By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
National Powers Square Off in Cincinnati
In the most highly-anticipated high school basketball game of the season, MaxPreps No. 2-ranked Oak Hill Academy, Va., knocked off No. 3 North College Hill, Ohio, 88-74, in front of 16,202 fans at Cincinnati's U.S. Bank Arena Saturday.
The two teams entered the contest with a combined record of 56-0 and had wins over teams from 17 different states.
Despite getting 67 points from its dynamic junior tandem of O.J. Mayo (43 points) and Bill Walker (24), North College Hill struggled with the size and depth of the always-loaded Oak Hill team. Future North Carolina Tar Heel Tywon Lawson (pictured) led the Warriors with 21 points and five assists.
The loss ended a 40-game winning streak for the Trojans, while Oak Hill won its 53rd in a row.
The game was billed as the headliner of the Cincinnati Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic. The tripleheader event opened with Covington Catholic defeating Ryle 77-44, and Dunbar knocking off Taft 58-42 behind 19 points from Ohio State-signee Daequan Cook.
The Dallas Morning News Classic
Cincinnati wasn't the only site for intersectional high school basketball showdowns this weekend. The Dallas Morning News Classic is designed to provide a pre-state tournament test for powerhouse programs in and out of the state of Texas.
Montrose Christian, Md., led by star forward Kevin Durant, knocked off South Oak Cliff, Texas, 64-54 to take the tournament title. Durant, who will play at Texas next season, scored 18 points and snared eight rebounds.
The eight-team field featured several of the top programs from the 5A and 4A ranks in Texas, including Fort Worth Dunbar, Dallas Carter, Dallas Lincoln, Richardson Berkner, DeSoto, and Seagoville.
Wedel's Two-Minute Drill
Minneapolis High, Kan., ran past North Central Activities Association rival Southeast of Saline 96-70 last Tuesday, as Ryan Wedel led the way with 25 points. That is, 25 points in a span of 2:02.
Wedel, who will play at Arkansas State University next year, drained six three-pointers, connected on five free throw attempts, and converted a breakaway lay-in all in a little over two minutes. The senior guard finished with a school-record 46 points.
Drabek Begins Season Thursday
With Major League clubs reporting to sites in Arizona and Florida, and colleges already underway on the diamond, high school baseball isn't far off. One of the more intriguing senior prospects nationally will be Kyle Drabek of The Woodlands, Texas.
Drabek was one of only two juniors named to Baseball America's All-America First Team as a junior after striking out 155 batters in just 77 innings pitched. The 6-1 right-hander finished with an 11-1 record and a 0.82 earned run average.
The son of former Pittsburgh Pirate Doug Drabek, Kyle also starred on the gridiron for the Highlanders, earning All-State honors as a junior wide receiver.
Drabek and The Woodlands open their 2006 schedule Thursday as the host school in a tournament that runs through Saturday.
Ursuline's Dynasty
Texas is best known for its high school football, with programs like Southlake Carroll, Lufkin, and Converse Judson upholding strong traditions year-after-year. But the Lone Star State's most dominant program can be found in the sport that people outside the United States call "football".
The Ursuline Academy girls soccer team captured its 16th-consecutive state championship with a 1-0 win over Fort Worth Nolan Saturday. The Dallas-area, all-girls school has a national-record 20 state championships to its credit.
The program is no secret to recruiters, as it produced eight Division I signees a year ago, and has churned out nine players who have earned All-America honors at the collegiate level.
Jason Hickman: (253) 376-5905 or jrhickman@maxpreps.com
Photo by Jim Owens