With two state championships on Saturday, the Dayton area clearly grabbed the spotlight on the final day of the boys basketball state tournament at Ohio State this past weekend.
Dayton Dunbar won the Division II state title with a 64-50 win over Port Clinton. Dayton Jefferson won the Division IV state title with a 59-52 win over Newark Catholic.
Dunbar (25-3) won its third state title in five years and fourth overall, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Senior Geron Johnson had 24 points, seven assists and four steals, while Ryan Bass had 13 points, according to the OHSAA.
Dunbar also won state titles in 1987, 2006 and ’07. Jefferson (17-10) won its first Division IV state title since 1998, according to the OHSAA. It was the third state title in seven appearances.
Junior Cody Latimer had 24 points and 12 rebounds. Junior Joby Jackson and senior Adreian Payne (a Michigan State signee) each had 11 points for Jefferson, according to the OHSAA.
"This means a lot," Jefferson coach Art Winston told the Dayton Daily News. "Through all the adversity we went through, the team never got down. The team even worked harder because we wanted this moment."
Archbishop Moeller finished as Division I state runners-up as it lost to Massillon Jackson 57-43 in the Division I state final. The Crusaders (22-5) were led by senior forward Griffin McKenzie (Xavier signee) with nine points and five rebounds.
2. Sullinger named Mr. Basketball: Columbus Northland senior forward Jared Sullinger was named Associated Press Ohio Mr. Basketball for the second consecutive season last week. The AP said Sullinger, who has signed with Ohio State, is the fifth player to win the state award twice. He joined NBA players LeBron James, O.J. Mayo and former NBA player Jimmy Jackson in that category, according to the AP. Sullinger, who is 6-foot-9, averaged 24.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, three blocks and 2.4 assists for Northland this season.
3. Carrico commits to Notre Dame: Dublin Coffman junior defensive end Brad Carrico orally committed to Notre Dame on March 20 as he attended Notre Dame’s Junior Day, according to several published reports. Carrico became the first player from the 2011 class to commit to Notre Dame and new coach Brian Kelly, according to the South Bend Tribune. Carrico, who is 6-6 and 270 pounds, also had offers that included Cincinnati, Kentucky, Purdue, West Virginia and others, according to ScoutingOhio.com.
4. Standout golfer commits: West Chester Lakota West junior Korey Ward has orally committed to play golf at Xavier. Ward has won the Division I state title for the past two seasons. Ward had a 35.7 scoring average last fall and was the Greater Cincinnati Golf Coaches Association player of the year, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
5. Cincinnati offers four juniors: The University of Cincinnati offered scholarships to four Cincinnati-area football players on March 25. Those players include Colerain junior fullback Trayion Durham, junior running back Tyler Williams and junior linebacker Andrew Smith. The Bearcats also offered Sycamore junior offensive lineman Justin Murray. All the players have early multiple scholarship offers from various schools in their recruiting journey.
Among the outstanding efforts this week
Geron Johnson, Dayton Dunbar boys basketball; The senior had 24 points, seven assists and four steals in the Wolverines’ 64-50 win over Port Clinton in the Division II state final.
Cody Latimer, Jefferson (Dayton) boys basketball: The junior had 24 points and 12 rebounds in Jefferson’s 59-52 win over Newark Catholic in the Division IV state final.
Matt Harpenau, Elder boys volleyball: The senior middle hitter had eight kills and two blocks in the Panthers’ 25-21, 25-18 win over Louisville St. Xavier in the St. Charles Cardinal Classic in Columbus.
Looking ahead
Moeller at Anderson baseball, 4:30 p.m. today: These two teams play the season opener on the East Side of Cincinnati. Moeller is the reigning Division I state champion and returns six players who have signed with Division I college programs. Anderson has six returning starters.
Talawanda at Badin baseball, 5 p.m. today: Hamilton Badin has won the Greater Catholic League Central division the past three years and should be a force again this season. Badin was 29-3 and a Division III state runner-up last season.
Fairfield at Colerain softball, 4:30 p.m. Thursday: Fairfield opens the season today against Lakota West before it plays two consecutive road games against GMC opponents. This game at Colerain should be interesting. Fairfield is led by senior pitcher Jaisa Fox. Colerain made it to the state final four last spring.
Recruiting news
West Chester Lakota West junior offensive lineman Ryan Kelly was recently offered by Syracuse. Kelly (6-5, 265 pounds) also has offers from Cincinnati, Boston College, Indiana and Louisville. … Purcell Marian senior lineman Ashton Jones (6-3, 230) recently committed to play at the College of Mount St. Joseph. Jones was a three-year starter for Purcell Marian. … Finneytown junior lineman Donavon Clark (6-4, 290) was recently offered by Syracuse. He also has offers that include Duke, Indiana, West Virginia, Minnesota and others.
Random thoughts
Trotwood-Madison senior William Henry (an Arizona State commit) was the 400-meter state champion at the Division I indoor track meet March 20 in Akron, according to the Dayton Daily News. Dayton Dunbar junior Antonio Blanks won the 200, 400 and triple jump in the Division II-III boys competition. … Fairfield junior pitcher Jaisa Fox recently made a commitment to play college softball at Muskingum. Fox is a four-year starter for Fairfield and considered one of the top softball players in the Cincinnati area. … Lancaster baseball coach Lennie Conrad will be inducted into the Southeastern Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Coaches Hall of Fame in June, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
