The tournament championship game for freshman boys basketball in the Shelby County Athletic League is set for Monday at 6 p.m. at Jackson Center High School, and ScoresBroadcast.com will be present to offer play-by-play and color.
ScoresBroadcast’s online air time is approximately 5:30. A radio simulcast is provided by WMVR, 105.5 TAM FM, in Sidney.
The number one seed Russia Raiders meet either Anna or Jackson Center in Monday night’s title tilt. The Rockets and Tigers square off on Saturday morning at 10. The Anna freshmen downed Jackson Center by eight points in the regular season.
Saturday’s loser plays Fort Loramie in the consolation contest on Monday at 5 p.m. preceding the championship.
Russia, 14-1 overall, advanced to the final after topping the Redskins, 53-31. The Raiders’ only loss was to Jackson Center, 34-32, on December 6 in the second game of the schedule. Russia avenged that setback three weeks later by defeating the Tigers, 31-18.
On Dec. 23, the Raiders freshmen won at Anna, 50-41. They also pinned defeats on four ninth grade squads from the Midwest Athletic Conference. Russia nipped St. Henry, 50-46; clobbered Fort Recovery, 54-31; belted New Bremen, 50-33; and closed out its schedule thumping Versailles, 53-30.
Freshman team members for Russia are (alphabetically) Zeb Borchers, 6-1; Dominic Francis, 6-1; Micah Grieshop, 6-1; Jaxon Grojean, 5-6; Landon Monnin, 6-1; Landon Pleiman, 6-0; Zeb Schulze, 6-1; Caleb Unverferth, 5-9; Jonah York, 5-7; and Benjamin York, 6-2. Russia’s head coach is Mick Leffel.
Jackson Center freshman team participants include Cole Butler, 5-10; Jackson Davis, 5-10; Cooper Hartle, 5-8; Lucas Heitkamp, 5-10; Reed Platfoot, 6-2; Owen Willoby, 6-1; and Sean Wren, 5-9. Aaron Klopfenstein coaches the Tigers freshman squad.
Ninth grade team members at Anna are Noah Aufderhaar, 6-3; Kyle Edelman, 5-10; Jacob Feroze, 5-8; Keith Homan, 5-10; Jay Muter, 5-10; Evan Myers, 6-0; Zach Osborn, 5-9; Jose Pulfer, 5-10; Trevor Roberts, 5-8; Aaron Shappie, 5-9; Alex Shappie, 6-0; and Aven Zimpfer, 5-11. Ben Belcher coaches the Anna frosh.
Fort Loramie’s freshman team roster includes Nick Barhorst, 5-11; Carter Gasson, 6-0; Isaac Holthaus, 5-11; Ty Kemper, 6-1; Ethan Koester, 6-0; Spencer Knouff, 6-1; Max Maurer, 5-11; and AJ Siegel, 5-7. The Redskins head coach is Jake Cordonnier.
During the regular season on triple-header nights, many of these SCAL freshmen played multiple quarters with the junior varsity. On such evenings, six quarters of action per player could be shared between freshman and junior varsity contests.
Thus, “per game averages” at the freshman level were skewed. In fact, some of the players on the freshman rosters averaged at least a few points per game better in junior varsity contests.
“We’re looking forward to providing coverage of the freshman championship game on Monday,” said ScoresBroadcast.com’s Jack Kramer.
“Ninth graders today can experience many benefits from competing very early in high school. Such rewards include the development of camaraderie and team building, plus the honing of physical and interpersonal skills.”
Kramer added, “Yes, there is far more to a freshman game than winning or losing. Yet, at the freshman level, in preparation for varsity competition, athletes can discover the challenges and outcomes of both winning and defeat, and learn from them as well.”
According to the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the SCAL is one of only several small school conferences in the state that coordinates a postseason freshman basketball tournament.
