OHSAA Division IV State Title Contenders

<p>Division IV is the smallest division in the state, which makes it tough to usually get a good grasp on which teams will be competing for state titles in the preseason. I’ll be doing my best in this article to at least mention some of the top teams at the bottom by name even if I’m less familiar with them.</p> <p>Richmond Heights: The clear preseason favorite to win the state title, Richmond Heights doesn’t look like any other division IV team in the state. Their size and athleticism with [player_tooltip player_id="809590" first="Josiah" last="Harris"], [player_tooltip player_id="805186" first="Jamarr" last="Talbert"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1082235" first="Priest" last="Ryan"] give the Spartans a three man punch that would compete with most division I teams in the state. Last season Richmond Heights wasn’t the best team shooting the ball from the outside and they graduate [player_tooltip player_id="917427" first="Gbolahan" last="Adio"] who is taking a post-grad year at ISA. If Richmond Heights is going to lose, it’s probably because a team packs a zone inside and the Spartans can’t make enough 3’s in the half-court.</p> <p>Columbus Grove: Columbus Grove should be very strong once again in 2020-21. A senior trio of [player_tooltip player_id="714541" first="Tayt" last="Birnesser"], [player_tooltip player_id="805174" first="Gabe" last="Clement"] and [player_tooltip player_id="805176" first="Blake" last="Reynolds"] have won a lot of games together and I expect that to continue this season. I’m not sure what sort of depth is behind this trio, but they should be plenty enough to make them a contender once again.</p> <p>Antwerp: Antwerp went unbeaten throughout the regular season and only lost to Columbus Grove in the playoffs. They return their all state guy in [player_tooltip player_id="809640" first="Jagger" last="Landers"], with Landers back in the fold, expect Antwerp to be back near the top of division IV once again. They have a game scheduled Vs Ottoville on December 8th.</p> <p>Ottoville: [player_tooltip player_id="805138" first="Josh" last="Thorbahn"] seemed to fly under the radar around the state, but the Findlay commit has serious offensive game. Throw in [player_tooltip player_id="805162" first="Ryan" last="Suever"] and Ottoville has a great senior duo that most importantly has size to match-up with anybody in Division IV. [player_tooltip player_id="921801" first="William" last="Miller"] is another player to watch on this team. They are scheduled to play Columbus Grove on December 4th, that game could be a preview of some of the top Division IV teams in the state.</p> <p>Toledo Christian: This Toledo Christian team is very experienced and have a go-to guy in Hillsdale commit [player_tooltip player_id="805223" first="Cole" last="McWhinnie"]. McWhinnie is a coaches kid and his chemistry with the rest of their senior class, especially [player_tooltip player_id="714553" first="Trevor" last="Wensink"]. They are currently scheduled to play Berlin Hiland on Friday but everything is by the minute at this stage.</p> <p>Jackson Center: Another team with a division II commit and that is [player_tooltip player_id="714519" first="Aidan" last="Reichert"]. With him last season they made a run in the division IV playoffs, beating [player_tooltip player_id="809630" first="Logan" last="Woods"] and Cincinnati Christian in the regional semifinals. [player_tooltip player_id="976077" first="Camdyn" last="Reese"] is a rising Sophomore who provides added depth in the front-court for this squad.</p> <p>Other teams to watch</p> <p>Northwest: Fort Recovery, Parkway, Crestview, Arlington Ridgemont, Margaretta</p> <p>Southwest: Fort Loramie, Tri-Village, Botkins</p> <p>Southeast: New Boston Glenwood, Trimble,</p> <p>Northeast: Cornerstone Christian, Open Door Christian</p> <p>East: Dalton, Berlin Hiland, Caldwell</p>