Mineral Ridge is 1-9 against McDonald since January of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Rams will wrap up 2025 with a road trip to face off against the Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Saturday, Mineral Ridge earned a 59-48 victory over Champion. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 357th, while the Golden Flashes are ranked 725th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Chase Moore
| 12/27/25 vs Champion | 8 |
| 12/23/25 vs Jackson-Milton | 13 |
| 12/19/25 @ Western Reserve | 11 |
| 12/16/25 @ Memorial | 9 |
| 12/11/25 vs Springfield | 13 |
| + 4 more games |
Chase Moore was his usual excellent self, shooting 89% from the field en route to 20 points and eight boards. Moore is crushing it when it comes to rebounds: he's pulled down at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. Kaden Shaffer was another key player, putting up 11 points.
Meanwhile, McDonald strolled into their game on Saturday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They came out on top against Girard by a score of 66-53.
McDonald's win came from a few key players that Mineral Ridge will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Joey Cappuzzello, who went 8-for-13 on his way to 18 points and four blocks. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 2.1 blocks per game. Another player making a difference was Brenden Emerick, who shot 42% from the field to rack up 18 points in addition to eight boards and three steals.
Mineral Ridge's record now sits at 7-2. As for McDonald, their record is now 8-0.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Mineral Ridge has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 26.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like McDonald struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Mineral Ridge came up short against McDonald in their previous matchup back in February, falling 60-55. Can the Rams avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
