Battle at the Berkey: Saturday 2027/2028 Standouts

The Battle at the Berkey featured seven competitive matchups at Smithville High School, I was in attendance for the final six games of the day and in this article I'll break down the 2027 + 2028 standouts I caught.    Maumee Valley Country Day had a dominant offensive effort that was led by Price. His physical dominance over a smaller Norwayne squad was evident as there were multiple buckets there Price was simply too big and too strong for the opposition. I loved how quickly Maumee Valley Country Day got the ball up the court, Price had multiple breakaway layups off made baskets by Norwayne. Also knocking down a couple of 3-pointers Vs the zone, Price shot the ball with confidence. Maumee Valley Country Day has a good team this season but with their whole team projected to return but one senior, they will be even tougher next season.     Norwayne played a fun brand of basketball to watch with quick ball movement and balanced scoring. Dealing with an injury to [player_tooltip player_id='2532395' first='Braylon' last='Arnold'], other players have had to step up this season including Hall. I was impressed with Hall's soft hands, catching contested passes to him where he could easily finish in the paint. Also setting strong screens, Norwayne's offense relies on off-ball movement and Hall frees up his teammates with screens. Based on what I saw today, Norwayne should be strong again next season with a talented 2027 class.     If I am an unbeaten team and have to play Canton Central Catholic at the Battle at the Berkey, I'm doing whatever it takes to get out of that game. For a second straight season the Crusaders have a dominant offensive performance to upset a previously unbeaten squad in Smithville. Minor and senior guard Jake Bowing led the way for Canton Central Catholic. Minor has shown clear improvement as a mid-range shooter, knocking down a handful of jumpers from the 12-18 foot range. To open the third quarter Minor had a putback layup and to end the quarter he scored off a pick and slip action just before the buzzer. In the fourth quarter Minor had a strong and-1 finish off a drive to take the lead and hit two clutch free throws as Canton Central Catholic iced the game away. This level of production needs to be consistent for Minor as he has impressive physical tools.     My first time seeing Zerger, he immediately stood out with a big defensive impact in the first quarter. In that period Zerger had multiple steals by jumping passing lanes, multiple strong rebounds in traffic and blocked a shot. Offensively, Zerger had a dunk from the dunker spot and off a baseline drive. A hard left-hand driver, Zerger wanted to attack with his dominant hand at all times. Very impressive toughness, rebounding and interior finishing for Zerger who could develop a right hand and perimeter shot over the next couple years.     A pure hooper, Piatt isn't the biggest, fastest or strongest player on the court but he just knows how to impact the game. Active hands and good effort allow him to make an impact defensively despite his frame. On the offensive end, Piatt is money from the mid-range, with multiple buckets Vs the zone defense including one just before the third quarter buzzer. As a passer, Piatt had multiple jump passes that led to buckets and is willing to make the extra swing to a teammate. Enjoyed watching Piatt and the host Smithies on Saturday. Despite the loss, Smithville is still one of the better teams in Division VI from the northeast region.

The Battle at the Berkey featured seven competitive matchups at Smithville High School, I was in attendance for the final six games of the day and in this article I'll break down the 2027 + 2028 standouts I caught.