WestChesterBuzz.com

Mark Schmetzer reports:

Lakota West was picked to win the Greater Miami Conference while Sycamore was seen as a middle-of-the-pack team by conference coaches going into the season.

Senior Monty Boykins led Lakota West with 14 points, but the Firebirds fell to Sycamore by the score of 61-46 on Tuesday night. Photo taken by Jeff Swinger Dec. 18, 2012.

Tuesday night at Lakota West, it was the visiting Aviators who looked like the overwhelming favorites. Senior Mason Morgan scored a career-high 21 points and made it a double-double night with 10 rebounds as Sycamore rolled to a 61-46 win over the Firebirds.

Junior guard Mitch Hill had 10 points for Sycamore (3-2, 2-1 GMC), which led by as many as 17 points in the second half. The Aviators have something to prove, the 6-foot-6 Morgan said.

“We know we don’t get any respect in the GMC,” said Morgan, who scored 18 with 15 rebounds in a 77-72 GMC loss to Fairfield on Friday. “This is the year we want to show the conference that Sycamore is legit.”

That’s what the coaches have been saying.

“We’ve been talking about that this week,” Sycamore coach David Moss said. “We’re a couple of possessions away from being 4-0. We’re a little better than our record.”

Senior guard Monty Boykins was the only Lakota West player to reach double figures, finishing with 14 points. The Firebirds, the No. 5 team in the Enquirer’s Division I coaches poll, set a season-low in points while shooting 34.5 percent (20-of-58) from the field during their third game in five days.

That’s part of the package when you play in the GMC, coach Sean Van Winkle said, and it doesn’t make it easier when games against teams such as No. 2 Lakota East are added to the schedule to help get to Ohio’s new limit of 22 in the regular season. The Firebirds (3-2, 2-1) lost to the Thunderhawks, 77-73, in what actually was a non-conference game on Saturday.

“That’s just what happens when you play in this conference,” Van Winkle said. “We understand that and enjoy the competition, but I don’t think we’re playing like we need to play to contend. Right now, I think we’re one of the worst teams in the conference.”

Lakota West also is missing 6-1 junior guard Tyler Williams, sidelined with a left foot injury since scoring 16 points in 16 minutes during the Firebirds’ season-opening win over Talawanda.

Sycamore’s defense played a role in Lakota West’s errant shooting, Van Winkle said.

“We haven’t been shooting the ball well all year, but I’m not going to take the credit away from them,” he said. “They defended us well and forced us into taking some bad shots.”

The Aviators never trailed after senior forward Isaiah Brown scored to give them a 6-4 lead with 3:25 left in the first quarter.

Sycamore, which went into the game shooting 37.4 percent from the field for the season, reached 51.7 percent (15-of-29) in the first half on the way to a 32-23 halftime lead. Morgan led the Aviators with eight points, while Hill, who was averaging 6.8 points per game, scored seven.

Boykins scored eight points in the first half to help keep Lakota West in the game.

Sycamore (3-2, 2-1 GMC) – Hill 4 0 10, Gruden 3 2 9, Vaught 2 0 4, Farquhar 3 2 9, Brown 4 0 8, Morgan 8 5 21. Totals: 24 9 61.

Lakota West (3-2, 2-2 GMC) – Hicks 1 0 2, Capossela 1 0 3, Barnes 3 0 6, Bowling 4 0 8, Thomas 2 0 5, Boykins 7 0 14, Grove 2 4 8. Totals: 20 4 46.

Halftime: Sycamore, 33-23. 3-pointers: S 4 (Hill 2, Gruden, Farquhar), LW 2 (Capossela, Thomas).

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: David Moss, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Mason Morgan, Mitch Hill, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Lakota West

Lakota West junior guard Ali Barnes made seven of his 11 three-point attempts and scored 25 points in an 82-73 win against Sycamore Friday. It was the Firebirds’ fifth straight win.

Fellow junior Monty Boykins scored 20 points and pulled down six rebounds in the win. Teammates sophomore guard Tyler Williams (18 points, four assists) and senior forward Jackson Blue (10 points, 14 rebounds) made key contributions for Lakota West.

Meanwhile, Sycamore received strong performances from junior Joey Gruden (25 points, six rebounds), senior A.J. Williams (12 points, five rebounds) and junior Mason Morgan (14 points, 10 rebounds). Gruden made seven of his eight three-point attempts.

With the win, Lakota West improved its overall record to 13-6 and its record within the Greater Miami Conference to 10-3. The Firebirds are currently tied with Mason (16-3 overall, 10-3 in the GMC) for second place in the GMC – only one game behind Middletown (14-5 overall, 11-2 in the GMC).

The Firebirds, which will receive its postseason draw Sunday, has one more regular season game left that will be played next Friday at home at 7:30 p.m. against Hamilton (4-15 overall, 2-11 in the GMC). Meanwhile, Sycamore (6-13 overall, 2-11 in the GMC) will wrap up its season next Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Lakota East (7-12 overall, 4-9 in the GMC).

Lakota West 82, Sycamore 73

Lakota West (13-6 overall, 10-3 in the GMC) – Blue 3 4 10, Barnes 9 2 27, Stalker 2 1 5, Williams 5 3 16, Martin 2 0 4, Boykins 7 3 20. Totals: 28 13 82.

Sycamore (6-13 overall, 2-11 in the GMC) – Gruden 9 0 25, Hill 3 0 9, Farquhar 0 4 4, Faust 0 1 1, Gray 1 2 4, Brown 2 0 4, Morgan 7 0 14, Williams 5 2 12. Totals: 27 9 73.

Halftime: Lakota West 32-31. 3-pointers: L 13 (Barnes 7, Williams 3, Boykins 3); S 10 (Gruden 7, Hill 3).

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: A.J. Williams, Ali Barnes, Joey Gruden, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Mason Morgan, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Lakota West, Tyler Williams, Tyler Williams Lakota West

In a battle between rushing quarterbacks, Sycamore’s 5-foot-8 senior Kyle Sess ran for two touchdowns and threw for another in a 28-25 win against Lakota East at Coach Bud Acus Field Friday. The win gives the Aviators their first 5-0 start since 2007.

“I have been looking forward to this for awhile. I started as a sophomore and we were 2-8. This year is everything that we were working for,” Sess said. “It was a big win. East is really good, they hit hard and they play fast. We knew it was going to be tough, but we knew what we had to do.”

What Sycamore and head coach Scott Dattilo had to do was ride their senior quarterback, who finished with 145 rushing yards on 34 carries. He also threw a 19-yard touchdown pass.

“He (Sess) is the ultimate leader, just willing his way to get yards. He is the heart and soul of our team and we are just going to keep riding him,” Dattilo said.

Sycamore was able to avoid a late comeback from the Thunderhawks. With 1:35 left in the fourth quarter, Lakota East sophomore quarterback Eric Eichler scored on a 15-yard run. On the two-point try, the 6-foot-2 quarterback was able to punch it in with help from a push from his offensive line.

On the ensuing kickoff, Sycamore junior Caleb Coletts recovered Lakota East sophomore kicker Nick Gasser’s onside kick. After the recovery, Sess was able to rush for a first down on three carries and then took a knee to end the game.

On Sycamore’s first touchdown of the game, Sess capped off an 11-play 80-yard drive with a 19-yard pass to junior tight end Mason Morgan with 11:30 left in the second quarter. During that drive, Sess rushed for 58 yards on nine carries.

Eichler answered Sess’ first touchdown by finishing a 7-play 64-yard with a 10-yard touchdown run with 7:30 left in the first half.

To open the second half, Sycamore senior Larry Cook pounced on the football on the Lakota East 13-yard line after the Thunderhawks mishandled the kickoff from junior kicker Sam Cogen. Sess finished off that drive with a two-yard touchdown run, giving Sycamore a 21-7 lead one minute into the second half.

Eichler was able answer another Sess touchdown with one of his own late in the third quarter. His second touchdown run went for 11 yards.

On Sycamore’s next possession, leading 21-17 with 1:59 left in the third quarter, Sess and the Aviator offense ran 10 minutes off the clock in a 21-play 90-yard touchdown drive that ended with four minutes to go in the game. Fittingly, Sess finished off the drive with a six-yard touchdown drive.

“I have never done anything like that,” said Sess of the 21-play drive. “It took forever. I loved it … that is what we live for, right?”

Next Friday, Sycamore (5-0 overall, 2-0 in the Greater Miami Conference) will visit Princeton at 7:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Lakota East, who falls to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the GMC, will host Mason next Friday at 7:30 p.m. in its homecoming game.

S– Sess 19-yard pass to Morgan (Cogen kick) – 11:30 in second quarter

L– Eichler 10-yard run (Gasser kick) – 7:30 in second quarter

S – Simpson 30-yard run (Cogen kick) – 4:19 in second quarter

S- Sess 2-yard run (Cogen kick) – 11:08 in third quarter

L- Gassar 38-yard FG – 8:31 in third quarter

L- Eichler 11-yard run (Gasser kick) – 1:59 in third quarter

S- Sess 6-yard run (Cogen kick) – 4:01 in fourth quarter

L- Eichler 15-yard run (Eichler run) – 1:35 in fourth quarter

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Caleb Coletts, Eric Eichler, Kyle Sess, Lakota East, Lakota East football, Lakota East Sports, Larry Cook, Mason Morgan, Nick Gasser, Sam Cogen, Scott Dattilo, Sycamore football, Sycamore sports