Battle at the Berkey: Saturday 2026 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 2026 standouts I caught.    A senior who keeps getting better, Willow had a big two-way performance for an Arlington squad that is looking for a second consecutive regional title with the big man commanding the paint. Defensively, Willow protects the rim by standing in the middle of the 2-3 zone and finished a handful of defensive stops with strong rebounds. Offensively, Willow has shown improved touch on shots between 8-12 feet and made multiple passes out of the post for easy shots as he was consistently double teammed in the paint. Impressed by the upward trajectory Willow is currently on for a Red Devils squad that will be a tough out come tournament time.     A player who thrives in this gym, the first time I saw Holt play a high school game was at this event two years ago with Wooster Triway. Holt has elite change of pace as he can go from 0-60-0 incredibly quickly. With a bit of a herky jerky style to his drives, Holt draws a lot of free throws because the defense struggles to anticipate his next move. Playing with great chemistry with his senior big, Holt hit multiple 3's off DHO actions to free him up. Despite the loss, Colonel Crawford is still a state title contender in Division VI this season.     DeGray is committed to play football at the college level, meaning this is his last run playing competitive organized basketball. He's got a lot of ability as the senior big uses his massive frame to get position on the block and spin off the defender to score below the rim. A winning high school player, DeGray is efficient in the paint and a monster rebounder. Despite the loss, DeGray still made his presence felt on Saturday.     O'Neil had a big scoring game for Bishop Hartley, who seemed in control for a majority of the game. O'Neil had multiple pickpocket steals that led to breakaway layups for either himself of one of his teammates. A score first off guard, O'Neil is looking to drive to score at the rim. To end the third quarter O'Neil had a confident baseline drive and score. Small college programs looking to add a confident scorer to their guard rotation should take a look at O'Neil.     A breakout performance for King, he shot the ball with extreme confidence by making five 3-pointers in the first half alone. Quickly getting the ball at the rim off the catch, King has a quick release and hit a 3 curling onto the wing that was great off-ball movement. Working well off Division I commit [player_tooltip player_id='1869632' first='Jakhi' last='Calloway'], role players should be letting their stars make the game easier for them. King found success as a spot up shooter with a handful of his 3-point looks being generated by the future Kent State point guard.     Controlling the tempo of the game, Miller was like a blackjack dealer with how he got all his teammates the ball in positions to score. In the half-court, Miller could play off a ball screen or drive and kick to a shooter. In transition, Miller was advancing the ball and allowing Hiland to play at a faster tempo than I've ever seen them play at. An elite shooter himself, Miller knocked down shots off the catch efficiently as well. Very impressed with Hiland's offense that barely turned the ball over and shot an extremely high percentage, Miller was the key reason for that success.     A talented athlete, McClurg did a nice job of using his physicality on the offensive end to get where he wanted. In drives, McClurg wasn't pushed off his driving angle and could shield his body from defenders thanks to his handle and strength. Late in the game, senior Andrew Ketner hit two clutch 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and another in overtime to secure the win. Minster has one of the better 1-2 senior punches in Division VII with McClurg at point guard and [player_tooltip player_id='1429557' first='Cole' last='Albers'] at center. Despite a mediocre record, I think this team is very dangerous in the postseason.

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 2026 standouts I caught.