The Tuscarawas Valley Trojans will head out on the road to square off against the Ridgewood Generals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Last Tuesday, Tuscarawas Valley came up short against Indian Valley and fell 54-44. While losing is never fun, Tuscarawas Valley can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 323rd, while Indian Valley is ranked 99th).
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from John Leffler, who scored 17 points along with three steals. Cole Kuykendall was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, Ridgewood's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their fifth straight defeat. They had to suffer through a rough 56-29 loss at the hands of Hiland. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Ridgewood in their matchups with Hiland: they've now lost nine in a row.
Tuscarawas Valley now has a losing record at 8-9. As for Ridgewood, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last seven matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-15 record this season.
Tuscarawas Valley was able to grind out a solid victory over Ridgewood in their previous meeting back in January, winning 54-43. The rematch might be a little tougher for Tuscarawas Valley since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
