Basketball Game Preview: Westfall Mustangs vs. Zane Trace Pioneers

Westfall hasn't had much luck against Zane Trace recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Westfall Mustangs will head out to challenge the Zane Trace Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Westfall took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They slipped by Paint Valley 65-64. The win was some much needed relief for the Mustangs as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Zane Trace had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 22.5 points) and they went ahead and made it seven on Saturday. They came out on top against the Tigers by a score of 56-49. Given the Pioneers' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 178th, while the Tigers are ranked 532nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Zane Trace's win came from a few key players Westfall will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Grady Stewart, who posted 16 points in addition to eight rebounds and three steals. His evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Landen Jarrell, who went 5 for 10 en route to 16 points along with six assists and four steals.

Zane Trace's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-2. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.0 points per game. As for Westfall, their win bumped their record up to 7-9.

Westfall couldn't quite finish off Zane Trace when the teams last played back in December of 2024 and fell 47-44. Can Westfall avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.