OBERLIN, OHIO — It is hard to miss Tyler Williams, but many people have until Sunday night.
As the best boys basketball players in Lorain County laced up their sneakers for the annual All-Star game held at Oberlin College’s Phillips Gymnasium, Williams stood out, both literally and figuratively.
Williams, a 6-foot-6 senior from First Baptist Christian, finished the All-Star game with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting. He added seven rebounds to his game-high scoring tally, not bad for a player used to competing against lesser known programs in small gymnasiums night-in and night-out.
"At the beginning, I was really nervous," said Williams. "I didn’t really know what to expect, but it’s just basketball. I had a lot of great teammates. I’ve never really played with any of them before."
Williams’ 16-point, seven-rebound performance was all the more impressive because he did not play basketball until he got to high school. Now, he is looking to play for a tradition-laden Cedarville University program next winter.
"That’s where my basketball career really started," he said. "Being 6-3 at the time, you’re kind of automatically inserted on the team and you pick it up from there."
In-between Williams’ solid first and second halves, the Lorain County Mr. Basketball Award was presented to Vermilion senior forward Nick Farley. A key contributor to the Sailors’ program since his freshman season, Farley was a part of two district championships, one appearance in the regional final at Bowling Green State University in 2009 and also a West Shore Conference championship.
He averaged 18.4 points-per-game this season and scored nearly 11 per game over his career.
"I’ve got to give credit to my teammates for that one," Farley said of the honor. "All the accolades I’ve got this year, I’ve got to give all the credit to my teammates. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be in the position I am now. They had the faith in me. I had faith in them."
Farley was the Sailors’ only returning player with serious varsity experience. However, he embraced the role of leader and helped Vermilion go 14-9 with another appearance in the district semifinals.
"To me, that’s pretty outstanding when you have one player coming back from a team," said Farley. "We heard all through the county this year, ‘Vermilion’s going to win four games; Vermilion’s going to win five games.’ We came out and surprised a lot of people."
More Ohio preps stories
2. The Ohio High School Athletic Association acknowledged the accomplishments of five individuals by selecting them for membership in the OHSAA’s Circle of Champions during the boys state championship tournament last weekend. Jerry Lucas, a member of Ohio State’s national championship and the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal winning basketball teams, 1936 Olympic hero Jesse Owens, 18-year Major League Baseball veteran Al Oliver, 1955 Heisman Trophy winner Howard "Hopalong" Cassady and U.S. Davis Cup tennis player Tony Trabert comprised the class.
3. There is a new champion in Division I boys basketball and it is Jackson (Massillon). Jackson, 57-34 winners over Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, played in the only run-away out of four games in the state championship games Saturday night.
4. Dunbar (Dayton) spoiled the hopes of Port Clinton’s undefeated season with a 64-50 win in the Division II state championship game Saturday. Port Clinton had won 26 consecutive games heading into the state finals. Dunbar won the Division II state championship in 2006 over Triway High School, which also carried a 26-0 record into its finals match-up that season.
5. The Orrville Red Riders made a valiant run at the Division III state championship under first-year coach Sly Slaughter, but a few two- and three-minute scoring droughts proved too much to overcome in the 60-57 setback to Lima Central Catholic. Orrville was the only public school to lose to a private school in the state finals.
Top performers
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Mark Henniger of Massillon Jackson. Henniger went 9-of-15 from the field and posted game-highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds in the Polar Bears’ 57-34 state championship win over Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller.
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Jefferson Township (Dayton)’s Cody Latimer. Latimer hit 10-of-11 shots and finished with 24 points in Jefferson’s 59-52 win over Newark Catholic in the Division IV state championship. Latimer also pulled down 12 rebounds, with one block, two assists and one steal in the win.
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Geron Johnson of Dayton Dunbar. Johnson shot 9-of-16 from the field with 24 points in the 64-50 win over Port Clinton. Dunbar shot 60.5 percent from the field in the game and 63.6 percent in the second half alone.
Looking ahead
The start of spring sports season. With the marathon seasons of football and basketball complete, the two-month sprint toward spring sports state championships gets fully underway this week.
Recruiting news
The Cleveland Plain Dealer recently reported that Elyria High School junior football player Chase Farris has committed to play football for Ohio State. Farris is will be a member of Ohio State
’s 2011 recruiting class.
Matt’s minutes
I have always been amazed by the two- and three-sport athletes at the high school level. With the specialization of sports skills being taught by outside consultants and private coaches, it is refreshing to see athletes, particularly from smaller schools, on multiple courts and fields of play throughout the season. While that kind of dedication to sports and school is not easy, it is nice to see people disciplined enough to excel at multiple sports. Though it is rare to see in college and to a much greater extent, the professional levels, it never gets old to see athletes play sports for the love of the game and competition.
Matt Florjancic is a freelance sports reporter and announcer for WOBL and WDLW Radio.
