Not off the Press: Girls tourney brackets released and boys season winding with HC bragging rights on the line
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
After taking a one-week break from Not off the Press to clear my head, teams are another week closer to tournament time. This past week has been one of Highland County match-ups and a week where the Hillsboro Indians boys basketball team stepped up and clinched no less than a share of the South Central Ohio League title.
This upcoming week will have a Highland County boys basketball game where the winner will have the most wins against Highland County teams this season, which is always good for bragging rights.
The girls basketball tournament brackets have been released, and I'll go into more detail about those later in the column, but first I'd like to talk about the past week by the Hillsboro Indians boys basketball team.
The week didn't start out so well with a home loss to the Miami Trace Panthers, but the end of the week was much better as the Tribe defeated the Madison-Plains Golden Eagles and the McClain Tigers to clinch no less than a share of the SCOL championships for the second consecutive season.
They can clinch the outright championship one of two ways …
1A. — a Clinton-Massie loss against Miami Trace on Friday, Feb. 10.
1B. — HHS win against Clinton-Massie on Friday, Feb. 17 (depending on the outcome of the CM-MT game).
Either way will be fine I'm sure for the Indians, but as a reporter and fan of basketball, I hope it comes down to the final game on that Friday night in Hillsboro. What fun that could be. It came down to that last season, and I'd like to see that happen again this year with the Indians winning to gain the championship outright.
In their first meeting this season, the Indians defeated the Falcons 59-57 at CM on Jan. 17. In that game, the Indians trailed after the first quarter but took the lead at the half. HHS trailed after the third frame, and a big 16-13 fourth frame by HHS put them in the lead for good to gain what is now maybe their most important SCOL win of the season. That game, Chase Gilliland scored 17 points.
Maybe all of us will get an opportunity to see a rematch with the SCOL championship on the line.
• Highland County Champion?
Before the Indians take on the Falcons in 11 days, they have some bragging rights and possible tournament seeding on the line when they travel to Dodsonville to face the improving Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs.
Did you know both the Indians and Mustangs are undefeated against their Highland County counterparts this season?
Entering the game, the Indians are 4-0 against Highland County teams with two wins against McClain and one win each over Fairfield and Whiteoak. The Mustangs are also 4-0 this season against their Highland County counterparts with two wins against Whiteoak, and one win each over Fairfield and McClain.
If interested, the rest of Highland County against each other looks like this: Fairfield 3-2, McClain 0-4 and Whiteoak 0-5. (FHS has two wins against WHS and one against MHS.)
One thing that makes me scratch my head is why doesn't Whiteoak and McClain play each other in boys basketball. Maybe since teams can add two games to the schedule next season, they can play each other. I think these two passionate fan bases should get the opportunity to face one another.
What I'm looking forward to in Tuesday's upcoming game with the Indians and Mustangs (at LCHS) is the post play of each team. I've had the chance to see both teams in the past week, and the post play of both the squads is heavily relied on. The post play will play a big part in this game … at least I think it will.
My thoughts are each team presents quality match-ups against one another, though HHS is the team with the most experience as they start mostly seniors, and their sixth man is senior Devanté Ames, who was a game changer on Saturday against McClain. A fan of Highland County basketball has to be interested in this game as much as I am.
• 2011-12 SE District Girls Basketball Tournament
On Sunday, the girls basketball tournament brackets were released, and here are the game schedules for Highland County teams:
Division II
- Monday, Feb. 13 — 9. Hillsboro (3-15) vs. 8. Circleville (4-15)
at Adena High School, 7 p.m.
(Winner to play Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. 1. Miami Trace at AHS, 1 p.m.)
- Saturday, Feb. 18 — 4. McClain (12-5) vs. No. 5 Logan Elm (14-5)
at Adena High School, 2:45 p.m.
(Winner to play on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Southeastern High School, 12 p.m.)
Division III
- Wednesday, Feb. 15 — 4. Lynchburg-Clay (13-5) vs. 13. Northwest (3-15)
at Valley (Lucasville) High School, 6:15 p.m.
(Winner to play on Saturday, Feb. 18 at VHS, 2:45 p.m.)
Division IV
- Monday, Feb. 13 — 7. Fairfield (3-15) vs. 10. Green (1-18)
at Northwest High School, 8 p.m.
(Winner to play Thursday, Feb. 16 vs. 2. Clay (Portsmouth) at NWHS, 6:15 p.m.)
- Monday, Feb. 13 — No. 9 Whiteoak (1-18) vs. No. 8 Western (Latham)
at Northwest High School, 6:15 p.m.
(Winner to play 1. Notre Dame (15-3) on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 6:15 p.m.)
Just by having a quick look at the brackets, here is what I've noticed:
- Of the 21 teams in the SE Division IV bracket, 13 teams have a record under .500, one team is at .500 and seven have a winning record.
- Of the 19 teams in the SE District Division II bracket, six teams have a overall record of under .500.
- In the Division III SE District bracket, of the 29 teams … 12 are under .500, one team is at .500 and 16 have a record above .500.
[[In-content Ad]]• Thoughts on the Girls Tournament
- One thought on the Division II bracket is at least all the SCOL teams didn't get lumped into one part of the bracket.
- The 4 vs. 5 games always interest me, and this year is no different. Again, I'll go into more detail later this week when I have more time to actually research the games a little closer, but McClain and Logan Elm are close record-wise, as are Fairfield-Union and Athens. Seems like these could be very quality games.
- It looks like the girls basketball district finals in all of the divisions will be held at Southeastern (DII), Waverly (DIII) or Jackson (DIV) this year … the last couple years it was held in Athens at the Convocation Center. My guess is if the brackets read correctly, it was a financial issue. Teams who win enough in Division III will play at Athens in the regional tournament. (Though it may not be as fun or a larger venue … it does save some travel time in the long run.)
• A Look at the Past Week
Another week is in the books, and it did mix some things up … anyway, here is what I noticed from this past week:
- Congratulations to the McClain boys swimming team on winning the SCOL championship.
- Have you noticed the LC Lady Mustangs have won 10 of their last 11 games? They are on a roll and are headed to Fayette County on Monday for what could be a very good game with the Washington Lady Blue Lions. Both teams have at least 13 wins this season, and it could be a good preparation game for both squads as they get ready for the tournament.
- It was nice to see a competitive game on Thursday at Whiteoak with the Lady Lions and Lady 'Cats playing a game where it was a one-point deficit with 1:32 left in the fourth. Both teams are young compared to most of the teams they face each game.
- The Lady Tigers have won their past three games, with wins on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday against Zane Trace, London and Madison-Plains. Also, did you realize there is a three-way tie for second place in the SCOL with McClain, Washington and Miami Trace all at 7-3 in the league?
- As I somewhat mentioned before, the way the LC Mustangs played against Fairfield on Friday night really impressed me. They have a nice core of players and could be playing their best basketball of the season as they wrap up the regular season. Alec Smith's defensive presence in the game … he had seven blocked shots … impressed me. Also, Ryan Inman is starting to take over games. The passing and scoring ability of Tyler Davidson is huge for the team, and just having Wes Pierson on the court … you can tell the difference in play by the Mustangs when he is out on the court.
• A Look at the Week Ahead
- One interesting game on the slate is on Tuesday is Fairfield at Miami Trace. It can be said both of these teams have had an up-and-down season. MT is 7-8 overall, and the Lions are 9-8 … so overall the records are similar, and they both have some common opponents. Should be a battle at the "Panther Pit."
- Wednesday at McClain High School is the place to be with a makeup game that will impact the SCOL girls basketball standings with Clinton-Massie visiting the Lady Tigers. If MHS wants to stay in second place, this is an important game for the Lady Tigers. MHS trails CM by two games in the SCOL standings, as CM has MHS and HHS left on their schedule.
- Friday's boys slate has a good Whiteoak matchup at North Adams and Fairfield hosting Manchester. Also, McClain will be honoring Rick VanMatre for his induction into the Hall of Fame. MHS will be hosting an athletic MP Golden Eagle team.
- One of my favorite games (twice a year) will take place at MHS on Friday when the Lady Tigers host the Miami Trace Lady Panthers. Their first meeting went into overtime with MHS winning in the final seconds at MTHS. This will be a fun game to close out the girls basketball regular season.
• Quote of the Week
"I couldn't be happier with our last two games. Anytime you can get a win at McClain … it's huge. The kids came out, played hard and got the job done." — Brett Prince, Hillsboro boys basketball head coach, following their Saturday night win against McClain.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"It wasn't pretty … we had some missed shots and free throws, but I'm proud of the defensive effort. This might not be the most exciting basketball, but the kids are comfortable with this style. Our defensive play made life hard on their (Adena) guards in the fourth quarter. The team that showed up (Saturday) was the team I've seen all season." — Matt Carson, Fairfield boys basketball head coach following their win against Adena on Saturday.
• (A third) Quote of the Week
"Ryan (Inman) played with so much energy. We had a talk a couple games ago after a couple bad games, and I just told him 'if you want to, you can go out there and be a really good ballplayer. I want you to get 10 to 15 shots a night,' and he's working for it." — Jason McLaughlin, LC boys basketball head coach, speaking about the play of Ryan Inman on Friday against FHS.
• (A fourth) Quote of the Week
"They have been outstanding all year. They play as hard as any two players I've coached in 12 years. Everything we do goes through them, and my only regret is I wish I could have coached them for four years." — Mike Cooper, WHS girls basketball coach speaking about seniors Jessie Gilliland and Marissa Bohl following senior night on Thursday.
• Stat of the Week
Ryan Inman broke out on Friday for the Mustangs with a very productive double-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, while adding four blocked shots.
• One last item of business
I can't believe the girls basketball season is in its final week of the regular season. Where has the time gone? I just want to thank all of those who have helped with giving me final scores, box scores or any type of information to help me do what I do.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.
This upcoming week will have a Highland County boys basketball game where the winner will have the most wins against Highland County teams this season, which is always good for bragging rights.
The girls basketball tournament brackets have been released, and I'll go into more detail about those later in the column, but first I'd like to talk about the past week by the Hillsboro Indians boys basketball team.
The week didn't start out so well with a home loss to the Miami Trace Panthers, but the end of the week was much better as the Tribe defeated the Madison-Plains Golden Eagles and the McClain Tigers to clinch no less than a share of the SCOL championships for the second consecutive season.
They can clinch the outright championship one of two ways …
1A. — a Clinton-Massie loss against Miami Trace on Friday, Feb. 10.
1B. — HHS win against Clinton-Massie on Friday, Feb. 17 (depending on the outcome of the CM-MT game).
Either way will be fine I'm sure for the Indians, but as a reporter and fan of basketball, I hope it comes down to the final game on that Friday night in Hillsboro. What fun that could be. It came down to that last season, and I'd like to see that happen again this year with the Indians winning to gain the championship outright.
In their first meeting this season, the Indians defeated the Falcons 59-57 at CM on Jan. 17. In that game, the Indians trailed after the first quarter but took the lead at the half. HHS trailed after the third frame, and a big 16-13 fourth frame by HHS put them in the lead for good to gain what is now maybe their most important SCOL win of the season. That game, Chase Gilliland scored 17 points.
Maybe all of us will get an opportunity to see a rematch with the SCOL championship on the line.
• Highland County Champion?
Before the Indians take on the Falcons in 11 days, they have some bragging rights and possible tournament seeding on the line when they travel to Dodsonville to face the improving Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs.
Did you know both the Indians and Mustangs are undefeated against their Highland County counterparts this season?
Entering the game, the Indians are 4-0 against Highland County teams with two wins against McClain and one win each over Fairfield and Whiteoak. The Mustangs are also 4-0 this season against their Highland County counterparts with two wins against Whiteoak, and one win each over Fairfield and McClain.
If interested, the rest of Highland County against each other looks like this: Fairfield 3-2, McClain 0-4 and Whiteoak 0-5. (FHS has two wins against WHS and one against MHS.)
One thing that makes me scratch my head is why doesn't Whiteoak and McClain play each other in boys basketball. Maybe since teams can add two games to the schedule next season, they can play each other. I think these two passionate fan bases should get the opportunity to face one another.
What I'm looking forward to in Tuesday's upcoming game with the Indians and Mustangs (at LCHS) is the post play of each team. I've had the chance to see both teams in the past week, and the post play of both the squads is heavily relied on. The post play will play a big part in this game … at least I think it will.
My thoughts are each team presents quality match-ups against one another, though HHS is the team with the most experience as they start mostly seniors, and their sixth man is senior Devanté Ames, who was a game changer on Saturday against McClain. A fan of Highland County basketball has to be interested in this game as much as I am.
• 2011-12 SE District Girls Basketball Tournament
On Sunday, the girls basketball tournament brackets were released, and here are the game schedules for Highland County teams:
Division II
- Monday, Feb. 13 — 9. Hillsboro (3-15) vs. 8. Circleville (4-15)
at Adena High School, 7 p.m.
(Winner to play Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. 1. Miami Trace at AHS, 1 p.m.)
- Saturday, Feb. 18 — 4. McClain (12-5) vs. No. 5 Logan Elm (14-5)
at Adena High School, 2:45 p.m.
(Winner to play on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Southeastern High School, 12 p.m.)
Division III
- Wednesday, Feb. 15 — 4. Lynchburg-Clay (13-5) vs. 13. Northwest (3-15)
at Valley (Lucasville) High School, 6:15 p.m.
(Winner to play on Saturday, Feb. 18 at VHS, 2:45 p.m.)
Division IV
- Monday, Feb. 13 — 7. Fairfield (3-15) vs. 10. Green (1-18)
at Northwest High School, 8 p.m.
(Winner to play Thursday, Feb. 16 vs. 2. Clay (Portsmouth) at NWHS, 6:15 p.m.)
- Monday, Feb. 13 — No. 9 Whiteoak (1-18) vs. No. 8 Western (Latham)
at Northwest High School, 6:15 p.m.
(Winner to play 1. Notre Dame (15-3) on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 6:15 p.m.)
Just by having a quick look at the brackets, here is what I've noticed:
- Of the 21 teams in the SE Division IV bracket, 13 teams have a record under .500, one team is at .500 and seven have a winning record.
- Of the 19 teams in the SE District Division II bracket, six teams have a overall record of under .500.
- In the Division III SE District bracket, of the 29 teams … 12 are under .500, one team is at .500 and 16 have a record above .500.
[[In-content Ad]]• Thoughts on the Girls Tournament
- One thought on the Division II bracket is at least all the SCOL teams didn't get lumped into one part of the bracket.
- The 4 vs. 5 games always interest me, and this year is no different. Again, I'll go into more detail later this week when I have more time to actually research the games a little closer, but McClain and Logan Elm are close record-wise, as are Fairfield-Union and Athens. Seems like these could be very quality games.
- It looks like the girls basketball district finals in all of the divisions will be held at Southeastern (DII), Waverly (DIII) or Jackson (DIV) this year … the last couple years it was held in Athens at the Convocation Center. My guess is if the brackets read correctly, it was a financial issue. Teams who win enough in Division III will play at Athens in the regional tournament. (Though it may not be as fun or a larger venue … it does save some travel time in the long run.)
• A Look at the Past Week
Another week is in the books, and it did mix some things up … anyway, here is what I noticed from this past week:
- Congratulations to the McClain boys swimming team on winning the SCOL championship.
- Have you noticed the LC Lady Mustangs have won 10 of their last 11 games? They are on a roll and are headed to Fayette County on Monday for what could be a very good game with the Washington Lady Blue Lions. Both teams have at least 13 wins this season, and it could be a good preparation game for both squads as they get ready for the tournament.
- It was nice to see a competitive game on Thursday at Whiteoak with the Lady Lions and Lady 'Cats playing a game where it was a one-point deficit with 1:32 left in the fourth. Both teams are young compared to most of the teams they face each game.
- The Lady Tigers have won their past three games, with wins on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday against Zane Trace, London and Madison-Plains. Also, did you realize there is a three-way tie for second place in the SCOL with McClain, Washington and Miami Trace all at 7-3 in the league?
- As I somewhat mentioned before, the way the LC Mustangs played against Fairfield on Friday night really impressed me. They have a nice core of players and could be playing their best basketball of the season as they wrap up the regular season. Alec Smith's defensive presence in the game … he had seven blocked shots … impressed me. Also, Ryan Inman is starting to take over games. The passing and scoring ability of Tyler Davidson is huge for the team, and just having Wes Pierson on the court … you can tell the difference in play by the Mustangs when he is out on the court.
• A Look at the Week Ahead
- One interesting game on the slate is on Tuesday is Fairfield at Miami Trace. It can be said both of these teams have had an up-and-down season. MT is 7-8 overall, and the Lions are 9-8 … so overall the records are similar, and they both have some common opponents. Should be a battle at the "Panther Pit."
- Wednesday at McClain High School is the place to be with a makeup game that will impact the SCOL girls basketball standings with Clinton-Massie visiting the Lady Tigers. If MHS wants to stay in second place, this is an important game for the Lady Tigers. MHS trails CM by two games in the SCOL standings, as CM has MHS and HHS left on their schedule.
- Friday's boys slate has a good Whiteoak matchup at North Adams and Fairfield hosting Manchester. Also, McClain will be honoring Rick VanMatre for his induction into the Hall of Fame. MHS will be hosting an athletic MP Golden Eagle team.
- One of my favorite games (twice a year) will take place at MHS on Friday when the Lady Tigers host the Miami Trace Lady Panthers. Their first meeting went into overtime with MHS winning in the final seconds at MTHS. This will be a fun game to close out the girls basketball regular season.
• Quote of the Week
"I couldn't be happier with our last two games. Anytime you can get a win at McClain … it's huge. The kids came out, played hard and got the job done." — Brett Prince, Hillsboro boys basketball head coach, following their Saturday night win against McClain.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"It wasn't pretty … we had some missed shots and free throws, but I'm proud of the defensive effort. This might not be the most exciting basketball, but the kids are comfortable with this style. Our defensive play made life hard on their (Adena) guards in the fourth quarter. The team that showed up (Saturday) was the team I've seen all season." — Matt Carson, Fairfield boys basketball head coach following their win against Adena on Saturday.
• (A third) Quote of the Week
"Ryan (Inman) played with so much energy. We had a talk a couple games ago after a couple bad games, and I just told him 'if you want to, you can go out there and be a really good ballplayer. I want you to get 10 to 15 shots a night,' and he's working for it." — Jason McLaughlin, LC boys basketball head coach, speaking about the play of Ryan Inman on Friday against FHS.
• (A fourth) Quote of the Week
"They have been outstanding all year. They play as hard as any two players I've coached in 12 years. Everything we do goes through them, and my only regret is I wish I could have coached them for four years." — Mike Cooper, WHS girls basketball coach speaking about seniors Jessie Gilliland and Marissa Bohl following senior night on Thursday.
• Stat of the Week
Ryan Inman broke out on Friday for the Mustangs with a very productive double-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, while adding four blocked shots.
• One last item of business
I can't believe the girls basketball season is in its final week of the regular season. Where has the time gone? I just want to thank all of those who have helped with giving me final scores, box scores or any type of information to help me do what I do.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.