There might not be a team in central Ohio with more to play for over the next three-plus weeks than the Upper
Upper Arlington (Columbus) boys basketball team.
Although the Golden Bears aren't ranked among the Top 10 in the Division I state poll, they enter their game Friday against visiting Dublin Coffman (Dublin) at 19-0 overall and 13-0 in the Ohio Capital Conference-Central Division.
UA, which has won 39 consecutive regular-season games, also put itself on a possible collision course with one of the state's top teams at the district seeding meeting last Sunday. If the Bears advance to a district final next month, they likely will have to get past the state's second-ranked team,
Northland (Columbus).
"It's not about the opponent; it's about the approach," UA coach Tim Casey told ThisWeekSPORTS.com. "If you continue to play the right way, the score will take care of itself. This is a mature group that understands that."
"The coaches are always saying, ‘One game at a time; give everyone your best shot,'" senior
Brian Sullivan said. "I think the other thing (that helps) is that we went through this last year, and so we know that, especially in conference, every game's a big game."
Sullivan is the biggest reason Upper Arlington has become one of central Ohio's most successful teams the last two years. The Miami University signee moved into third on the Bears' all-time scoring list earlier this season and has scored more than 1,000 for his career.
After averaging 18.1 points a year ago, Sullivan is averaging more than 20 points this season.
To close the regular season undefeated, Upper Arlington must beat a
Dublin Coffman team which it edged 53-52 on Jan. 14. Sullivan scored 29 points and senior post player
Wes Richter added 16 points in that matchup.
The Shamrocks are 15-3 overall and 12-1 in the OCC-Central and are looking to share the conference title with the Bears.
"Like (Casey) said, we really don't want to share (the league title) with anybody, especially Coffman, who we all consider our main rival," Richter said. "We want to win on Friday so that we get the title outright."
MaxPreps Ohio boys basketball Freeman RankingsNORTON GIRLS UPSET RAVENNAThe
Ravenna girls were handed their first loss Monday night when they fell to
Norton 58-47 in a Portage Trail Conference-Metro Division game.
The Ravens, who are the state's second-ranked team in Division II, were held to 19 first-half points and fell behind by as many as 20 during the second half as they slipped to 18-1. Norton received 15 points from
Jaclyn Fortner and 13 from
Alyssa Kraus as it improved to 14-5.
MaxPreps Ohio girls basketball Freeman RankingsJOHN HAY BOYS WIN TITLE FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1993The
John Hay (Cleveland) boys basketball team beat Glenville (Cleveland) 68-57 last Saturday to win its first Senate League title since 1993 and just its fourth in 74 years.
Chaz Rollins finished with 25 points, including 15 in the second half.
"This is the first Senate championship in any sport since the school reopened (in 2006)," John Hay coach Christopher Sanders told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Hopefully this is the start of something."
MEDINA, FAIRPORT HARDING SEEK FOOTBALL COACHESMedina and
Harding (Fairport Harbor) each had their football coaches recently resign, according to the Plain Dealer.
Larry Laird led Medina to a 9-3 record in his first season last fall after the Bees went 4-6 in 2009.
"With the financial problems the school district is faced with, there was a very good chance I wouldn't have been able to get a teaching position for the 2011-12 school year," Laird told the Plain Dealer.
John Lipps has stepped down as Fairport Harding coach after his teams won 12 games in six seasons.
CLYDE GIRLS BLAST MILLBURY LAKEIn a matchup of state-ranked teams,
Clyde beat Lake (Millbury) 63-44 on Monday. Clyde, which was No. 4 in the Division II state poll, received 20 points from
Spencer Robles and 16 points and nine rebounds from
Amanda Cahill as it improved to 19-0. Lake, the state's No. 4-ranked team in Division III, had a 61-game regular-season winning streak snapped and fell to 18-1.
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