OHSAA Boys Basketball: D7 Regional Final Preview: Fairfield set to face Malvern Hornets
Fairfield senior Quentin McIntosh makes a big block on Thursday vs. the Shekinah Christian School Flames at ODU in the regional semifinals. (HCP Photos/Stephen Forsha)
Set to play in a regional final game for the first time since 1978, the Fairfield Lions will be facing the Malvern Hornets on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Westerville South High School with a ticket to the state Final Four on the line.
The Lions enter the game after defeating the Shekinah Christian School Flames by a 54-41 score in the semifinal round of regionals on Thursday at ODU, while Malvern defeated the Racine Southern Tornadoes in overtime by a 58-56 score, also at ODU this past Thursday.
Malvern is 19-9 overall, as they were 10-3 in their conference and won their East District championship as a No. 4 seed. Their tournament run has included wins over New Philadelphia Tuscarawas Central Catholic (67-40), Steubenville Central Catholic (71-38), Strasburg-Franklin (58-46), and they won their district championship against Hannibal River (44-32).
The Hornets are coached by Dennis Tucci, who has over 600 career coaching wins. Their roster includes:
Seniors: No. 11 Josh Untch (6-2), No 14 Tripp Tucci (6-4), No. 20 Cameron Good (6-0); juniors: No. 5 Luke Thomas (5-9), No. 10 Delonte Simmons (5-10), No. 12 Grady Barkley (5-9), No. 21 Jaxon Jones (6-3), No. 22 Vidan Arsic (6-2); sophomore: No. 24 David Furney (5-10), No. 32 Owen Warth (6-1), No. 42 Brennen Mitchell (6-3), and freshman No. 3 Wade Barkley (5-7).
All-East District Team members for the Hornets include: Grady Barkley (first-team, 14 ppg), Delonte Simmons (first-team, 10.3 ppg), Luke Thomas (second-team, 7.1 ppg), Jaxson Jones (special mention) and Tripp Tucci (special mention).
Malvern last played in the Division III Elite 8 two seasons ago.
The Lions this postseason — who are coached by Raymond Friend — have wins against Federal Hocking (78-51), South Gallia (55-19), South Webster (60-51) and Shekinah Christian (54-41).
Against the Flames of SCS this past Thursday, the Lions were led by an amazing performance from junior Brody Smith with 23 points, as he sank five 3-pointers in that scoring effort. The team also had eight points by junior Caleb Rice, who also was a spark for the Lions in the win.
Junior Griffin Friend had another solid game with 14 points.
There was the defense expertise of both seniors Quentin McIntosh and Zach Ahsaruk, who both not only had strong defensive efforts in the regional semifinal with, whether it be McIntosh with two blocks and numerous rebounds, or Ahsaruk with his relentless defending of top players of the Flames, but McIntosh added five points and Ahsaruk scored four points in the win.
Fairfield’s roster includes: seniors: No. 23 Zach Ahsaruk and No. 34 Quentin McIntosh; juniors: No. 5 Brody Smith, No. 10 Caleb Rice, No. 14 Griffin Friend, No. 15 Layne Burgess, No. 24 Landyn Hoskins; sophomores: No. 3 Logan Burgess and No. 22 Joel Matthews; and freshmen: No. 12 Cam Caudill and No. 33 Zayden Scott.
The Lions last played in a regional final game (Class A) on March 11, 1978 where they lost to Indian Valley South, 56-49 at Marietta College. That season, the Lions finished 23-3 and have since been inducted into the Fairfield Local High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
