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A CLEVELAND BENEDICTINE(20-6)
KETTERING ALTER (19-6)
No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. 10 Richard Paul G 5-10 Sr. 12 Paul Owens G 6-2 Jr. 14 William Bruce G 6-3 Jr. 20 Michael Woods G 6-1 Sr. 22 Chris Leanza G 6-0 Sr. 24 Curtis Matthews G 6-2 Sr. 30 Derrick Easley F 6-2 Sr. 32 Brew Story G 6-3 So. 34 Jason Kaiser F Sr. 6-6 40 Jermaine Crosby F 6-6 Sr. 42 Brian Cecil F 6-5 Jr. 44 Rashad Hagler F 6-4 Sr. 50 Jason Halley F 6-4 Jr. 54 Sean Coffey F 6-3 So. Coach: Frank Novak (210-81, 12th season). Starters: Woods, 18.0 points per game; Leanza, 17.0; Matthews, 10.0; Kaiser, 7.0; Crosby,5.0. Fast facts: Located on Cleveland's near southeast side, Benedictine is gunning for its third straight state title. It defeated Akron Buchtel for the 1997 championship and Dover last season. ... Leanza, co-player of the year in Ohio, is third on Benedictine's career list with 1,177 points. With a 4.3 grade point average, he has committed to Yale.... Ninth-ranked in the final state poll, the Bengals, who started 7-6, are averaging 72.8 points and yielding 56.6.... Woods and Crosby joined player of the year Leanza as first-team district choices.... Crosby leads the team in rebounding (8.2), Leanza in assists (4.0), Woods in steals (2.7) and Kaiser in blocks (2.5). . The Bengals have captured five state titles in athletics over the past two years. . Notable alumni of Benedictine include Chuck Noll, Tom Weiskopf and James Trueman.
No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. 11 Mark Borland G 5-10 Jr. 22 Chris Thomas G 6-2 Sr. 24 Greg Kohis G 6-2 Jr. 32 Matt Swanson G 6-0 Sr. 33 Adam Berardo G 6-1 Sr. 34 John Staub G 6-1 Jr. 35 Justin Cetone G 5-11 Jr. 40 Dan Adamson F 6-3 Sr. 41 Andy Carter F 6-4 Jr. 44 Keith Waleskowski F 6-9 Sr. 50 Chris Goings F 6-6 Jr. 51 Adam Waleskowski C 6-8 So. 55 Tony Franz C 6-10 Jr. Coach: Joe Petrocelli (617-187, 35th season). Starters: K.Waleskowski, 18.6 points per game; A.Waleskowski, 10.5; Staub, 8.7; Berardo, 8.3; Borland,8.2. Fast facts: Located southwest of Dayton in Montgomery County, Alter is making its sixth trip to the state tournament and fourth this decade. The Knights won the championship in 1978 behind John Paxson, who became an All-American at Notre Dame and a key player on several Chicago Bulls championship teams.... Alter finished a disappointing 11-10 last season, but quickly reloaded with . players from an 18-1 junior varsity team. Keith Waleskowski, who averages 9.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks, has committed to Dayton.... The younger Waleskowski missed both regional games for drawning a two-technical ejection in a district final.... The Knights are wearing black armbands to honor former player Kurt Murnen, 19, who died of cancer on March 4.... Berardo was a standout on Alter's state championship soccer team.
PHILO(22-4)
Pos. Ht. G 6-3 C 6-8 G 5-10 G 5-8
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No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. 10 Darren Tigner G 5-11 Sr. 12 Aaron Wahl G 5-10 Jr. 14 Ju::;r iv *Qkia,%,do F 6-2 Jr. 20 Ben Fleming G 5-10 Jr. 22 Brock Walden F 6-2 Jr. 24 Devin Barnhouse F 6-4 So. 30 Nick Cassady F 6-3 Sr. 32 Mike Offineer G 6-0 Sr. 34 - Jason Trout C 6-6 So. 40 Pat Rush F 6-5 Sr. 42 Chris'Ballenger C 6-6 Sr. 44 Evan Merckle G 6-3 Jr. Coach: Todd Van Reeth (68-23, 4th season). Starters: Rush, 14.0 points per game; Ballenger, 10.5; Merckle, 9.2; Trout, 8.3; Tigner,5.1. Fast facts: Located southeast of Zanesville in Muskingum County, Philo is making its third appearance in the state tournament. The Electrics, named after a local power plant on the Muskingum River that employed and served many residents, were runners-up to Cincinnati Mariemont in their last trip in 1953.... Philo returned all five starters from last season's team that finished 20-5 and lost the regional final by one point to eventual state finalist Dover.... Unranked in the final state poll, Philo was runner-up in the Muskingum Valley League at 15-3.. . Ballenger and Rush made first-team AIIMVL and All-Eastern District. ... Ballenger, the school's all-time leading rebounder, hauls in 8.0 boards per game. Van Reeth served stints at Tri-Valley, Sugarcreek Garaway and Freeport 1 before coming to Philo. Lak
21 Maurice Tuff F 6-4 Jr. 22 Damien Lee F 6-3 Sr. 23 J.C.Zimmerman F 6-4 Sr. 25 Matt Jones F 6-4 Jr. 34 James Leigh G 5-11 Jr. 35 James Graham G 6-1 So. 41 Eric Bradley F 6-3 Sr. 45 Eric Bell C 6-6 Sr. Coach: Joe Dudas (59-56, fifth season). .Starters: Thomas, 16.0 points per game; Lee 14.3; Cox 13.0; Woods 12.9; Zimmerman 3.8. Fast facts: Located on the north side of Columbus, Beechcroft is making its first appearance in the state tournament. Last season, the Cougars reached a regional semifinal before falling to Cincinnati Roger Bacon.... Beechcroft was runner-up in the City League North Division with an 11-3 record, falling twice to champion Brookhaven.... Thomas and Cox earned first-team all-league. Thomas, who averages 12.8 rebounds and 6.8 blocks, made first-team all-Central District and second-team All-Ohio.... Except for Zimmerman, every starter has led the team in scoring at least three times. ... Cox, who boasts a vertical leap of over 40 inches, has dunked more than 60 times this season.... Lee has signed to play football at Akron.... Dudas coached the Beechcroft girls team to the state tournament in 1992. The Cougars fell to eventual champion Urbana.
WORTHINGTON CHRISTIAN (22-3)
BERLIN HILAND(25-1)
No: Player Pos. Ht. Yr. 5 Mike Hill G 5-8 Jr. 14 Jon Raymond G 5-10 Jr. 20 Aaron Sweigard G 5-8 Jr. 22 David Taylor G 5-10 Jr. 30 Mike Easley F 5-10 So. 31 Steve Short F 6-1 Sr. 32 Jason Weakley G 5-10 Jr. 33 Sam Smith G 6-5 Jr. 34 Adam Heath G 6-0 Sr. 40 Scott Hadley F 6-5 So. 44 Andrew Mathias C 6-5 So. 45 Brian Bumgarner F 6-2 Jr. 50 Dan Weston C 6-4 Jr. Coach: Ray Slagle (408-164, ninth season). Starters: Smith, 20.6 points per game; Weakley 16.8; Hadley 9.2; Weston 7.5; Taylor 3.6. Fast facts: Located in the northern suburbs of Columbus, Worthington Christian is making its second state tournament appearance. The Warriors fell to Upper Scioto Valley 56-54 in the 19-9 state final.... Slagle, who substitutes freely, has juggled his starting lineup frequently. ... Smith and Weakley each made first-team All-Central District and second-team All-Ohio. Smith has committed to Dayton. Weakley's brother Kevin was point guard on the '94 state finalist.... The Warriors, who have hit 235 three-point goals, are shooting 34 percent beyond the arc and 46 percent overall.... Worthington Christian's schedule included five Division I opponents and three Division 11 foes.... Slagle won a state championship in Michigan.... The eighth-ranked Warriors, who have dropped just one Mid-Buckeye Conference game in five seasons, average 79 points per game and allow 57.
No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. 11 Jason Mishler G 5-10 Jr. 15 Errol Kandel .G 5-9 Jr. 21 Jordan Schrock G 5-9 So. 23 Matt Miller G 5-10 Jr. 25 Fred Yoder F 6-0 So. 31 Cliff Sprang F 6-2 So. 33 Pat Kaufman G 5-10 Jr. 35 Kellen Miller F 5-11 Jr. 41 Kendall Schlabach G 5-11 Jr. 43 Mark Beechy F 6-3 Jr. 45 Joe Miller G 6-2 Jr. 51 Erik Miller F 5-11 Jr. 53 Nate Hershberger F 5-10 Jr. 55 Josh Mullet G 6-0 Jr. Coach: Perry Reese (279-81, 15th season). Starters: Schlabach, 18.7 points per game; M.Miller, 15.0; Mishler, 11.3; Mullet, 9.6; E.Miller, 6.6 Fast facts: Located in Holmes County, 30 miles southwest of Canton, Berlin Hiland is making its second straight ap-
EDGERTON (21-4) i4o. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. 4 Ross Casebere G 5-11 Sr. 11 Corey Leppelmeier G 5-10 Sr. :13 Austin Imm F 6-1 Sr. 21 Matt Potter G 6-1 Jr. 22 Derek Sito F 6-1 So. 23 C.J. Short G 6-1 Sr. 30 Josiah Wilmot G 5-11 Fr. 31 Heath Baker F 6-1 So. 33 Brent Van Horn G 6-0 Jr. 40 Chris Sanchez G 5-10 So. 45 Scott Hartley F 6-1 So. 50 Benji Wilmot F 6-4 So. Coach: Steve Lamberson (37-10, second season). Starters: Short, 18.2 points per game; Sito, 16.0; Van Horn 13.5; Wilmot, 9.5; Casebere,4.3. Fast facts: Located in Williams County only five miles from the Indiana border and 20 from the Michigan border, Edgerton is making its second state tournament appearance. The Bulldogs defeated Lynnwood Jacksontown 57-53 for the Class A crown in 1959.... Third-year starter Short, a second-team all-Northwest District choice, is the driving force of Edgerton. He leads the team in scoring, steals (4.1), assists (3.9) and is second to Wilmot(5.9) in rebounds (5.5).... The Bulldogs, who outscored their opponents by an average margin of 65.4-53.8, won a share of the Green Meadows Conference by beating rival Wayne Trace in the next-to-last game of the season.... The Bulldogs, who upset No. 4 Fort Jennings 49-43 in the regional final, play strong half-court defense and handle full-court pressure adeptly.
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BEECHCROFT(20-4) No. Player 3 Marchello Cox 4 Delano Thomas 5 Lamar Woods 11 Frank Sullivan
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third-appearance this decade and fifth overall. Hiland won the 1992 championship with a 74-71 victory over Gates Mills Hawken. Last season, the Hawks lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Dayton Jefferson 76-67. ... Hiland, which graduated all five starters, is averaging 80.5 points per game and allowing 56.0.... The Hawks press full-court and have made 220 three-pointers, with 37 percent accuracy.... Hiland won the Inter Valley Conference with a 15-1 record. . Mullet leads the team in rebounding (6.0) and Mishler leads in assists (6.1) and steals (2.5).... Schlabach was East District player of the year and secondteam All-Ohio. ... None of the four Millers are related. FORT RECOVERY(24-1) No. Player Pos. Ht. Yr. 14 Josh Dilworth G 6-0 Sr. 15 Collin Bechtol G-F 6-1 Jr. 20 Nick Wehrkamp G 5-10 Sr. 23 Aaron Bruns G 5-6 Jr. 24 Steve Roessner G 5-10 Jr. 30 Ross Wendel F 6-2 So. 32 Clark May G 6-5 Sr. 33 Chris Rammel F 6-3 Jr. 40 Erik Brunswick F 6-2 Jr. 42 Chuck Bihn C 6-4 Jr. 44 Chris Guggenbiller F 6-2 Sr. 45 Brent Niekamp F 6-3 Sr. Coach: Joe Bruns (41-24, 3rd season). Starters: Bihn, 16.7 points per game; May, 12.6; Guggenbiller, 9.7; Wendel, 9.5; Dilworth, 9.3. Fast facts: Located in Mercer County only a couple miles from the Indiana border, Fort Recovery is making its third appearance in the state tournament. The Indians won the state championship by defeating Marion Pleasant in 1971.... Fort Recovery was 5-17 in Bruns' first season and improved to 14-7 the following season.... Guggenbiller, Bihn and May all weigh between 210 and 235 pounds.... Dilworth tops the team in assists (7.2) and steals (3.4) per game The Indians shouldn't lack for a cheering section. They brought 2,000 fans for the regional games at the University of Dayton Arena.... Bihn, whose brother Chris is head coach at Division III semifinalist Coldwater, averages 12.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. He made second-team All-Ohio. Bruns and Chris Bihn were Fort Recovery teammates in 1987.
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ball player and who can cause a lot of problems Worthington Christianufor people when he's in the flow. "Dave Taylor, Brian Bumgarner, Dan Weston j,, and a handful of other kids have given us big awaits with young tea~rt contributions at times. My goal would be to see all these other guys step up and take some of the By Steve 131ack1 burden offSam and Jason." Dispatch SportsReporterLanberson said he was concerned how to guard Worthington Clu-isstian. During a meeting with the 16 state tournament "Some of their big lads like to play on the qualifiers on Sunday, Ohio High School Athletic perimeter and shoot three-pointers," he said. "I'm Association commissioner Clair Muscaro inadvernot sure we've played anybody quite hike this tently mispronounced the name of a Division IV team." school unknown to many. While the Warriors rely on their press to fuel "It's Edge-er-ton," coach Steve Lamberson the transition game and create open three-point chimed in. "The way to remember it is we're way shots, Edgerton's forte has been its ability to take outthere on the edge ofthe world." ; care ofthe ball and play stingy defense. The rural Williams County community of 1,900, "We have five or six kids that can handle the is a three-point shot away from Indiana in thefar,, ball very well and we've shown a lot of discipline -----_ northwestern edge of Ohio. ----- ---- - in that area," Lamberson said. Jamie Scwaerow h b /Dispatch ` I can't begin to describe how excited our cornPoint guard C.J. Short, athird-year starter, munity is," Lamberson said. "T-shirts are selling Worthington Christian coach Ray Slagle is looking leads the Bulldogs in scoring (18.2 points per for Scott Hadley(40)to have some big games. like hot calves around here. game), steals (4.1) and assists (3.9) and is second "It's hard to get a gauge on how the kids are down to the younger ages now," coach Ray Slagle in rebounding (5.5). Derek Sito (16.0 points) and reacting to this. hi the gym, they're all business. said. "We've got 170 lids involved from grades 4 Brent Van Horn(13.5)are solid contributors. Outside of practice, they're probably up in the through 12. We're hoping we can establish ourMany considered it a significant upset when clouds." selves as a program than can be very successful Edgerton (214) defeated once-beaten Fort JenMeanwhile, Edgerton's semifinal, opponent at on a consistent basis." rings 49-43in a regional final Friday. 11 a.m. Friday - young, talented i Worthington For Worthington Christian to bid for a state "The night we scouted them, they completely Christian - hopes it is on the verge of being title now, Slagle wants to see more players step up controlled the tempo of the game with C.J. Short recognized statewide for years to come. to complement standouts Sam Smith (20.6 points ruri ing the show very well," Slagle said. The Warriors (22-3) have just two seniors on per game)and Jason Weakley(16.8). "That's going to be a big Ivey to the game. We'll their roster and both play supporting roles. "I strongly believe Scott Hadley has big games do whatever we can to create the tempo and "Our philosophy has been implemented way in him," Slagle said. "He's a very talented basket- they'll do whatever they can to slow things down."
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■ Sam Smith and Jason Weakiey watched as youngfans and now are leading the Warriors back to the state tournaments By Steve Blacklefte Dispatch SportsReporter' During Worthington Christians a only other trip to the state basketball ` tournament, sixth-graders Jason if Weakley and Sam Smith rode shotgLm"I was one of the first people in I r when they opened the doors," Weak-' ley recalled. "I was going to get in the front row of the bleachers no matter what."„ Still developing the explosive first step he has now, Smith wound up in row 6 of the same student section behind the basket in St. John Arena j "By the time the last few minutes came around, I was on the floor, too, right near Jason," he said. ~. Weakley and Smith watched the Warriors fall to Upper Scioto Valley ~'n 56-54 in the Division IV title game, then made a pact to return one day as players. The route has changed ever so slightly, but the two childhood pals indeed have steered Worthington Christian (22-3) back to another Tom Dodge lDisparch state tournament, this time in the Lifetime friends Jason Weakley,left,and Sam Smith put up big numbersfor Worthington Christian. brand-new Schottenstein Center and its massive Value City Arena "I remember seeing Sam in mid- Brother Bryan, the only shooting heard the buzzer go off," Sunith said. "We dreamed a lot back then," dle school with those spindly legs, guard of the clan, is now at NAIA "I'd pretend I was Tony Patterson Weakley said, "and this was always but he was really, really quic?r.," B- -1, Ur_~,ersity in U1;1/lirada, Ct1;4. or some other player. Jason was althe ultimate, playing in the state coach Ray Slagle said. "God gave "Dad was definitely a big influ- ways his brother Kevin. That went tournament." him some gifts and because he's ence, but I picked up a lot from my without saying. All those guys really Smith, a 6-foot-5 swingman, and such a diligent worker, he took that brothers,too," Weakley said. got us excited about the game and Weakley, a 5-10 point guard, form raw ability and improved his skills Slagle remembers Jason being a beingjust as successful as them." one of the most potent tandems in dramatically." gym ratfrom day one. Smith also recalled with some Ohio-and they're onlyjuniors. Smith poses matchup difficulties "In the middle of the winter, he'd trepidation the youngsters practicing An extraordinary slasher, Smith is with his combination of size, quick- go to the Capital games in a pair of ball-handling drills in the church averaging 20.6 points, 8.8 rebounds ness and aggressiveness. Despite be- shorts with a basketball tucked un- parking lot before chapel services. and 1.4 blocks per game while shoot- ing the team's tallest player, he rare- der his anu and wait for the game to "They had to make a rule about ing 53 percent from the field and 75 ly plays with his back to the basket. end so he could go out on the floor no basketballs in chapel just because percent from the line. He has comWeakley, on the other hand, was and shoot," he said. ofus," he quipped. nutted to the University ofDayton. reared on basketball. Inseparable since kindergarten, Recognizing the importance of A deluxe quarterback and defendAmong many stops, his father Smith and Weakley always loved those memories, Smith and Weakley er, Weakley contributes 16.8 points, Scott was a former head coach at Worthington Christian basketball. are eager to serve as role models 6.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 Worthington Christian and Capital "We'd go to the varsity games within the school and conunuruty. steals per game. He shoots 53 per- University. Older brother Kevin when they played at the old Olen"This nurturing process with the cent from the field, including 50 per- played on Worthington Christian's tangy High School and as soon as younger kids that idolize them is one cent from three-point range, and 84.9 state finalist and just concluded a halftime came, we'd go play one-on- of the big reasons we've become the percentfrom the line. stellar career at Otterbein College. one on the baskets outside until we program we are," Slagle said.
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.~ "''Thave biate By Mark Znldar Dispatch Sports Reporter During most games - and especially in the state tournament - Fort Recovery coach Joe Bruns would have tunnel vision from his spot on the sideline. But who can blame him if he were to cast an occasional glance into the stands on Friday during a Division IV semifinal against Berlin Hiland? His wife, Denise, is due to give birth any day, but will attempt to watch Fort Recovery go for its first championship since 1971. Bruns said he'll make eye contact with Denise at points during the game, Two doctors will be at the team's hotel and will sit near her on game day. Denise, however, has balanced child birth and basketball before - the couple's 15-month-old boy, Chase, was born in December as the 1997-98 season was heating up. Plus, she said, she's not the type who will be screaming her lungs out.
"I'm pretty quiet. I've been told I'm too quiet to be a coach's wife," she said. "I'm not one to stand and holler. "It has been a great season, real exciting. I'm looking forward to being at the tournament. I know I don't have to go up and down too many steps. That's good." March Madness has been so hectic that Joe, a mathematics teacher, has had trouble keeping up with his classroom duties. "I've been keeping myself pretty busy," he said. "Our grading period just ended and we've been taking everything one day at a time. It's )and of overwhelming. It's hard to stay focused and do your bestjob in the classroom. "When all this basketball is over, we'll let out a big sigh and rest a little bit. Then we'll be able to look back and see all that we've done." The prospects of building a state tournament team didn't look too bright when Fort Recovery finished 5-17 in Bruns' first season. He started
three sophomores: forwards Chris Guggenbiller i and Clark May and guard Scott Dilworth. The trio helped the Indians improve to 14-7 last season and to 24-1 this year. "It has been fun to watch these seniors," Bruns said. "They gave us a good, solid framework when I took thejob. "People talk about us not having been to state since 1971. Heck, we hadn't been to a regional since 1971. This group has been special." Fort Recovery won the Midwest Athletic Conference title and its first sectional in five ,years. "Once we made it to the regional - after playing that great schedule and winning a lot of close games - the kids have that mentality of refusing to lose," Bruns said. The Indians hardly resemble a small-school r team. Guggenbiller is 6 feet 2, 235 pounds and May s andjunior Chuck Bihn stand 6-5. "Playing in our league, you just have to be physically strong to compete," Bruns said. 1 F