (eight in the rotation) rallied from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit (48-37 with 8:29 left) with a game-closing 12-0 run to oust Garfield Heights 49-48 in a state semifinal at Canton Memorial Fieldhouse and punch the program’s first ticket to state. The Leopards, coached by Tom Siegfried, last year’s Division I and this year’s D-III NE Inland coach of the year, have put together an impressive resume that includes wins over defending state champions St. Ignatius, Kettering Alter (at Flyin to the Hoop) and Richmond Heights. Louisville started the season 5-4 with losses to D-II state finalist Westerville North, St. Augustine (San Diego, Ca.), St. Francis Episcopal (Houston, Tx.) and Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wa.). The Warriors are 18-1 since. Senior Brayden Gross, a Walsh University recruit and 1,000-point scorer, is the NE Inland Player of the Year. The 6-foot-7 three-year starter averages 17.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Senior guard Beau Siegfried was first team All-NE Inland. The Ashland University recruit and three-year starter, averages 13.7 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and two steals. He is the program’s career leader in assists (454) and made 3-point field goals (178) and has 933 career points. Other key contributors include seniors Tate Aljancic (12 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists), Ashton Marshall (7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists) and Avery Andrejcik (7.1 points). Aljancic is committed to Malone University, while Marshall is a Walsh football recruit. Senior guard Avery Andrejcik contributes 7.4 points off the bench.  The Leopards, who have 87 wins in four years, average 68 points and allow 51. Rallying from a halftime deficit is something Aiken, which is also making its first state final appearance, has become accustomed to. For the fifth straight postseason game, the Falcons trailed after two quarters (this time 29-27) before recovering for a 64-58 win over Sandusky in a state semifinal at Wright State University’s Nutter Center. Aiken’s lone loss is a 78-76 defeat at Trotwood-Madison on Feb. 13. The Falcons avenged that loss with a convincing 71-50 win over the Rams in the Regional Final. Aiken survived LaSalle 56-55 in the regional semifinals. The Falcons took their first lead in that game on a free throw by senior Tayvon Smith with three seconds left. Senior guard Jaiden Arnold, who had 19 points and nine rebounds against Sandusky, leads the team in scoring (19.9 points) and adds 4.7 assists and 2.4 steals. He’ll play in college at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne. Senior guard James Burnett averages 17.5 points and five rebounds, while junior guard Antwan Hinton contributes 10.2 points and 5.3 rebounds. Senior guards Justin Hawkins (7.2 points) and Antonio Hutcherson Jr. (6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds), Smith (eight points and 6.7 boards) and sophomore forward Deandre Carr-Short (4.1 points and 3.4 rebounds) contribute heavily. Head coach Derrell Black’s team averages 81.5 points and allows 55.

 

 

 

Division IV will showcase a matchup between a team widely expected to make a deep tournament run and another program more traditionally known for its football prowess. However, Cleveland Glenville is demonstrating that it's much more than just a breeding ground for football talent. Under first-year head coach Bryon Ottrix, the Tarblooders have reached their first state tournament and now aim to bring home a state championship. Standing in their way are the Maysville Panthers, last year's Division II state runner-up. Maysville secured their championship game berth in dramatic fashion, with a buzzer-beating three-pointer from junior Gator Nichols in double overtime, giving the Panthers a 75-73 victory over Cincinnati Wyoming. This thrilling contest was hailed by many viewers as "one of the greatest games they have ever seen." Maysville overcame a combined 62 points from Kellen Wiley, Devin Evans, and Darren Gray, thanks to Nichols' heroics and his 29 points. Classmate Jordan Watson added 18 points, and Kane Roehrig contributed 14.Despite an early loss to Muskingum Valley League rival John Glenn and a pair of setbacks against conference competitor Tri-Valley, Maysville has been remarkably consistent. The Panthers have amassed 52 wins over the past two seasons, including their impressive run as Division II state runner-up last year. "Southtown" relies on a talented quartet of juniors: Nichols, Watson, Landon Iden, and Roehrig. Nichols, Watson, and Roehrig were all starters as sophomores. This season, Maysville faced the challenge of replacing Alex Bobb, who averaged nearly 26 points per game last year. Nichols, who averaged around 15 points per game as a sophomore, has significantly increased his production to 25 points per outing as a junior. Watson (17 ppg.) and Iden (10.3 ppg.) also contribute double-digit scoring averages. Sophomore Gavin Ferguson and junior Kade Rock provide valuable depth and production for head coach Dave Brown's squad. Two years ago, the Panthers achieved 24 wins, then graduated the school's all-time leading scorer, Hayden Jarrett. Last year, Maysville responded with 26 wins, only to graduate Alex Bobb, who had surpassed Jarrett's scoring record. Remarkably, none of this deterred the Blue-and-Gold, as they secured another 26 wins and now stand just one victory away from the school's first boys' basketball state championship. Aside from some sluggish starts, Maysville has surged through tournament play, securing comfortable wins in their previous six games. Prior to their classic double-overtime victory against Wyoming, the Panthers hadn't faced a tournament game decided by fewer than 12 points. Expect another tightly contested encounter, as the upstart Glenville Tarblooders are arriving in the 937 with plenty of steam, a fitting image for a school nicknamed after the railroad workers who "bled tar" in the early 1900s. The Cleveland-based school won the Senate League title for the third time in four years, yet initially failed to garner widespread attention across the state. However, with each passing round of the Division IV tournament, pundits began to take notice. Glenville defeated 21-win Streetsboro in the district final, led by 13 points from second-leading scorer Arvell Nelson Jr. Akron Buchtel, the 2023 Division II state champions, awaited in the regional semifinals. Despite an early deficit, the Tarblooders dominated the second quarter (26-11) en route to a 79-60 victory. Senior and leading scorer Xavier Vickerstaff led the team with 23 points and eight rebounds, while junior Theo Castro added 18. Seniors Braylyn Irby (11 points) and Nelson Jr. (10 points) combined for 21 points. With a Final Four berth at stake, Glenville fell behind 14-2 against Warrensville Heights before rallying for a 10-point win. Vickerstaff contributed 16 points and nine rebounds. The Senate League champions secured their spot in the 937 with a 20-point victory over Gates Mills Hawken, ending the Hawks' nine-game winning streak. Vickerstaff once again led the scoring with 17 points, and talented freshman Garry Pritchett Jr. added 16. Glenville's appearance marks the first time a Senate League team has reached the state tournament since Cleveland East Tech in 2014. They will now aim to become the first to win the championship since East Tech's victory over Cincinnati Princeton in 1972.

 

 

 

An undefeated Columbus Academy and Lutheran East will clash in a highly anticipated showdown to crown the inaugural Division V state champion. The Gahanna-based Columbus Academy is making its first state championship appearance since finishing as Class A runner-up in 1981. The Vikings have achieved a perfect 28-0 record this season, including a dominant tournament run with victories over Marion Pleasant, Milford Center Fairbanks, Castalia Margaretta, Columbus Bishop Ready, and Cincinnati Summit Country Day. Fairbanks and Margaretta entered the tournament with just two losses each, Ready boasted a 23-win record in the Central Buckeye League, and Summit Country Day was a team brimming with talent. Columbus Academy surged to a 30-13 lead in their state semifinal against Summit Country Day and held on for a 63-51 victory, despite a 16-of-31 performance from the free-throw line. Senior Anderson Davis led the Vikings with 25 points and nine rebounds, while classmate Theo Falkenhain added 20 points. In their regional semifinal against once-beaten Margaretta, Columbus Academy showcased their balanced attack. While the game featured two of the state's top juniors, Academy’s Jason Singleton and Margaretta’s Julian Washington, it was the Vikings' depth that ultimately made the difference. Singleton, son of former Ohio State standout Jason Singleton Sr., led Coach Jason Warstler’s team with 15 points, while Falkenhain and talented sophomore Caden Ivery each contributed 14. Davis added 10. Washington scored a game-high 25 points for the Polar Bears, but the Vikings effectively limited second-leading scorer Judah Keller to just two points, capitalizing on their superior size and length. Academy secured their state tournament berth with a third victory over conference rival Bishop Ready. Columbus Academy has only played two single-digit games this season, but to achieve their 29th win, they must overcome a Lutheran East team seeking a three-peat and their fourth title in five seasons. Lutheran East has demonstrated remarkable consistency since 2017. The Falcons are making their eighth consecutive state tournament appearance, having won titles under Anthony Jones in 2017 and Sam Liggins in 2021, 2023, and 2024. Jones now serves as the athletic director and assistant coach. Notably, this Falcons team is essentially a new squad. Sophomore Chris Hill is the sole remaining player from last year’s Division III state championship team, but highly talented junior TJ Crumble returned after a one-year absence, having been a key contributor to the 2023 title team. Remarkably, the team has no seniors. Led by 4-star recruit Crumble and arguably the state’s best freshman, Dylan Zeigler, the young Falcons have managed to win 24 games against a challenging schedule. Lutheran East’s four losses came against Division I state semifinalist Cleveland St. Ignatius, Division III state semifinalist Garfield Heights, regional runner-up Warrensville Heights, and national power Huntington Expressions Prep (WV). Their tournament path to the Final Four, traditionally smooth, has been unusually bumpy this year. The Falcons survived a scare from 23-win Creston Norwayne in their regional semifinal before facing a highly anticipated clash with Richmond Heights, who were aiming for a historic fourth consecutive state championship. Crumble scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the win over Norwayne, while Zeigler, sophomore Chris Hill, and Ty Harrison each added 13. In what was arguably the most anticipated game of the season, Crumble delivered a stellar performance with 25 points and 15 rebounds. Hill contributed 16 points, and Zeigler added 12 in the victory over Richmond Heights, a game in which the Falcons trailed for much of the afternoon. The Cleveland Heights-based school secured its spot in the title game by outlasting a 25-win Minford squad. Crumble and Zeigler each scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Hill added 11.

 

 

 

Marion Local and Monroe Central will compete for the Division VI state championship in what is expected to draw one of the weekend's largest crowds. Marion Local, boasting a state-record 15 state football championships, aims to secure its fourth title on the hardwood. The Flyers' last basketball championship came in dramatic fashion, a 52-51 double-overtime victory against Cornerstone Christian in 2018. Notably, Marion Local also won the football title in the same school year, a feat rarely achieved. Coach Kurt Goettemoeller’s team has the opportunity to repeat this achievement after decisively defeating Hillsdale (74-0) this past fall in Canton. The Mercer County school also won state basketball and football championships in 2003, though not in the same school year. If the Flyers are to claim their fourth basketball title, it will rely heavily on seniors Austin Niekamp and Ryan Homan, along with juniors Brayden Mescher and Grant Kremer, and sophomore Kale Ahrens. Niekamp, a Malone signee, scored 18 points to lead Marion Local’s 52-38 regional final victory over Colonel Crawford, a team that hadn't lost since November 30th. Mescher and Homan each added 11 points, with Mescher grabbing 10 rebounds. Ahrens effectively limited the Eagles’ leading scorer and Northwest District Player of the Year, Brayden Holt, to just 13 points. Marion Local, a member of the formidable Midwest Athletic Conference, will need to contain another Player of the Year, Monroe Central’s Tucker Howell (East District). Howell, the school’s all-time leader in passing yards on the gridiron, surpassed Mitch Hannahs (Skyvue) in February to become the all-time leading scorer for the combined schools of Monroe Central (Woodsfield and Skyvue). Prior to Monroe Central’s establishment in 1994, Skyvue, led by Hannahs, reached consecutive state tournaments in 1984 and 1985. The Hawks, under head coach Mark Huffman, narrowly lost to the now-defunct Columbus Wehrle by a single point in ’84 and fell on a buzzer-beater by Jeff Teeters (Jackson Center) in ’85, Teeters’ only points of the tournament. This Seminoles team features a balanced mix of experience and youth. Alongside Howell, senior Chance Allen is a key contributor. Howell and Allen are the two most prolific scorers in Monroe Central’s history. Junior Caedyn Silva and sophomores Cooper Howell (Tucker’s brother) and Corbin Farnsworth provide valuable support. The Seminoles’ losses came on neutral courts, including two against a talented West Virginia state championship contender, Wheeling Central Catholic, and another at Ohio Dominican University to Division V regional qualifier Milford Center Fairbanks. A month and a half later, the Monroe County team returned to ODU to capture its first regional championship, defeating North Adams and Beaver Eastern. However, the most significant challenge came in district play. To secure their first district title, the Seminoles needed to overcome perennial powers Malvern and Berlin Hiland. Monroe Central defeated Malvern by 16 points and then dismantled the Hawks by 21 in a packed Cambridge High School. Allen (20 points) and Tucker Howell (14 points and 13 rebounds) led the Seminoles to their first state championship appearance in 40 years, thanks to a 58-54 state semifinal victory over a determined Kirtland squad.

 

 

 

The state’s smallest division promises big headlines, featuring a clash between arguably Ohio's best small school team and a team led by the state's all-time leading scorer. Russia, one of only two remaining undefeated teams in Ohio, will put its perfect record on the line against a red-hot Cornerstone Christian, spearheaded by Quinn “Turtle” Kwasniak. The Raiders, fresh from back-to-back state tournament appearances, have reached the state championship for the first time since their runner-up finish in 2002. While Russia fell to Richmond Heights in tightly contested encounters the past two seasons, this year's Raiders have shown no mercy, as their 28 opponents can attest. Boasting an 80-6 record over the past three seasons, Russia has dismantled opponents by an average of just over 27 points per game, a margin that increased to 35.2 points per game during their six-game tournament run. Nineteen of Russia’s games have been decided by 21 points or more, including a 26-point rout of Division VI state finalist Marion Local. Notably, no opponent has come closer than 11 points (Botkins). Russia's success is driven by its senior quartet: Shelby County Athletic League Player of the Year Braylon Cordonnier, along with Vince Borchers, Benjamin York, and the rim-rocking Dominic Francis. All four have played minutes in the previous two state tournament appearances. Senior Jaxon Grogean also contributes significantly to a team that has yet to concede 50 points in any of its 112 quarters of play. Cordonnier, a Marshall baseball commit, delivered his best performance in the state semifinals. In Russia’s 61-44 victory over an Arlington team that had previously upset Delphos St. John’s, Cordonnier scored 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting, and the Raiders dominated the boards (32-14), including 17 offensive rebounds. However, securing their 29th win won't be easy, as the Raiders face a Cornerstone Christian team arriving in Dayton with seven consecutive victories and 12 wins in their last 14 games, largely due to the quick-triggered Kwasniak. The son of head coach Babe Kwasniak has amassed 3,303 career points and counting. The Army commit surpassed Jon Diebler's long-standing record with a 53-point performance in a district final victory over Berlin Center Western Reserve. His father, Babe Kwasniak, achieved two state championships as a player at Cleveland VASJ (1992 and 1994) and then added three more as head coach at his alma mater (2013, 2015, and 2017) in a five-year span, which included two runner-up finishes. Cornerstone Christian is making its third trip to the state championship game, having won the Division IV championship in 2016 and earned runner-up honors in 2018. Following a mid-February setback to powerful Richmond Heights, the Patriots won five consecutive contests to reach the regional final with relative ease. However, their last two games have been anything but easy, as they survived a low-scoring affair against a strong Warren JFK team and then outlasted a 22-win South Webster team behind Kwasniak’s 36 points. The senior is joined in double-figure scoring by junior Darrien Davis while sophomore Hudson Funk along with seniors Asaiah West and Carter Sims provide crucial support.