OHSAA State Championships: Saturday Evening Standouts

The OHSAA state championship games were played at UD Arena and the Division I and Division VII state title games were played Saturday night. In this article we'll break down the standout performers from those two contests.    Cornerstone Christian had nobody big enough to keep Francis off the offensive glass and he feasted with four offensive rebounds and an efficient 10/14 from the field. Francis had a couple monster dunks in transition that got the large Russia faithful on their feet and even hit a couple mid-range shots as well. The physical presence of Francis on the interior is something not many Division VII teams could counter and he was a huge reason why the Raiders won every game by double-figures this season.     The Raiders were efficient from beyond the arc as they shot 8/15 from the field and Cordonnier connected on three triples for a team-high 22 points. Russia as a team worked to get great shots and Cordonnier was taking shots with his feet set from 3-point range or getting all the way to the rim and finishing off two feet. A historic season for the Raiders and an incredible three year run for the program as they've put themselves on the map in the state of Ohio with three consecutive trips to the state tournament.     The all-time leading scorer in Ohio went out with a bang as Kwasniak started the game with a handful of shots at the rim by blowing by the primary defender off the dribble and using floaters to score in the paint before meeting a rim protector. In the second quarter, Kwasniak brought the entire UD Arena to their feet with three consecutive insane 3-pointers with two from NBA range and a third falling out of bounds. Kwasniak single-handily brought Cornerstone Christian to take a lead in the second quarter and give the game the spark that neutral fans were desperately seeking. Despite coming up short in the end, Kwasniak was very efficient and finished with 38 points on the biggest stage.     It's very rare where a Division III commit is the best player on the floor in a Division I state title game but that's exactly what Appiah did on Saturday with some huge plays throughout the contest. Appiah has really improved as an athlete, dunking consistently in transition and playing with a spring in his step. Also a knockdown shooter off the catch, Appiah is at his best when playing in transition. After winning the NCAC title this past season, guys like Appiah will look to keep Denison at the top of the conference as they look to establish themselves as a powerhouse at the Division III level.     I remain so impressed by Schroeder's ability to push the pace in transition and knock down shots off the catch. During the Pioneers dominant third quarter, Schroeder was a key part in getting the ball up the court before the Reynoldsburg defense could get set and that led to a bunch of easy shots that blew the game wide open. A guard who will impact the game defensively, make shots and take care of the basketball, Schroeder does a lot of things that impact winning and it's no surprise he contributed to a state championship team.

The OHSAA state championship games were played at UD Arena and the Division I and Division VII state title games were played Saturday night. In this article we'll break down the standout performers from those two contests.