ONE FOR THE THUMB: COACH B PICKS UP DISTRICT 10 HONORS
Irish Coach Tony Bisutti picked up a fifth and final Coach of the Year honor as part of the District 10 Coaches Association
All-Star games held at New Albany High School on April 5.
He shared the Division I honors with Satch Sullinger, coach of the Division I state champion Northland Vikings. Previously,
Coach B earned the Associated Press Division I State, Central District Division I, Columbus Dispatch All Metro and Ohio
Capital Conference – Cardinal Division Coach of the Year honors.
It was a good day for the Irish and the Bisutti family as the coaching staff earned recognition for the outstanding season
and tournament run. Coach B’s daughter Christina was recognized as Division III player of the year, received a scholarship
from the association and played in the girls all-star game.
A senior at Bishop Ready, she happened to play on the winning team – designated home on the scoreboard – which won 67-63
over the visitors. She joined two Irish players on the winning squad – seniors Brandi Gorniak and Kesi Hess. The latter
was named game MVP for scoring 15 points in her team’s victory.
Two Irish boys players were named to the OCC all-stars who took on a team of Columbus City League players in the nightcap
of three games. Bradley McDougald, OCC Cardinal Player of the Year and 2nd team All-District, was unable to play due to
injury. David McKinley, first team all OCC Cardinal and honorable mention All-District, started and hit the first points
of the game for his team.
However, an athletic Columbus City League squad raced out to a 24 point halftime lead in this run-and-gun affair featuring
very little defense, and, coasted to a 116-84 win. Northland’s Dimonde Hale, who scored 21 points, was named game MVP.
CONGRATULATIONS NORTHLAND, CHRISTINA BISUTTI
The Irish basketball program sends out its congratulations to Coach Satch Sullinger and the Northland Vikings for winning
the Division I state championship on Saturday night at OSU Schottenstein Center.
Northland controlled the tempo and the boards for most of the game before Cincinnati Princeton made a furious fourth
quarter rally to tie the game. Northland's Jared Sullinger sank two of three free throws with less than three seconds to
go to give his team a 60-58 lead and a long Princeton trey attempt missed at the buzzer.
A member of the Columbus City League, Northland is the second consecutive Central District team and Columbus Regional
winner to earn the state's big school state title.
Scioto beat defending state champ Newark 68-52 in a district final this season and also eliminated another of last year's
final four participants, Cincinnati St. Xavier, with a 68-49 regional semi-final win. The Irish gave Northland it's
stiffest test in the tournament, taking them to overtime in the regional final before falling 54-53.
Congratulations also go out to Columbus Bishop Ready senior guard Christina Bisutti who won the three-point shootout
finals -- in double overtime -- at halftime of the Division I championship. She was one of two girls who advanced from a
preliminary competition earlier in the day. Click here to see
the finals. Christina is Irish Coach Tony Bisutti's daughter.
HONORS KEEP PILING UP FOR IRISH
Coach Tony Bisutti is Coach of the Year and guard Bradley McDougald was named to the second team for the Columbus Dispatch
All-Metro Team released on March 27.
The Dispatch honors include players and coaches in all four divisions in the newspaper’s central Ohio coverage area.
It is the first time that Coach B has earned the Dispatch honor and marks the fourth award he’s received this season.
He has already been named Associated Press Ohio Division I Coach of the Year, Central District and Ohio Capital Conference
Cardinal Division.
Veteran sports reporter Steve Blackledge who covers the high school beat for the Dispatch noted that Coach B turned “a
group of talented athletes into a cohesive basketball team.” He noted that the Irish run to the regional final helped cap a
three-year run in which the Irish went 66-6 and didn’t lose an Ohio Capital Conference game.
In the article, Coach B credited coaches of various sports at Scioto for communicating well with one another and working
around each other’s schedules in order to allow multiple sports players to work with all their games.
Coach B also credited his players, quoted by Blackledge as saying: “They special quality about our guys is that they never
got tired of practicing. Whether they considered themselves football players or baseball players, they loved playing the
game of basketball and it showed out there on the court they way they shared the ball and hustled.”
BMac added the Dispatch honor to OCC-Cardinal Player of the Year and first team recognition, second team all Central
District and honorable mention all-state. He was named honorable mention All-Metro in 2008 along with teammates Ben Ashwill
and Blair Gorniak.
He is the second player to earn second team All-Metro, joining Mike Heine who was recognized in 2002 and earned special
mention in 2001.
In addition to Ashwill, Gorniak and Heine, other Irish players to earn Dispatch honors include: assistant coach Mike Fiebig
(3rd team/2001), Clark Crum (2005/06), David Hayes (2002), Al Kamara (1997), Ish Kamara (1997/98/99), Michael McGory
(2004), Johnny Savage (1997/98) and Eric Yates (2003/04)
The All-Metro first team included: Tanner Furno (6-9/SR/Columbus Whetstone), Brian Hecker (6-4/SR/Worthington Christian),
Ben Siefert (6-2/SR/Columbus Bishop Hartley), Jon Smith (6-7/SR/Grove City) and Jared Sullinger (6-9/JR/Columbus Northland)
who was named Player of the Year.
Ralph Hill of Westerville North in the Cardinal Division was named to the third team. OCC-Cardinal players receiving
honorable mention were: Jerrell Fernandez (Westerville Central), Traevon Jackson (Westerville South) and Max Van Meter
(Westerville Central).
SUPER 12 HONORS FOR BMAC, GORNIAK
Scioto basketball earned recognition in the ThisWeek Newspapers Super 12 for boys and girls basketball players as senior
Guards Bradley McDougald and Brandi Gorniak were honored.
BMac follows 2008 graduate Ben Ashwill as a member of a group of players honored by the Columbus Dispatch’s weekly
newspaper arm that covers mostly suburban communities and pockets of the City of Columbus.
He was recognized not only for his steady play during the regular season and lock-down defensive ability, but for the
outstanding performances he showed in the state tournament which included a career high 32 points against Columbus
Northland in the regional finals.
In addition to Ashwill, other Irish boys alums who have earned Super 12 honors are: Mike Heine, assistant coach Mike
Fiebig, Ish Kamara and Al Kamara.
OCC-Cardinal Division players Jerrell Fernandez (Westerville Central) and Ralph Hill (Westerville North) were named
honorable mention this season.
Gorniak was noted for her versatile offensive game, including her performance as one of the best three-point shooters in
the area. She is the younger sister of Irish basketball player Blair Gorniak who earned first team all-OCC and third team
Central District recognition last season before accepting an academic scholarship to Ohio State.
Brandi’s teammate Kesi Hess was named honorable mention Super 12. These young women shared OCC-Cardinal Division player of
the year honors and earned second-team all district. They were four-year letter winners and during their time at Scioto the
Irish posted an overall record of 87-10. Both plan to play basketball in college.
There was another familiar name earning girls honorable mention with the Super 12 – Bishop Ready senior guard Christina
Bisutti. She is the daughter of Irish boys head coach Tony Bisutti In addition; she earned Second Team All-District in
Division III and honorable mention all-state honors. Along with her sister, Stephanie, she is one of the biggest fans of
the Irish program – lending her vocal support for her dad and team whenever she wasn’t playing.
DMac THIRD IRISH PLAYER NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-OHIO
Senior guard David McKinley has been named to the Division I Academic All-Ohio Basketball Team sponsored by the Ohio High
School Basketball Coaches Association.
He is the third Irish player to earn this recognition, following Clark Crum (2006) and Kelly Winter (2007). There are 200
Division I schools eligible to submit nominations for this honor from among their senior basketball players.
Each season the association selects 10 male and female players in each division based upon academic excellence and
contributions to their teams. This is the 16th year that OHSBCA has named Academic All-Ohio teams.
DMac carries a cumulative GPA of more than 3.8 on a 4.0 scale and is a member of the National Honor Society. He is taking
college preparatory and honors courses at DSHS.
On the basketball floor he helped lead his team to 24-2 record, second consecutive district championship and third
consecutive undefeated and outright Ohio Capital Conference league championship. He joined four of his teammates in
receiving all-OCC honors and was named honorable mention all-district.
He earned an OHSBCA silver certificate as a junior and will receive a gold certificate as a senior for earning a cumulative
GPA of 3.2 or better while exemplifying citizenship and sportsmanship.
Note: Once the entire list of players named is released a link will be shared on this website.
COACH B, BRADLEY MCDOUGALD EARN STATE HONORS
All-Ohio honors were released by the Associated Press for Divisions I and II on March 23 and two members of the Irish
program were recognized.
Coach Tony Bisutti was named Division I Coach of the Year along with coaches from Cincinnati Princeton, Lorain Admiral King
and Barberton. Guard Bradley McDougald was named honorable mention all-state.
This marks the third honor Coach B has received this season. He was previously named OCC Cardinal Division and Division I
Central District Coach of the Year.
There are two remaining coaching honors to be announced – the Columbus Dispatch All Metro this weekend and the District 10
Coaches Association in April -- and there is a strong possibility that he could sweep all five.
He would be the first to say that it is a reflection on the entire staff and players which was made possible by the
outstanding season.
As the only coach at Scioto since the school opened, he has guided the Irish to a 228-91 record and a .715 winning
percentage over the last 14 seasons. They have gone 66-6 over the last three seasons and won all 34 OCC games during that
timeframe. The six losses have come by a combined total of 25 points. They have won back-to-back district championships and
made the deepest tournament run in school history by making the regional finals.
He has 335 coaching wins overall and won Division II State Coach of the Year at his alma mater Columbus DeSales in 1993.
Bradley became the sixth Irish player to earn all-state recognition.
Mike Heine earned third team all-state in 2002 and was special mention in 2001. Ish Kamara was special mention in 1999 and
honorable mention in 1998, while his brother Al, was special mention in 1997.
Earning honorable mention were Irish assistant Coach Mike Fiebig in 2001 and Ben Ashwill in 2008.
Four area players were named to the Division I first three teams including: Jared Sullinger of Northland (first team and
Division I Player of the Year), Jon Smith of Grove City (second team), Tanner Furno of Whetstone (third team) and Anthony
Jackson of Westland (third team).
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PICTURES
Post-game pictures of the Regional Championship game can be viewed at the
The Dublin News.
IRISH LEAVE IT ALL ON THE FLOOR IN 54-53 OT LOSS
Playing with the resolve that led them to a school-record 24 victories and further in the tournament than any previous
Scioto team had gone, the Irish battled to the final buzzer but came up short in a 54-53 overtime loss to Columbus
Northland in a regional final on Saturday night.
The #1 state-ranked Vikings advance to the state semi-finals on Friday where they will play Cleveland Region champion
Warren Harding. The other semi-final will feature Toledo St. John’s Jesuit and Cincinnati Princeton, with the winners
playing on Saturday night.
In what can be compared to a classic heavyweight fight, Scioto and Northland went back and forth all night long. Neither
team won a quarter or the OT period by more than 3 points.
In the first half, the Irish were able to hold the Vikings to a standstill on the boards – with each team picking up 12.
Both teams defended well, but the Irish showed a little more patience and finished the half shooting 52.6 percent from the
field. Each team had only 3 turnovers.
This gave the Irish a 23-19 lead at the break. Bradley McDougald, who carried the Irish on the offensive end all night,
had 12 of his game high 32 points at the half. Marco St. John had 9 points and 5 rebounds in the first half. Eric Stamets
had the other bucket for the Irish.
Scioto was able to build the lead to 31-23 midway through the third quarter, but ended up going cold from the field. The
Vikings went on a mini-run to close the gap to 34-31 at the end of the quarter.
They regained the lead at 39-38 and eventually led 43-38 before the Irish clawed back into it. Northland missed just
enough free throws down the stretch to give Scioto a chance.
And, McDougald hit a baseline trey as the clock wound down to tie the score at 45. Jared Sullinger missed a long trey at
the buzzer and the teams headed to overtime.
Northland got the overtime tip and the Irish defense held strong for about a minute, before an overplay of a pass led to a
drive by JD Weatherspoon for a bucket and foul. He missed the free throw, but Sullinger rebounded the Irish miss and on
the other end rebounded his own miss and scored.
Following another Irish miss, the team had to foul and when Trey Burke hit a pair of free throws the Vikings had a 51-45
lead with 30 seconds.
McDougald cut it to 51-48 on a long jumper out top and hit another trey after Burke split a pair of free throws. This left
the scored at 52-51.
The Irish fouled Burke again and the sophomore hit both free throws for a 54-51 lead.
With only 5.5 seconds on the clock, the Irish quickly inbounded the ball to McDougald who dribbled up court without
pressure. He launched a 24 foot trey that sailed a bit long and Eric Stamets had a rebound and put back just before the
buzzer for the final margin of 54-53.
Exhausted by the battle, McDougald fell to the ground. As it has been all season, he was joined by several senior
teammates who helped him up and embraced him.
It was a tough ending for a team that stuck together all season long with a goal of getting to the Schottenstein Center.
More will be written about this group of seniors – Bradley, David, Deji, Destin, Eric, Jason, Marco, Rainer and Tyler –
later, but it was a great ride.
The Irish enjoyed great fan support at the Coliseum, including a large and active student section which cheered loudly as
the team received its regional runner-up trophy.
The Irish were only 10-35 in the second half and overtime, but made 6-15 three-point attempts.
Northland was 13-25 from the field in the second half and overtime with many points coming on second chances. They
outrebounded the Irish 25-17 in the second half.
In addition to McDougald’s 32 points, other Irish players in the scoring column were: Marco St. John (9), Eric Stamets (4),
David McKinley (3), Tyler Harrell (2),Deji Olatoye (2) and Rainer Duzan (1).
St. John led the Irish with 7 rebounds, and Olatoye had 6. Duzan, McDougald and McKinley had 2 assists each. McKinley led
the Irish with 2 steals.
Sullinger led the Vikings with 17 points and a game high 22 rebounds. JD Weatherspoon scored 15 points and had 9 rebounds.
Burke chipped in 15 points.
VIKINGS LOOK TO RETURN TO THE SCHOTT
High expectations have motivated the Northland Vikings all season and like Scioto they are one step away from an
opportunity to play in the Division I Final Four next weekend at the Schottenstein Center.
While central Ohio basketball observers expected a veteran Scioto team to compete for its second consecutive district title,
many penciled in the Vikings as an obvious choice to advance much further and earn a spot in the state championships.
Both teams typically get their opponents best shot and face hostile crowds on the road due to their performance on the
floor over the last few seasons.
The Vikings are led by a big, skilled frontcourt. 6-9 junior center Jared Sullinger is averaging around 20 points in
tournament play and can be counted on for double/doubles almost every night. One of the most highly regarded underclassmen
in the country; he has committed to play basketball at Ohio State. He is joined by 6-6 junior JD Weatherspoon, a high flier
averaging around 15 points a game in tournament play and who can be counted upon for at least one spectacular dunk per
game.
A pair of seniors typically joins them in the starting lineup. Javon Cornley is a rugged 6-5/215 pounder who takes pride
in earning the defensive assignment against an opponent’s strongest offensive threat. He has signed with Indiana University
and will play defensive line for the Hoosiers. Dimonde Hale is a 6-4/190 shooting guard who joined several teammates in
earning All Columbus City League recognition.
Starting at point guard is 5-11/155 sophomore Trey Burke. He is already drawing interest from mid-major programs like Ohio,
James Madison, Akron and Stephen F. Austin. Noted for his ball-handling skills, he has been called upon to score more
lately in the season as teams have focused on limiting scoring opportunities for Sullinger and Weatherspoon as much as
possible. He delivered in the regional semi-final against Grove City with 16 points.
In recent games, freshman guards Jordan Potts (5-10/160) and Ke’Chaun Lewis (6-2/165) have seen additional playing time as
the Vikings worked to match-up with teams trying to pressure them defensively.
The only loss thus far, was a 67-61 OT road game against state-ranked Canton Timken. The Trojans played a frenetic, high
risk/high reward type of game and were able to cause enough turnovers and get to the free throw line enough to win.
A very good Columbus Beechcroft team tested Northland in both games this season. Similar to Timken, the Cougars featured a
versatile lineup of athletes who could shoot the ball well, but didn’t have a whole lot of size.
In the tournament, the Vikings have been tested in their last two outings. OCC Cardinal Division foe Westerville North hung
around thanks in part to Northland’s inability to convert free throws and lost 59-56 in the district finals. Grove City
used its ball movement and a torrid start from beyond the three point line to establish a 44-38 halftime lead in the
regional semi-final. But the stronger Vikings extended their defense in the second half and held the Greyhounds to only
20 points.
On most nights, Northland’s size and athleticism will dominate the glass. So, it is important for teams who want to beat
them to do two things – shoot well from the field and cash in on whatever second chance opportunities come their way. In
addition, limiting the number of turnovers will offer more opportunities to score.
Defensively, teams will need to limit Northland’s second chance opportunities inside the paint as much as possible and put
pressure on the ball handlers. Over the last few games, the Vikings have struggled a bit at the free throw line as well.
More about Northland….
Northland High School has been open since 1965 and is part of Columbus City Schools. They compete in the North Division
with traditional basketball powers Beechcroft and Brookhaven. The current enrollment is around 1,300 students and the OHSAA
male enrollment (grades 10-12) is 511. This makes Northland a medium to small-sized Division I program in terms of
basketball. Scioto’s OHSAA male enrollment is 436 students.
Famous Viking alums include country music star and actor Dwight Yoakam and NFL player Doug Smith.
The Vikings made an appearance in the state semi-finals in 2007 and have won district titles in 1981, 1985 and 2007. It has
been stellar guard play that helped them earn these titles. These teams featured players like Robert Tatum (Ohio), Adam
Porter (North Carolina-Wilmington) and Devon Moore (James Madison).
Northland finished #1 in the final Associated Press Division I State Basketball Poll and in the Columbus Dispatch Coaches
Poll. Scioto finished sixth and second, respectively, in these polls. The Vikings are also ranked #19 in the USA Today
national high school prep poll.
Coach James “Satch” Sullinger and Irish Coach Tony Bisutti are friends and serve together as members of the District 10
Coaches Association Board. The teams have scouted one another as well. Irish assistant coach Mike Fiebig is friends with
J.J. Sullinger and they have played a lot of basketball together over the years. Coach Fiebig, one of the all-time leading
scorers at Scioto and Ohio Dominican, also played with the Columbus Cyclones of the IBL. J.J. Sullinger, who played at
Thomas Worthington and Ohio State, continued to play professionally in Europe and the Continental Basketball Association.
IRISH TO FACE #1 NORTHLAND
Columbus Northland took the lead early in the fourth quarter and earned a 70-64 win over Grove City on Thursday night and
advanced to the Columbus Regional Final on Saturday night in the Fairgrounds Coliseum where they will face the Irish.
Grove City jumped out to a 27-21 lead after one quarter and held a nine point lead late in the second quarter until Trey
Burke’s three-pointer as the clock wound down cut the lead to 44-38. Northland still trailed 53-52 entering the final
stanza, but took control of the game quickly.
The Vikings, who finished #1 in the Associated Press Division I State Poll and the Columbus Dispatch Area Coaches Poll,
are now 24-1. Their only loss came in overtime at state-ranked Canton Timken. The Greyhounds, co-champions of the Ohio
Capital Conference – Ohio Division finished the season 22-3.
A preview of tomorrow’s regional final will appear later.
ANOTHER STEP UP THE LADDER
As the clock wound down toward the 7 p.m. tipoff in Wednesday night’s Division I regional semi-final game, Irish fans were
asking one another what type of approach would be needed to beat a tall and disciplined Cincinnati St. Xavier team?
The answer revealed in the 68-49 Irish victory was simple – keep playing the way you have all season on both ends of the
floor, and ,do all the little things necessary in order to establish and maintain a lead.
Both teams were locked in defensively early in the game and it proved to be a bruising battle for both teams with lots of
loose ball scrambles and hard fouls. St. X did its best to get the ball in the hands of 6-7 F/C Erik Stenger. In a battle
involving multiple defenders all night long, he scored the Bombers’ first 8 points, but nothing came easy. In fact, Tyler
Harrell blocked Stenger’s first shot attempt of the game. Throughout the game, the Irish kept a fresh defender on him and
did a decent job in denying him the ball.
Bradley McDougald got things going on the offensive end with a couple of contested baskets. The Irish showed patience and a
willingness to make the extra pass against an active 2-3 zone. Eventually, they were able to find good looks for David
McKinley who hit three consecutive treys to help the Irish build a 16-11 lead after one quarter.
St X got as close as 19-17, but an 8-2 Irish run to finish the half gave them a 25-17 lead heading into the locker room at
halftime.
Instead of giving the Bombers an opportunity to get right back in the game, the Irish scored the first five points of the
third quarter. Deji Olatoye scored on a baseline drive after a nice feed from Rainer Duzan.
Olatoye then rebounded a St. X miss and passed the ball to Marco St. John at mid-court. He found McKinley in transition who
drove into the paint and kicked the ball to the wing where a wide open McDougald nailed a trey that put the Irish ahead
32-19.
Scioto continued to build its lead and when Eric Stamets snared an offensive rebound with 2.5 seconds to go and scored a
put back bucket, the Irish led 50-28 at the end of three quarters.
Every Irish player able to play saw action in a drawn out fourth quarter in which St. X sent the Irish to the free throw
line for 18 attempts. The Irish only attempted 7 free throws through three quarters.
For the game, the Irish shot 52 percent from the field and held the Bombers to 43 percent. They hit 7-12 three-pointers,
while the Bombers only hit 6-20. They earned a 33-21 advantage in rebounding, despite facing a starting lineup featuring
four players 6-3 or taller.
McDougald had a game high 21 points and a game high 8 rebounds. McKinley hit five treys on his way to 17 points. Both
players had 3 assists.
Olatoye had 9 points and 5 rebounds while battling Stenger and other much taller St. X players in the paint. Duzan had his
typical well-rounded game with 8 points, 4 rebounds, a game high 4 assists and a steal. Stamets had 5 points, 3, rebounds,
2 steals and 1 assist. Jamare Mills had 4 points and 2 rebounds. Harrell had 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks and steal. St.
John had 1 point, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.
Leading the way for St. X with 17 points and 5 rebounds was Stenger. Luke Massa chipped in 12 points – all on trey attempts
and had 4 steals on the back of the zone defense.
NEWS & NOTES
Excitement everywhere about the Irish. As Scioto has advanced deeper into the tournament, more people are taking notice.
Irish fans were joined by friends and supporters affiliated with Coffman and Jerome who attended the regional semi-final
game. Relatives and friends in southern Ohio, Cleveland, Texas, Florida and many other places are following the team via
the Internet, cell phones and text messages.
Hey, St. X – you guys are OK. Irish fans enjoyed the organized and boisterous Bombers student section and cheerleaders.
Cincinnati is home to several Roman Catholic boys high schools and all have traditions handed down from class to class.
Several car loads of Bomber parents took advantage of the nice weather and tailgated pre-game near the giant slide in the
Coliseum. They welcomed Irish fans and wished the team good luck. Even more impressive was the class shown by the Bombers
fans afterward. They congratulated Irish fans for a well-played game and wished them well in the regional finals. Special
greetings to the Longi, Rolfes and Stenger families. Good luck to your sons in their future academic and basketball
endeavors.
She’s still serving the community. The webmaster heard from former Irish volunteer photographer Rhonda Virden this week.
She moved to Florida after last season and has found a home with the Williston Red Devils. Her new team finished the
basketball season just two steps away from the state championships As she did in Dublin, Rhonda also shot photos for the
football team.. Nice of you to check in, Rhonda, and thanks for all you did in Dublin and for what you are doing in
Florida! Scioto has been fortunate to have Paul Fiebig take over this season. You can see photos of many games
at: Fiebeg Photography.
What was that blur? During the third quarter of the St. X game, Irish trainer Donna Hull spotted a player in the game that
had blood running down his leg. She motioned him over to the sideline and quickly cleaned up the cut. When a stoppage in
play came a few seconds later, she quickly bandaged the open wound, allowing the player to stay in the game.
Having a Ball at the Coliseum. The #1 Irish fan, Bill Ball, has been a fixture at all Irish girls and boys home and
tournament games this season. Coach Ball is appreciated by players in all Irish athletic programs for his support as a
football volunteer and fan. Here’s hoping he has the opportunity to cheer on the Irish a few more times this season.
REGIONAL FINAL TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY, FRIDAY
Tickets for the Regional Final basketball game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 at the Columbus Fairgrounds
Coliseum will be on sale at Scioto during school hours on Thursday and Friday.
Each ticket is $6 in advance, but will be $8 at the gate on Saturday evening.
The Irish will face the winner of Columbus Northland and Grove City. A preview will appear on the website before the
game.
ST X. TO AIR WEBCAST OF REGIONAL SEMI-FINAL
Irish fans unable to attend tonight's Cincinnati St. Xavier vs. Dublin Scioto Division I boys basketball regional semi-final
can listen in via a webcast.
The Bombers regularly webcast their games and this one can be found at
St. X Webcast.
IRISH-ST. XAVIER TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY
Tickets for Scioto’s Regional Semi-Final basketball game scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18 at the Columbus
Fairgrounds Coliseum will be on sale at school during school hours Monday through Wednesday.
Each ticket is $6 in advance, but will be $8 at the gate on Wednesday evening.
The Irish will face Cincinnati St. Xavier. A preview will appear on the website before the game, but Irish fans should
know that beating the Bombers will be a tall order -- literally.
First, St X has made two recent Division I Final Four appearances and play in the always tough Greater Catholic League in
southwestern Ohio. And, they feature a starting line-up of players standing 6-7, 6-7, 6-5, 6-3 and 5-11.
So, please do your best to attend the game. And, invite your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Thanks for
supporting the Irish in their efforts to advance to the Elite 8 of the 2009 Division I OHSAA boys basketball tournament.
BOMBERS HAVE GREAT TRADITION
Although Cincinnati St. Xavier has only three seniors on the roster, everyone in the program understands what it takes to
excel at the highest level of basketball.
The 15-9 Bombers have won five consecutive Southwest District titles and earned berths in the Division I Final Four each of
the last two seasons. Coupled with a state championship in 2000 and another Final Four appearance in 2005, the Bombers have
made it to the big stage four of the last 10 seasons.
Coach Scott Martin entered this season with only a few key players returning from last season’s 23-3 team that lost 66-59
to Lakewood St. Edward in the state semi-finals. The Bombers play in the rugged Greater Catholic League – South with
traditional state powers Elder, LaSalle and Moeller. They finished the regular season 11-9 and 5-5 in league play.
They opened the tournament with a 44-38 win over Cincinnati Colerain in the sectional final. A 68-59 upset win over #3
state-ranked Middletown propelled the Bombers into the district final on Saturday and they dropped Kettering Fairmont
57-42 to earn a berth in the Columbus Regional.
Leading a tall frontcourt is 6-7 Senior F/C Erik Stenger who averages 17.5 points and 8 rebounds a game. He scored 19
points against Fairmont and was a dominating presence on the back of the St. X zone. He is joined by 6-5 Junior G/F Luke
Massa who averages 9.9 points and 4 rebounds. 6-7 Junior F David Niehaus averages 4.6 points.
The backcourt is led by 6-3 Junior Alex Longi who averages 8.1 points. He scored 10 points and had 5 assists against
Fairmont. 5-11 Junior G Ben Holcomb rounded out the starting lineup in the district final.
Seeing significant time off the bench were 6-3 Senior G/F Kyle Rolfes, 5-6 Sophomore G Will Muething and 6-2 SO G/F
Matthew Wayne.
The Bombers jumped out to a 25-11 halftime lead against Fairmont with a solid zone defense and zone press. While neither
team shot well in the first half, St. X controlled the boards and the pace of play. The offense features the lanky Stenger
who completed at least four dunks against the smaller Firebirds. Massa and Niehaus hit treys, but most of the scoring came
inside.
NEWS AND NOTES
Introducing St. Xavier High School. Founded in the 1831, St. Xavier is a Jesuit college preparatory boys school with an
OHSAA enrollment of 1,173 students in the top three grades. Originally located in downtown Cincinnati, it is on a sprawling
campus in nearby Finneytown. Among notable St. X alums are former OSU quarterback Grey Frey, Kentucky U.S. Senator and
former major league pitcher Jim Bunning, former Ohio Governor John J. Gilligan and two-time Olympic swimming gold medalist
Joe Hudepohl.
Now that’s a student section! The Bombers, like the other parochial boys high schools in Cincinnati have a large and loud
student section. Their cheerleaders lead creative chants and make sure that traditions continue from class to class.
Irish familiar with others still playing. North Canton Hoover, a 50-48 winner over the Irish earned a district championship
in Canton. The Vikings were champions of the Federal League and knocked off Canton Timken to earn a regional berth. Timken
gave #1-ranked Columbus Northland its only regular season loss. The Irish scrimmaged other teams still alive in the
tournament in the summer/fall including Northland, Grove City, Toledo St. John’s Jesuit, Mentor and Columbus DeSales.
Division II Elida participated in an eight-team scrimmage hosted by the Irish in November, but the teams did not play one
another.
It’s tough in the tournament. Five of the top 10 ranked teams in the final Associated Press Division I poll are out of the
tournament. Middletown (#3), Canton Timken (#4) and Cincinnati Moeller (#5) lost in district finals. Losing in the
sectionals were Cleveland Glenville (#9) and Lorain Admiral King (#10). The teams still alive are: Northland (#1),
Cincinnati Princeton (#2), Scioto (#6), Barberton (#7) and Warren G. Harding (#8).
MORE NETS FOR IRISH WITH 68-52 WIN OVER NEWARK
Executing outstanding offensive and defensive game plans, the Irish took control early and earned their second consecutive
district championship with a 68-52 win over #4 seed Newark on Saturday afternoon.
Scioto jumped out to an 8-0 lead and forced a Newark timeout with 6:19 to go in the first quarter. Using outstanding ball
movement and shot selection, the Irish scored 21 points in the first quarter – one more than they scored in the first half
against Reynoldsburg last week.
Newark finally got untracked when Shaun O’Keefe hit a trey with 5:21 to go in the quarter. The Wildcats decided to use
their best defender, Rahlin Watson, on Irish point guard David McKinley. He face-guarded the 5-9 senior and did not help
on defense. The Irish used this opportunity to share the ball and 6 of 9 buckets in the first quarter were assisted.
At the end of the quarter, Newark was able to right itself and cut the lead to 21-17. The teams traded baskets, but the
Wildcats called another timeout after Stamets scored off a steal in the halfcourt that gave the Irish a 32-23 lead.
The teams went to the locker room with a 36-25 Irish lead. Bradley McDougald, guarded by Newark point guard Cody Dennison,
led all scorers with 17 points. Deji Olatoye was next with 6 points and 5 rebounds. McDougald had 4 assists at the half and
Rainer Duzan had 3. Newark was led by Dennison and O’Keefe who had 8 points apiece.
Scioto shot an eye-popping 75 percent in the first half, including 4-4 from the three-point line. They had 11 assists and
held a 20-6 advantage on points in the paint. Newark shot 39 percent in the first half and 31 percent from three point
range.
Newark began the third quarter by trying to attack the basket. They cut the lead to 36-28 on a Watson free throw and
Scioto called time. Watson hit the second to cut the lead to 7 points – and it would never be closer.
Following a missed lay-up by Dennison, Stamets rebounded and hit Olatoye with a pass at mid court. He drew a defender and
hit McKinley with a perfect pass on the baseline that found the bottom of the net for a 39-29 lead.
As the clock wound down in the third quarter, Tyler Harrell had a nice offensive rebound and put back that gave the Irish a
50-37 lead. Newark’s Dennison hit a long trey as the clock wound down and the Wildcats trailed 50-40 heading into the
fourth quarter.
A patient Scioto offense – marked by good ball handling by the post players – was able to spread the floor in the 4th
quarter. When Marco St. John found McKinley on a back door cut with 5:49 to go, the Irish led 57-40. St. John followed it
up with a drive for a bucket with just under 4 minutes to go that gave Scioto a 63-48 lead.
The Irish shot 60 percent from the field in the second half and ended the game shooting 27-40 for 67.5 percent. Duzan and
McDougald were 5-5 from three point range combined and the team finished 6-7.
They outrebounded the Wildcats 26-20 and won the assists battle 19-6. The Irish yielded 15 turnovers to Newark’s 12, but
had 8 steals compared to 6 for the Wildcats.
McDougald finished with a career high 29 points. Olatoye was in double figures with 10 and a game high 9 rebounds. He also
had 4 assists.
St. John had 2 points in each quarter and finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Duzan had 8 points, 4 assists
and 2 steals. McKinley had 5 points and 2 assists. Stamets chipped in 4 points, 4 rebounds and a game high 4 steals.
Harrell rounded out the scoring with 4 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist.
Newark shot 35 percent from the field for the game and was 6-22 from beyond the three point line. They were able to get to
the line 13 times in the second half and made 14-16 for the game.
Dennison led Newark with 20 points. Watson chipped in 12, with 10 coming in the second half. Ryan Dierks (10), O’Keefe (8)
and Taylor Huffman (2) rounded out the scoring. Huffman had a team high 5 rebounds and Watson had 3 assists.
Newark, the defending Division I state champs, finishes the season at 20-4. They were co-champs of the OCC-Ohio and made
their third consecutive district final appearance.
Scioto moves on to the regional semi-finals to face either Cincinnati St. Xavier or Kettering Fairmont at 7 p.m. on next
Wednesday at the Fairgrounds Coliseum. The Irish set a boys basketball school record with their 23rd win and now stand 23-1
overall. It is the second consecutive district championship for Scioto.
IRISH FACE DEFENDING STATE CHAMPS NEWARK NEXT
In what promises to be an entertaining match-up the Irish will take on defending Division I state champion Newark at 12:30
p.m. on Saturday at the Fairgrounds Coliseum.
The Wildcats enter this contest with an impressive 20-3 record and OCC Ohio Division co-championship. Two of their three
losses came to district finalists Grove City and Westerville North and none have been by more than 3 points.
They are coming in on a roll have won seven games in a row. Five of the last six have been decided by double digits. They
beat #7 seed Upper Arlington 75-66 last Saturday afternoon, but led by double digits until a late barrage of three
pointers by the Bears.
The Wildcats return two starters from last year’s state champions. 5-10 Point guard Cody Dennison is a jack of all trades
and master of many. He has a nice floater in the lane, knocks down contested long range shots and is an outstanding
distributor who rarely turns the ball over. He rarely comes off the floor and gets everyone involved in Newark’s balanced
attack.
6-0 guard Rahlin Watson is an outstanding slasher and on-ball defender. The Wildcats spread the floor against UA in the
second half and on more than one occasion he was able to beat his man to basket off the dribble for a lay-up.
Dennison has started at point guard since his freshman year and Watson joined the lineup as a sophomore. Both seniors have
played important roles on consecutive district championship teams.
They are joined by 5-11 guard Ryan Dierks, a junior who was an impact player at Licking Valley last season. He is a very
good three point shooter and finds his way to the free throw line where he shoots around 90 percent. Last season, he set a
state record for consecutive made free throws. Other starters in the rotation are 6-4 forward Shaun O’Keefe and 6-3
forward Taylor Huffman. Both seniors can score inside and outside. 6-3 junior James Kurzawa has earned more playing time
late in the season.
Newark is led by veteran coach Jeff Quackenbush who is in his 10th year at the helm. He is a former Wildcats basketball
star and most of his staff played for the school as well.
NEWS AND NOTES
Who are the Newark Wildcats? High school basketball junkies in Ohio know who they are for sure. Newark enters this contest
with a tradition of basketball excellence along with teams like Middletown and Canton McKinley. Over the years, the
Wildcats have accumulated more than 1,400 wins, 22 district championships with at least one each decade since the 1930s
and 4 state titles. They have an OHSAA enrollment of 674 boys in the upper three grades compared to 436 for Scioto. The
Wildcats fill the large Jimmy Allen Gymnasium on a regular basis and their fans travel extremely well.
Where did you get those socks? Close observers at last Saturday’s district semi-final noticed that the Scioto players were
all wearing high socks with green and gray stripes at the top. These Back to the Future old school socks have been worn
all season by the Irish varsity cheerleaders, drawing the attention of more than one opposing student section. As a show
of solidarity, the girls and their coach found extra socks for the players. The socks are 1-0 on the Fairgrounds Coliseum
basketball floor and may make another appearance this weekend.
District Final Match-Ups. Many high school basketball observers expect Saturday’s games to be very entertaining and
competitive match-ups. The top five seeds have advanced to district finals. In the opener, OCC Central champ Dublin
Coffman (20-3) takes on OCC-Ohio co-champ Grove City (21-2). Both teams play an up-tempo style, although the Greyhounds
have more size than the Rocks. OCC Cardinal champ Scioto and OCC Ohio co-champ Newark are the only remaining Division I
2008 Central District champions alive. These teams are known for their lock-down defenses and great ball movement on the
offensive end of the floor. They are veteran teams who have experienced coaching staffs. The third game features #1
state-ranked Northland (22-1) against upstart Westerville North (13-10) from the OCC Cardinal. The Vikings swept to the
Columbus City League championship and have only lost in overtime to state-ranked Canton Timken. The Warriors put together
a nice late season run and have beaten two seeded teams on their way to the district championship, #8 Westerville South
and #9 Gahanna. These teams feature three Division I college recruit frontcourt players in Northland’s Jared Sullinger
and J.D. Weatherspoon, and North’s Ralph Hill.
The tradition of cutting down the nets. Following the trophy and individual medal presentations at each district final,
the champion will have an opportunity to cut down the nets. How did this tradition start? Legend has it that North
Carolina State coach Everett Case decided to cut down the nets as a souvenir following the Wolfpack’s 1947 Southern
Conference Tournament championship. It soon caught on and teams were cutting down nets all over the country within a few
years. Case continued to coach the Wolfpack until he stepped down mid-season during 1964-65 after being diagnosed with
cancer. The Wolfpack upset Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference final that season and hoisted Coach Case onto their
shoulders to cut the nets down one final time. He died in April 1966.
Digital Scout helps the coaches and players. Thanks to the hard work of Irish players, coaches, parents and other
volunteers during a spring girls basketball tournament held last May, the program has been able to purchase a laptop
computer and Digital Scout software that tracks team and individual stats during games. Veteran scorekeeper Chris Cordi
has mastered the software and is joined by a volunteer spotter during games. The tournament also allowed the Irish to
purchase new video equipment and other items to support the program.
DISTRICT FINAL TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY, FRIDAY
Irish basketball fans and Scioto supporters can purchase tickets for the March 14 district final game against Newark on
Thursday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the athletics office. Tickets are $6 each.
Purchasing tickets in advance has two benefits. First, a portion of school-based ticket sales stays with Scioto. And,
buying them early prevents having to stand in a long line on game day.
Either way, the Irish appreciate your support as they take on the defending Division I state champions at 12:30 p.m. on
Saturday at the Fairgrounds Coliseum located at the Ohio Expo Center.
IRISH DEFENSE WRAPS-UP REYNOLDSBURG
A tough Irish man-to-man defense held Reynoldsburg to 7 first half points and allowed the Irish to control the game from start to finish in a 50-38
district semi-final victory at the Fairgrounds Coliseum.
The win gives the Irish an opportunity to claim a second consecutive district championship against defending Division I state champion Newark at 12:30
p.m. on Saturday, March 14.
Newark, the #4 seed and OCC-Ohio Division co-champion, advanced with a solid 75-66 win over #7 Upper Arlington. Pre-sale ticket information will be
posted on this website later in the week.
Against Reynoldsburg, Scioto jumped out to a 14-3 first quarter lead and held the Raiders to 11 percent shooting in the first half. First team OCC-Ohio
guard Kevin Gray was held scoreless in the first half due to outstanding primary defense by Bradley McDougald and Eric Stamets. Help defense also played
a role in keeping Reynoldsburg off the scoreboard as well.
The Irish hit a scoring lull in the second quarter and turned the ball over on the first two possessions of the second half. This enabled Reynoldsburg to
cut a 20-7 lead to single digits.
However, whenever Reynoldsburg looked they like might make a run to close the gap further, Rainer Duzan would calmly sink a trey to extend the lead. He
nailed three of them in the third quarter and another in the fourth which helped him score a game high 15 points. All of his points came on made treys.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Irish led 36-26 and left no doubt with a 9-3 run that gave them a 45-29 lead with just a few minutes to go.
Duzan was the only Irish player in double figures. David McKinley chipped in 9 points, all on made treys in the first half. Other Irish scorers were:
McDougald (7), Deji Olatoye (6), Jamare Mills (6), Stamets (5) and Marco St. John (2).
Unofficial rebounding leaders were Olatoye (6), Stamets (5) and St. John (4). Tyler Harrell had a couple big defensive rebounds in the second half.
Seven different Irish players had assists, led by McKinley (3). McDougald, Mills and St. John had 2 apiece. St. John led the way with three steals.
Gray was the leading scoring for Reynoldsburg with 13 second half points. Senior forward Reggie Walls netted 12 points and led the Raiders with rebounds.
THREE IRISH EARN CENTRAL DISTRICT HONORS
Two Irish players and Coach Tony Bisutti have been recognized as part of the Division I All-District recognition released on March 4.
Coach Bisutti was named Division I Coach of the Year for leading his staff and players to a third consecutive Ohio Capital Conference championship and
a 19-1 regular season.
Outstanding team performance also contributed to individual recognition for a pair of Irish players. Senior guards Bradley McDougald and David McKinley
were recognized on the second team and honorable mention, respectively.
McDougald was the only player from the OCC Cardinal Division to appear on the first three teams. In addition to McKinley, earning honorable mention from
the OCC Cardinal were: Rapheal Carter-Nowling (Olentangy); Jason Davis (Westerville South); Jerrell Fernandez (Westerville Central); Mitchell Girberd
(Olentangy); Steve Harrell (Dublin Jerome), Ralph Hill (Westerville North); Traevon Jackson (Westerville South); Max Van Meter (Westerville Central);
Michael Waite (Marysville); and, Tommy Waterwash (Olentangy Liberty).
Columbus Northland’s Jared Sullinger was honored as Division I Player of the Year. Two Dublin Coffman players, Michael Green (third team) and Conner
Viers (honorable mention) were also recognized.
Visit the Columbus Dispatch for a complete list of players/coaches honored in all
four Divisions.
FOLLOW THE IRISH LIVE ON INTERNET BROADCAST
The Irish vs Raiders District Semifinal Game is available via internet broadcast at
Raider County.
IRISH, RAIDERS TO BATTLE FOR DISTRICT FINAL BERTH
Reynoldsburg and Scioto are familiar opponents for their respective coaching staffs, but the last time these teams met
with something on the line the seniors on both squads were in 5th grade.
The teams face one another in what promises to be a very good match-up between the #2 Irish and #10 Raiders at 4:15 p.m.
on Saturday, March 7 at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in the district semi-finals. At stake is the opportunity to face either
#4 Newark or #7 Upper Arlington in a district final on March 14. The Newark/UA game will be played at 2 p.m. as part of a
doubleheader.
Pre-sale tickets are available through the Irish Athletic Department for $6 and can be purchased from 7:30 a.m. until
3:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. A portion of pre-game ticket sales revenue stays with the Scioto athletic department,
so fans are encouraged to purchase them through the school.
Although they haven’t met one another since the Raiders earned a tie with the Irish for the OCC Cardinal Division
championship in 2002 with a 47-44 win at Scioto, the teams typically scrimmage one another at least once during the
pre-season. In games that count the series is tied 7-7, but the teams have never met in the post season.
Reynoldsburg comes into this game with a 14-8 record and some momentum after sectional tournament wins over Columbus
St. Charles (63-53) and Columbus Walnut Ridge (62-51). They play in the rugged OCC Ohio Division that has four district
semi-final entrants. In addition to the Raiders, #3 Grove City, #4 Newark and #9 Gahanna Lincoln are still playing.
Veteran Raiders skipper Chris Rider is in his 12th season and comes into this match-up with a career record of 260-113.
His 2005-06 team earned a Division I district championship.
The team is led on the court by 5-10 junior combo guard Kevin Gray. He was a first team all-OCC selection this season and
rang up 30 points against Walnut Ridge. He is physically strong and has great acceleration. He is equally adept at
shooting from the perimeter and attacking the basket. He has drawn interest from several mid-major schools, including the
University of Akron of the Mid-American Conference.
He is joined by a seasoned pair of big, strong frontcourt players in second team all-OCC honoree Reggie Walls and Deon
Melson. They are joined in the starting lineup by OCC honorable mention Vaughn Spaulding, who also earned scholar-athlete
recognition, and Brandon Rushton.
Known for playing man defense and keeping things up tempo, the Raiders used a zone defense down the stretch and superior
rebounding to pull away from Walnut Ridge in the fourth quarter.
Scioto is playing in its 7th consecutive district semi-final following an 88-40 sectional final win over Columbus West on
Saturday, February 28.
CHAMPIONSHIP YIELDS OCC HONORS FOR IRISH
Scioto’s outright league championship led to several honors in the OCC Cardinal Division.
Tony Bisutti earned his third consecutive Coach of the Year award thanks to a perfect 14-0 league slate. The Irish have
won 35 consecutive OCC games and have finished each of the last three seasons with an unblemished league slate.
Senior guard Bradley McDougald was named to the OCC first team for the second consecutive year and received Player of the
Year honors for the Cardinal Division. He is joined on the first team by senior guard David McKinley.
Other members of the first team include: Ralph Hill Jr. (Westerville North/JR), Jerrell Fernandez (Westerville Central/SR),
Traevon Jackson (Westerville South/SO), Max Van Meter (Westerville Central/JR) and Jason Davis (Westerville South/SR).
Senior wing Rainer Duzan and senior post Marco St. John were named to the OCC second team. Senior post Deji
Olatoye was named honorable mention.
In addition, McKinley was named Scioto’s basketball scholar-athlete.
Other Dublin players earned OCC honors, including:
Coffman (Central Division): Michael Green/JR and Conner Viers/JR, 1st team; Christian Heine/SO and Kyle Molock/FR, 2nd team;
Zach Bott/SR, honorable mention; and, Drew Karabinos/SR, scholar-athlete.
Jerome (Cardinal Division): Steven Harrell/SR, 2nd team; Cam Wilson/FR, honorable mention; and Neil Johnson/SR,
scholar-athlete.
For a complete list of OCC honors for all divisions, please follow the link on the right hand of the this web page titled
OCC 2008-09 Honors
IRISH ADVANCE TO DISTRICT SEMI-FINALS
Scioto earned the school’s 11th sectional title in 14 years with an 88-40 victory of Columbus West on Saturday evening at
Olentangy Orange.
They advance to face Reynoldsburg, a 62-51 winner over Columbus Walnut Ridge, in a district semi-final scheduled for 4:15
p.m. on Saturday, March 7 at the Fairgrounds Coliseum.
An outstanding start from the field combined with solid defense allowed the Irish to build a 50-17 halftime advantage.
They shot 70 percent in the first half, including 6-10 from three-point range. They had 14 assists in the first half and
another dozen in the second half as 11 different Irish players scored.
Jamare Mills led Scioto with 15 points. Rainer Duzan was next with 14 points – all in the first half and including four
treys. Eric Stamets was the only other Irish player in double figures with 10. Also scoring: Deji Olatoye (9), Marco St.
John (9), David McKinley (8), Tyler Harrell (8), Destin Thomas (6), Jacob McPheters (4), Raneal Ewing (3) and Bradley
McDougald (2).
The Irish inside game was working well and they held a 48-10 advantage on points in the paint. The assist leaders were
McDougald, Mills and Olatoye who all had 4.
Ten different players snared rebounds, led by Olatoye with 7. The Irish had a 33-13 rebounding advantage for the game.
The Irish held West to 40 percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers. Duzan (4) and Stamets (3) led the way in steals.
Post player Antwine McDaniel scored a game high 18 points and guard Ricky Moore added 11 for West. McDaniel and Dustin
Thomas led the Cowboys with 4 rebounds apiece.
The Irish are now 21-1 heading into the match-up with Reynoldsburg (14-8). West ends the 2008-09 season at 5-16.
District Semi-Final Preview And Ticket Information
Check back here during the week for pre-game ticket sale information and a game preview for Saturday’s district semi-final
match-up against the Reynoldsburg Raiders.
Good luck, Lady Irish
Scioto’s girls team has advanced to the district semi-finals and will also play Reynoldsburg. The teams are scheduled to
meet at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 2 at Olentangy Orange.
The winner will advance to a district final at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 7 at Olentangy Orange against the winner of
Columbus Brookhaven/Pickerington Central.
IRISH ROLL TO 71-43 WIN OVER BRUINS
Scioto jumped out to a 43-18 halftime lead and rolled to a 71-43 win over Columbus Briggs in the sectional opener on Wednesday night at Worthington
Christian.
The Irish will play a sectional final against Columbus West (5-15) at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, February 28 at Olentangy Orange. The winner of that game will
advance to a district semi-final against either Reynoldsburg or Columbus Walnut Ridge.
Eleven of 17 Irish baskets in the first half were assisted. Bradley McDougald and Deji Olatoye led the way with 3 apiece. Rainer Duzan chipped in 2 and
Tyler Harrell, David McKinley and Jamare Mills had 1 each. The Irish held a 22-7 advantage on the boards and forced 11 Briggs turnovers in the first
half.
All 12 Irish players dressed for the game played and 10 of them scored. McDougald led the way with 15 points. He was joined in double figures by Olatoye
(13) and Marco St. John (10). Also scoring for the Irish: Duzan (8), Harrell (6), Eric Stamets (6), McKinley (5), Jacob McPheters (3), Jason Reinick (3)
and Mills (2).
As a team the Irish hit 51 percent of their shots and held a 44-28 advantage on points in the paint. Twenty-two of 30 baskets were assisted. McDougald had
a game high of 6, followed by Olatoye (5), Duzan (3) and McKinley (3). Neither team went to the free throw line frequently with the Irish hitting 4-9
and Briggs 3-7 for the game.
Olatoye had a game high 9 rebounds and Mills was next with 5. The Irish ended up with a 39-20 advantage on the boards.
Giovannie Cartwright scored a game high 17 points, with 11 coming in the first half for the Bruins. Desmond Page had 12 points and Myleak Daniels had 8
rebounds.
NEWS AND NOTES
Cardinal Division Off To Good Start in Sectionals.
Six OCC-Cardinal teams will play for sectional championships this weekend after a 5-2 start in the opening round of the Division I tournament. In addition
to Scioto, winners in the opening round included: Olentangy Liberty (69-39 over Delaware), Westerville North (64-41 over Cardinal Division foe Olentangy),
Jerome (55-47 over Central Crossing) and Westerville Central (61-53 over Pickerington Central). Westerville South had a bye in the opening round, while
Marysville lost to Newark.
The OCC-Ohio matched the Cardinal’s 5-2 record in opening round games. The Columbus City League North and South Divisions are both 2-1. The other area
league records thus far are: Mid-State League – Cardinal (1-0), OCC-Central (2-5), OCC-Capital (1-3), Central Catholic League (0-1) and Out of Central
District Teams (0-3).
In addition to Jerome and Scioto, Coffman beat Pickerington North (58-46) to give Dublin teams a 3-0 start in tournament play.
Second round match-ups for Cardinal teams are: Scioto (20-1)/Columbus West (5-15), Westerville North (11-10)/Westerville South (16-4), Liberty (11-10)/
Upper Arlington (15-5), Westerville Central (16-5)/Mt. Vernon (15-6) and Jerome (5-16)/Columbus Northland (20-1).
Destination: Fairgrounds Coliseum
For the second consecutive year the Central District Athletic Board has placed sectional games in school gyms which means area teams must win at least
one game before playing in the Fairgrounds Coliseum.
It is a less expensive option than renting the coliseum for the entire tournament and allows the host sites to earn resources for their athletic
programs. The Division I sites are: Harvest Prep, Jonathan Alder, New Albany, Olentangy Orange and Worthington Christian.
Area basketball fans are split about the charm, or lack thereof, at the Fairgrounds Coliseum, but nobody can deny the history of the place. Thousands
of players and coaches have memories of games at “The Barn” over the last several decades.
Scioto Ranked In All Three Final Polls
The Irish moved up to #6 in the Ohio Associated Press Division I Poll of sportswriters and broadcasters issued for the final time this season on Monday.
This marks the third consecutive year that Scioto appeared in the final poll. They finished 5th in each of the two previous final polls.
They also stayed #2 in the final Columbus Dispatch Coaches and ThisWeek Newspapers Super 7 polls. They trailed Columbus Northland, a team that also
finished as AP Poll state champion.
At this point in the season, the polls are only as good as monitor on which they appear or paper upon which they’re printed.
IRISH FINISH LEAGUE SLATE UNBEATEN
The Irish finished their regular season journey through the OCC Cardinal Division with a 77-40 win at Marysville on Friday
that enabled them to finish undefeated in league play for the third consecutive year.
This year’s journey began with a 73-59 win at Olentangy on December 6 and included some finely played games and close
calls. There were injuries and illness, foul trouble, hostile crowds on the road and nights when the Irish struggled from
the field. Yet at the end of the league schedule, Scioto stood tall at 14-0.
Friday’s game started slowly and midway through the first quarter Scioto only led 4-3. They finished the quarter on an
8-2 run and led 12-5. Marysville scored the first bucket of the second quarter but a 13-0 Irish run put them firmly in
control of the game.
Although both teams shot less than 30 percent from the field in the first half, Scioto was able to can 13-18 free throws
and force 17 Marysville turnovers. This extended the lead to 29-10 at the half and established what proved to be an
insurmountable lead.
The Irish came out focused on both ends of the floor and were able to establish a 42-15 lead with less than 3 minutes to
go in the third quarter. They had assists on six of eight baskets. They led 46-21 heading into the fourth quarter and
Coach Bisutti was able to provide extended minutes to the bench, including five players from the JV squad.
The Irish had assists on 9-11 baskets in the fourth quarter in which nine different players scored. They shot 74 percent
from the field in the second half and finished the game 27-54 or 50 percent. They made 8-13 three-point attempts and had
a 34-8 advantage in points in the paint. They finished 15-22 at the free throw line.
Marysville only had 5 second half turnovers and totaled 22 for the game. This included 15 Irish steals. Scioto ended the
game with 11 turnovers and held a 37-26 rebounding advantage.
Bradley McDougald led the Irish with 17 points. Deji Olatoye and Jamare Mills had 12 apiece. The other varsity regulars
who scored were: David McKinley (6), Rainer Duzan (5), Raneal Ewing (5), Eric Stamets (5), Tyler Harrell (4) and Jason
Reinick (3).
Also scoring for the Irish: Raneal Ewing (5), J.R. Bernans (3), Jacob McPheters (3), and Max Brundige (2).
Ten different players snared rebounds led by Olatoye (8), Stamets (6), McDougald (5) and Harrell (4).
Eleven players had assists, led by McKinley (4), Duzan (3) and Mills (3).
McDougald led six players who had steals with a game high 5. Stamets (4), Olatoye (3), Duzan (1), McKinley (1) and Mills
(1) also had steals.
Marysville’s Michael Waite led the Monarchs with 9 points, including two treys in the waning moments. Trevor Morris and
Mike Romesburg had 7 apiece. Braden Short had a team high 5 rebounds.
Scioto finishes the regular season 19-1 overall and 14-0 in the OCC Cardinal. Marysville is 2-17 and 0-14 heading into a
home non-league game tonight against Bexley.
Both teams begin sectional tournament play. Scioto faces Columbus Briggs (6-14) at Worthington Christian/Grace Brethren
Church at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25. Marysville plays #4 seed Newark at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24 at
Worthington Christian.
JVS RALLY IN FOURTH QUARTER, BEAT MONARCHS IN OT
Scioto’s JVs roared back from a 34-25 deficit after the third quarter, forced overtime and came home with a 56-54 win over
Marysville.
The Irish cut the Marysville lead to 2 points within the first three minutes of the fourth quarter and the game remained
close the rest of the way. Raneal Ewing, who had 14 fourth quarter points, sank two free throws with five seconds to go
that tied the score at 48 and the Irish headed to overtime when the Monarchs missed a lay-up at the buzzer.
Halfway through overtime, the Irish trailed 52-50. Max Brundige had a key offensive rebound and put back to tie it. J.R.
Bernans took a charge and on the ensuing possession Raneal Ewing gave the Irish at 54-52 lead on a nice drive to the
bucket with 35 seconds to go.
Marysville forged a 54-54 tie with 18 seconds to go. Ewing scored on another drive with 8 seconds to go that gave the
Irish a two point lead and Marysville missed an off balance runner at the buzzer that allowed the Irish to win 56-54.
Ewing finished with a game high 26 points with 20 coming in the fourth quarter and overtime. Brundige chipped in 13 and
Gabe McGlone had 11 points. Jacob McPheters (3) and Tervon Moore (2) rounded out the Irish scoring.
The Irish JV team finished 10-10 on the season and 8-6 in OCC Cardinal play.
FROSH CLOSE STRONG TO BEAT MARYSVILLE
The Irish freshman team dominated the second half and ran away from Marysville with a 50-28 win on Friday.
They entered the locker room at the half in a dogfight and only led 19-17. They played solid defense in the second half
and finished the game by putting up 21 fourth quarter points.
Three players scored in double figures. Jeremie Nsumbu and Patrick Rooney had 11 points each, and, Ryan Duncan added 10.
Other Irish players in the scoring column included: Tyler Flaherty (6), Jamyl Copeland (5), Kevin McMahon (5) and Matt
Strausbaugh (2).
The freshman team ended the season at 13-4 overall and 11-3 in OCC Cardinal Division games.
IRISH BEAT BROOKHAVEN 56-40
It was hot and sticky at Brookhaven Wednesday night.
While a crowded gym made for a hot gym, it was solid Irish shooting and a sticky defense that led to a 56-40 victory in
the final non-league game of the regular season.
The Irish used good ball movement that led to other good shooting nights. It resulted in 49 percent shooting for the game,
including going 6-12 from beyond the arc. Seventeen of 24 Irish baskets were assisted. David McKinley led the way with
seven assists. Bradley McDougald chipped in four and Rainer Duzan had three.
On the defensive end of the floor, the Irish held Brookhaven to 36 percent from the field, including 2-17 on three point
attempts. Using a mix of man and zone defenses with extra help on 6-8 post Craig Sealey, the Irish forced the Bearcats to
settle for perimeter shots. Sealey, who is averaging in double figures, only had 4 points on the night, all in the first
quarter.
The Irish had 10 steals, led by Eric Stamets with 3. McDougald (2), McKinley (2), Duzan (1), Tyler Harrell (1) and Deji
Olatoye (1) also had steals.
Scioto jumped out to a 22-16 lead at the end of the first quarter, fueled by 12 points scored by McDougald. He ended up
scoring a game high 17 points.
The teams traded baskets in the first quarter, but it looked like the Irish were headed toward building a comfortable
halftime lead following a buzzer beating trey by McKinley to end the first quarter and a transition bucket by Marco St.
John to open the second gave them a 24-16 lead.
It was not to be though, as the Bearcats hit a trey and then traded baskets with the Irish for the rest of the half.
Brookhaven stayed in the game by outscoring the Irish 18-14 on points in the paint, including four transition lay-ups
following missed Irish shots, and by shooting 42 percent from the field. They also hit the glass hard in the first half,
particularly on the offensive end of the floor.
The Irish turned up the heat on the Bearcats in the second half, holding them to 7-24 shooting overall and 1-13 beyond the
three point line.
McDougald got things going in the second half with a lay-up assisted by McKinley. This started an 8-0 run to begin the
third quarter capped by a put back bucket by Olatoye that gave the Irish a 39-25 lead. They stretched it out to 48-33
when Duzan hit St. John with a perfect bounce pass in transition.
Once they’d established the lead, Scioto was able to spread the floor and look for the best opportunity to score. All four
Irish baskets in the fourth quarter were assisted. Stamets had a nice dish to Harrell off dribble penetration and McKinley
found McDougald, Mills and St. John for buckets.
Brookhaven had a 31-30 advantage on the boards. Duzan and McDougald led the Irish with 6 rebounds apiece. McKinley and
Olatoye were next with 4 apiece.
McDougald scored a game high 18 points for the Irish. McKinley was also in double figures with 11 points. Other Irish
players who scored were: Olatoye (8), St. John (8), Duzan (5), Jamare Mills (4) and Harrell (2).
First-team Columbus City League selection Terrance Watkins had an all-around solid game with 14 points and 8 rebounds for
the Bearcats. Roderick Macon was next with 8 points. Sealey had 7 rebounds.
Scioto is now 18-1 overall and 13-0 in OCC Cardinal playing heading into the league finale at Marysville on Friday.
Brookhaven falls to 11-9 on the regular season and will begin sectional tournament play on Tuesday, February 24 against
Groveport-Madison.
LATE BROOKHAVEN JV RALLY FUELS OT WIN
Brookhaven rallied from a 5 point deficit and beat the Irish 56-53 in overtime by scoring the last 8 points of the game on
Wednesday.
Early in the fourth quarter it looked like the Irish were headed for a victory when they took a 40-27 lead with just under
six minutes to go. But, in a span of 3 minutes, the Bearcats cut the lead to 43-41 thanks to several Irish turnovers
against a pressure defense.
Brookhaven took a 48-46 lead in the final 30 seconds, but J.R. Bernans made a back door cut and was rewarded with a nice
bounce pass from Gabe McGlone that allowed the Irish to tie it. They defended well in the final 11 seconds of regulation
and Brookhaven was only able to launch an off balance jump shot at the buzzer.
The Irish jumped out to a 53-48 overtime lead, but the turnover bug caught them again and the Bearcats converted the
miscues into points. They took the lead for good on a lay-up with 21 seconds to go and following a pair of missed Irish
free throws they scored in transition just before the buzzer to yield the final score.
Scioto is 9-10 overall heading into the final game at Marysville on Friday.
Leading the way for the Irish in the scoring column was J.R. Bernans who had 22 points, including 8-9 at the free throw
line. McGlone had 13 points, all in the second half. Also scoring for the Irish: Raneal Ewing (8), Max Brundige (5), Jacob
McPheters (3) and Dom Rosso (2).
NEWS AND NOTES
One more OCC game to go. Scioto visits the Marysville Monarchs in the final OCC Cardinal Division contest of the season on
Friday. Marysville has had a week to prepare for this one coming off a close loss to Westerville North last Friday night.
If the Irish win they will finish 14-0 in league play and can extend the league winning streak to 35 games.
Winners on and off the floor. Area basketball fans know that Brookhaven is one of the traditional Division I powers in
Central Ohio based on the team’s performance in the Columbus City League and in tournament play. This carries over to the
way the players, coaches and athletic department conduct themselves. Case in point – the Bearcats recognized the Irish
seniors before introducing their own seniors in Wednesday’s game. On the floor, the Bearcats played hard and with class.
They are an easy team to root for when your team isn’t playing them. Good luck to the Bearcats in the upcoming district
tournament.
Good turnout from the Irish faithful and area coaches. Scioto fans packed the visitors side of the relatively small
Brookhaven gym. The team got a boost from a spirit bus full of students who stayed engaged in the game and helped get the
Irish off to a quick start. In addition to fans, coaches from several area teams were spotted in the gym. Several teams in
Brookhaven’s part of the Central District tournament bracket were scouting. This included Dublin Coffman, opening
sectional opponent Groveport-Madison and Grove City. Hilliard Davidson was present to scout the Irish, while Satch
Sullinger of Northland also attended the game. He was joined by his son, Jared, a member of the Vikings team and an Ohio
State recruit.
Cardinal Division represented itself well in non-league play. Through Wednesday, OCC Cardinal teams stood 29-17 in
non-league play during the regular season. This puts the division even with the OCC Ohio and near the performance of the
Capital Division in terms of winning percentage. Cardinal teams went 5-0 in non-league play this week, including Scioto’s
win over Brookhaven. Other winners were: Westerville North (58-50 over Hilliard Davidson), Westerville Central (58-53 over
Big Walnut), Olentangy (53-52 in OT over Thomas Worthington) and Liberty (56-45 in OT over New Albany).
IRISH VISIT BROOKHAVEN FOR LAST NON-LEAGUE GAME
Scioto will visit tradition-rich Brookhaven on February 18 in a game that both teams hope will be a good tune-up for the
upcoming district tournament.
Until last season, these teams had met only twice in tournament play. The Bearcats visited Dublin and snapped Scioto’s 18
game winning streak with an impressive 57-49 win.
In that game the Irish took a 26-25 lead into the locker room at the half, but Brookhaven took control in the third
quarter with a stifling zone defense and patient offense. They outscored the Irish 12-2 in the quarter and took a 37-28
lead into the final stanza.
The teams met again in the District Final and Scioto once again had a one point lead heading into the locker room at the
half. They turned the tables on the Bearcats and extended a 23-22 lead to 33-26 heading into the fourth quarter.
Brookhaven tried to play catch-up, but the Irish made almost all their free throws down the stretch in pulling away for a
61-44 victory. It marked their first ever victory over Brookhaven in three tournament appearances and the school’s first
boys basketball district championship.
Brookhaven stands 11-7 thus far this season, but the Bearcats have played a competitive non-league schedule that has
included Dayton Dunbar, Sylvania Southview and Canton McKinley. They are in the tough Columbus City League North and have
already faced #1 ranked Northland and a very good Beechcroft team twice.
There are a couple of familiar faces leading Brookhaven into this contest. Senior guard Terrence Watkins is scoring in
bunches – recording several games with 30 or more points. He scored a team high 13 points in last year’s district final.
He is joined by fluid 6-8 post Craig Sealey – a solid scorer around the basket with good hands who is also a strong post
defender.
Irish fans can expect a hostile environment for this one as Brookhaven’s gym is relatively small and will include many
City League fans taking in a game between two of the better Division I programs in central Ohio.
Scioto comes into the game with an overall 17-1 record and has already clinched an outright Ohio Capital Conference
Cardinal Division title with a 13-0 league slate.
The JV game is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity will follow at around 7 p.m.
NEWS AND NOTES
Irish clinch outright Cardinal Division title. The 54-35 Senior Night win over Dublin Jerome gave the Irish their third
consecutive outright OCC title last Friday. The team is currently on a 34 game OCC winning streak and can finish the
season unbeaten in league play with a win at Marysville this Friday.
It must be the orange. Irish non-league opponents Mt. Vernon and North Canton Hoover, both featuring a primary team color
of orange, are having outstanding seasons. Hoover is sitting at 17-2 overall and earned a berth in the Federal League
Championship Game this weekend against the Jackson Polar Bears. Scioto’s only loss thus far was 50-48 on a buzzer beater
to the Vikings at the College of Wooster. Scioto faced Jackson twice at a summer team camp and beat the Polar Bears both
times. Jackson and Hoover split their regular season meetings. Mt. Vernon is tied with Olentangy Orange for first place
in the OCC Capital with an 8-3 league record. If they beat New Albany this weekend they’ll earn at least a share of the
championship.
That voice sounds familiar. Irish Head Coach Tony Bisutti was the featured guest on the WTVN Sunday Morning Sports Talk
Show hosted by legendary high school sports announcer Larry Larsen and Dave Maetzold. The hosts talked with Coach B about
the ingredients leading to a third consecutive OCC championship and asked him about who might be some of the teams to
watch during the Division I Central District Tournament. If you want to see the tournament brackets, visit www.cdab.org
and click on the boys basketball button from the drop down menu.
Irish enter Associated Press state rankings. After sitting just outside the top 10 for the last few weeks, Scioto entered
the Associated Press Sports Writers Division I Poll at number 9. The Irish moved in front of Trotwood-Madison, Lima
Senior and Canton Glen Oak who all lost last week. Columbus Northland remains number 1, just ahead of Cincinnati
Princeton. No other central Ohio teams received votes this week. In both the Columbus Dispatch Coaches Poll and This Week
Newspapers Super 7 Poll the Irish remain number 2 behind Northland.
Around the OCC Cardinal. Westerville South clinched second place in the division with a 67-57 victory over Olentangy last
Friday. They also beat non-league foe Lancaster 66-38 on Saturday. Westerville Central clinched third place with a 70-63
overtime win over Olentangy Liberty. Westerville North beat Marysville 43-40. In non-league action, Olentangy fell to
Olentangy Orange 62-54 on Saturday afternoon. The Irish will close the league slate with a trip to Marysville this
Friday. In other final league games, Westerville Central is at Jerome, Westerville North is at Olentangy and Westerville
South is at Liberty.
IRISH CLAIM OUTRIGHT OCC TITLE ON SENIOR NIGHT
Using a recipe that has become typical this season, the Irish mixed outstanding perimeter defense with sharing the ball on
offense and rebounded well on their way to a 54-35 OCC Cardinal Division win over Dublin Jerome.
The victory clinched Scioto’s third consecutive outright OCC title and came on Senior Night in which 9 players and 3
cheerleaders were honored. It also extended Scioto’s league winning streak to 34 consecutive games heading into next
Friday’s finale at Marysville.
Six Irish players tied for the team lead in assists with 2 apiece – Rainer Duzan, Bradley McDougald, David McKinley,
Jamare Mills, Deji Olatoye and Eric Stamets. Marco St. John also had an assist. The Irish had a 13-6 advantage in this
category.
Stamets – who turned in an all around solid game -- led the way with 5 rebounds and six other players joined him in
hitting the boards. They were: Duzan (4), St. John (4), McDougald (3), Mills (3), Olatoye (3) and McKinley (2).
Six different players had steals, led by McDougald, St. John and Stamets with 2 apiece. McKinley, Olatoye and Mills each
had one.
McDougald (16) and St. John (11) led the way in the scoring column. They were followed by McKinley (8), Olatoye (7),
Stamets (7), and Duzan (5). Playing, but not scoring on this night were Mills, Jason Reinick, Destin Thomas and Max
Brundige. Senior Tyler Harrell was out due to illness, but is expected back next week.
Scioto jumped out to a 14-5 first quarter lead and never looked back. McDougald scored more than half of his points in the
first quarter with 9. They quickly stretched the lead to 20-7 and Jerome called time after McKinley hit a streaking Marco
St. John with a perfect bounce pass in transition for a lay-up.
The Irish continued to defend well and took a 31-13 lead to the locker room at the half. They were 8-8 at the free throw
line in the first half and shot 50 percent from the field. Jerome, in contrast, shot only 33 percent from the field and
was 1-2 at the line. Scioto outrebounded the Celtics 13-6 and forced 11 turnovers.
They stretched the lead to 20 points during the third quarter, but two turnovers at the end of the third quarter and
another to begin the fourth were converted into points by the Celtics allowed them to cut the lead to 13 points. The Irish
steadied themselves and closed the game 14-8 for the victory.
Jerome spent most of the game in a 2-3 zone. Rather than pull the ball out and force the Celtics to play man, the Irish
worked on their zone offense. This contributed to the balanced assist and scoring totals, as they moved the ball well
inside and out looking for the best possible shot. The Irish finished the game shooting 51 percent from the field and 44
percent from beyond the three point line.
They continued to defend well and held Jerome to 38 percent from the field in the second half, including 1-10 from beyond
the arc.
Jerome was missing its leading scorer Stephen Harrell due to injury. Freshman guard Cameron Wilson lead the Celtics with
12 points. Chipping in 6 apiece were Neil Johnson, Jake Martin and Nick Neale. Johnson had game high 6 rebounds and also
had 4 blocked shots.
The victory gives the Irish a 17-1 overall record and 13-0 league slate heading into a non-league game at Columbus
Brookhaven on Wednesday and into next Friday’s regular season finale at Marysville.
Jerome falls to 3-10 in the Cardinal Division and 4-14 overall. They play Columbus Watterson on Tuesday and close the
regular season at home against Westerville Central.
Immediately following the game, the Irish cut down the net on the home end of the floor in celebration of the league
championship. Congratulations to players and coaches at all levels of the program for continuing a tradition of
excellence.
THIRD QUARTER DOWNFALL FOR IRISH JVS
Scioto’s JV squad was outscored 16-9 in the third quarter and played catch-up the rest of the way in a 54-46 loss to
Jerome on Friday night.
They went to the locker at halftime with momentum and only trailed 21-19. A quick start by the Celtics gave them a double
digit advantage and they were never headed.
They shot 59 percent from the field for the game, but were only 13-23 at the free throw line and that gave the Irish an
opportunity to stay in the game. However, the Irish weren’t hitting enough shots from the field to cut the lead below 6
or 7 points.
For the game, Scioto shot 36 percent from the field and hit 5-25 three point shots. Jerome also had a 31-20 rebounding
advantage on the night.
Raneal Ewing (14) and J.R. Bernans (12) led the Irish in scoring. Also putting points on the board were: Jacob McPheters
(5), Max Brundige (4), Gabe McGlone (4), Tervon Moore (4), and Dom Rosso (3). Ewing led the way with 5 rebounds and
McPheters had 3 assists.
Sean Sward had game highs of 21 points and 7 rebounds for the Celtics.
FRESHMEN FINISH 3-0 AGAINST DUBLIN TEAMS
Jumping out to a 9-1 first quarter lead, the Irish freshmen held off Jerome for a 43-32 win in league play on Friday.
The victory gave the Irish a season sweep over the Celtics and combined with a win earlier this week over Coffman gives
them a 3-0 record this season against fellow Dublin teams. The victory moves the Irish to 12-3 overall and 10-3 in league
play heading into the Reynoldsburg Freshman Tournament and a final league game at Marysville next Friday.
The Irish built a 15-6 halftime lead, but only led 25-19 heading into the fourth quarter. Jerome sent Scioto to the line
in an effort to cut into the lead in the fourth quarter and the Irish responded by hitting 12-20 free throws in the final
stanza.
Ryan Duncan (11) and Jeremie Nsumbu (10) scored in double figures for the Irish. Others in the scoring column were: Jamyl
Copeland (5), Ryan Gibson (5), Kris Simonton (5), Tyler Flaherty (2), Austin Mooney (2), Matt Strausbaugh (2) and Patrick
Rooney (1).
IRISH WILL SALUTE SENIORS ON FRIDAY NIGHT
Nine senior basketball players and three cheerleaders will be recognized on Friday as the class of 2009 will have its
final home basketball game ever against Dublin Jerome.
The Irish enter the contest with a 16-1 record overall and they are 12-0 in the OCC Cardinal Division. A victory over
Jerome would clinch Scioto’s third consecutive outright OCC title in boys basketball. Last Friday’s win at Olentangy
Liberty clinched a tie for the championship.
Jerome enters the game with a 4-13 overall record and 3-9 in the OCC Cardinal. Their two seniors, 6-4 forward Stephen
Harrell and 6-8 post Neil Johnson, were honored at home last Friday as the Celts dropped Marysville 46-42. The Celtics
played a non-league game on February 10 and fell 51-38 to Olentangy Orange.
Harrell leads the Celtics in scoring with around 11 points a game. Freshman guard Cameron Wilson averages 9 points.
Johnson averages 6.5 points and is a shot blocking presence on defense. Other players in the Jerome rotation include
Garrett Couche, Ryan Linville, Jake Martin, Hunter Naylor, Nick Neale and Ben Nesdor.
When these teams met at Jerome in mid-January, a hot shooting Irish team jumped out to a 37-19 halftime lead. They led by
15 points entering the fourth quarter, but the scrappy Celtics hit a few treys late to make the final score 60-53.
The Irish broke the team record for three-point shooting percentage by hitting 8-10 shots from beyond the arc in that game.
The 80 percent success rate broke the record of 63.5 percent set in 1997 and tied last season against Watkins Memorial.
Pre-game ceremonies will recognize the following Irish student athletes: Kelsey Joseph, Rachel Kraft and
Charity Mack of the cheerleading squad; and, players Rainer Duzan, Tyler Harrell, Bradley McDougald, David McKinley,
Deji Olatoye, Jason Reinick, Eric Stamets, Marco St. John and Destin Thomas.
NEWS AND NOTES
Celebrating With The Seniors. The Class of 2009 will take the floor for a home game for the final time on Friday. The
regular season ends with road trips to Columbus Brookhaven and Marysville. No matter how the final three regular season
games turn out, this group of seniors has contributed to the continued excellence of Irish basketball by being part of
three consecutive OCC championships and the first ever district championship for the boys program last season.
Polls Change Only A Little. Columbus Northland regained the top spot in the Associated Press Division I Sportswriters Poll
issued on February 9. The Vikings were out of the top spot for one week, but after Warren Harding lost to Akron St.
Vincent-St. Mary, the Vikings moved back up. No new teams entered the top 10, but Lima Senior fell a couple of spots
after getting beaten 79-61 at Grove City over the weekend. The Irish picked up 3 additional votes and are in 12th place
with 33 points, just behind Canton Glen Oak. The Dispatch Coaches Poll has the Irish 2nd behind Northland. The Vikings
have 96 points and 6 first place votes. The Irish have 86 points and 1 first place vote. The remaining teams in the
poll in order are: Grove City (60), Newark (52), Beechcroft (42), Westerville South (22) and Gahanna (16). In the
ThisWeek Newspapers Super 7 poll, Northland and Scioto remain 1 and 2 respectively. Grove City is number 3, switching
places with Newark whom they beat last Tuesday. Columbus Beechcroft, Columbus DeSales and Dublin Coffman round out the
top 7.
Around the OCC Cardinal. The Irish win at Liberty clinched a share of the division title and they can win it outright
with a victory over either Jerome or Marysville. They are 12-0 in league play. Westerville South has wrapped up at least
second place at 10-2 because they are three games ahead of third place Westerville Central (7-5). Still in the hunt for
third is Olentangy Liberty at 6-6. These teams face each other on February 13. Jerome fell to Olentangy Orange 51-38 and
Marysville lost at Jonathan Alder 46-31 on Tuesday. Liberty picked up a nice non-league win at Columbus Hartley on Monday.
The Hawks are the number 1 seed in the Central District Division III tournament and beat Division II state-ranked
Columbus DeSales last Friday. Liberty has won five of its last six games with the only loss to Scioto. Central had a
convincing 64-36 win at traditional D-III power Bloom-Carroll on Saturday. Bulldogs coach Tom Petty has more than 500
career wins.
Middle School Teams Celebrate With Coach Bisutti. The Dublin Davis boys basketball teams held their post-season banquet
on February 10. Irish varsity coach Tony Bisutti spoke at the banquet. He congratulated both teams on their outstanding
seasons; spoke about the upcoming Irish scheduled and informed the 8th graders that he would be in touch in the spring
about summer plans at the high school. Coach John Bernans’ 8th grades capped a 15-1 season with a hard fought 31-29
victory over Dublin Grizzell in the Martin Memorial Tournament championship game at Hilliard Weaver. Coach Mick Neace’s
7th grade Irish finished 15-2 overall and won the consolation championship in the Dublin Invitational.
FROSH DROP COFFMAN 59-41
The Irish freshman team jumped out to a 21-9 first quarter lead and won all four quarters on their way to a 59-41 non-league
win at Dublin Coffman on Tuesday.
Eight different Irish players scored in the game, led by wing Jamyl Copeland with 16 points. Post Matt Strausbaugh was
next with 11 points, including 7 in the first quarter.
Other Irish players who scored were: Jeremie Nsumbu (9), Gabe McGlone (7), Ryan Duncan (6), Ryan Gibson (5), Austin Mooney
(3) and Tyler Flaherty (2).
After dominating the first quarter, the Irish outscored Coffman in all three remaining quarters to establish the final
margin.
Both teams entered the game with 10-3 records. Scioto will host Dublin Jerome on Friday and begin play in the Reynoldsburg
Freshman Tournament on Saturday.
Scioto 21-8-15-15 59
Coffman 9-7-12-13 41
IRISH TO FACE BRIGGS IN SECTIONAL TOURNAMENT
Scioto will open the Central District Division I tournament with a sectional match-up against Columbus Briggs at 8 p.m. on
Wednesday, February 25 at Worthington Christian.
The Bruins are a Columbus City League team and are part of the South Division. As of February 9 their record was 6-11
overall and 5-7 in league play. The winner will face Columbus West (4-13/3-11 CCL-South) at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday,
February 28 at Olentangy Orange.
As most observers expected, the Irish are the number 2 seed behind Columbus Northland. The Irish selected the middle
bracket after the Vikings selected the lower bracket.
Other teams in the Scioto bracket include: Columbus Marion-Franklin, Columbus St. Charles, Columbus Walnut Ridge, Delaware
Hayes, Hilliard Davidson, Marysville, Newark (#4), Olentangy Liberty, Reynoldsburg (10), Upper Arlington (7) and
Zanesville.
Two other Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division teams, Westerville South (8) and Westerville Central (12) earned
seeds as well.
The top 12 seeds in order are: Northland (1), Scioto (2), Grove City (3), Newark (4), Dublin Coffman (5), Columbus
Beechcroft (6), Upper Arlington (7), Westerville South (8), Gahanna Lincoln (9), Reynoldsburg (10), Mt. Vernon (11) and
Westerville Central (12).
IRISH CLINCH SHARE OF OCC TITLE IN 52-38 WIN AT LIBERTY
Outstanding defense in the middle quarters and efficient offense in the second quarter fueled a 52-38 win at Olentangy
Liberty that clinched at least a share of the OCC Cardinal Division title for the Irish.
Scioto is now 12-0 in league play with two games to play. Second place Westerville South is 10-2 with the only losses thus
far to the Irish.
Liberty came into this game with a lot of momentum and it was expected to be a tight, defensive struggle. They entered
with four consecutive league wins and a full complement of players. The last times these teams met, the Patriots were
missing three players from their regular rotation.
The game started as most expected with Liberty running clock in the half court offense trying to get baseline penetration
and kick outs from the post. The score was tied 8-8 after the first quarter. The Irish only had three baskets – including
two treys by David McKinley on assists from Bradley McDougald. The other score came on a nice backdoor feed from Deji
Olatoye to Jamare Mills.
Liberty started the second quarter with a Box & 1 defense designed to keep McKinley from getting open looks from beyond
the arc. This opened up other opportunities for the Irish and they showed great balance. Five different players scored in
the second quarter.
McDougald picked up 7 points – with assists going to McKinley and Olatoye on all three baskets. Mills had another bucket,
assisted by Marco St. John. Rainer Duzan had a strong drive to the basket in which he muscled in a left-handed lay-up in
heavy traffic and Eric Stamets had a put back in which he out leaped taller Liberty post players. Duzan and Olatoye
rounded out the scoring with a free throw a piece.
The other part of the story, though, was stifling Irish defense. They forced 10 first half turnovers and held Liberty to
22 percent shooting from the field. The 15-4 second quarter run gave the Irish a 23-12 halftime lead.
Liberty came out in the third quarter with additional intensity on defense and a few Irish turnovers short-circuited the
offense a bit. The Irish were only able to put 7 points on the board, but they totally shut down the Patriots and led
30-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
Eight different Irish players dented the scoring column in the fourth quarter and the lead was extended to 49-30 with
less than two minutes to go. Fourth quarter highlights for the Irish were a strong drive for a lay-up by Jason Reinick
and an alley-oop dunk in transition by Mills on a feed by McKinley.
For the game, the Irish outshot Liberty 58 to 29 percent from the field. The Patriots had a 30-26 rebounding advantage,
with 12 boards coming off the offensive glass. The Irish had a 26-12 advantage with points in the paint and 7 different
players had assists.
McDougald led the Irish with 19 points, including 6-6 from the charity stripe. He also had 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4
steals.
Mills scored 9 points and had 3 rebounds and 2 assists. McKinley scored 8 points. He had 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 rebounds
and 0 turnovers.
Other Irish players in the scorebook included: Duzan (5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal), St. John (4 points,
3 rebounds, 1 assist), Stamets (2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal), Reinick (2 points), Tyler Harrell (1 point, 1 assist),
Olatoye (1 point, 5 rebounds, 1 assist) and Destin Thomas (1 point).
The Irish are back in action next Friday night at home against Dublin Jerome. It will be Senior Night and the Irish will
recognize 9 players and 3 cheerleaders in their last home game.
JVS HANG ON FOR 51-50 WIN
In a game in which both teams almost matched their total points scored in the fourth quarter, the Irish JVs hung on for a
51-50 win against Liberty.
Entering the final stanza, the Irish led 28-26. Over the first five and a half minutes of the quarter the Irish were able
to build a 45-36 lead by attacking the basket and hitting free throws. Three Irish players did the damage in terms of
scoring.
Jacob McPheters got things going with a put back basket and also had a nice left handled drive that gave the Irish a 5
point lead mid way through the quarter. Gabe McGlone had a timely trey and a pull up jumper, to go with a pair of late
free throws.
Raneal Ewing came up big with a drive to the basket for a lay-up and he hit 10-10 free throws in the quarter. The free
throws included two successful 1+1 conversions when the Patriots were trying to extend the game.
Liberty hit a couple of late treys to stay within striking distance and actually had an opportunity to send the game to
overtime. However, instead of kicking the ball out for a trey opportunity as the clock wound down, a Patriot player took a
lay-up off an offensive rebound. This happened with six seconds to go and the clock ran out before the Irish had to
inbound the ball.
Final unofficial scoring for the Irish included: Ewing (22), McGlone (14), McPheters (6), J.R. Bernans (4),
Tervon Moore (4) and Max Brundige (1).
The Irish are now 8-8 overall and 7-5 in OCC Cardinal Division play. They visit Harvest Preparatory School on February 7
and will be back at home on February 13 versus Dublin Jerome.
FROSH FALL 41-34 DUE TO SECOND HALF LIBERTY RUN
The Irish freshman team was outscored 30-16 in the second half and fell 41-34 at Liberty on Friday.
They took an 18-11 lead into the locker room at the half, fueled by three treys by Ryan Duncan. Jamyl Copeland chipped in
4 points, while Jeremie Nsumbu and Kris Simonton scored 2 apiece.
Liberty extended its defense and the Irish had a hard time maintaining possession. This allowed the Patriots to rally
from a 21-11 deficit to a 26-25 lead at the end of three quarters. The run continued and they led 35-27 with under three
minutes to go in the game.
The Irish made one more run at the Patriots, book-ended by scoring plays from Patrick Rooney. He hit a trey with 2:44 to
go to cut the lead to 5 points and may a lay-up off a put back in the final minute that cut the lead to 36-34. It wasn’t
enough, though; as the Irish were unable to hit any more shots and the Patriots hit their free throws.
Duncan led the Irish with 13 points. Others in the scoring column were: Nsumbu (6), Rooney (5), Copeland (4), Ryan
Gibson (3) and Simonton (3).
The Irish fell to 10-3 overall and 9-3 in OCC Cardinal play after their second loss in a row. They have a non-league game
at Dublin Coffman at 5:30 p.m. on February 10 and will play at home against Dublin Jerome at 4:30 p.m. on February 13.
IRISH HEAD NORTH FOR LIBERTY
Scioto will make a relatively short trip up Sawmill Parkway to take on the Olentangy Liberty Patriots on Friday night.
Liberty comes into this one on a hot streak having won four consecutive league games. They’re 6-5 in the OCC Cardinal
Division and 9-6 overall. A part of the recent success can be attributed to more games under first year Coach Greg
Nossaman – who was very successful at Napoleon -- and a return to health that allows them to play a deep rotation of
players.
These teams met on January 6 and the Irish came away with a 58-35 victory. Eric Stamets led a balanced Irish scoring
attack with 11 points. Scioto earned a 31-15 advantage in rebounds and forced 19 turnovers. A team known for its perimeter
shooting skill, the Patriots were 0-7 from beyond the arc that night after averaging 6 made three pointers per game in
league play previously. Forwards Will Cheesman and Michael Fries led the Patriots with 9 and 8 points respectively.
Liberty has a true post presence in 6-5 Center Matt Napier who leads them in scoring and rebounding (10 ppg/8 rpg). Senior
guard Tommy Waterwash is also averaging around 10 points a game and has a range of jump shots in his arsenal. Missing the
last time these teams played were guard Tyler Yazrombek (8 ppg) and forward Tyler Conard (7 ppg).
Allen Eggleston, a talented football player who signed with Football Championship Subdivision Albany earlier this week,
returned a couple of weeks ago from an ankle injury sustained in football. He is a solid defender and quick. Junior Zach
Michael, a third year varsity starter, is the point guard.
Expect the Patriots to extend their defense and push the ball on offense. They will try to create mismatches through
frequent substitutions and screens.
It is a tripleheader night with the freshman game scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.
The junior varsity game is expected to tip at around 6 p.m. and the varsity game at 6:30 p.m.
CONGRATULATIONS TO IRISH COLLEGE FOOTBALL SIGNEES
Four Irish basketball players signed national letters of intent to play Division I football at signing ceremonies held in
the school gymnasium before school on Wednesday, February 4. They were joined by their varsity teammates, coaches,
students, family members and school staff.
Rainer Duzan signed with Morehead State, a Football Championship Subdivision team that plays in the Pioneer Conference.
Some other members of this league include San Diego, Davidson, Dayton and Butler. The university is located in Morehead,
Kentucky. He will join the Eagles as a kicker/punter.
Tyler Harrell, a first year basketball player at Scioto, signed with the University of Iowa and will join the Big Ten
school as a defensive lineman.
Bradley McDougald and Deji Olatoye signed with rival Big 12 schools. McDougald will play slot receiver for the wide open
Kansas Jayhawks. He joins Scioto alum Josh Richardson in Lawrence.
Olatoye may have a chance to cover McDougald as he signed as a cornerback with the University of Colorado in Boulder.
In addition to the basketball players, student section leader Jason Tiemeier signed with FCS Princeton University. An
outstanding student, he will join the Ivy League team as a long snapper and offensive lineman.
NEWS AND NOTES
Around the OCC Cardinal – The Irish maintained their two game lead over the Westerville South Wildcats as a result of a
58-45 win over Westerville Central on Tuesday. Westerville South kept the pressure on the Irish with a 74-56 win at
Marysville. Liberty dropped Westerville North (56-47) and Olentangy got back in the win column against Jerome (54-49).
Davis Middle School 8th Graders Still Alive in Martin Memorial Tourney. The Davis 8th grade boys team won its quarterfinal
match-up against Upper Arlington Hastings and Semifinal game against Marysville. They play in the championship game against
Dublin Grizzell on Saturday Feb 7th at 3:00 PM at Hillard Weaver Middle School The Irish are 14-1 on the season. The 7th
grade Irish bounced from the winners’ bracket on Monday after a loss to Hilliard Memorial. They are now 13-2 and were
scheduled to play consolation game on Thursday. Both teams will have their season ending banquet on Tuesday.
Polls Change Just A Little This Week -- Columbus Northland fell just one spot in the Ohio Associated Press Sportswriters
Division I basketball poll after an overtime loss against state-ranked Canton Timken on the road Saturday night. The
Irish fell to 13th in the AP poll, despite winning both games last week. They were leapfrogged by a couple of teams that
beat ranked opponents. In the Dispatch Coaches Poll the Irish remained number 2 behind Northland, but snagged one first
place vote for the first time. The Newark Wildcats and Grove City Greyhounds were third and fourth. Scioto also
remained #2 in the ThisWeek Newspapers Poll behind Northland.
Tournament Draw on February 8 – In addition to preparing for league games this week, area coaches have been evaluating
opponents in order to get ready for the Central District Athletic Board tournament draw to be held on Sunday afternoon at
Olentangy Liberty. It will be interesting to see how the seeds shake out and which teams choose spots in order to avoid or
find a certain opponent. Most observers still consider Northland to be the obvious top seed and suggest that this may be
the deepest tournament field in several years. Another consideration for coaches is the fact that the OCC has gone to 8
team divisions which means there are likely to be more teams squaring off for a third time this season in the tournament.
Look for sectional pairings in the Columbus Dispatch on Monday, February 9.
DEFENSE, BALANCE LEAD TO VICTORY OVER WARHAWKS
A strong defensive performance through three quarters and a commitment to team play earned the Irish a 58-45 home win
over the Westerville Central Warhawks on Tuesday night.
How did the Irish earn this OCC Cardinal victory?
Success always begins and ends at Scioto with team defense.
Beginning toward the end of the first quarter, they held the Warhawks without a field goal for more than 14 minutes. This
included the entire second and the first five minutes of the third quarter.
This allowed the Irish to build a 33-14 lead that was extended to 40-19 by the end of the third quarter. They held the
Warhawks to 36 percent shooting from the field for the game.
In addition to giving up very few easy looks at the basket, six different players had steals. Bradley McDougald led the
Irish with 5, followed by Rainer Duzan (4), Eric Stamets (3), David McKinley (2), Marco St. John (2) and Deji
Olatoye (1).
The commitment to team play and balanced extended to other elements of the game. Eight different players scored, 8 had
rebounds and 6 had assists. The non-starters played an important role and the Irish held a 22-10 advantage in bench
points, which was important due to early foul trouble with the frontcourt.
McDougald was the only Irish player in double figures with 13, followed by Stamets with 9. It was a big night in the
frontcourt as Olatoye (8), Jamare Mills (7), St. John (7) and Tyler Harrell (6) combined for 28 points. McKinley (6) and
Duzan (2) rounded out the scoring.
Duzan and McKinley led with a game high 4 assists apiece. The other Irish players with assists were Mills (2), Stamets (2),
McDougald (1) and Olatoye (1).
The balance extended to rebounding as well. Mills and Olatoye shared team high rebounding honors with 7 apiece. Others
with rebounds were: McDougald (6), Duzan (3), Harrell (3), St. John (3), McKinley (2) and Stamets (2).
On the night, the Irish only had 7 turnovers with none in the first half. The Warhawks turned it over 19 times. The
rebounding battle was tied 37-37. While the overall performance led to a victory, the Irish have some things to work on
in practice. They only converted 10-23 free throws on the night and allowed the Warhawks to score 26 points in the fourth
quarter. Many of these came on second chance opportunities or in transition.
The victory extends the Irish record to 11-0 in OCC Cardinal play and 15-1 overall heading into Friday’s game at Olentangy
Liberty. The Warhawks, winners of 8 of 9 contests heading into the game on Tuesday, are 10-5 overall and 6-5 in league
play. They will host Olentangy on Friday.
JV, FROSH SPLIT WITH WESTERVILLE CENTRAL
Jacob McPheters scored a lay-up with 4 seconds to go and the Irish JVs pulled out a come from behind 35-33 victory over
Westerville Central.
The bucket came after Raneal Ewing split a trap and drove the lane. The help defense came to stop him and allowed him to
dump the ball to McPheters. The Irish blew an opportunity to wrap up the game seconds earlier when they missed four
consecutive free throws – two on a foul call and a pair of technical shots.
They got off to a slow start and trailed 15-4 after the first quarter. The outscored the Warhawks 23-13 in the middle
quarters and entered the fourth trailing 28-27.
Dom Rosso and McPheters led a balanced Irish attack with 8 points apiece. Others who scored were J.R. Bernans (5),
Ewing (5), Gabe McGlone (5) and Max Brundige (4).
Bernans and Brundige tied for game high rebounding honors with 5 apiece. Seven other players recorded boards including:
McGlone (4), Ewing (3), McPheters (3), Rosso (3), Tervon Moore (2), Mitchell Flowers (1) and Terrill Mathews (1).
Ewing had 4 assists. Others with assists were: McGlone (3), Brundige (1) and Rosso (1).
The win pushes the Irish above the .500 mark in league play at 6-5 and they are 7-8 overall.
The Irish freshman lost 50-49 to Westerville Central. They are 10-2 overall and 9-2 in league play.
DATE CHANGE FOR BROOKHAVEN GAME
Due to scheduling conflicts with the Columbus City League, the Scioto varsity/JV doubleheader at Columbus Brookhaven has
been moved to Wednesday, February 18, The JV game is scheduled to tip at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity game will follow at
approximately 7 p.m. These teams met twice last season. Brookhaven snapped an 18 game Irish winning streak with a 57-48
win at Scioto. The Irish returned the favor with a 61-44 win in the district final in March.
IRISH TAKE CARE OF BALL, BUSINESS
Squaring off against a defensive-minded and slower tempo Westerville North team, a patient Irish team was able to pull
away in the second half and post a 51-34 home win on Friday night.
Although the Irish shot less than 40 percent from the field for the game, they turned the ball over only 4 times and held
a 13-1 advantage in offensive rebounds. This led to a 26-10 points in the paint advantage.
Westerville North shot a higher percentage from the field than the Irish, but turned it over 17 times and only made 5-14
shots from the field in the second half. Until the final minute of play, only 6-6 forward Ralph Hill Jr. had scored in the
second half for the Warriors.
The Irish jumped out to a 17-7 first quarter lead by scoring six baskets and two free throws. Five of the baskets were
assisted and three came from beyond the three-point line.
Two consecutive Irish turnovers led to a lay-up and a Hill dunk early in the second quarter, and, the Warriors cut the
lead to 17-11. The teams traded baskets and as the half approached the Irish led 23-18.
Senior wing Eric Stamets came up with two consecutive steals to swing momentum toward the Irish. On the first he quickly
went in for a lay-up. On the second he went up for a dunk, but was fouled hard by Hill and missed. He split the free
throws for a 26-18 lead the Irish took to the locker room.
Three minutes into the third quarter, David McKinley fed Marco St. John on the low block and he scored on a very nice up
and under bucket that extended the lead to 32-20.
Hill, who led all scorers with 21 points, went on a 6-0 run of his own to cut the lead to 32-26 with less than four
minutes to go in the quarter. He hit a pair of free throws, a deep trey from the left wing and split a pair of free
throws.
Scioto then re-asserted itself with its own 7-0 run to close the quarter. Bradley McDougald went coast-to-coast after the
missed free throw and St. John had another put back after Jamare Mills took a charge on the defensive end. Mills capped
the run with a traditional three point play after the Irish spread the floor.
In the fourth quarter, the Warriors tried to apply pressure after made baskets with a zone press and used a 1-2-2 trapping
defense with the 6-6 Hill out top in the half court. Neither approach was effective, and, the Irish were able to spread
the floor and run clock. This forced the Warriors to foul and the Irish went 10-12 from the line in the quarter. The only
Irish basket came on dribble penetration and a dish to Deji Olatoye.
The win moves the Irish to 10-0 in the Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division and 14-1 overall heading into a February
3 match-up with Westerville Central. The Warhawks are 10-4 overall and 6-4 in league play. Westerville North falls to 5-5
in league play and 7-5 overall.
Leading the way in scoring for the Irish was McDougald with 15 points, including 6-7 from the charity stripe. He also had
3 steals. Olatoye was next with 9 points.
St. John had 8 points and a game high 7 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive glass. Mills had 5 points and 5 rebounds.
McKinley chipped in 5 points and a team high 3 assists to go with 3 rebounds. Rainer Duzan had 3 points and 2 assists,
while Stamets had 3 points and 2 steals. Tyler Harrell scored 2 and Destin Thomas 1 point to round out the scoring.
Hill led the Warriors with a game high 21 points. Jacob Thuman chipped in 6 and Bradley Nettles 4 in the first half. Kenny
DeBoer hit a trey late in the game for Westerville North’s only other points.
QUICK START, LATE FREE THROWS LEAD TO JV WIN
The Irish JV team jumped out to a 31-16 halftime lead and weather a couple of Westerville North runs in the fourth
quarter by hitting their free throws on the way to a 48-40 win.
Using good ball movement, the Irish were able to get good looks at the basket. They hit four first half treys as a result.
Combined with four 2 point buckets and a 5-8 performance at the free throw line they established a comfortable lead.
Westerville North ratcheted up the defense in the third quarter and held the Irish to 5 points. They were able to cut the
lead to 9 points at 36-27. Heading into the final 3 minutes they only trailed 38-34 when sophomore wing J.R. Bernans went
to the line on four consecutive possessions between 2:52 and 1:05.
He missed his first and made six consecutive tries before missing his last attempt. This helped the Irish build a 44-36
lead.
Raneal Ewing led the Irish with 15 points and was 5-6 at the free throw line. Tervon Moore chipped in 8 points and Bernans
had 7 made free throws. Max Brundige had 6 points and a team high 7 rebounds. Jacob McPheters had 5 points and a game high
4 assists. Gabe McGlone (4) and Dom Rosso (3) rounded out the scoring.
Brian Chandler led the Warriors with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
The Irish are 6-8 overall and 5-5 in OCC Cardinal play.
FROSH HOLD ON FOR 48-45 WIN
By hitting 8-12 free throws down the stretch, the Irish freshman team avenged it’s only loss thus far this season and
posted a 48-45 win over Westerville North.
Scioto trailed 33-32 heading into the fourth quarter, but took the lead for good on a Patrick Rooney lay-up with 5:27 to
go. The Irish forced the tempo and attacked the basket. Jeremie Nsumbu stole the ball following a Westerville North
defensive rebound and completed a traditional three-point play when fouled on the lay-up.
When Ryan Gibson fed Kris Simonton in transition, the Irish led 41-33 with 3:27 to go in the game. The Warriors weren’t
done though and were able to get as close as 45-42 after a made trey with 17 seconds to go. Nsumbu hit a pair of free
throws to extend the lead, but another Warriors trey cut the lead to 47-45 with 5.7 seconds to go.
Nsumbu split a pair of free throws on the following possession and a long three pointer from the Warriors glanced off the
side of the rim and backboard at the buzzer.
The win makes the Irish 10-1 overall and 9-1 in OCC Cardinal games.
Ryan Duncan led the Irish with 13 points, including 5-6 at the free throw line. Ryan Gibson joined him with 13 points and
scored in all four quarters. Nsumbu scored 10 points. Other Irish players in the scoring column were: Rooney (7),
Simonton (4) and Matt Strausbaugh (1).
WARRIORS VISIT IRISH ON FRIDAY
Scioto is in the midst of its second three game run of games against teams from Westerville this week.
The Irish will entertain Westerville North on Friday. The Warriors enter the game at 7-4 overall and 5-4 in OCC Cardinal
Division play.
On Tuesday, they had a three game league winning streak snapped in a 64-57 loss to Westerville Central. They trailed 28-27
at the half, but were outscored 16-9 in the third quarter. Ralph Hill Jr. led all scorers with 32 points.
Hill, a 6-6 junior forward, is being heavily recruited by Akron, Butler and Dayton. Other key players in the Warriors’
rotation include Kenny DeBoer, Bradley Nettles and Jacob Thuman. They own a 49-46 non-league road victory against
defending Division I state champion Newark.
Westerville North was 3-0 when these teams met in December. The Irish played an outstanding defensive game, holding the
Warriors to 6, 5 and 5 points in the first three quarters on the way to a 44-16 lead.
The final score was 52-29.
It is a tripleheader day for the Irish and the freshman game will begin at 4:30 p.m. The JV game will follow at around
6 p.m. and the varsity will tip at approximately 7:30 p.m.
NEWS AND NOTES
Doing it with defense – The Irish have held 8 of their last 10 opponents to 45 points or fewer. They gave up a season low
of 29 points against Westerville North and Mt. Vernon.
Around the OCC Cardinal Division – Three of four league contests were held on Tuesday despite a severe winter storm. In
addition to Scioto’s win over Westerville South, Olentangy Liberty beat Dublin Jerome 55-47 in overtime and Westerville
Central beat Westerville North 64-57. Marysville at Olentangy was postponed due to the weather. The Irish lead the league
race with a 9-0 record. Westerville South is next at 7-2.
Irish girls keep winning – Following a 64-41 win over second place Westerville South, the Scioto varsity girls team is
15-1 overall and 10-0 in OCC Cardinal Division play. The Lady Irish lead by three games with only four contests remaining.
Their only loss to date this season was a 61-60 OT thriller at state-ranked Delaware Hayes. The girls district tournament
draw is this weekend and they are projected to be seeded somewhere between 4-7th.
Middle school tournaments starting this weekend – The Davis Middle School boys teams will begin tournament action this
weekend. The 8th grade Irish were 12-1 through January 27 after a 56-50 win at Upper Arlington Jones. They are seeded
first in the Martin Memorial Tournament hosted by Hilliard Weaver. The 7th grade boys are also 12-1 following a 38-23
loss at Jones. They are seeded first in the Dublin Tournament that begins on Saturday.
Polls and Rankings – The Irish remain #2 behind Columbus Northland in the Columbus Dispatch Coaches Poll and ThisWeek
Newspapers Super 7. They moved up 1 spot to #11 in the Associated Press Sportswriters Division I Poll issued on Monday.
Northland leads that poll as well. Upper Arlington dropped from 7th to 10th in the poll.
Boys Tournament Draw – The Central District sectional and district tournament draws for all four divisions will be held
on February 8 at Olentangy Liberty High School. Dates and sites have already been determined. Division I sectional games
will be played February 24, 25, 27 and 28. Games will be played at Harvest Prep, Jonathan Alder, New Albany and Olentangy
Orange. The district semis and finals will be held March 7 and 14, respectively, at the Fairgrounds Coliseum. Scioto will
host Division III boys sectional tournament games on the same dates as the Division I sections.
BARN STAYS ON FIRE, IRISH WIN AT WESTERVILLE SOUTH
Better call the fire department.
The Irish played in their second consecutive barnburner on Tuesday night at Westerville South and came away with a 47-45
win that puts them squarely in the driver’s seat for the league race.
Scioto stands 9-0 in OCC Cardinal Division play and holds a two-game lead over the second place Wildcats who are now 7-2.
The Irish face league foe Westerville North at home on Friday. The Warriors are in the middle of the pack in terms of
league standings, but have shown they are capable of beating good teams by knocking off defending Division I state champ
Newark on its own floor earlier this season.
Unlike the game at home last Friday against Olentangy that featured big runs by both teams and required a bucket at the
buzzer to secure the win, Tuesday’s game was close the whole way. The Irish played good defense most of the night, but
had to ratchet it up further in the final seconds in order to secure the win.
The sequence started when Rainer Duzan split a pair of free throws with 33.8 seconds to go that gave the Irish a 47-45 lead.
The senior wing stepped up on this night when both teams were defending well. He scored 11 of his team high 17 points and
canned 5-6 free throws in the fourth quarter.
A steady defender who has a knack for deflecting balls in the passing lane and picking up steals; Duzan picked a great
night to showcase what he can do on the offensive end of the floor. In addition to the solid free throw shooting, he
nailed three treys and had an outstanding drive down the lane for a layup in the third quarter that helped the Irish cut
into a 6 point Wildcats lead. His 17 points match his high in league games set in the opener at Olentangy.
Following Duzan’s late free throw, the Wildcats worked the ball around the perimeter in order to try to get an open trey
or lane to drive to the basket.
As the clock wound down, South’s senior captain Jason Davis caught the ball deep on the right baseline and David McKinley
closed him out on a trey attempt. Davis’ contested shot went long and Ben Jones retrieved the loose ball for the Wildcats.
He got the ball to Traevon Jackson, who scored a game high 19 points, and the sophomore guard shot a 10 foot baseline jumper
from the left side that went long.
There was a scramble for the ball as the clock wound down and Jones retrieved it again. He got the ball to Davis, who
attempted a contested jumper in the lane. The shot skipped off the flange and sophomore post Jamare Mills jumped high to
secure the rebound just before the buzzer sounded.
There are five league games remaining, but the Irish showed against a solid opponent for the second consecutive game that
they have the meddle to step up the defense when necessary to secure a league win.
Westerville South had a good night beyond the arc, but still finished the game shooting only 36.2 percent overall from the
field. They were able to generate offense by having five different players nail three pointers and by snaring 12 offensive
rebounds. They only got to the free throw line 4 times and converted 2 of them.
For the most part, the Irish offense was generated by getting the ball inside and by getting to the free throw line more
frequently than the Wildcats. Scioto shot 43.2 percent from the field and made 11-16 free throws (68.8 percent).
The only other scorer in double figures for Scioto was senior post Marco St. John with 10 points. He also had 4 rebounds
and 2 steals.
Three of his buckets came on cuts to the basket fed by passes from Mills. The big sophomore had a team high 4 assists and
led the Irish in rebounding with 5. He also scored 3 points.
Bradley McDougald had 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot.
Deji Olatoye had a steady game on the defensive end with 4 rebounds and a team high 4 steals. He scored 3 points.
Eric Stamets had 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal and several deflections. David McKinley had 3 assists, 2 points,
2 rebounds, 1 steal and 0 turnovers. Tyler Harrell chipped in 1 rebound in limited action.
Joining Jackson in double figure scoring for the Wildcats was Jones with 11 points. Five other players dented the scoring
column: Jalen Robinson (4), Adrian Collins (3), Davis (3), Jonathan Jennings (3) and Olumide Olenrewaju (2).
The Irish did an especially good job defending Davis who came into the game averaging around 13 points. He scored 17
points the last time these teams played.
Jackson led the Wildcats with 5 rebounds and he had 5 assists. Davis had a game high 6 assists.
WILDCATS WIN JV GAME
The Westerville South JV team outscored the Irish 27-7 in the first quarter and beat the Irish 59-31 on Tuesday.
Scioto was able to double its scoring production in the second quarter with 14 points, but trailed 41-21 at the break. Gabe McGlone led the Irish with 12 points
and made 3 treys. Others in the scoring column were: Jacob McPheters (5), J.R. Bernans (4), Raneal Ewing (3), Max Brundige (2), Terrill Matthews (2),
Dom Rosso (2) and Mitchell Flowers (1).
The Irish are 5-8 overall and 4-5 in the OCC Cardinal Division.
TOUGH TASK IN FRONT OF IRISH
After finding a way to pull off a dramatic 65-64 win over Olentangy on Friday night, the Irish face a challenging road
game against the Westerville South Wildcats on January 27.
Since falling 62-48 to Scioto on December 12, the Wildcats have won six consecutive OCC Cardinal games and stand 10-3
overall.
They started the second half of league play on Friday with an impressive 67-52 win at Westerville Central, a team that had
won six consecutive games heading into that contest.
A Westerville South win will move the Wildcats into a first place tie, while a Scioto victory will push the Irish ahead
two games in the Cardinal Division.
The Irish and Wildcats are similar teams in that their coaches emphasize a commitment to strong team defense. They will
press and trap in order to force their opponents into mistakes that can lead to easy baskets.
Both teams like to test their opponents with the transition game on offense, and, will make the extra pass in order to get
the best possible look at the basket.
Ed Calo’s squad is led by a pair of guards. Senior Jason Davis is one of the best shooters in the league and is a steady
performer on both ends of the floor. He is headed to NAIA nationally-ranked Walsh University to continue his basketball
career. He is averaging more than 11 points a game, but scored 17 points when these teams met in December.
He is joined by sophomore Traevon Jackson who is averaging more than 13 points a game. He scored 14 in the previous
match-up and had a team high 4 rebounds.
Frontcourt players Adrian Collins, Tevin Favor and Olamide Olanrewaju all average more than 7 points a game. It is not
unusual for the Wildcats to insert 10 or more players into the lineup on a given night.
The Wildcats are a relatively young team with only a few seniors on the roster. They are, however, familiar with playing
winning basketball as the program won a district championship last season, dropped the Irish in the regional semi-final
and took eventual state champion Newark to the wire in the regional finals.
The game is a tripleheader involving all three levels. The freshman game is slated to tip at 4:30 p.m., while the JV game
will follow at around 6 p.m. and the varsity game at 7:30 p.m.
ALUMNI UPDATES RECEIVED
Updates were received from alumni Al Kamara (1997), Ish Kamara (1999) and Aaron DiCenzo (1998). Visit the alumni page to see what they are up to
these days!
FANTASTIC FINISH ENABLES IRISH TO WIN 65-64
In a game that will be remembered by players, coaches and fans of both teams for a long time, Bradley McDougald’s contested transition three at the buzzer
earned the Irish a 65-64 victory over the Olentangy Braves at home on Friday night.
McDougald rebounded a missed Olentangy free throw with 4.4 seconds to go and drove the length of the floor for the shot. The buzzer sounded as the ball
floated in the air and capped a game that was almost like a Hollywood movie in terms of twists and turns.
How unusual was this one? Well, only in the movies would a game have one team ahead by 24 points early, see it trailing by 7 points with 3:36 to go in the
game and score a winning basket at the buzzer that gave the Zutti Zone student section cause to rush the floor and celebrate.
As it turned out, the script was written for Irish fans on this night, but the Braves were a worthy opponent who fought valiantly and deserved a better
fate.
Scioto raced out to a 24-0 lead and Olentangy didn’t score until a put back by 6-7 Raphael Carter-Nowling in the waning seconds of the first quarter. The
quick start was fueled by three pointers – four of them made by David McKinley and another by McDougald.
Yet the Braves played like a desperate, veteran team in search of a win to stay alive in the league race. This group of gritty players scratched back into
the game in the second quarter by outscoring the Irish 22-15. Momentum had clearly swung in their favor.
They got it done on the strength of solid play by Carter-Nowling, wing Alex Tracy and forward Matt Huter. The trio scored a total of 21 points in the
first half and they only trailed 39-24.
McKinley matched the Olentangy trio with 21 points in the half, as he tied the school record for made three pointers with 7. Other Irish players in the
scoring column were Deji Olatoye (8), Jamare Mills (7) and McDougald (3).
Scioto still led 46-36 part way through the third quarter, but began to turn the ball over against Olentangy’s press. An active and supportive Braves
cheering section helped fuel the rally when it seemed like everything the team shot was going in the basket. The Braves were 13-19 from the field in the
second half, including 5-8 from beyond the three-point line.
When Tracy and senior guard Dayjon Baugh scored off steals the Braves only trailed 48-46. Tracy hit a floater in the final minute to give the Braves their
first lead at 51-50. The score was tied at the end of the quarter after Marco St. John split a pair of free throws.
The Irish scored first in the final stanza, but the Braves went on a 10-1 run to move ahead 61-54 with 3:36 to go in the game. At this point, it looked
like the Irish might lose on their home floor for the first time since a non-league loss to Columbus Brookhaven last season.
But, they began to feed the ball inside with enough success to score or get to the free throw line.
And, the Irish team defense caused six Olentangy turnovers in the last quarter. This helped key a rally that put them in a position to make it interesting
at the end.
St. John got it going by splitting a pair of free throws. Olatoye stole the ball at midcourt and fed a streaking Eric Stamets for a lay-up that cut the
lead to 61-57 with less than three minutes to go.
The Irish had consecutive steals in which they had an opportunity to cut further into the lead, but a pair of missed free throws and a turnover on what
looked like an easy lay-up left the Braves with the ball and a four point lead with 1:46 to go.
McDougald split a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 61-58. He stole the ball and fed Olatoye who was fouled with 1:23 to go. He hit the first to cut
the lead to 61-59. Olentangy rebounded the miss and after having a difficult time advancing the ball, they called time with 1:11 to go.
The intensity on the floor was matched by noise in the gymnasium – veteran Irish basketball observers said it was louder than anytime since the 2000-01
season when the Irish won the OCC Cardinal Division. It stayed that way for the rest of the game.
Olentangy spread the floor and proved able to avoid Irish traps until St. John had to foul Olentangy’s Mitchell Gerberd with 38.7 seconds to go. He canned
both free throws for a 63-59 lead.
The Irish moved the ball around the perimeter trying to get an open trey, until McDougald took one from the top of the key that went off the right side of
the rim.
Stamets, giving up six inches in height, found a way to snag the rebound from Carter-Nowling and fed Olatoye on the other side of the basket for an easy
lay-up. This was a big play in terms of keeping the Irish alive and following the make, they called time with 22.8 seconds to go.
They pressured the inbound and McKinley was able to foul Baugh with less than two seconds going off the clock. The strategy worked as the front end of the
1+1 missed and the Irish rebounded with 21.0 seconds to go.
The Irish looked for a good shot from the perimeter, but as the clock wound down McKinley had to drive the lane. He missed a contested runner in heavy
traffic, but Olatoye snared a rebound and was fouled with 6.5 seconds remaining.
He sank the first free throw to cut the lead to 63-62, but missed the second. McDougald quickly fouled Girberd following the rebound and the Braves headed
to the line with 4.4 seconds to go.
Girberd hit nothing but the bottom of the net on the first free throw for a 64-62 lead.
The second attempt hit off the iron and McDougald raced down court. He avoided a steal at midcourt and put up the contested trey from the top of the key
as the clock wound down to zero. The buzzer sounded as the ball floated in the air and the Zutti Zone stormed the floor to celebrate.
Scioto moves to 8-0 in OCC Cardinal play and stand 12-1 overall following the victory. There will be little time to savor this one, though, as they head
to 7-1 Westerville South on Tuesday, January 27 with the league lead on the line.
The classy, hard working Braves fell to 3-5 in the OCC Cardinal and are 6-6 overall. They are a talented team who deserved a better fate on this night
after scrambling back into the game. Expect them to make some noise during the remainder of the league season. They will be a tough out in the Central
District tournament.
With the second half shooting performance, Olentangy ended up at 55 percent from the field for the game. They outrebounded the Irish 30-22.
The Irish shot 44 percent from the field in both halves. They were 15-25 at the free throw line, but only 8-17 in the second half.
Scioto had an advantage in the turnover battle with only 12 compared to Olentangy’s 20. The Irish had 11 steals, compared to the Braves’ 5.
Individually, McKinley led all scorers with 24 points – all coming on three-point field goals. He chipped in 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 0
turnovers. He also had a crucial tie-up of Carter-Nowling late in the fourth quarter when the Braves center was headed in for a lay-up in transition.
Olatoye was steady throughout with 18 points, scoring 4 in each of the first three quarters and 6 in the final quarter. He had team highs of 6 rebounds,
4 steals and 3 assists. St. John also had 3 assists for the Irish.
The game winner gave McDougald 11 points on the night and he chipped in 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Mills had 8 points, 3 rebounds and an assist.
Also scoring for the Irish were St. John (2 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound) and Stamets (2 points, 2 steals, 1 rebound, 1 assist). Rainer Duzan did not
score, but contributed 2 rebounds, 2 assists and steady defense.
Tracy led Olentangy with 19 points. Carter-Nowling had 16 points and a game high 9 rebounds. Other Braves who scored were: Baugh (12), Girberd (8), Matt
Huter (6) and Newman (3).
STRONG 4TH QUARTER PROPELS JVS TO WIN
The Irish JV squad locked down on defense and had four different players score in the fourth quarter in order to earn a 31-24 win over Olentangy.
Scioto led heading into the 4th quarter, but the Olentangy scored first and led for the first time in the game at 24-23. Neither team was able to score in
the next three minutes.
Jacob McPheters, who scored a game high 14 points, switched momentum back to the Irish with an outstanding drive and finish. He made the lay-up and was
fouled. When he canned the free throw, the Irish had a 26-24 lead they would not relinquish.
Max Brundige extended the lead to 28-24 of a great transition feed from Gabe McGlone with 1:24 to go in the game. The Irish continued to defend well and
were able to run clock by spreading the floor.
J.R. Bernans hit the first of a 1+1 with 20.4 seconds to go and the Irish led 29-24. Raneal Ewing rebounded a missed Olentangy trey with 9.5 seconds to
go and hit both ends of the 1+1 to round out the scoring.
McPheters scored in all four quarters and was 3-3 at the line to yield 14 points. Also in the Irish scoring column: Brundige (6), McGlone (4), Jordan
Emerson (2), Ewing (2), Tervon Moore (2) and Bernans (1).
The Irish are 5-7 overall and 4-4 in OCC Cardinal Division games.
FROSH EARN OT VICTORY AGAINST BRAVES
The Irish frosh extended their winning streak to five games with a 44-40 overtime victory against Olentangy in the first game of a tripleheader on Friday.
The overtime started slowly with no points scored in the first minute, but Patrick Rooney gave the Irish a lead they would never relinquish by picking up a
loose ball on the right wing and canning a three pointer with 1:45 to go that made the score 39-36.
Both teams missed free throws on ensuing possessions and Olentangy was able to cut the lead to 39-38 after an offensive rebound.
Jeremie Nsumbu split a pair of free throws for a 40-38 lead with 30.9 seconds to go. And, he hit a pair of free throws with 11.2 seconds to go for a 42-38
lead. The Irish had regained possession after a big defensive rebound by Jamyl Copeland.
Olentangy scored an uncontested lay-up with 2.5 seconds to go to cut the lead to 42-40. Nsumbu was fouled again with 0.1 seconds and made both free
throws for the final margin.
Nsumbu led the Irish in scoring with 15 points, including 5-6 free throws in overtime. Kris Simonton had 7 points, all coming in the third quarter.
Rooney also had 7 points. Other players in the scoring column were: Copeland (6), Ryan Duncan (4), Austin Mooney (3) and Matt Strausbaugh (2).
The Irish are 8-1 overall and 7-1 in OCC Cardinal Division games.
SECOND TIME THROUGH MEANS TOUGH GAMES
Its crunch time for all the teams in the Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division because Friday night begins the second round of league play.
High school basketball followers in Central Ohio generally agree that the OCC is a coaches league. At this point in the season all teams have seen each
other at least once and have plenty of film and scouting reports to help them prepare every time out.
There is a greater sense of urgency as well, because the Central District Tournament seeding meeting will take place in less than three weeks. Teams are
jockeying for position in league play and attempting to earn as favorable a seed as possible.
With that in mind, the Irish will host the Olentangy Braves on January 23. The teams met in Olentangy’s season opener and both teams’ league opener on
December 9. The Irish came away with a hard fought 73-59 victory.
In that game the Irish built a 20 point second half lead, but saw the Braves go on an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 49-40 late in the third quarter. Scioto
responded with a 7-0 run to extend the lead to 56-40 and were never headed.
The Braves are led by senior sharpshooter Mitchell Girberd who is averaging about 15 points a game and has nailed 33 treys on the season. Sharing in the
scoring load for the Braves are Alex Tracy (11 ppg), Dayjon Baugh (8 ppg), Raphael Carter-Nowling (8 ppg) and Matt Huter (8 ppg). After the loss to Scioto
they ripped off five consecutive wins, but are trying to find themselves following three consecutive losses. They are 6-5 overall and 3-4 in the Cardinal
Division.
Scioto comes into this game on an 8 winning streak. The Irish are 11-1 overall and 7-0 in league play.
The freshman game is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. The JV game is expected to tip at around 6 p.m. and the varsity game at 7:30 p.m.
NEWS AND NOTES
Around the Cardinal Division – Westerville South won its fifth consecutive league game with a 62-52 win at home against Olentangy Liberty last Friday.
The Wildcats are 6-1 and trail Scioto by one game heading into the second half of league play. Westerville North turned in another solid defensive game and
dropped Olentangy 52-42. In their last three league games the Warriors have given up an average of 41.3 points a game. Westerville Central rallied in the
second half and won at home against Jerome, 69-57. The Warhawks trailed by 9 at the half.
Cardinal Division Preview For January 23 – Westerville Central will put its six game winning streak on the line when they host Westerville South this week.
The Wildcats won 78-72 when these teams tangled early this season. Other league games include Westerville North at Jerome and Liberty at Marysville.
Poll Updates – The Irish retained the number 2 ranking in both the Columbus Dispatch Coaches and ThisWeek Newspapers Super 7 polls, and moved up five
spots in the Associated Press Division I State Poll issued on Monday.
Columbus Northland is ranked number 1 in all three polls.
In the Dispatch poll, Northland earned all 7 first place votes and the maximum total of 98 points. The Irish are second with 84 points. Others are: Grove
City (56), Dublin Coffman (46), Newark (44), Upper Arlington (38) and Columbus Beechcroft (18).
Following Northland and Scioto in the ThisWeek Newspapers Super 7 is Grove City, Newark, DeSales, Coffman and Upper Arlington.
Northland doubled its number of first place votes in the Associated Press Division I State Poll and has a comfortable lead over Cincinnati Moeller. Upper
Arlington fell from 2nd to 7th after a 49-44 loss at Coffman last Friday. The Irish moved up from 17th to 12th in this week’s poll.
Davis Middle School teams stayed hot as both won rivalry games on Jan 22 over Dublin Sells. The 8th Grade is now 11-1, while the 7th Grade remained perfect
at 12-0.
INSIDE PRESENCE LEADS TO IRISH WIN
Scioto posted its 8th consecutive win by taking advantage of a bigger, strong frontcourt against Columbus St. Charles in a
64-37 road win on Tuesday night.
Playing on one of the smallest high school floors in central Ohio, which provides little opportunity for the usual
offensive spacing, it was a necessity to work the ball inside.
And, that’s what the Irish did as evidenced by a 40-12 advantage with points in the paint. They also took used their
height and strength to outrebound the Cardinals 45-32.
The Irish set the tone early by scoring four put back buckets after offensive rebounds in the first quarter. Coupled with
four other assisted baskets and a pair of free throws, they led 19-6 after one quarter.
A minute and a half into the second quarter, the Irish led 24-8 and St. Charles called its third timeout. The Cardinals
settled in and remained within striking distance at the half at 28-14 thanks to some missed Irish free throws.
While the offense slowed down a bit in the second quarter, the Irish defense remained strong throughout the first half. In
their last two games, St. Charles put up 37 first half points against state-ranked Columbus DeSales and 30 points against
Worthington Kilbourne. Against the Irish, though they shot less than 40 percent from the field, including 0-6 from beyond
the arc.
Nine different Irish players scored in the third quarter and it enabled them to build a 51-26 lead heading into the final
stanza. From there, they cruised to the final margin.
Marco St. John led the Irish with game highs of 20 points, 15 rebounds and 3 steals. He also chipped in 2 assists.
Bradley McDougald was next with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. He shared game high honors for the latter category
with David McKinley.
Other Irish players who scored were: Jamare Mills (9), Rainer Duzan (6), McKinley (5), Deji Olatoye (4), Eric Stamets (4)
and Tyler Harrell (1). Playing, but not scoring were Destin Thomas, Jason Reinick, Raneal Ewing, J.R. Bernans and Jacob
McPheters.
Jourdan Wickliffe led St. Charles with 11 points. Dane McLoughlin added 10 points and 8 rebounds.
The victory leaves the Irish at 11-1 overall heading into a January 23 home match-up against Olentangy. The Irish opened
OCC Cardinal play against the Braves in December and came home with a 73-59 victory.
JVs UNABLE TO GET UNTRACKED IN 48-32 LOSS
The Irish JV squad was unable to get untracked on the offensive end of the floor and fell 48-32 to St. Charles.
The Cardinals sprinted out to a 25-11 halftime lead and extended it to 33-13 at the end of the third quarter. The Irish
outscored the Cardinals 19-15 in the fourth quarter.
Raneal Ewing led the Irish with 12 points and 2 rebounds. Other Irish players in the scoring column were: Tervon Moore (6),
Terrill Matthews (4), Jacob McPheters (4), J.R. Bernans (2), Jordan Emerson (2) and Dom Rosso (2).
The Irish JVs are back in action on Friday night, a team they beat 51-50 in December.
DAVIS TEAMS STAY HOT!!
The Davis 7th Grade team remained undefeated AT 11-0 with a double overtime win over Heritage.
The 8th grade also won to improve to 10-1.
IRISH JUMP ON MONARCHS EARLY IN 69-31 WIN
A quick start fueled by defensive pressure and getting the ball inside to frontcourt players led the Irish to a 69-31 OCC Cardinal victory over league
foe Marysville.
Half of the Irish buckets in the 21-0 first quarter were assisted and two others came as a result of steals in the backcourt. Senior guard Bradley
McDougald scored 9 on his game high 15 points in the first quarter.
Senior guard Destin Thomas hit the only long range shot of the quarter, a deep trey from the left wing on a kick out pass from Jamare Mills.
It was more of the same in the second quarter with five different Irish players scoring baskets inside or getting themselves to the free throw line.
Senior guard David McKinley hit two consecutive treys in the quarter, both coming on post feeds from Mills. Always active senior wing Eric Stamets had a
crowd pleasing blocked shot in front of the student section and pep band.
The Irish led 37-4 at the half with 8 of 10 varsity players hitting the scoring column. As a team, they were 10-11 at the free throw line in the first half.
In the second half, the Monarchs were able to put some points on the board with interior passing and a few timely made three pointers.
The Irish continued to spread the scoring around and in the fourth quarter several JV regulars saw extended varsity action, including Raneal Ewing who had a nice
drive to the bucket and Jacob McPheters who hit a baseline trey just before the buzzer.
As noted, McDougald led all scorers with 15 points. The balanced Irish scoring attack included points from: Mills (10), McKinley (9), Tyler Harrell (7),
Marco St. John (6), Deji Olatoye (5), Stamets (5), Rainer Duzan (4), McPheters (3), Thomas (3) and Ewing (2). Also seeing action were Jason Reinick,
J.R. Bernans and Terrill Matthews.
The victory extends the varsity winning streak to 7 games heading into a match-up on Tuesday, January 20 at Columbus St. Charles. The Irish are 10-1
overall and 7-0 in OCC Cardinal Division play.
Unofficial Box Score
Marysville 0-04-14-13 31
Scioto 21-16-18-14 69
Marysville: Morris 4-0-11, Short 2-2-6, Waite 2-0-5, Romesburg 2-0-4, Devine 1-1-3, Coburn 1-0-2.
3-point goals: Morris 3, Waite.
Totals: 12-3-31.
Scioto: McDougald 5-5-15, Mills 4-2-10, McKinley 3-0-9, Harrell 3-1-7, St. John 2-2-6, Olatoye 2-1-5, Stamets 2-1-5, Duzan 0-4-4, McPheters 1-0-3,
Thomas 1-0-3, Ewing 1-0-2.
3-point goals: McKinley 3, Thomas, McPheters.
Totals: 24-16-69.
MARYSVILLE RUN IN MIDDLE QUARTERS DIFFERENCE IN JV GAME
An 11-0 run that bridged the second and third quarters allowed the Marysville JV team to post a 45-34 win on Friday night.
The Irish got off to a decent start on both ends of the floor and led 18-16 midway through the second quarter. They were fueled offensively by a pair of
treys and a free throw by Jacob McPheters, another trey by Raneal Ewing and three free throws by J.R. Bernans.
Marysville was much more aggressive on the glass as a team and were able to score consistently on put backs while limiting Scioto’s second chance point
opportunities.
Scioto made a couple of mini-runs of their own that cut the lead to 6 points on two occasions, but Marysville always responded with enough scoring of
their own to manage the lead and claim the victory.
Ewing was the leading scorer for the Irish with 10 points. He was followed by Bernans (8) and McPheters (7). Also scoring were Gabe McGlone (5) and
Terrill Matthews (4).
Marysville was led in scoring by Trevor Morris with 11 points. Other Monarch scorers were: Braden Short (6), Michael Waite (5), Mike Romesburg (4), Paul
Devine (3) and Chris Coburn (2).
The Irish are now 4-6 overall and 3-4 in league play. They are back in action with the varsity on Tuesday at Columbus St. Charles.
FROSH EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO FOUR GAMES
A 9-0 run to start the third quarter allowed the Irish freshman to take control of a close game against Marysville on the way to a 43-25 victory.
Scioto held Marysville under 10 points in all four quarters on their way to the victory. On a night when the shots weren’t falling consistently for either
team, the Irish headed to the line 19 times and converted 14.
The Irish led 18-14 at the break and didn’t take full advantage of the charity stripe by hitting only 7-12. In the second half, they were a perfect 7-7.
Jeremie Nsumbu led all scorers with 10 points and was 6-6 at the line. Kris Simonton was next and scored all 7 of his points in the decisive third quarter,
including a traditional three-point play to cap the 9-0 run and give the Irish a 27-14 lead midway through the period.
Other Irish scorers were: Jamyl Copeland (7),Tyler Flaherty (5), Ryan Gibson (4), Patrick Rooney (4) Ryan Duncan (3) and Austin Mooney (3).
The freshmen are 7-1 overall and 6-1 in OCC Cardinal play. They will be back in action on Friday, January 23 at home against Olentangy. The Irish won the
first match-up in Lewis Center by a final score of 50-43.
Score by Quarters
Marysville 08-06-04-07 25
Scioto 10-08-11-14 43
IRISH FINISH FIRST HALF OF OCC PLAY THIS FRIDAY AGAINST MARYSVILLE
The Irish will complete the first round of OCC Cardinal Division play with a home game against the Marysville Monarchs on Friday, January 16.
It will be Davis Middle School night at Scioto and the boys 7th and 8th grade teams will be introduced at halftime of the varsity game. Currently, the 8th
grade squad is 8-1 and the 7th graders are 9-0.
Thus far this season, the Monarchs and Irish are headed different directions. Marysville is 2-8 overall and looking for its first league win. Scioto is
undefeated in league play at 6-0 and 9-1 overall.
Marysville is led by guards Jon Fridley (5-10 SR) and Trevor Morris (6-1 JR), forward Mike Romesburg (6-5 JR) and, center Braden Short (6-4 SR). In their
last outing, the Monarchs fell 64-51 to Bellefontaine. Short led them in scoring with 16 points and Romesburg added 12.
The freshman game is scheduled to tip at 4:30 p.m. followed by the JV and Varsity games.
NEWS AND NOTES
Around the OCC Cardinal.
Scioto leads the division at 6-0 and is trailed closely by Westerville South at 5-1. The Wildcats’ only league loss was 62-48 at Scioto on December 12.
Westerville Central, Olentangy and Westerville North are all 3-3 in league play. In addition to Marysville, two other Cardinal Division teams had
non-league games on January 13. Westerville Central blitzed Columbus St. Charles, a future Irish opponent, 97-62. And, Olentangy Liberty dropped Delaware
County rival Buckeye Valley 69-49..
Two remaining non-league games.
In addition to the eight remaining OCC Cardinal games, the Irish will hit the road to face Columbus St. Charles on January 20 and Columbus Brookhaven on
February 17. The Cardinals are 3-5 heading into games with Columbus DeSales and Worthington Kilbourne this weekend. Brookhaven posted an impressive win on
Tuesday night, knocking #11 state-ranked Columbus Beechcroft from the ranks of the unbeaten with an 84-65 win. The Bearcats have played a tough non-league
schedule and are 5-4 overall..
Other Irish non-league opponents and their current records are: North Canton Hoover (6-1), Mt. Vernon (7-2), Columbus Independence (5-4) and Worthington
Kilbourne (1-8).
Irish make second appearance on Time Warner Game of the Week.
Last Friday’s game at Jerome was recorded for on-demand broadcast by Time Warner Sports. Irish fans who are Time Warner customers can see replays of the
60-53 Irish win sometime this week by visiting Channel 1111 and selecting the game from the high school sports menu..
In that game, the Irish broke the single game team record for three-point field goal percentage by canning 8-10 shots for 80 percent. This broke the
previous percentage record set against Watkins Memorial in 1996 and tied against the same team in 2007..
POLLS AND RANKINGS
There are now three different polls/rankings involving area teams.
In the Columbus Dispatch Coaches Poll released on Tuesday, the Irish continued at #2 behind Northland. The Division I rankings/teams/records and votes as
of Tuesday morning are:.
1. Northland (7) 7-0 98
2. Dublin Scioto 9-1 80
3. Upper Arlington 10-0 56
4. Grove City 8-1 52
5. Newark 9-2 48
6 Beechcroft 8-0 36
7. Dublin Coffman 8-1 12
The Irish also remained #2 in the This Weeks Newspapers Super 7 poll that includes all divisions. Northland is #1 in that poll. Following the Irish in
order of ranking: Columbus DeSales, Upper Arlington, Grove City, Newark and Beechcroft.
The first Associated Press State Boys Basketball Poll of writers and broadcasters was released on Monday evening and Columbus Northland is ranked #1 in
Division I. The Vikings garnered 12 of 27 first place votes. Undefeated Upper Arlington was ranked #2. Other area teams earning votes in Division I were
Beechcroft at #11, Newark at #16 and Scioto at #21.
HOT SHOOTING, STRONG FIRST HALF DEFENSE LEAD TO IRISH VICTORY
In the first ever league match-up against crosstown rival Jerome, the Irish varsity rode hot outside shooting and a solid
defensive effort in the first half to a 60-53 win on Friday night.
Scioto was 8-10 from beyond the three point line in the game. The 80 percent success rate breaks the team record of
63.5 percent set in 1995 and tied in 2007 against Watkins Memorial.
Six of the treys came in the first half as the Irish broke out to a 37-19 lead. The Irish were able to get good looks
at the basket by moving the ball well and making the extra pass. The Irish had 10 of their 15 assists in the first
half.
Defensively, they held Jerome to 7 points in the second quarter and 19 points the half in part due to forcing 9
turnovers.
Jerome concentrated on denying the outside shot in the third quarter and the Irish scored 8 of their 11 points inside
the paint to take a 48-33 lead into the final quarter.
The Irish spread the floor in the fourth quarter and when they missed shots, the Celtics got some opportunities in
transition. They hit a few treys in the last couple of minutes of the game, including one just before the buzzer that
yielded the final score.
For the game, the Irish hit 19-38 field goals and 14-24 free throws. They were outrebounded 25-24 and each team had
11 turnovers.
Leading the way in scoring for the Irish was David McKinley with 17 points. He hit all four trey attempts he took
in the first half and finished the game 5-6 beyond the arc. He had 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
Deji Olatoye scored 13 points and had a team high 6 rebounds. Rainer Duzan had 11 points, a team high four assists and
2 steals.
Also in the scoring column were Bradley McDougald (9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Marco St. John (7 points,
5 rebounds, 3 assists) and Jamare Mills (3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist).
The Irish are now 9-1 overall and 6-0 in the OCC Cardinal. They have won six games in a row and next play against
Marysville at home on Friday, January 16.
JV SQUAD RALLIES IN CLOSE LOSS TO JEROME
Trailing by 9 points entering the fourth quarter, the Irish JV squad rallied and had a chance to win at the buzzer
before falling 51-49 to Jerome.
The Irish were scoreless in the third quarter and trailed 36-27 entering the final stanza. They closed to 43-41 when
Max Brundige rebounded his own missed free throw and stuck in a putback midway through the fourth quarter. Jerome
responded with a 5-0 run to extend the lead to 48-41.
Jacob McPheters hit a trey on a feed from Dom Rosso to cut the lead to 48-44 and Raneal Ewing hit another with 1:30 to
go to close to 48-47. Jerome scored a bucket to make it 50-47.
The Irish had two chances to tie, but missed trey attempts. Jerome’s Shea Wilson hit the first of two free throws and
Jerome got the offensive rebound. McPheters stole the ball and hit a runner in the lane to cut the lead to 51-49
with 5.6 seconds to go and the Irish called time.
On the ensuing inbounds play, Ewing stole a three quarter length pass and got the ball to Terrill Matthews. He found
McPheters open on the left wing for a long trey attempt that hit the back of the iron at the buzzer.
McPheters (7), Mitchell Flowers (4), Gabe McGlone (3), J.R. Bernans (2) and Rosso (2). Ewing had a game high 7
rebounds and Bernans chipped in with 5. McPheters had 3 steals, and Ewing and Moore had 2 assists each.
The Irish are 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the Cardinal Division.
SECOND HALF SURGE SPURS FRESHMEN
Outscoring Jerome 27-13 in the second half, the Irish freshmen cruised to a 54-34 OCC Cardinal win over Jerome.
They led 27-21 at the half, but went on a 7-0 run in the first four minutes of the third quarter to build a double
digit lead. Jerome stayed close for a while by hitting three consecutive treys in the third quarter.
The Irish won all four quarters in the game and closed it with a 14-4 fourth quarter. They are 6-1 overall and 5-1 in
the Cardinal Division.
Sharing game high scoring honors were Jamyl Copeland and Tyler Flaherty with 13 points. Also in the scoring column
were: Jeremie Nsumbu (10), Gabe McGlone (6), Ryan Duncan (4), Ryan Gibson (4), Kevin McMahon (2) and Kris Simonton (2).
Earlier in the week, the Irish edged Olentangy Liberty 40-36 in a game that was close all the way. Nsumbu was the leading
scorer with 12. Flaherty chipped in 10 points. Also scoring for the Irish: Copeland (9), McGlone (5), Duncan (2) and
Simonton (2).
FUNDAMENTALS LEAD TO WIN OVER LIBERTY
Scioto used defense, solid rebounding, interior passing and made most of their free throws in putting together a workmanlike
58-35 win over OCC Cardinal Division foe Olentangy Liberty at home on Tuesday.
A suffocating Irish defense held Liberty to zero three-point attempts in the first half and the Patriots finished the
game 0-7 from long range. They were averaging 6 made three-pointers per game in four previous league outings.
In addition to defending the perimeter well, the Irish came up with 9 steals and forced 18 turnovers. They held a 31-15
rebounding advantage for the game and made 11-14 free throws.
The victory extended the Irish winning streak to 5 games and leaves them 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the Cardinal Division.
Liberty fell to 4-4 and 2-3 in league play.
Leading the way in the scoring column for the Irish was senior wing Eric Stamets with 11 points. He had 3 rebounds and
2 assists. Also scoring in double figures were Bradley McDougald and Marco St. John with 10 points.
McDougald and sophomore post Jamare Mills had led the way with 6 rebounds apiece. Mills chipped in 5 points.
Senior David McKinley returned to the lineup after sitting out the Mt. Vernon game due to injury and had 5 points, 4
rebounds, 2 steals and a game high 4 assists.
Deji Olatoye had 6 points, 3 rebounds and a team high 3 steals. Other Irish players in the scoring column included
Raneal Ewing and Tyler Harrell with 4, and, Rainer Duzan with 3.
Leading the way in scoring for the Patriots was Will Cheesman with 9 points. Others who scored for Liberty were:
Michael Fries (8), Michael O’Neill (7), Matt Napier (6), Tommy Waterwash (3) and Zach Michael (2). O’Neill and Napier
led in rebounding with 3 apiece. Five different players had 1 assist each. Cheesman and O’Neill were credited with
3 steals.
JVS USE STRONG SECOND HALF TO BEAT LIBERTY 43-31
Although trailing by 1 point at the half, the Irish JV team outscored Liberty 27-14 in the second half and earned a 43-31
victory.
The Irish JVs evened their season record at 4-4 with the victory and are 3-2 in OCC Cardinal Division games.
Both teams had double digit turnovers, but the Irish were able to shoot almost 60 percent from the field. They had a
21-16 rebounding edge over the visitors.
Seven different players scored for the Irish, led by Raneal Ewing with 16. Others in the scoring column were: Gabe
McGlone (7), Jacob McPheters (7), Max Brundige (6), J.R. Bernans (3), Terrill Matthews (2) and Mitchell Flowers (2).
Brundige had game high 7 rebounds. Ewing led the way with 3 assists, followed by McPheters with 2. Tervon Moore paced
the Irish with 3 steals.
The leading scorer for Liberty was Jimmy Waterwash with 12. Nick Archer had 10 points.
IRISH CLOSE STRONG TO DROP MR. VERNON
An 8-0 run to close the game that built on a strong defensive performance earned the Irish a 41-29 win over Mt. Vernon
on Friday night.
Both teams use defense as a signature of their programs. Mt. Vernon came into the game allowing only 44.0 and Scioto 42.5
points a game. So the low score was not a surprise to Irish fans, although at times this one seemed more like a
bake-off than a basketball game. Both teams ended up with more than 20 turnovers on the night.
Still, the Irish held Mt. Vernon to less than 30 percent shooting, outrebounded them 31-17 and had 16 steals.
Scioto was able to get the ball inside against the Yellow Jackets, leading to a game high 18 points for 6-6 sophomore
post Jamare Mills. He was 4-6 at the free throw line and six of his seven baskets came on assists. 6-3 senior post M
arco St. John was the only other Irish player in double figures with 10 points, including a sterling 6-6 from the free
throw line.
Mt. Vernon was led by senior guard Ben Severns with 15 points, but no other Yellow Jacket scored more than 4. Senior
guard Cuy Sheffield, who came into the game averaging almost 16 points, was held scoreless.
In a script similar to the last game at Columbus Independence, Scioto got off to a quick start. They led 9-0 less than
three minutes into the game after Deji Olatoye stole the ball and completed a three-point play on a contested dunk.
Mt. Vernon didn’t score until a pair of Charlie Phillips free throws at 2:58, but closed to 11-5 on a Severns baseline
trey just before the buzzer.
Neither team was able to take care of the ball very well in the second quarter and it showed in the scoring. The
Yellow Jackets outscored the Irish 6-4 and trailed 15-11 at the half. The teams combined for 27 turnovers in the first
half.
The Irish took an 18-13 early in the third quarter on an Eric Stamets trey on a feed from Bradley McDougald, but the
Yellow Jackets’ Severns answered on the other end of the floor to make it 18-16.
Mt. Vernon never led, but was able to tie the Irish at 20 when Severns made two of three free throws at 5:02.
At that point the Irish went on a 7-0 spurt that gave them a lead they would never relinquish.
The Yellow Jackets made two more mini-runs in the game. The first was fueled by a pair of Severns free throws to end
the third quarter and a trey early in the fourth to cut the lead to 27-25 with 7:02 to go.
Mills responded with a bucket on the next possession and McDougald scored a layup following a steal by Rainer Duzan
that gave the Irish a 31-25 lead. St. John scored on a feed from Duzan and the Irish led 33-25 with 3:12 to go.
Mt. Vernon’s junior post Joe Scott scored the next four points on a layup and a pair of free throws that followed an
Irish turnover. The Irish led 33-29 as the clock wound down toward two minutes.
The Irish passed the ball effectively on their next possession with Duzan finding an open Stamets who dumped it inside
to Mills for an easy layup and 35-29 lead.
Following turnovers by each team, the Irish rebounded a Mt. Vernon air ball and as they spread the floor to run clock
St. John was fouled. He made both ends of the 1+1 with 57.8 seconds to go to build the lead to 37-29 and, following
another turnover; he canned two more free throws for a 39-29 lead.
Mills was fouled on the rebound of another Mt. Vernon miss and split a pair of free throws for the final margin.
In addition to Mills and St. John, other Irish players who scored were: McDougald, 4; Stamets, 4; Olatoye, 3; Duzan, 1;
and Tyler Harrell, 1. Playing, but not scoring was Destin Thomas.
Mills was also the leading Irish rebounder with 6 boards. McDougald chipped in 5, while Stamets and Olatoye had 4
apiece.
McDougald led the way with 4 assists. Stamets had 5 steals and Duzan chipped in 4.
The victory extends the Irish winning streak to five games and they are 7-1 overall. They stand alone atop the OCC
Cardinal Division at 4-0 and return to league play next week with a home game on January 6 against Olentangy Liberty
and a visit to cross-town rival Dublin Jerome on January 9.
UNOFFICIAL BOX SCORE
Mt Vernon 5-6-11-7 29
Scioto 11-4-12-14 41
Mt Vernon: Severns, 4-4-15; Bein, 2-04; Scott, 1-2-4; Doup, 1-0-2; Glibert, 1-0-2; Phillips, 0-2-2.
3 point goals: Severns (3)
Totals: 9-8-29
Scioto: Mills, 7-4-18; St. John, 2-6-10; McDougald, 1-2-4; Stamets, 1-1-4; Olatoye, 1-1-3; Duzan, 0-1-1;
Harrell, 0-1-1.
3 point goals: Stamets (1).
Totals: 12-16-41
JVS DROP CLOSE ONE TO YELLOW JACKETS
In a game that was close from start to finish, the Irish JV squad lost 43-41 to Mt. Vernon on Friday.
Scioto led by two at the half and by one at the end of the third quarter, but was outscored 12-9 for the final margin.
Wing J.R. Bernans scored in every quarter and led the Irish with 13 points. Two other Irish players scored in double figures
as Raneal Ewing had 12 and Max Brundige had 10 points. Also scoring for the Irish was: Jacob McPheters (3),
Gabe McGlone (2) and Tervon Moore (1).
The JV team falls to 3-4 overall and is 2-2 in the OCC Cardinal.
JACKETS ARRIVE IN DUBLIN ON A ROLL
While it will be nice for the Irish to get back home on January 2 after four consecutive road games, they will face a
Mount Vernon team that is on a roll.
The veteran Yellow Jackets extended their winning streak to four games with a convincing 58-28 win over the River View
Black Bears on Tuesday. They are 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the OCC Capital Division. Their lone loss - 54-50 to Olentangy
Orange - came at home in the second game of the season.
Irish fans are familiar with Mount Vernon as the teams have squared off every season since Scioto opened. Last year,
Scioto traveled to "The Hive" and came home with a 60-48 win. The Irish built a small lead in the third quarter and
made it stand up by nailing most of their free throws in the fourth quarter. The teams met again in the district
semi-final at the Fairgrounds Coliseum and the Irish escaped with a 55-52 overtime win.
Senior guards Cuy Sheffield and Ben Severns lead a veteran Yellow Jackets team. Sheffield is an extremely quick guard
who can attack the basket to score and will dish to shooters for open trey attempts. He is scoring 15.3 points per
game and had 5 assists against River View.
Severns is a sharpshooter and his range covers pretty much anywhere over the half court line. He is averaging 8.3
points per game this season, but appears to be heating up from long range as he has nailed five treys in the last
two games.
They are joined by junior post player Joe Scott who was the leading scorer and rebounder against River View with
14 points and 10 rebounds. He is averaging 9.3 points per game.
The junior varsity game is scheduled to tip at 6 p.m. and the varsity game should begin at around 7:30 p.m. As noted
in previous updates, it will be Alumni Night and Irish basketball alums will be honored at halftime of the varsity
game.
NEWS AND NOTES - 3 JAN 09
Welcome Back Irish Alums!
Among the Irish alums honored at halftime of the varsity game were: Mike Fiebig, Joe Duzan, David Hayes, Michael Heine,
Clark Crum, Michael Eubank and Kelly Winter. Welcome back, alums. Thank you for helping establish and continue a
tradition of excellence in Irish basketball.
What do basketball coaches do when they don’t have games to coach?
They scout. More than a dozen coaches were present at the Mt. Vernon game - some looking at the Irish and others
looking at the Yellow Jackets. Among those spotted were: Jerome, Liberty, Newark and Watkins Memorial.
Next web update not until January 10 - Due to technical issues, the basketball website will not be updated again until
January 10. The Olentangy Liberty and Dublin Jerome games will be updated that date.
Freshman back in action this week.
The Irish freshman team used the holiday break to practice and will return to action along with the JV and varsity
teams this week. They are 4-1 overall and coming off a convincing 57-21 win over Westerville Central in their last
outing.
PROGRAM SPONSORS
A number of local businesses have supported the Dublin Irish basketball program in various ways.
We want to thank each of these generous businesses, and encourage the entire Irish
basketball community to support these businesses. The Irish Rebounders Club Page
provides a listing of these sponsors. During your visit, be sure to thank them for supporting the Irish!
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