5 Bold Predictions: Greater Western Ohio Conference

<p>It’s pretty obvious the talk of the town this offseason in the GWOC was Centerville fresh off their state championship season last year. Looking ahead to 2021-22, it’s obvious why the hype is still there in Centerville. This topic among some others are addressed as I continue to make some predictions for the upcoming season here in Dayton.</p> <p><strong>1- Centerville should win the GWOC yet again</strong></p> <p>The Elks were the Division I state champions last year and look to again win not only a state title, but the GWOC. 4 starters are back including do-it-all <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="867934" first="Gabe" last="Cupps"]</strong> (2023), sharp shooter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="809612" first="Tom" last="House"]</strong> (2022), and Drexel commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921745" first="Rich" last="Rolf"]</strong> (2022). They added <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1219809" first="Mike" last="Sharavjamts"] </strong>(2022) over from Prolific Prep that should continue to round out that loaded roster. On paper, there is no other team in the conference capable of matching up with the Elks and their coaching, bench, and skill set.</p> <p><strong>2- Wayne will struggle a bit</strong></p> <p>The Warriors will be down 3 starters from last year, including the top scorer in the GWOC last year in [player_tooltip player_id="919035" first="Prophet" last="Johnson"]. They do have <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="867949" first="Lawrent" last="Rice"]</strong> (2023) back and running the point along with junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="867947" first="RJ" last="Mukes"]</strong> and sophomore <strong>Juan Cranford Jr</strong> to compliment him. The problem? The Warriors have such a successful football program they have some guys that may not play basketball. If they don’t return those pieces, it’s going to be tough to replicate the usual success.</p> <p><strong>3- Springboro will surprise some people</strong></p> <p>Springboro struggled last year winning only 5 games in Brett Kostoff’s first year with the Panthers. While they lose their two sport athlete Kahleel Trent, the youth back in Boro is exciting to watch and check out. Sophomore <strong>Maxim Butler</strong> looked solid running the point for Springboro last year and now has a year under his belt. Freshmen <strong>RJ Greer </strong>and <strong>Jerome White</strong> are expected to be key contributors from day 1 as Greer already has D1 offers. Senior <strong>Sam Feldman</strong> is the leader Boro needs and I believe they are going to surprise some teams in the GWOC even with their youth.</p> <p><strong>4- 2nd best in the conference is unknown</strong></p> <p>After Centerville, it truly is tough to see who is going to be the 2nd team. Wayne has Rice as we mentioned but too many question marks about the rest of the roster right now. Springfield brings back quite a few guys and could be a contender. Fairmont has seen tremendous growth in their seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921793" first="Anthony" last="Johnson"]</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1045464" first="Dasan" last="Doucet"]</strong>, and <strong>Malachi Parker</strong> this offseason. Can the Firebirds put the pieces together though? Beavercreek will return <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921752" first="Adam" last="Duvall"]</strong> and rim protector <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1195101" first="Gabe" last="Phillips"]</strong> but do they have the guard play to compete with the rest of the conference?</p> <p><strong>5- Darnell Hoskins and Northmont will be special</strong></p> <p>It may take a year, but coach Hoskins has a lot of young talent on the roster at Northmont and will have a special group in the future. The most exciting player will be <strong>Jeremiah Landers</strong> (2025) who already has shown great poise and athleticism for a freshman. He will have some talented athletes around him for the next few seasons as well as some upperclassmen this year. Senior <strong>Brandon Pooler</strong> and junior <strong>Tyrin Sturdivant</strong> both looked good this Summer and now have bigger roles moving into this season.</p>