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It may been a line from the movie “Bad Boys” that saved Lakota West’s season.

With the game and the Firebirds’ season on the line, junior guard Malik Grove converted all 6 of his free-throw attempts in the final quarter en route to a 46-42 win against Sycamore in the Division I sectional semifinals at Hamilton High School Tuesday night.

“I just wanted to block everything out,” Grove said of his late-game foul shots.

“When there is a lot of pressure on you, you just say ‘woosaa.’”

Until now, Grove thought his dad, Jerry, had just made up the phrase, which is spelled w-o-o-s-a-a, according IMDB.com. He didn’t know that Jerry learned the phrase from Martin Lawrence’s character from “Bad Boys” and then taught it to Malik when he was about 6 or 7 years old. Oddly, over the years, the phrase has become a way of meditation for the family.

Woosaa, it worked.

If that phrase didn’t work for Grove then it had to be message his senior teammate Ali Barnes delivered at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Trailing by 8 points, 33-25, in what was a low-scoring affair, Barnes walked to the Lakota West bench and yelled at his teammates, “We are going to win this game!”

“I am a really motivated person and I get really emotional, especially since this could have been my last high school game,” said Barnes, who scored six of his 12 points in the 4th quarter.

“I said what I had to say and it obviously worked.”

Grove, who scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, admitted after the game that he was “pumped up” by Barnes’ message before the final quarter.

“You don’t want it to be the seniors’ last game,” Grove said.

For Sycamore, it was the last game for its seniors Nick Setser, Joey Gruden, Isaiah Brown and Mason Morgan. The 6-foot-6 Morgan, who signed to play tight end at Ohio University, led the Aves with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Gruden scored 9 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.

“It was a huge game, a GMC game, one of those really physical games,” Gruden said. “It was a tough loss.”

In the regular season, Sycamore and Lakota West were part of a four-way tie (along with Fairfield and Middletown) for first place in the Greater Miami Conference. It was the first in the 47-year history of the conference that four boys’ basketball teams finished the regular season in a tie for the GMC title.

Sycamore	11	10	12	9	42
Lakota West	5	12	8	21	46

Sycamore (13-11) - Gruden 6 2 15, Shropshire 1 0 2, Wrade 4 0 8, Morgan 8 1 17. Totals 19 3 42.

Lakota West (16-7) - Barnes 6 0 12, Bowling 2 1 5, Williams 1 2 4, Thomas 1 0 2, Moo Young 1 0 2, Grove 5 6 19. Totals 17 9 46.

Halftime: Sycamore 21-17. 3-pointers S 1 (Gruden); L 3 (Grove 3).

Lakota West will play Walnut Hills Friday in the sectional final at the University of Cincinnati at 8:30 p.m.

Walnut Hills 78, Woodward 43

Walnut Hills cruised to 78-43 win against Woodward in the Division I sectional semifinals at Hamilton High School Tuesday night.

Isaiah Johnson, who is committed to play college basketball at Akron, led the Eagles to a 40-13 lead at halftime. In the first half, the 6-foot-9 center scored 12 points and pulled down 5 rebounds. With the large lead, Johnson didn’t play in the second half.

Senior teammates Khari Burton and Dontonio Wingfield, who is committed to play at Ohio, combined for 17 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. Burton and Wingfield only played a few minutes each in the second half.

Walnut Hills	13	27	10	28	78
Woodward	4	9	15	15	43

Walnut Hills (23-1) - Jones 2 0 4, Brown 0 1 1, Burton 4 0 9, Wingfield 4 0 8, Myaka 4 0 9, Irby 1 0 3, Austin 1 0 2, Banks 1 0 2, Williams 2 2 8, Johnson 6 0 12, Jackson 1 1 3, Carter 1 5 7, Akanbi 2 1 5, Gilmore 1 3 5. Totals 30 13 78.

Woodward (5-16) - Watkins 2 0 4, Williams 1 0 2, A. Mincey 2 3 8, Connell 1 0 2, Harrington 3 2 10, R. Mincey 2 0 4, Vines 1 0 2, Johnson 3 1 7, Carter 1 2 4. Totals 16 8 43.

Halftime: Walnut Hills 40-13. 3-pointers WH 5 (Burton, Myaka, Irby, Williams 2); WOOD 3 (A. Mincey, Harrington 2).

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, Ali Barnes Lakota West, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Woosaa, Woosaa Bad Boys, Woosaa Martin Lawrence

Kevin Goheen reports:

Lakota West completed an impressive weekend of work by beating Withrow 69-56 Monday night in the championship game of the inaugural LaRosa’s Royal 8 Hardwood Classic at Fairfield.

The Firebirds, unranked in last week’s Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll, got 49 points from the guard trio of Ali Barnes, Tyler Williams and Malik Grove to hand the No. 4 Tigers just their second loss in 14 games this season.

Lakota West beat No. 3 St. Xavier 55-50 in Sunday’s semifinals. The Firebirds have now won six straight games to improve to 10-4 on the season.

The three guards took turns as leading scorers in the three-game tournament; Williams had 22 against Anderson on Saturday, Barnes had 18 against St. Xavier and Grove had 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting against Withrow.

Barnes was named the Player of the Game Monday as he had 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Williams added 11 points and seven assists.

“When we’re rolling like that we’re the best team in the city,” said Barnes. “When us three guards are playing like that and we’re together everyone is knocking down shots. When we’re knocking down shots it opens up the inside game for people like Tyler Bowling and Justin (Martin) and Zach Moo Young.”

Bowling, a 6-foot-8 junior center, scored 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Firebirds won the battle of the boards 43-35. Withrow had 21 offensive rebounds with 18 second-chance points against Fairfield in the semifinals but had just six second-chance points on 12 offensive rebounds Monday.

“We knew they were going to come out and be overly-aggressive and attack the boards after every missed shot so we had everybody crashing the boards,” said Bowling, who had his fifth double-figuring rebounding game of the season. “We knew that’s what we needed to do to win.”

Monday was the fourth game in four days for Withrow. The Tigers beat Woodward in a Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference game Friday night before beating Turpin and No. 7 Fairfield to reach the final.

The teams were tied, 12-12, at the end of the first quarter but Lakota West outscored Withrow 17-9 over the final 5:28 of the second quarter to take control. Grove had 10 points during that run, including two 3-pointers and a spinning baseline jumper two seconds before halftime to give the Firebirds a 35-25 lead.

Withrow never got closer than six points in the second half.

“No excuses but we were dog tired,” said Withrow coach Ty Gibert. “West played lights out tonight and they’re playing great ball. I’m not taking anything away from them. They beat us but we were dog tired. We ran into a buzz saw tonight.”

Senior guard Corey Wise scored 24 points to lead the Tigers, while senior guard Timothy Coleman added 14.

Withrow shot just 38.7 percent (24 of 62) from the field overall and made just four of its 22 attempts from 3-point range. The Tigers went to the free throw line just six times, making four of their attempts.

Lakota West held St. Xavier to 21-of-61 (34.4 percent) shooting in the semifinals, utilizing an aggressive zone in both games.

“We were really trying to protect and cover up Coleman as much as we could,” said Lakota West coach Sean Van Winkle. “He got some shots off but they weren’t on the 3-point line, they were about 25-feet out. The guys did a great job with the scouting report the last two games with that in mind.”

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, Ali Barnes Lakota West, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Sean Van Winkle, Sean Van Winkle Lakota West, Tyler Williams, Tyler Williams Lakota West

Kevin Goheen reports:

Withrow and Lakota West won semifinal games Sunday night to reach the championship game of the inaugural LaRosa’s Royal 8 Hardwood Classic at Fairfield. Both teams can thank their plethora of guards for getting them there.

Lakota West outscored St. Xavier 9-4 over the final 2:05 to knock off the No. 3-ranked team in the Enquirer’s Division I coaches’ poll 55-50 in the first semifinal. The unranked Firebirds improved to 9-4 with their fifth consecutive win as guards Ali Barnes, Malik Grove and Tyler Williams all scored in double figures.

Fourth-ranked Withrow harassed No. 7 and host team Fairfield into 16 turnovers, holding the Indians to 17 points in the second half, en route to a 52-41 victory in the second semifinal. The Tigers improved to 12-1 on the season behind 17 points and eight rebounds – six on the offensive glass – by senior guard Corey Wise.

Tip-off for Monday’s championship game is scheduled for 8 p.m. St. Xavier (10-3) and Fairfield (9-5) will play for third place at 6 p.m.

Fairfield had a 10-0 run in the first quarter to take a 14-6 lead and led 16-10 with 1:39 remaining in the quarter but Withrow’s defense allowed just 25 points the final 25-plus minutes of the game.

“I don’t always know about these guys but I know they’re always going to play hard and they don’t want to lose,” said Withrow coach Ty Gilbert. “Nothing fazes them. We were down 16-10 and they’re telling me in the huddle ‘Calm down, coach. We’re good.’ They calmed me down.”

The Tigers out-rebounded Fairfield 30-24, including grabbing 21 offensive rebounds. They outscored Fairfield 18-8 in second-chance points.

“They kept us at bay by the glass,” said Fairfield coach Tim Austing. “Every time we got a big stop and could make a run they’d get a stick-back. So much of what we do is transition but if you’re not getting rebounds you can’t run the (fast) break.”

Wise made all seven of his free throws before fouling out going for a steal with 3:09 remaining in the game. He had just one rebound in Saturday’s first-round win against Turpin.

“I let him know that,” said Gilbert. “He always plays good defense but today he rebounded the basketball.”

Timothy Coleman added 11 points for Withrow, while forward Darius Cannon had 10 points and six rebounds.

Fairfield was led by guard Herman Brunis’ 17 points and guard T.C. Wells’ 11 points and seven rebounds.

Lakota West didn’t trail against St. Xavier until the fourth quarter. Barnes, a senior, scored 18 points, including hitting 9 of 10 free throws, and added six assists against just one turnover for Lakota West.

The Firebirds shot 52.9 percent from the field, making 18 of 34 shots. Conversely, St. Xavier struggled from the field. The Bombers were just 21 of 61 shooting overall, including making just six of their 26 3-point attempts.

Senior guard Ben Carroll led St. Xavier with 14 points but he had just two points in the second half.

“We just didn’t hit enough shots,” said St. Xavier coach Scott Martin. “We only had three turnovers, so we took care of it and got a lot of good shots but the last couple of games we’ve lost our shooting touch.”

The Firebirds have dealt with injuries to some of their top players this season, including losing guard Monty Boykins to an ACL injury, but have begun to find their groove.

“It helps to have the depth we have and we’re definitely figuring out who can play late in the game, early in the game,” said Barnes.

Grove had 13 points, while Williams scored 12 points, including three 3-pointers.

Lakota West out-rebounded St. Xavier 30-29 despite being at a height and weight disadvantage inside. Junior center Tyler Bowling grabbed eight rebounds, including seven on the defensive end where Lakota West held a 26-15 advantage.

Lakota West 55, St. Xavier 50

Lakota West (9-4)- Barnes 4 9 18, Bowling 2 0 4, Williams 3 3 12, Peterkin 2 0 4, Grove 5 1 13, Martin 2 0 4. Totals: 18 13 55.

St. Xavier (10-3)- Carroll 6 0 14, King 1 0 3, Mills 1 0 2, Blink 2 0 5, Gellenbeck 1 0 2, Barrett 5 2 13, Hadden 5 0 11. Totals: 21 2 50.

Halftime: Lakota West 31-26. 3-pointers: LW 6 (Williams 3, Grove 2, Barnes); SX 6 (Carroll 2, King, Blink, Barrett, Hadden).

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Tyler Williams, Tyler Williams Lakota West

Kevin Goheen reports:

Junior guard Tyler Williams scored 22 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:16 left in regulation, as Lakota West outlasted Anderson 73-65 Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the LaRosa’s Royal 8 Hardwood Classic.

Junior Malik Grove added 19 points, including making all eight of his free throw attempts as Lakota West won its fourth game in a row to improve to 8-4.

Lakota West advances to face St. Xavier, ranked No. 3 in the Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll, in Sunday’s semifinal. The game will take place at 6 p.m. A win puts West in the championship game at 8 p.m. on Monday, and a loss would put West in the third-place game at 6 p.m. All games will be played at Fairfield.

Anderson (7-6) will face Elder in a consolation bracket game. The Redskins had four players in double figures, led by senior guard Charlie Carroll’s 21 points. Senior center Joe Cossins had 17 points, senior forward Bobby Murdock had 12 points and senior guard Dane Stevlingson had 11 points.

The game featured 12 ties and 11 lead changes. A basket by Murdock with 2:34 left tied the score, 60-60.

Williams’ third 3-pointer of the game gave Lakota West the lead for good.

He followed that up with a steal. He would miss the layup on the other end but Grove grabbed the rebound and was fouled on his put-back attempt. His two free throws gave the Firebirds a five-point lead. Anderson never got closer than three points the rest of the way.

“That’s when the game slows down and you have to be ready to make a play,” said Williams. “My teammates gave a good pass and I was able to hit the shot.”

Williams came into the game averaging 9.8 points. He had played in just five games because of an ankle injury suffered in the season-opener against Talawanda. He re-injured the ankle on the layup attempt. Lakota West lost senior guard Monty Boykins to a season-ending knee injury on Dec. 28.

“We’ve gotten past the loss of Monty,” said Lakota West coach Sean Van Winkle. “I was really proud of our guys because we had a season-high 18 assists (on 24 field goals). Our guys played good team ball.”

Anderson, which beat Glen Este 62-50 Friday night, led 34-32 at halftime and held a 42-36 lead with 5:06 left in the third quarter. Lakota West used an 11-2 run to erase that deficit and eventually take a 51-46 lead into the fourth quarter.

Anderson regained the lead 53-51 and held its last advantage at 56-55.

“If we make one or two more plays we win but they’re the ones who made those plays,” said Anderson coach Frank Brandy. “We did a lot of good things and this is something to build on.”

Both teams shot well from the free throw line; Lakota West made 20 of 23 attempts, while Anderson made 15 of 17.

Anderson (7-6) - Stevlingson 4 1 11, Rogers 1 02, Cossins 6 5 17, Carroll 6 7 21, Martina 1 0 2, Murdock 5 2 12. Totals 23 15 65

Lakota West (8-4) - Barnes 2 4 8, Bowling 3 3 9, Williams 7 5 22, Grove 5 8 19, Martin 4 0 8, Peterkin 1 0 3, Higginbotham 2 0 4. Totals 24 20 73.

Halftime: Anderson 34-32. 3-pointers: A – 4 (Carroll 2, Stevlingson 2), LW – 5 (Williams 3, Grove, Peterkin).

WestChesterBuzz.com will post all Lakota varsity sports results from the weekend on Monday

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Tyler Williams, Tyler Williams Lakota West

Lakota West junior Malik Grove gave up bowling for this.

Grove, who as a freshman rolled a perfect game for Lakota West, quit the bowling team last season when West’s varsity head basketball coach Sean Van Winkle told him he had to focus on his other winter sport.

“I played both sports freshman year, when I played on JV, but you can’t miss practice when you are on the varsity,” Grove said. “I decided that I would just play in spring (bowling) tournaments, so I could concentrate on basketball.”

It paid off Tuesday night, as Grove’s 10 fourth quarter points helped the Firebirds hold off inner-school district Lakota East, 60-53.

Lakota East entered the game ranked No. 4 in Associated Press state poll, which was the top ranking in Southwest Ohio, and No. 2 in The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Division I coaches poll. Lakota West, meanwhile, wasn’t ranked in either poll.

“That is so freaking impressive. That is what I heard. That is so useless,” Lakota East head coach Wally Vickers said of the state poll after the game. “That is really impressive. That is so useless in January and I think our guys were more than aware of that.”

Vicker’s team certainly looked like one of the top teams in the state in the early going and led the Firebirds 14-8 in the second quarter.

That was when Lakota West senior Ali Barnes scored seven points while guiding his team on a 17-4 run to end the first half – giving West a 25-18 advantage at the break.

East responded with a 13-4 run to begin the second half and led 31-29 with 3:03 remaining in the third quarter.

West would rebound with a 10-0 run of their own to end the quarter.

In the final frame, West led 48-39 midway through the quarter before East trimmed the lead to 49-48 with 2:10 left in the game.

Leading 52-50 with 1:05 left, Grove scored five of his 16 points to seal the win.

Grove’s teammate, Barnes finished with 18 points.

After the game, Barnes dedicated the win to senior Monty Boykins, who was leading the Firebirds in scoring with 17.2 points per game before tearing his ACL in a 64-63 loss to Fairfield Dec. 28.

“The win means a lot, especially for our seniors,” Barnes said. “We really wanted to focus on winning this game for Monty. He would be dying to be out here with us.

“Also, this is the last time that I will ever play against East, unless we see them in the playoffs. It definitely feels good to win that last one.”

Lakota East was led by senior guard Stedman Lowry, who scored 13 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. Sophomore forward Myo Baxter added 11 points and 8 rebounds for the Thunderhawks.

The loss gives East its second in the past three games. After beginning the season 10-0, the team is now fallen to 11-2 and 5-1 in the Greater Miami Conference. Lakota West, meanwhile, improves to 6-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play.

“We are just not a very good basketball team right now,” Vickers said of his Thunderhawks. “We can’t get stops when we need them, we turn it over at key times and they came in here and showed that they are determined group. I thought they really handed it to us.”

Lakota West	8	17	14	20	60
Lakota East	12	6	13	22	53

Lakota West (6-4, 4-3 in GMC) - Barnes 7 3 18, Bowling 3 0 6, Williams 1 1 3, Peterkin 1 0 2, Thomas 2 2 6, Moo Young 1 2 4, Grove 6 3 16, Martin 2 1 5. Totals 23 12 60.

Lakota East (11-2, 5-1 in GMC) - Emrick 2 3 7, Harpring 3 2 8, Lowry 8 4 21, Panzeca 1 0 2, Baxter 5 0 11, White 2 0 4. Totals 21 9 53.

Halftime: Lakota West 25-18. 3-pointers: LW 2 (Bowling, Grove); LE 2 (Lowry, Baxter).

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Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, Ali Barnes Lakota West, Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West

Despite being outscored in the fourth quarter, Lakota West defeated Colerain on the road Friday night, by the score of 55-52. The win improves the Firebirds’ record to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the Greater Miami Conference.

Senior point guard Ali Barnes led the way for Lakota West with 19 points. Junior guard Malik Grove added 13 points and seven rebounds, both career highs.

Lakota West – No. 2 in The Cincinnati Enquirer’s latest coaches poll – will host school district rival Lakota East (6-0, 2-0 in GMC) No. 3 in the same poll on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Lakota West	14	19	11	11	55
Colerain	10	13	11	18	52

Lakota West (3-0) - Hicks 2 1 6, Barnes 8 1 19, Bowling 2 1 5, Peterkin 1 0 2, Thomas 0 4 4, Young 1 0 2, Boykins 1 2 4, Grove 4 4 13. Totals: 19 13 55.

Colerain (2-2) - Bennie 2 0 4, Hudson 2 2 6, Porter 5 1 14, Reed 2 0 4, Dula 1 0 2, Davis 6 7 20, Riley 0 2 2. Totals: 18 12 52.

Halftime: LW 33-23. 3-pointers: LW 4 (Hicks, Barnes 2, Grove 1); C 4 (Porter 3, Davis).

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Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, Ali Barnes Lakota West, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West

It won’t be known until early Sunday morning when the final OHSAA Region 4 computer rankings are released, but Lakota East may have spoiled Lakota West’s season with a 33-21 upset win at Lakota West High School Friday night.

Heading into the game No. 6 in the region 4 computer rankings (top eight qualify for postseason), Lakota West could have locked up its first playoff berth since 2009 with a win over its school district rival.

Meanwhile, Lakota East, which entered the week No. 11 in the computer rankings, will have to wait and see if it qualified for the postseason for the first time in school history.

“I have to be honest, I have no idea what has to happen (to make the postseason),” Lakota East head coach Rick Haynes said. “When I was at Colerain (as an assistant coach), we were always working on the projections and we didn’t even do that this year because I wanted our kids to be worried about playing well tonight.”

Whether East makes the postseason or not, the 26 seniors and other Lakota East athletes that make up the roster are proud that they were able to snap a seven-game losing streak against Lakota West.

The win is also East’s first over the Firebirds since 2004.

“We really have a great group of seniors this year and we knew we had to do this because it had just been way too long of a streak,” Lakota East senior linebacker Jake Chestnut said. “As our coaches have been saying all week, ‘we have the right group at the right time, at the right point of history to break that streak.’”

After falling behind 7-0 early in the first quarter, Lakota East senior running Chamada Palmore evened the score with a 25-yard touchdown run. Palmore, who played for the first time since breaking his left knuckle in two places during a game against Sycamore on Oct. 5, finished with 69 rushing yards on eight carries.

“Chamada had worked so hard in the offseason and was so improved from last year. It was just a shame that he had to miss the last two games for us. You could just see the anguish on his face when he couldn’t play,” Haynes said. “I was just so happy for him when the doctor cleared him to get back out there.”

Palmore wasn’t the only runner out there for the Thunderhawks, as senior running back Will Mahone finished with 102 yards on 21 carries and junior quarterback Eric Eichler rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

Eichler also scored through the air when he found senior Keith Brady for a 26-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that put East ahead 21-7.

After Lakota West added a touchdown by way of a 16-yard pass from junior quarterback Malik Grove to junior wide receiver Tyler Jones late in the second quarter, Lakota East got on the board first in the second half when senior safety Rob Harpring returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown to give East a 27-14 advantage.

West would add another score when Grove scored on a 1-yard run, cutting the lead to 27-21 in the third quarter.

However, trailing with 2 minutes left in the game, senior Nate Mays clinched the win for Lakota East when he intercepted Grove and returned it 25 yards for the touchdown.

For West, who started the year 8-0 for the first time in school history, the loss likely eliminates the team from postseason play and ends the 2012 season with back-to-back losses to Colerain and Lakota East.

“This team deserves a better fate,” Lakota West head coach Larry Cox said.

“I think we are a playoff team, but it is not looking good. That is a bitter pill to swallow because if we can take the No. 1 seed (Colerain) to the end of a game then we deserve to be there … but the system will not allow it.”

Lakota East	7	14	6	6	33
Lakota West	7	7	7	0	21

LW – Horton 13-yard run (Martin kick)
LE – Palmore 25-yard run (Smith kick)
LE – Eichler 3-yard run (Smith kick)
LE – Brady 26-yard pass from Eichler (Smith kick)
LW – Jones 16-yard pass from Grove (Martin kick)
LE – Harpring 56-yard punt return (kick block)
LW – Grove 1-yard run (Martin Kick)
LE – Mays 25-yard touchdown return (kick failed)

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Bobby Brown, Bobby Brown Lakota East, computer rankings, Eric Eichler, Eric Eichler Lakota East, Jake Chestnut, Jake Chestnut Lakota East, Justin Martin, Justin Martin Lakota West, Kole Gentry, Kole Gentry Lakota West, Kyle Meadows, Kyle Meadows Lakota West, Lakota East, Lakota East football, Lakota East High School, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West High School, Lakota West sports, Luke Scott, Luke Scott Lakota West, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Nate Mays, Nate Mays Lakota East, Nick Bengal, Nick Bengal Lakota West, Ohio football computer ranking, Ohio football rankings, Tyler Cross, Tyler Cross Lakota West, Will Mahone, Will Mahone Lakota East

Lakota East 33, Lakota West 21 - final – Lakota East senior Derek Sasthav just intercepted Lakota West junior quarterback Malik Grove with 1:42 left in 4th quarter.

Lakota East 33, Lakota West 21 - 2:00 left in 4th quarter – Lakota East junior Nate Mays just intercepted Lakota West junior quarterback Malik Grove’s pass with 2 minutes to play. West now trails by 12 points with under two minutes to play.

Lakota East 27, Lakota West 21 - 4:33 left in 4th quarter – Lakota East just converted a 4-and-2 from the Lakota West 43-yard line with a 3-yard run by senior Will Mahone. That play gives Mahone 101 yards on 20 carries. More importantly, the play gives East the opportunity to run more clock.

Lakota East 27, Lakota West 21 - 8:21 left in 4th quarter – Lakota East was driving down the field, but junior Eric Eichler fumbled the snap which was recovered by senior defensive end Luke Scott at the Lakota West 20-yard line. However, the Firebirds just went 3-and-out.

Lakota East 27, Lakota West 21 – 3:09 left in 3rd quarter – Lakota West junior Malik Grove scored on a 1-yard TD run. On the previous play, Grove connected with junior Tyler Jones on a 59-yard pass play.

Lakota East 27, Lakota West 14 – 8:57 left in 3rd quarter – Lakota West drove down to the 3-yard line, but Lakota West junior Malik Grove threw an interception in the endzone on 4th-and-goal to Lakota East senior Tyler Schlensker.

Lakota East 27, Lakota West 14 – 10:24 left in the 3rd quarter – Lakota West went 3-and-out on the first possession of the second half. Lakota East senior Rob Harpring then returned the punt 56 yards for the touchdown. (more…)

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Tags: Tags: Bobby Brown, Bobby Brown Lakota East, computer rankings, Eric Eichler, Eric Eichler Lakota East, Jake Chestnut, Jake Chestnut Lakota East, Justin Martin, Justin Martin Lakota West, Kole Gentry, Kole Gentry Lakota West, Kyle Meadows, Kyle Meadows Lakota West, Lakota East, Lakota East football, Lakota East High School, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West High School, Lakota West sports, Luke Scott, Luke Scott Lakota West, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Nate Mays, Nate Mays Lakota East, Nick Bengal, Nick Bengal Lakota West, Ohio football computer ranking, Ohio football rankings, Tyler Cross, Tyler Cross Lakota West, Will Mahone, Will Mahone Lakota East

For the 15th time since Lakota High School split into two schools, students, alumni, faculty, parents and fans will pack a football stadium this Friday at 7:30 p.m. to witness Lakota East and Lakota West battle in one of the region’s top rivalries.

But there is more on the line than just football bragging rights.

There are principals who could end up having their faces drilled with pie or forced to wear the opposing school’s colors, depending on which Lakota school wins the annual food drive. There is also spirit week, as well as pizza parties and other prizes to win in the days leading up to the game.

“Even though we both will compete hard on the field Friday night and in the food drive, at the end of the day, the best of Lakota will shine through,” said Lakota West principal Gary Elgin Card, whose school will host the game this season.

Card is sweating the food drive, which produced more than 19,000 pounds of donated food for Reach Out Lakota last fall, because the losing principal will have to switch spiritwear after the winning school is announced at halftime. That principal will then have don those colors during the second half of the game and on the following Monday at school.

“Our students know I will be in a foul mood if I have to wear anything other than Lakota West gear next week,” Card joked.

When it comes to the game, If history is any indication of what could happen, Lakota East principal Suzanna Davis might be one who needs to worry as her Thunderhawks have lost seven straight to Lakota West and haven’t beaten the Firebirds since 2004.

It did appear last fall, that the streak was going to end until Lakota West quarterback Malik Grove threw a touchdown pass to then senior Kayuane Ross with 31.9 seconds left to go, giving West a 25-20 win.

Last season’s loss was the third time that Lakota East came up just short since its win in 2004, losing to West 30-27 in overtime in 2005 and by the score of 20-19 in 2008.

This season’s game will likely be even more meaningful, as playoff spots are on line. Lakota West (8-1 overall, 5-1 in the Greater Miami Conference), which is No. 6 in the OHSAA Region 4 computer rankings (top 8 teams qualify for postseason), needs a win to lock up its first playoff berth since 2009.

Meanwhile, Lakota East (6-3 overall, 4-2 in the GMC), which is No. 11 in the computer rankings, could possibly sneak in the postseason with a win and some help.

“Obviously, it is something we think about because our goal is play in Week 11, but I know some of that stuff is out of our hands in terms of what other teams do,” said Lakota East head coach Rick Haynes, who hopes to lead East to its first-ever postseason appearance. “So our focus needs to be on playing the best we can and winning this football game.”

In order to win the game, Lakota East will rely heavily on its running game, which is ranked second in the GMC with an average of 292 rushing yards per game. Leading the potent attack is senior Will Mahone with 963 yards and 15 touchdowns on 157 carries. The No. 2 back, Chamada Palmore, who has rushed for 479 yards and two scores on 62 carries, could be back after breaking his knuckles in a game against Sycamore on Oct. 5.

Ironically, Lakota West’s top rusher this season, Mikel Horton, led Lakota East in rushing as a sophomore last season. Horton, whose family moved prior to the school year, has rushed for 955 yards and 12 touchdowns on 187 carries this fall.

Horton is an exception, as many of these student athletes have stayed on the same team for their entire high school careers. On Friday, a total of 48 seniors combined between the two schools will take part in their last East/West game.

“These kids have all grown up playing together,” Lakota West head coach Larry Cox said. “This is sort of the end of football for a lot of them and something they would obviously like to hang their hat on.

“This game will be a heavyweight battle.”

Impact players

Lakota East Thunderhawks

• Jr.. QB Eric Eichler – 23-of-44 passes for 339 yards, 6 TDs and 1 INT, 470 rushing yards and 8 TDs on 111 carries
• Sr. RB Will Mahone – 963 rushing yards and 15 TDs on 157 carries
• Jr. RB Bobby Brown – 339 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 53 carries, 98 receiving yards and 1 TD on 7 catches
• Jr. OL Jarrett LaRubbio – offers from Akron and Pittsburgh
• Jr. WR/DB/KR Nate Mays – 185 receiving yards and 5 TDs on 12 catches, 25.5 KR average, 3 INTs
• Sr. LB Jake Chestnut – leads team with 52 total tackles (4 for loss) and 2 pass breakups
• Sr. LB Keith Brady – 32 total tackles (4.5 for loss), 1 sack, 2 pass breakups, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble
• Sr. RB Chamada Palmore – Been out last two weeks with injury, hopes to return – 479 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 62 carries

Lakota West Firebirds

• Jr. QB Malik Grove – 72-of-158 passes for 948 yards, 10 TDs and 6 INTs, 499 rushing yards and 10 TDs on 94 carries
• Jr. RB Mikel Horton – 955 rushing yards and 12 TDs on 187 carries
• Soph. RB Kole Gentry – 435 rushing yards and 6 TDs on 70 carries
• Jr. K/WR/TE Justin Martin – 84 yards and 2 TDs on 7 catches; made 9-of-12 FGs and 34-38 EPs
• Sr. OL Kyle Meadows – offers from top Division I programs including Florida State
• Sr. DL Luke Scott – 4 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, leads team with 44 tackles
• Sr. DB Tyler Cross – 6 INTs (school record), 3 fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble, 1 blocked kick
• Sr. DB Nick Bengal – Played all season with two broken wrists – leads team with 8 pass breakups, also has 32 total tackles and a blocked kick

For game story, check back here on WestChesterBuzz.com

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Bobby Brown, Bobby Brown Lakota East, computer rankings, Eric Eichler, Eric Eichler Lakota East, Jake Chestnut, Jake Chestnut Lakota East, Justin Martin, Justin Martin Lakota West, Kole Gentry, Kole Gentry Lakota West, Kyle Meadows, Kyle Meadows Lakota West, Lakota East, Lakota East football, Lakota East High School, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West High School, Lakota West sports, Luke Scott, Luke Scott Lakota West, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Mikel Horton, Mikel Horton Lakota West, Nate Mays, Nate Mays Lakota East, Nick Bengal, Nick Bengal Lakota West, Ohio football computer ranking, Ohio football rankings, Tyler Cross, Tyler Cross Lakota West, Will Mahone, Will Mahone Lakota East

In a battle of the top two teams in The Cincinnati Enquirer coaches’ poll, senior quarterback Alfred “L.A.” Ramsby carried Colerain from an early 17-0 deficit to a 57-44 win against Lakota West at Cardinal Stadium on a wet and chilly night in Colerain Township.

“It was a grind,” said Ramsby, who played for Lakota West as a sophomore. “They started way faster than us, but then we just got on track and we couldn’t be stopped from there.”

No matter how hard the Lakota West defense tried, it couldn’t stop “L.A.,” short for Little Alfred (shares first name with his father), who put up huge numbers – rushing for a career high 230 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries and completing 8-of-12 passes for 158 yards and another score.

“When he plays within himself, he is pretty darn good,” Colerain head coach Tom Bolden said of Ramsby. “There are a lot of good players in this league, but I would rank him right up there with them.”

With Ramsby starting under center, Colerain is 12-1, which also happens to be the Cardinals’ all-time record against Lakota West.

More importantly, the win gives Colerain sole possession of first place in the Greater Miami Conference and improves its record to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in conference play.

A win next week at home against Oak Hills will mark the 13th straight season that the Cardinals either won or shared the GMC title.

“We are who are. That’s it. We are just tough,” Bolden said. “It is our community, its our school, its our fans.

“I just couldn’t be more proud of these kids.”

Meanwhile, after starting the season with an 8-0 record for the first time in school history, the Firebirds failed to keep up with Ramsby and the Colerain offense.

“Obviously, he was the difference maker in this game,” Lakota West head coach Larry Cox said of Ramsby, who played under Cox two years ago. “He provides an element – run-pass threat – and does a great job with it.

“Hats off to him.”

After its 17-0 start that quieted a near capacity crowd, a series of big plays swung the momentum in favor of the Cardinals.

The play that sparked the surge was senior Dejuan Lang’s 64-yard kickoff return that set up the first of eight touchdowns for the Cardinals when Ramsby raced for 31 yards for a score in the beginning of second quarter.

After that, Lakota West just couldn’t keep up with the Cardinals, who produced 509 yards of total offense.

Lakota West	14	6	10	14	44
Colerain	0	21	15	21	57

LW – Grove 2-yard run (Martin kick)
LW – Parker 22-yard pass from Grove (Martin kick)
LW – Martin 25-yard FG
C – Ramsby 31-yard run (Gehner kick)
C – Davis 21-yard run (Gehner kick)
LW – Martin 27-yard FG
C – Smith-Moore 3-yard run (Gehner kick)
LW – Martin 31-yard FG
C – Hudson 40-yard pass from Ramsby (Gehner kick)
LW – Grove 3-yard run (Martin kick)
C – Smith-Moore 17-yard run (Smith-Moore run)
C – Ramsby 8-yard run (Gehner kick)
C – Ramsby 17-yard run (Gehner kick)
LW – Grove 3-yard run (Martin kick)
C – Brown 77-yard interception return
LW – Jones 31-yard pass from Grove (Martin kick)

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Alfred Ramsby, Alfred Ramsby Colerain, Colerain, Colerain football, Colerain Highi School, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West High School, Lakota West sports, Larry Cox, Larry Cox Lakota West, Malik Grove, Malik Grove Lakota West, Tom Bolden, Tom Bolden Colerain