Who’s Hot In Northwest OH This Week
Xavier Simpson and Lima Senior. Simpson had a tremendous week scoring a school record 59 points in a win over Fremont Ross and leading his team to a good win over Dayton Dunbar over the weekend with 21 points. The…
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Continue ReadingXavier Simpson and Lima Senior. Simpson had a tremendous week scoring a school record 59 points in a win over Fremont Ross and leading his team to a good win over Dayton Dunbar over the weekend with 21 points. The Michigan signee hasn’t been alone either. Senior guard Marquavious Wilson has stepped up and had a great start to the season thus far, also chipping in 21 points in the Dunbar win. Junior guard Jarius Ward has played the part of a D1 talent, and the trio of Rueben Flowers, Rico Stafford, and Jaylin Thomas have been stellar out on the wing. Quincy Simpson’s team is starting to come to form after the Spartans had a good showing on the football field. Many expect them to make it to Columbus come March, and they are well on their way.
Ricky Lightner and Holland Springfield. After losing their top two scoring threats from a season ago, one to graduation and another to transfer, as well as losing their coach, Springfield has jumped out to a very surprising 6-0 start to the season. This past week featured quality wins over previously unbeaten Findlay and a talented Toledo Central Catholic squad. The senior point guard Lightner led the way in both, with 20 points against Findlay, and a 17 point 4 assist outing in the win over Central. Lightner has been complimented by fellow senior guard Trent Bond who has been exceptional of late. They are young, with a good core of seniors in Bond and Lightner, but freshman Terrel Bryant and Michael Key are learning on the fly and becoming great assets for this team.
Toledo Christian. The small school has strung together five wins in a row after suffering an early season loss to an athletic Bowsher squad of the City League. Even more impressive than the five wins in a row is the fact that each of those wins has come by a margin of more than 20 points. Their schedule looks to get tougher in the coming weeks but this is certainly a squad that can make some noise in the small school division. With senior Joe Ochoa and his big frame in the paint, and seniors Tony Fuller, and Keith McClure Jr. at the guard position; combine that with nearly a half a dozen more pieces that can contribute on any given night, this team has all it needs to continue their early season successes.
Lima Central Catholic. Led by seniors Dantez Walton, Tre Cobbs, and Nick Taflinger, this squad has somehow found a way to quietly start the season 6-0, with quality wins over Toledo Scott and Toledo St. Johns. The Northern Kentucky bound Walton has had arguably the most impressive start to the season in the area aside from his good friend Xavier Simpson at Lima Senior; Walton has been a double-double machine thus far. With Taflinger’s ability to score from virtually anywhere on the floor, and with Tre Cobbs, Ohio’s best unsigned senior point guard running the show, this team has the makings of one that has a good chance to get to Columbus. Will be interesting to see how they fare in a road contest Wednesday at an always pesky and fundamentally sound Liberty-Benton squad.
Big Games This Upcoming Week:
- Toledo St. Johns at Toledo Scott on Tuesday
- Toledo Christian at Ottawa Hills on Tuesday
- Findlay at Lima Senior on Tuesday
- Celina at Toledo Central Catholic on Tuesday
- University of Detroit Jesuit (MI) at Toledo St. Johns on Wednesday
- Lima Central Catholic at Liberty-Benton on Wednesday