The Miami Valley Sports Magazine (MVP) will be ceasing operations immediately. It has been our pleasure to serve the Dayton and Miami Valley area for the past decade but due to several factors, MVP has decided to shut down its operations and focus its resources on other projects.

We didn’t come to this decision lightly, but it’s one we had to make.

Again, we thank you for your support and look forward to serving you in other capacities in other venues.

For those of you who don’t already, we suggest you feed your local sports appetite at JJHuddle.com, which will house all MVP’s former writers, photographers and personalities.

Thanks again.

Eric Frantz

MVP Publisher

*Note: MVP will continue to execute its print business under MVP2 (Miami Valley Sports Printing).

By John Cummings

MVP’s Fab 5 Wrestling Rankings: Week 7

Division I
1. Fairmont – Little banged up in 8th place finish at state duals.
2. Centerville –  Finished a close second at GMVWA Holiday..
3. Beavercreek – Cruised past Miamisburg last week.
4. Wayne – Finished a strong fourth at Holiday.
5. Butler – Looked strong in defeating Northmont.

Division II
1. Graham – Won sixth straight Top Gun.
2. Washington Court House – Finished 11th at Top Gun.
3. Franklin – Claimed Beavercreek title.
4. Eaton -  Finished 26th at Top Gun.
5. Greenville – Working the kinks out after off weekend at Holiday.

Division III
1. Mechanicsburg – Banged up, finished sixth at state duals.
2. Dayton Christian – Battling injuries, settled for 34th at Brecksville.
3. Troy Christian – Finished 17th at Holiday.
4. Covington – Finished 21st at Holiday.
5. Brookville – Huge dual this week at Versailles.

Bucknuts.com reports

Urban Meyer’s recruiting roll continues today as moments ago 4-star junior cornerback Cam Burrows (Trotwood, Ohio/Madison) announced that he has become Meyer’s first class of 2013 commitment.

Burrows, dressed in a black suit with a red shirt, made his announcement in the auditorium at Madison High School. He had narrowed his impressive list of scholarship offers down to Ohio State, Stanford, Michigan, Alabama, LSU, Wisconsin and Tennessee.

The 6-foot-2 and 195-pound Burrows is one of the country’s premier cornerback prospects. He made 64 tackles and intercepted six passes during his sophomore season as Madison made it to the state championship game and finished with a 12-3 record.

COMPLETE STORY

Bucknuts Reports

Urban Meyer wants to add an impact type safety prospect to the Buckeyes’ 2012 recruiting class and one of his targets, Trotwood-Madison’s Bam Bradley, has narrowed his choices down to three schools.

Video by Alex Sator

“It’s a chance for local kids to play on a national stage…Both teams are undefeated and ranked in their divisions. We’d like to say we are geniuses, but we’re not. We got lucky…A lot of these schools are used to playing their own kind because of leagues and geography. Half the fun of this event is playing somebody that there is no chance of playing any other time. “  Eric Horstman, President and Founder

By Tim Langevin

KETTERING – It wasn’t a thriller. No spectacular freeze-frames. Just two well-disciplined teams grinding it out in a strategic, half-court mode won by Walnut Ridge 46-34.

Reality trumped intrigue, but it was a win-win situation for both teams. Walnut Ridge earned the hard-fought win to remain unbeaten at 10-0. The Scots saved face amongst fellow Columbus City-Leaguers and proved they are worthy of their state ranking. The high-flying Scots (70 ppg) displayed that they can play at any given tempo.

“We played with a lot of poise,” said Walnut Ridge coach Jason Bates. “Fort Recovery played a tough zone, but we had some great possessions. We held the ball some 40 seconds before shooting. Everybody touched the ball and our movement was good.”

Give credit to Fort Recovery. They hung tough and dictated the tempo with a synchronized zone matchup defense. And the Indians didn’t get blown out by 30 points, like so many other Ridge opponents. Recovery’s play said something: Hello Berlin Hiland.

Fort Recovery coach Brian Patch said, “Most people didn’t give us a chance. We proved we’re a pretty good team.”

The first quarter was tightly contested with four lead changes and three ties. Wade Gelhaus pounded inside with four points and sophomore Elijah Kahlig triggered a three to give the Indians an 8-6 lead.

Ridge 6-10 post player Alassane Kah was insane with eight points. He scored from mid-range, inside, and converted a steal into a slam dunk to knot the score 8-8 at the midway point. Kah finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Jared Kahlig was fouled driving down the lane and converted 1-of-2 foul shots to reclaim a slim 9-8 margin. Recovery’s game plan was on course. The defense sagged when the ball went inside and recovered quickly on the perimeter.

Until…Until Isaiah Brooks entered the game. The 5-8 senior point guard sparked an 8-0 streak, Ridge’s only serious scoring run of the game, with back-to-back bombs. Just like that, the Scots led 16-9. Elijah Kahlig answered with a floater down the lane at the buzzer to cut the lead 16-11.

Bates said, “It was a great game for Brooks. It was good to see him get hot. We need for him to get hot against the zone. When he is on, it spreads the defense and opens things up for our big men.”

Gelhaus commented, “Number three (Brooks) really hurt us. We didn’t want to give them the paint so we played off their guards. He surprised us.”

Patched summed Brooks performance best, “Take him (Brooks) away and we could’ve been right in it.”

Walnut Ridge outscored Fort Recovery 10-5 in the second quarter as sloppy play and cold shooting, not defense, dictated the tempo. Gelhaus, Fort Recovery’s “Mr. Do-Everything”, pounded inside, made the bucket, and converted the three-point-play as the Indians clawed back 18-14.

An impressive showing by the 6-6 junior considering he was going up against Kah, 6-9 Malik Dime, and 6-7 Kai Turner. Gelhaus finished the afternoon with 14 points, 13 rebounds, two blocked shots, and two steals.

Gelhaus said, “It was fun. Awesome feeling playing against a quality D-I team like Walnut Ridge in this arena. Hopefully we will be back (D-IV Regionals). We need to keep the effort and play hard and hopefully get to state.”

Brooks banged home two more threes to give Ridge a 26-16 halftime advantage. Playing a reserve role this game, Brooks canned 4-of-5 threes for 12 points, all in the first half. He entered the contest averaging 4.6 points per game. It’s not uncommon for Bates to switch his starting line-up from game to game.

“We have starters, but everybody gets pretty equal playing time,” Bates said. “The end result, we want to win. It’s nice to have 11 unselfish players…Each year we’ve grown. Games like this and city league competition makes us better. We try to take every step and not skip any steps to get better…All the kids buy into the program.”

Kah and Brooks accounted for 20 of the Scots’ 26 points and Gelhaus and Elijah Kahlig contributed 14 of Recovery’s 16 points.

Despite the low score, this matchup was a thing of beauty, clinic-like. Both teams played defense with a sense of urgency, Walnut Ridge a man and Fort Recovery a zone. Both offenses exercised the inside-outside approach with patience. Don’t see it that much at the high school level.

Bates stressed, “We played with patience. It was a good win. We like to speed it up, but it wasn’t there. We can play against any zone. This team has a lot of interchangeable parts.”

To add to the intrigue, the first half was a tale of two crowds. The red side was waiting for a ballistic scoring run and the purple side was waiting for a rain of threes. Neither happened.

The half-court war continued through the third quarter. Fort Recovery scored eight points and Walnut Ridge managed six points to cling to a 32-24 lead.

Jared Kahlig scored on a driving lay-up and then Kah answered with a stickback. Gelhaus made two free throws, Kahlig one foul shot, and Elijah Kahlig drained his second three of the game as Recovery reduced the lead 28-24 with 2:02 left in the stanza.

The momentum shifted and there was a hmmm noise inside Trent Arena. Not unusual for a venue like this. Crowds remain fairly by-stander, watching in awe, an occasional slam-dunk roar. No cheerleaders. No pep bands.

As methodical as Recovery worked to slice the lead, Grant Harris quickly expanded the lead with two fastbreak lay-ups off turnovers to end the threat. Harris finished the game with six points. Last year, Harris led Harvest Prep to the D-IV state finals, averaging 19.6 points per game.

Recovery would get no closer than six points the rest of the way. Sophomore Ben Dilworth made 1-of-2 free throws after making a steal and then was fouled driving to the basket to make it 35-29. Jason Pottkotter canned 2-of-2 throws to make it 38-32. And then Gelhaus swished a running hook in the paint to make it 40-34 with 56.1 left in the contest.

Each time Recovery cut the lead, Ridge responded with free throws by Rob Wheelwright (1-3), Fred Hardgrove (2-4), and Adam McCall (2-4). The Scots were 8-of-16 from the line in the final quarter. They didn’t shoot any foul shots the first three quarters. Fort Recovery made 9-of-11 foul shots in the fourth quarter.

Quiet most of the game, Roy Alexander, Ridge’s leading scorer at 12.4 points per game, capped the scoring with a slam dunk and a slashing lay-up to end the game.

He said, “A lot of teams play us 2-3 zone because we cause matchup problems. We practice against zone defenses all the time. We just went out and executed and made the necessary adjustments.”

Fort Recovery converted 16-of-23 free throws for 69.6 per cent. They shot 21.6 per cent from the field (8-37) and made 2-of-10 from three-point-land. Recovery entered the game averaging 52 per cent from the field and Elijah Kahlig entered the game shooting 56 per cent from beyond the arc. This game he was 2-of-8 from long range.

Walnut Ridge shot 43.6 per cent from the field, 4-of-8 from three-point range. In all, nine Ridge players scored.

The rebounds and turnovers were pretty even. Ridge outrebounded Recovery 27-26 and won the turnover battle 13-15. The difference-maker was bench points. The Scots outscored the Indians 24-0.

Alexander scored five points. Wheelwright added three with three blocks and Dime scored three points on a nifty three-point-play to start the fourth quarter.

Elijah Kahlig finished with 10 points and cousin Jared Kahlig added seven points. Pottkotter and Dilworth rounded out the scoring with two and one points, respectively.

Patch concluded, “I thought the kids played well. They executed the game plan we prepared on the bus ride down…What our kids did today was promising. We hurt ourselves at times, but overall it was a good game for us…For us to win, we had to shoot better and make fewer turnovers. It was a fun game.”

And so, both teams did what they were supposed to do. Walnut Ridge won and Fort Recovery kept it interesting.

Side Note:  One of Bates assistant coaches is Eddie Zoog. He played on the 1971 Walnut Ridge State Championship team. Bates said, “He’s my good-luck charm. We haven’t lost a game since he joined our staff. To have him around is major. The kids love and respect him.”

Zoog responded in a soft-spoken manner, “It’s more than basketball. Study tables, videos, and other things I choose not to comment on. I’m just learning their system before I can augment anything. It’s all positive, but this team has a long way to go. I want to reserve judgement on how far this team can go.”

Spoken by a true wise man.

By Kurt Stubbs (JJHuddle.com)

Day 3 of the Good Samaritan Flyin’ to the Hoop started and ended in the same fashion as Day 2 – with a tight contest and rout, respectively.

The opening contest was much on points, but the ending did provide some drama. Kettering Fairmont‘s Jacob Roalef tied the game at 32 with a free-throw setting up a controversial ending.

Miami East would miss its game-winning attempt, but Bradley Coomes got the rebound and put the shot in the basket. To us, the ball was still in his hand when the red light came on, but the officials counted the basket and the game ended with some frustration. Officiating is a tough job and we know they saw what they saw.

At any rate, Miami East was able to come away with a 34-32 victory to improve to (11-2). Coomes led Fairmont with 13 points. Gunner Shirk added 10 and 6-3 freshman A.J. Hickman was true for eight.

Roalef paced Fairmont with a game-high 16 points.

The free-throw shooting was a little rough on both accounts. The teams combine for a 15-of-29 showing.

Game 2 was a battle of two young teams with Cleveland St. Ignatius outlasting Huber Heights Wayne, 57-51.

6-6 junior Alex Papesch lead Ignatius in points with 17 followed by 13 from senior Jack Tupa and 10 by junior Derek Sloan. Brian Joseph came off the bench to give the Wildcats a huge lift scoring 11 points.

We really like Ignatius and think it will be a dangerous team come March.

Wayne got 22 points from 6-6 senior Malcolm Pittman. The unsigned senior was terrific all game. Pittman scored inside, mid-range, and behind the arc.

Wayne freshman D’Mitrik Trice tossed in 11 including a trio of triples. Trice is the younger brother of Michigan State’s Travis Trice Jr.

Wayne’s leading scorer, sophomore Juan Ford, was held scoreless.

Wayne is improving despite its record. The Warriors played two freshman (Trice and Ahmad Wagner), a sophomore (Ford), and without starter Crisshawn Clark.

Game 3, was perhaps, the best of the day featuring two defending state champions in Cincinnati Taft and Akron SVSM. In the end, it was Taft coming away with an 82-74 triumph.

The Senators jumped out to a big lead and then watched it fade away as Lorenzo Cugini and DJ Blanks shot the Irish back into the contest. Taft would once again pull away with its attacking style and strong play for Ohio State football signee, Adolphus Washington.

The game had a tremendous flow and was highly entertaining to watch. Orlando Berry Jr. was attacking all afternoon and the Irish continued to answer with Cugini and Blanks.

Washington scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds before fouling out in the 4th quarter. Berry was good for 20 points and senior Jalean Lowe added 13 points and six boards.

SVSM got 29 points from Cugini (High Point) on 10-of-17 shooting and 21 from unsigned senior DJ Blanks.

The Irish shot 60 percent from the field, but just  9-of-22 from the charity stripe. Taft held a 35-20 edge on the boards and a 27-12 advantage on second chance points.

Cleveland Heights and Clayton Northmont followed in an up-and-down and entertaining contest. Northmont held a nice lead and looked to be ready to pull of an upset of the unbeaten Tigers, but Heights was able to secure the past in the second half and garner a 74-68 victory.

When the Tigers were able to get the game up-and-down, things got fun. The Tigers got a team-high 19 points from Najeeb Johnson and 17 points and 11 rebounds by 6-8 senior Kevin Clark.

Northmont got a solid effort from junior Dominique Stollings with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 10 boards. Stollings is an intriguing prospect with knock down ability from distance and above average bounce.

Senior Devon Carter chipped in 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Carter was just 8-of-20 from the field.

HCYA (TX) and Springboro got together in Game 5 and the homeschool school squad out of Texas was eventually able to pull away for a 65-58 triumph.

Ohio State recruit Justin Jackson was excellent once again for HCYA. The 6-7 sophomore scored 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting and snared six boards. Jon Allen added 16.

Springboro got 14 points and eight rebounds from 6-10 junior Maverick Morgan in front of quite a few Division 1 college coaches. Ryan Murray tallied 12 points and seven rebounds.

In the nightcap, Hunting Prep (WV) was up to its old tricks against local favorite Middletown. With Trent Arena jam packed, Prep turned an 8-8 game into an 84-30 waxing of the Middies.

Huntington Prep owns entirely too much talent for most teams in Ohio or anywhere for that matter, which isn’t a knock on any of our local Ohio teams.  The Express have now beat Columbus Northland, Cincinnati Taft, Trotwood, and Middletown in terms of Ohio schools this year.

Sophomore Andrew Wiggins decided to take the game over mid-1st quarter and the rest was history. The 6-7 sophomore scored 23 points and added seven rebounds in just three quarters of play.

Junior Xavier Rathan-Mayes scored 20 points, but it was his defense on Middletown’s Geovonie McKnight that was even more impressive. Rathan-Mayes held McKnight to seven points on just 3-of-12 shooting.

Former Columbus Marion-Franklin standout, Elijah Macon, added 12 points and 10 boards and South Florida signee Javontae Hawkins chipped in 12 points and six caroms.

Jalin Marshall, one of the best 2013 football prospects in the country, led the Middies with 10 points but shot just 4-of-16 from the floor. Sophomore Vince Edwards added nine points and 10 rebounds.

As a team, Middletown shot just 13-of-52 from the field.

Ohio vs. Nation
Ohio is now (0-7) against the national teams.

Top 5 Players of Day 3:
Justin Jackson (HCYA), Adolphus Washington (Taft), Lorenzo Cugini (Akron SVSM), Xavier Rathan-Mayes (Huntington Prep), and Malcolm Pittman (Huber Heights Wayne)

Honorable Mention: Alec Papesch (Cleveland St. Ignatius), Orlando Berry Jr. (Cincinnati Taft), Jon Allen (HCYA), DJ Blanks (Akron SVSM), Dominique Stollings (Northmont), Najeeb Johnson (Cleveland Heights), Kevin Clark (Cleveland Heights), and Andrew Wiggins (Huntington Prep).

By Kurt Stubbs (JJHuddle.com)

The first full day of the 10th Anniversary Flyin’ to the Hoop is in the books, but not without some interesting stories and highlight moments.

The opening game was perhaps the most competitive with HCYA (TX) outlasting Christian Faith Center Academy (NC) in overtime, 65-63.

The game brought out Ohio State head coach Thad Matta and assistant Jeff Boals to watch 2014 prospect Justin Jackson. The 6-7 Jackson didn’t disappoint scoring 29 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Teammate Danrad “Chicken” Knowles tallied 18 points and 15 boards. Knowles is a Houston signee.

We also came away very impressed with CFCA junior Mikyle McIntosh, who had a team-high 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Game 2 featured two teams with identical (9-0) records, but it was Walnut Ridge who came out (10-0) after handling Fort Recovery, 46-34.

Give the Indians credit for stepping up and playing Division I Ridge being just a tiny DIV school. It can only help Fort in the long run. Perhaps a meeting with Berlin Hiland down the road?

Allasane Kah, a 6-8 senior, continues to improve for the Scots. Kah had 11 points and seven rebounds along with showing a new offensive package.

The Indians were just 8-of-37 from the field for a brisk 21.6 percent. Ironically, later in the later, Hamilton Southeastern’s Gary Harris had six dunks of his own in comparison to the eight field goals made by the Indians.

Another overtime contest followed in game 3, with Cathedral (IN) overcoming a game Centerville team for a 48-45 victory.

Freshman Jalen Coleman led Cathedral with 15 points. Coleman holds offers from Indiana and Notre Dame along with plenty of other Big 10 interest. Coleman made it clear after the game that he isn’t even thinking about college at this point.

Sophomore Eric Meininger paced the Elks with 12 points including a game-knotting three-point goal at the end of regulation to force overtime.

Game 4 was ugly from the opening tip off. Gary Harris (Michigan State) and junior Zak Irvin (Michigan) dominated from bell-to-bell helping Southeastern (IN) to a 30-8 lead over Troy after the first quarter. Harris and Irvin scored 27 of Southeastern’s first 41 points.

Harris wowed the crowd with numerous rim-rocking dunk including a reverse 360. The Mighigan State signee finished with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting including 4-of-5 from distance.

Irvin produced a team-high 26 points including a perfect 5-of-5 from three-point land. Guard Jacobby Bledsoe chipped in 16 points and Southeastern shot 57 percent as a team from the field.

Troy got 15 points and nine rebounds from senior Cody May and Zach Martinez scored a like amount of points.
Southeastern roughed up Troy to the tune of 93-54.

Game 5 featured two Ohio powers in Columbus Northland and Garfield Heights in a rematch of the Vikings’ state semi-final victory a year ago.

The game was back-and-forth for the most part, but the Vikings were eventually too much and pulled away in the fourth period for a 70-62 victory.

Jordan Potts (UNC-Greensboro) played tremendous. Potts is playing as well as any point guard in Ohio. We can count on one hand the number of shots he has missed this month. Potts finished with 23 points to tie teammate Devon Scott (Dayton) for team-high honors. Scott was active around the rim all evening causing Garfield nightmares.  The 6-8 senior also snagged eight boards.

Jalen Robinson (Dayton) added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Vikings as well.

Mike Davis (Northern Illinois) was outstanding for Garfield. He made some shots and really attacked the tin. Davis scored a game-high 28 points in the loss. Junior Tony Farmer was good for 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The nightcap was a mismatch to say the least. Trotwood is breaking in a lot of youngsters this season and Huntington Prep (WV) is more like a Top 25 college team in terms of talent. Prep cruised by the Rams, 97-38.

Sophomore Andrew Wiggins, who many believe is the top 2014 in the country, put on a show. Wiggins has elite level spring, sees the floor well, and has the ability to knock down shots. There isn’t much to dislike about his game. Wiggins finished with 26 points and seven boards.

Former Columbus Marion-Franklin star, Elijah Macon (West Virginia), was also very good on the evening as was Javontae Hawkins (South Florida) and Stefan Jankovic (Missouri). Macon scored 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting (dunking) and grabbed nine rebounds. Hawkins tallied 15 points and seven caroms, and Jankovic chipped in 10 and five.

Prep scored 28 points off Trotwood turnovers compared to just four points the other way.

Trotwood got a valiant effort from James Brown Jr.  The senior was just 11-of-20 at the free-throw line, but he did finish with 15 points and eight strays.

Ohio vs. Nation:

Ohio has yet to win a game (0-5) losing by an average of over 27 points per game.

Final Thoughts:

It would have been nice to see a Hamilton SE vs. Huntington Prep match up, but that is easy to write after things have played out.

Top 5 Players of Day 1:

Justin Jackson (HCYA), Mikyle McIntosh (CFCA), Gary Harris (Hamilton SE), Jordan Potts (Northland), and Andrew Wiggins (Huntington Prep).

Honorable Mention: Danrad Knowles, Zak Irvin, Jaccoby Bledsoe, Devon Scott, and Elijah Macon.

Good Samaritan Hospital Flyin to the Hoop 2012: Celebrating 10 Years

The Good Samaritan Flyin to the Hoop Basketball Invitational celebrates its 10th anniversary this season, but that’s just one milestone the popular prep hoops event has reached. Another would be earning recognition as one of the countries top high school basketball productions.

Named the No. 2 high school basketball event nationally by CBS Sports/MaxPreps, the Good Samaritan Flyin to the Hoop has blossomed into a showcase for future pros and Ohio and the nation’s best teams.

During the course of its 10-year run, the Good Samaritan Flyin to the Hoop has hosted 20 future NBAers and hundreds of Division I college players.

Some of the names that have performed at Kettering’s Trent Arena (and Vandalia Butler’s Student Activities Center before that) include: J.R Smith (Denver Nuggets), Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies), Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee Bucks), Nolan Smith (Portland Trailblazers) and DeAndre Jordan (L.A. Clippers). Locally, three of Dayton’s four current NBA players – Dunbar’s Daequan Cook (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Norris Cole (Miami Heat) and Trotwood-Madison’s Chris Wright (Golden State Warriors) - played multiple games at the Good Samaritan Flyin to the Hoop.

Sponsorship, history and interest continue to grow in the Good Samaritan Flyin to the Hoop and it’s easy to see why. Seldom is there a place where talent comes together like this for four days.

In fact, according to those in the know – there’s only one event that tops this one…for now.

Sit back, buckle up and enjoy the ride.

2012 GOOD SAMARITAN FLYIN TO THE HOOP INFO

The 2012 Good Samaritan Flyin to the Hoop high school basketball invitational will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year with 36 teams playing 21 games over the Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend in Dayton.

The event, held at Kettering’s Trent Arena on the campus of Fairmont High School, will be January 13-16 and for the first time will host games on Friday too.

Here are some others quick facts:
• 15 Dayton teams this year (record) – including a lot of first year teams in the event
• Four Nationally Ranked Teams:
- Findlay Prep, NV  (Top 10) vs. Thurgood Marshall
- Huntington Prep, WV (Top 10) vs. Trotwood & Middletown
- Grace Prep, TX (Top 5) vs. Thurgood Marshall
- Hamilton SE, IN (Top 50) vs. Troy
• No. 1 (in OH) Northland vs. No. 5 (in OH) Garfield Heights
• Defending Div. II Ohio State Champs (SVSM) vs. Defending Div. III Ohio State Champs (Taft)
• Seven 5-Star Participating players so far
- Including 4 of the Top Ten Seniors in Nation
- #1 Senior in Nation (I. Austin – Grace Prep (TX)) vs. Thurgood Marshall
- #1 Sophomore in Nation (A. Wiggins – Huntington Prep (WV)) vs. Trotwood & Middletown
• 14 4-Star Participating players so far
• 70+ NCAA Division I prospects/future recruits

Over the years:
• 19 past players are currently in the NBA, including eight draft picks from this summer’s NBA draft alone.
• 300+ past players have gone on to play Division I College Basketball.
• 18,000+ fans attend the event each year.
• Event has an economic impact of $1.7M to the Dayton economy over the event weekend.
• Event is attended by 100+ colleges and 100+ members of the media from across the nation including high profile coaches.

2012 SCHEDULE

Friday, January 13, 2012
Game #1:    6:30 pm    Alter (OH) vs. Christian Faith Center Academy (NC)
Game #2:    8:15 pm    Thurgood Marshall (OH) vs. Findlay Prep (NV)

Saturday, January 14, 2012
Game #3:    11:30 am    Christian Faith Center Academy (NC) vs. HCYA (TX)
Game #4:    1:15 pm    Columbus Walnut Ridge (OH) vs. Ft. Recovery (OH)
Game #5:    3:00 pm    Cathedral (IN) vs. Centerville (OH)
Game #6:    4:45 pm    Hamilton SE (IN) vs. Troy (OH)
Game #7:    6:30 pm    Northland (OH) vs. Garfield Heights (OH)
Game #8:    8:15 pm    Trotwood (OH) vs. Huntington Prep (WV)

Sunday, January 15, 2012
Game #9:    11:30 am    Miami East (OH) vs. Fairmont (OH)
Game #10:    1:15 pm    St. Ignatius (OH) vs. Wayne (OH)
Game #11:    3:00 pm    St. Vincent – St. Mary (OH) vs. Taft (OH)
Game #12:    4:45 pm    Cleveland Heights (OH) vs. Northmont (OH)
Game #13:    6:30 pm    Morgan Park (IL) vs. Springboro (OH)
Game #14:    8:15 pm    Huntington Prep (WV) vs. Middletown (OH)

Monday, January 16, 2012    
Game #15:    10:15 am    HCYA (TX) vs. Trotwood (OH)
Game #16:    12:00 pm    Vandalia (OH) vs. Morgan Park (IL)
Game #17:    1:45 pm    Norcross (GA) vs. Greeneview (OH)
Game #18:    3:30 pm    Medina Senior (OH) vs. Franklin (OH)
Game #19:    5:15 pm    La Lumiere (IN) vs. Westerville North (OH)
Game #20:    7:00 pm    Chillicothe (OH) vs. Chaminade Julienne (OH)
Game #21:    8:30 pm    Grace Prep (TX) vs. Thurgood Marshall (OH)

TICKETS (Order here)
Friday: $10 General Admission  $20 Reserved Seating
Saturday: $12 GA/$22 Reserved
Sunday:$12 GA/$22 Reserved
Monday: $12 GA/$22 Reserved
All-Weekend Pass:$40 GA/$80 Reserved

WEBSITE: www.flyintothehoop.com

2012 GOOD SAMARITAN FLYIN TO THE HOOP TEAMS AND TOP PLAYERS

BY KURT STUBBS

The 10th Annual Flyin’ to the Hoop is the biggest to date with 21 games lined up over the course of three full days and one evening.  The event kicks off Friday night with two contests,  six on Saturday and Sunday, and seven on Martin Luther King Jr. day.

36 teams are taking part including 10 national teams. There are eight Ohio vs. Ohio match ups and six teams will playing in two games (CFCA, HCYA, Huntington Prep, Morgan Park, Thurgood Marshall, and Trotwood-Madison).

One glowing absence will be Dayton Dunbar, who won’t be participating in this year’s event. The Wolverines are currently (10-0) and No. 1 in the state and always a main attraction at the F2H.

NATIONAL TEAMS

Christian Faith Center Academy (NC)
Record (12-3)
Top Players: Brandon Chauca (5’9/So.), Kaza Kajami-Keane (6’2/Jr.), Mikyle McIntosh (6’6/Jr.), and Jalyn Pennie (6’6/Sr.)

Findlay Prep (NV)
Record (14-1)
Top Players: Nigel Williams-Goss (6’3/Jr.), Dominic Artis (6’0/Sr.)- Oregon, Winston Shepard (6’8/Sr.), Brandon Ashley (6’8/Sr.)- Arizona, Anthony Bennett (6’7/Sr.), Naz Long (6’3/Sr.)- Iowa State, and Amedo Delavalle (6’4/Sr.)
National Rank: ESPN No. 6 and USA Today No. 8

HCYA (TX)
Record (20-11)
Top Players: Justin Jackson (6’7/So.), Danrad Knowles (6’8/Sr.)- Houston, and Karl Rhodes (5’10/Jr.)

Cathedral (IN)
Record (7-2)
Top Players: Collin Hartman (6’6/Jr.)- Indiana

Hamilton SE (IN)
Record (9-2)
Top Players: Gary Harris (6’5/Sr.)- Michigan State, Zak Irvin (6’7/Jr.)- Michigan, and Jacobby Bledsoe (5’9/Sr.)
National Ranking: ESPN No. 42

Huntington Prep (WV)
Record (10-1)
Top Players: Elijah Macon (6’9/Sr.)- West Virginia, Javontae Hawkins (6’4/Sr.)- South Florida, Negus Webster-Chan (6’6/Sr.)- Missouri, Stefan Jankovic (6’9/Sr.)- Missouri, Andrew Wiggins (6’6/So.), Xavier Rathan-Mayes (6’3/Jr.), and Tanveer Bhullar (7’2/Jr.)
National Ranking: USA Today No. 9

Morgan Park (IL)
Record (7-4)
Top Players: Billy Garrett Jr. (6’5/Jr.), Adrian Jeffries (6’5/Sr.), Josh Cunningham (6’7/So.), and Kain Harris (6’3/Fr.)

La Lumiere (IN)
Record (9-2)
Losses: Oak Hill Academy (VA) and Elgin (IL)
Top Players: Antonio Drummond (5’11/Sr.), Raphael Davis (6’5/Sr.)- Purdue, Hanner Perea (6’8/Sr.)- Indiana, Obij Aget (7’0/Sr.)- New Mexico, and Jay Simpson (6’8/Sr.)- Purdue

Grace Prep (TX)
Record (12-2)
Top Players: Jelon Hornbeak (6’4/Sr.)- Oklahoma, Isaiah Austin (7’0/Sr.)- Baylor, and Emmanuel Mudiay (6’4/So.)
National Ranking: ESPN No. 4 and USA Today No. 13

Norcross (GA)
Record (8-6)
Top Players: Brandon Goodwin (6’0/Jr.) and Harold Givens (6’7/Jr.)

OHIO TEAMS

Kettering Alter
Record (4-4)
Top Players: Jaaron Simmons (6’0/Jr.)

Dayton Thurgood Marshall
Record (6-1)/(3-4)
Top Players: Joe Thomasson (6’3/Sr.)- Wright State, Mark Alstork (6’4/Jr.), Edmond Early (6’1/Jr.), and Joe Ballard (6’5/Sr.)
JJHuddle State Ranking: D2/No. 2

Dayton Chaminade Julienee
Record (8-2)
Top Players: John Staley (6’5/Sr.)- Northern Kentucky and Justin Bibbs (6’4/So.)
JJHuddle State Ranking: D2/No. 8

Columbus Walnut Ridge
Record (7-0)
Top Players: Roy Alexander (6’4/Sr.), Adam McCall (5’11/Sr.), Grant Harris (6’2/Sr.), Allasane Kah (6’8/Sr.), Fred Hardgrove (6’0/Sr.), and Malik Dime (6’9/Sr.)
JJHuddle State Ranking: D1/No. 4

Fort Recovery
Record (8-0)
Top Players: Wade Gelhaus (6’6/Jr.), Jared Kahlig (6’6/Sr.), and Elijah Kahlig (6’2/So.)
JJHuddle State Ranking: D4/No. 5

Centerville
Record (5-5)
Top Players: Jackson Replogle (6’4/Jr.), Brett Kubaszewki (6’1/Sr.), Will Hobby (6’3/Sr.), and Conner Lash (6’1/Sr.)

Troy
Record (7-2)
Top Players: Cody May (6’4/Sr.), Zach Martinez (6’1/Sr.), and Tyler Miller (6’4/Jr.)

Trotwood-Madison
Record (1-2)
Top Players: Jamar Hammonds (6’4/Jr.), Dalin Byrd (6’6/Sr.), James Brown Jr. (6’0/Sr.), Dezhontae Bennett (6’2/So.), Ravonn Lovette (6’2/Jr.), and Andre Foster (6’2/Fr.)
JJHuddle State Ranking: D2/No. 10

Kettering Fairmont
Record (5-5)
Top Players: Aaron Abbott (6’0/Jr.) and Jacob Roalef (6’3/Sr.)

Huber Heights Wayne
Record (3-7)
Top Players: Juan Ford (6’0/Jr.), Keith Clements (5’10/Sr.), Crisshawn Clark (6’3/Jr.), Malcolm Pittman (6’5/Sr.), and Ahmad Wagner (6’6/Fr.)

Clayton Northmont
Record (7-2)
Top Players: Devon Carter (5’7/Sr.), Jamal Trammell (6’3/Sr.), Dominique Stollings (6’1/Jr.), Keith Richardson (5’9/Jr.), and Cameron Taylor (6’1/So.)

Springboro
Record (9-1)
Top Players: Maverick Morgan (6’10/Jr.), Jack Mapes (6’0/Sr.), Ryan Murray (5’10/Jr.), and Jack Pfahl (6’4/Jr.)

Vandalia-Butler
Record (4-6)
Top Players: Jordan Greer (6’4/Jr.) and Jake Greer (6’5/Sr.)

Columbus Northland
Record (7-1)
Top Players: Jordan Potts (5’10/Sr.), Devon Scott (6’8/Sr.)- Dayton, Jalen Robinson (6’8/Sr.)- Dayton, Ke’chaun Lewis (6’4/Sr.), and Ty Hairston (6’2/So.)
JJHuddle State Ranking: D1/No. 1
National Ranking: ESPN No. 41

Cincinnati Taft
Record (4-4)
Top Players: Adolphus Washington (6’4/Sr.)- Ohio State FB, Orlando Berry Jr. (5’9/Sr.), Jalean Lowe (6’3/Sr.), Dwayne Stanford (6’5/Sr.)- Oregon FB, and Jermaine Freeman (5’11/Sr.)
JJHuddle State Ranking: D2/No. 3

Middletown
Record (8-2)
Top Players: Geovonie McKnight (6’3/Sr.) and Vince Edwards (6’6/So.)

Westerville North
Record (8-2)
Top Players: Jaylen Benton (6’1/Jr.), Matt Rhodes (6’5/Sr.)- Walsh University, Taivion Thomas (6’5/Sr.), Adrian Cook (5’10/Jr.), and Jack Gibbs (5’10/Jr.)- Out with Injury

Garfield Heights
Record (8-1)
Top Players: Mike Davis (6’1/Sr.)- Northern Illinois, Tony Farmer (6’6/Jr.), and Jermaine Davis (6’9/Sr.)- La Salle
JJHuddle State Ranking: D1/No. 5

Medina
Record (1-6)
Top Players: Billy Geschke (6’0/Jr.), Mason Schreck (6’5/Sr.), and Kenny Kaminski (6’7/Sr.)- Michigan State/Out with Injury

Cleveland Heights
Record (8-0)
Top Players: Tyree Gaiter (5’9/Sr.)
JJHuddle State Ranking: D1/No. 10

Jamestown Greeneview
Record (8-2)
Top Players: Evan Bradds (6’7/Jr.)- Ohio University

Chillicothe
Record (8-3)
Top Players: Zach Johnson (6’2/Jr.) and Malik London (6’8/Sr.)- Cleveland State

Casstown Miami East
Record (9-2)
Top Players: Gunner Shirk (5’11/Sr.), AJ Hickman (6’4/Fr.), Josh Snyder (5’9/Sr.), Garrett Mitchell (6’0/Jr.), and Bradley Coomes (6’2/Sr.)

Akron SVSM
Record (6-4)
Top Players: DJ Blanks (6’3/Sr.), Lorenzo Cugini (6’6/Sr.)- High Point, Victor Dorsey (6’8/So.), Trayvon Crater (6’4/Sr.), and Nick Wells (6’6/Jr.)
JJHuddle State Ranking: D2/No. 5

Franklin
Record (9-0)
Top Players: Luke Kennard (6’5/Fr.), Jacob Rossi (6’8/Sr.)- Northern Kentucky, and Justin Rossi (6’8/Sr.)- Northern Kentucky
JJHuddle State Ranking: D2/No. 7

Cleveland St. Ignatius
Record (5-1)
Top Players: Brian Joseph (5’11/Sr.), Alec Papesch (6’6/Jr.), Francisco Santiago (6’0/Jr.), and Derek Sloan (6’3/Jr.)

By Tim Langevin

The year was 1971. A gallon of gas cost 40 cents. A postage stamp went for eight cents. Richard M. Nixon was President and 60% of Americans were against the Vietnam War. Busing, desegregation, and split sessions were school issues.

On March 27, Columbus Walnut Ridge captured the AAA state championship by dispatching Dayton Dunbar 76-63 at St. John’s Arena. It was the Scots first and only state basketball title. Under head coach Jack Moore (1988 Hall of Fame Inductee), Ridge finished the season 25-0.

That same day, Fort Recovery was crowned state champions in the A classification by dismantling Marion Pleasant 70-57. It was the Indians first and only state title. Recovery coach Al Souder and his troops finished with a 26-2 record.

Some 41 years later, Walnut Ridge and Fort Recovery cross paths, once again at the Good Samaritan Flyin to the Hoop in Dayton. The two tangle Saturday at 1:15 p.m. Both schools are newcomers to the 10th anniversary event.

Walnut Ridge stands tall at 8-0 and ranked 4th in the state in the D-I JJ Huddle Power Poll. Fort Recovery boasts an 8-0 record and is ranked 5th in the state in the D-IV JJ Huddle Power Poll. Ridge represents the Columbus City League and Recovery competes in the rural Midwest Athletic Conference.

Walnut Ridge is loaded with talent and depth. They operate with experienced guards and their bigs are long and athletic. The Scots average 70.2 ppg and allow 41.6 ppg.

JJ Huddle Basketball Analyst Kurt Stubbs said, “The Ridge may have its best team this year with enough talent to field two quality teams.”

Coach Jason Bates shuffles players in and out at a high frequency to feed his up-tempo demands. Seven players average 7.0 ppg or more with an 11-player rotation.

Three starters return from last season’s 18-5 record. Senior guards Fred Hardgrove and Adam McCall are the mayhem guys on defense and Roy Alexander is the leading scorer, averaging 12.6 ppg. Alexander is strong and athletic and can score inside or outside.

Hardgrove averages 10.2 ppg and McCall adds 9.5 ppg.

Allasane Kah (6-9, Sr) and Kai Turner (6-7, Sr) anchor the middle. Kah averages 7.1 ppg and 10.3 rpg. Turner is the chairman, averaging 10.9 rpg.

Newcomers Malik Dime (6-9, Sr) and Grant Harris (6-2, Sr) come off the bench. Dime scores 7.0 ppg and Harris, a transfer from Harvest Prep, averages 8.6 ppg. Last year, Harris averaged 19.3 ppg for the D-IV state runners-up.

Other key players are Isaiah Brooks (4.8 ppg) and Rob Wheelwright (8.3 ppg).

Bates is in his fourth season as coach and owns a 47-20 overall record. His team has progressed each year and the glory days of the 1971 season are back. His calling card is man-to-man defense. No doubt this squad has a nice blend of size, quickness, and athleticism.

“We have the opportunity to be a special team,” Bates told the Columbus Dispatch. “We need to stay hungry and make defense our top priority.”

Ridge plays D-III Africentric (8-1) Friday in an emotionally-charged matchup. Bates’ brother Michael is the head coach for Africentric. Quite a family. Leroy Bates, the father, coached Toledo Libby years ago.

What’s that saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” Fort Recovery coach Brian Patch and school principal Jeff Hobbs have been lobbying FTTH President and Founder Eric Horstman for the past two years for the opportunity to play in this event…Their wish was granted.

Fort Recovery is not as talented or as deep as Walnut Ridge, but surprised a lot of teams over the summer during various shootouts, including wins over D-I schools Upper Arlington, Newark, and Hilliard-Davidson. In addition, Wade Gelhaus sparked interest from college recruiters on the AAU circuit with Team CBIZ.

The 6-6 junior leads the Indians in scoring (20.1 ppg) and rebounding (10.5 rpg). Gelhaus can play any position on the floor. He is a great athlete with plenty of hops and creates tough matchups for opponents. Don’t be surprised if Alexander and Gelhaus are pitted against one another.

Patch said, “Wade can post, step outside, bring the ball down court. He is our go-to guy.”

Gelhaus has verbally committed to the University of Findlay, but offers are still coming in from Wright State, Belmont, and Davidson.

Patch said, “This team has the potential to be better than the 2010 team. No Greg Kahlig, but more weapons. As a whole, we play better defense.”

The Indians went 21-4 that season, only to lose to eventual state champs Dayton Jefferson 55-51 in overtime in the regional finals.

The other four starters are Elijah Kahlig (brother of Greg), Jared Kahlig (cousin), Jason Pottkotter, and Ben Dilworth.
Elijah is a 6-2 sophomore and averages 13.7 ppg with 2.3 steals. He shoots 53.6 % from three-point range. He also played for Team CBIZ.

“Elijah is more of a pure shooter than his brother. Greg was more of a scorer,” said Patch.

Jared is a 6-5 senior and averages 11.7 ppg and shoots 72 % from the foul line. Long time Capital University coach Damon Goodwin is pursuing Jared Kahlig.

“Jared guards the best offensive player,” Patch said. “He is a lot like Wade. He can handle the ball and play any position and create his own shot.”

Pottkotter is a 6-2 senior averaging 10.5 ppg and shoots 61 % from the field and 70 % from the foul line.

Only a sophomore, Dilworth rounds out the starting five. He is a strong rebounder and has a nice pull-up jumper.

Sophomores Alex Kaiser and Kent Retz are the sparks off the bench along with Derek Gaerke.

Patch, in his ninth season, utilizes a 7-8 player rotation. The Indians run a five-man motion offense with a lot of inside/outside action.

“We really don’t have a point guard, ” Patch said. “All our players can handle the ball, play any position, shoot outside or post.”

The Indians average 60 ppg and allow 37 ppg. They play a pressing, man-to-man defense and like to push the ball, but are disciplined to play a half-court game, if necessary.

Like Ridge, Recovery has a trap game Friday against 3-5 Coldwater.

Keys to the Game: In order for Fort Recovery to win, they can’t get into foul trouble with a seven-player rotation. And they need to dictate the tempo, play at their pace. Settle the nerves, get off to quick start, commit fewest turnovers, and don’t get dominated on the boards. Also, be able to weather ballistic scoring runs. That’s it.

In order for Walnut Ridge to win, the Scots need to go out and play their game, dictate the tempo, relax and have fun. The score should take care of its self.

And so, regardless of the outcome, this should be one fascinating and intriguing matchup. Only at the FTTH extravaganza. Only on MVPhd.

By John Cummings

MVP’s Fab 5 Wrestling Rankings: Week 6

Division I
1. Fairmont – Little banged up in 8th place finish at state duals.
2. Centerville –  Finished a close second at GMVWA Holiday..
3. Beavercreek – Dropped tough match to Fairmont last week.
4. Wayne – Finished a strong fourth at Holiday.
5. Butler – Looked strong in defeating Northmont.

Division II
1. Graham – Claimed state duals title for 10th time.
2. Washington Court House – Looked strong in winning GMVWA Holiday title.
3. Franklin – Finished 24th at GMVWA Holiday.
4. Eaton -  Heading to Top Gun where coach Mark Silvers will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
5. Greenville – Working the kinks out after off weekend at Holiday.

Division III
1. Mechanicsburg – Banged up, finished sixth at state duals.
2. Dayton Christian – Battling injuries, settled for 34th at Brecksville.
3. Troy Christian – Finished 17th at Holiday.
4. Covington – Finished 21st at Holiday.
5. Brookville – Huge dual this week at Versailles.