By Dean Eversole
MaxPreps.com
Time is ticking away on basketball teams attempting to find stable ground.
With just about four weeks before the OHSAA tournament opens coaches and players around the state will be searching to sharpen their execution.
One of those teams is defending Division II champion Dayton Dunbar. Although the Wolverines sport a 12-1 record, a number of those wins have been by razor thin margins, leaving many to ask, just how good is Dunbar?
That question will be answered in two parts, starting this Saturday. Dunbar will take on Trotwood Madison at the University of Dayton Arena.
Part two comes on Monday when they take on Tippecanoe, considered by many to be Dayton's second-best D-II squad.
"This is a stretch that is going to make or break us," Dunbar head coach Pete Pullen said to the Dayton Daily News.
It might not break them, but it will go a long in way in determining how good this team is.
D-III New Power
There is a new kid on the block in Division III basketball but their leader is a familiar face.
Clark Montessori's (Cincinnati) program is just a few years old, but their coach Jim Leon is no stranger to winning basketball. Leon spent 13 years at Cincinnati Woodward as head coach, taking the Bulldogs to a state-runner up finish and compiling a 225-102 record.
Now with Clark, Leon has built a program that is on the rise and will be a real threat in the D-III tournament.
Going after the King
The intimidation factor is gone and opponents of Canton McKinley are inflicting some redemption.
For the second time in two games, the Bulldogs were the victim of revenge. Bedford, after losing to McKinely last season, downed the Bulldogs, 80-75, led by Marcus Richardson's 30 points.
It was the second-consecutive defeat for McKinley, something they have not experienced since the 2003-2004 season.
There is no such problem for Cincinnati's Archbishop Moeller. The Crusaders continue to roll and now sit at 14-0 after beating Middletown Bishop Fenwick, 67-30.
Down in the small school division, the Columbus Grove Bulldogs are hot. Coming off a football playoff run and forced to assimilate to a new coach and system, the `Dogs lost their first five games of the season. Since then Grove has won seven-straight led by point guard Eric Maag.
With the adjustment period over, the Bulldogs look ready for another tournament run.
Rivalry Continues
It might not have the luster of a few years ago, but the girls varsity basketball game between Beavercreek and Chaminade Julienne is still a big time game. The Eagles (10-3) and Beavers (12-3) will face off this week at Fairmont. The game features two teams with a storied history and both are considered among Ohio's premier programs.
Champs of the Mat
Cleveland St. Edward continued its domination of the wrestling mat. The Eagles downed perennial small-school power Graham, 33-18, in a dual match. The two squads are without doubt the best wrestling programs in the state, and arguably two of the best in the nation.
Rolling Strikes
Bowling will never overthrow football as king in Ohio, but for Fairmont bowler Hunter Hobgood, he felt like a king for a day.
Hobgood hit for one spare Saturday in his opening frame, after that, it was all strikes. The senior bowled a 290 in his first game and then a perfect 300 in his second for a record 590 overall score.