WestChesterBuzz.com

Winton Woods senior Semaj Christon was nearly perfect in the first half, making eight of his 12 field goal attempts and scoring 17 points in what turned out to be a 79-42 victory against Lakota West in the second round of the Southwest Ohio sectional tournament at Princeton.

For most of the first half, Lakota West kept it close and trailed 32-26 with 2:34 left in the second quarter after freshman Tyler Williams nailed a long jump shot for the Firebirds.

After that bucket, Christon scored nine of his 17 first-half points in what was a 14-0 run to end the first half giving Winton Woods a 46-26 advantage at halftime.

“As a coach, I have to tell myself that I am a coach and not a fan,” Walker said of watching Semaj Christon. “I sit there, sometimes, watching in awe, but Semaj is a pretty poised kid and is definitely going to be a good player here and at the next level.”

Walker said that Christon (photo – click to enlarge) has received interest recently from Georgetown, Iowa and Cincinnati to name a few. Numerous other scouts, including one from Boston College witnessed his latest performance.

>>>PHOTOS: WINTON WOODS VS. LAKOTA WEST<<<

Christon, who finished the game with 18 points, also got his senior teammate and neighbor Dennis Thomas involved. While Christon had five assists and only two turnovers, Thomas added 18 points and six rebounds.

“They have a chemistry that is unmatched by anybody,” said Walker said of the tandem that has shared the same backcourt in AAU for the past nine seasons.

The Warriors’ other seniors were just as impressive, Thomas Owens, who is getting Division I interest from colleges for football, scored five points and pulled down five rebounds, while Dion Dearmond scored a career-high 21 points in the win.

“They all have great chemistry. They all know where the other one is going to be and they are all comfortable with each other,” Walker said. “That is how we play.” (more…)

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, basketball, Boston College, boys' basketball, Cincinnati, Dennis Thomas, Dion Dearmond, Georgetown, Iowa, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Middletown, Mike Walker, Monty Boykins, Sean VanWinkle, Semaj Christon, Thomas Owens, Tyler Williams, University of Cincinnati, Walnut Hills, Winton Woods

After Lakota East was upset in its season finale in a 66-65 loss to Middletown, the team fell in both the Associated Press state basketball poll and in the MaxPreps statewide and national rankings.

The Thunderhawks, however, did manage to move up a spot in the final Cincinnati Enquirer coaches’ poll and have been recognized by the publication as the Queen City’s top high school boys’ basketball team of the 2010-2011 season.

In the final Enquirer poll, Lakota East (19-1 overall, 13-1 in the Greater Miami Conference), which has the No. 2 seed in the sectional playoffs, finished with nine first-place votes and 156 total points. La Salle (18-2 overall, 9-1 in the Greater Catholic League), which was given the No. 3 seed in the sectional playoffs, finished with eight first-place votes and 154 total points, while Moeller (18-2 overall, 9-1 in the GCL), the No. 1 seed in the sectional playoffs, finished in third with 125 points.

Meanwhile, Middletown (16-4 overall, 11-3 in the GMC), which defeated both Moeller and Lakota East in the final week of the regular season, finished fourth in the poll. The Middies have the No. 7 seed in the sectional tournament.

In the AP state poll, La Salle moved up from No. 7 to No. 3 after defeating Moeller in its season finale last week. Moeller fell in the AP poll from No. 1 to No. 7 and Lakota East fell from No. 4 to No. 6.

Lakota East also fell in the MaxPreps state poll from No. 1 to No. 2. La Salle took over the No. 1 spot, while Moeller fell to No. 8. Nationally, MaxPreps ranks La Salle No. 37, Lakota East No. 57 and Moeller No. 113.

ESPN RISE, which hasn’t included Lakota East all season, moved La Salle up from No. 27 to No. 22 in its national FAB 50 rankings. Moeller fell out of the rankings after being ranked No. 23 the previous week.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: AP Ohio poll, basketball, boys' basketball, ESPN RISE, La Salle, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, MaxPreps, Middletown, Moeller, rankings

Lakota East was attempting to accomplish something that a boys’ Greater Miami Conference basketball program hadn’t done in 20 years – finish the regular season with a 20-0 record. However, Middletown, which had ruined Moeller’s perfect season earlier in the week, defeated the Thunderhawks by the score of 66-65 last night, Feb. 18.

The Middies trailed 47-32 heading into the final quarter, but roared back and won the game on a buzzer beater. According to Cincinnati.com, Middletown junior Geovonie McKnight drove the length of the floor with 5.8 seconds left and converted a layup at the buzzer for the win.

Middletown senior Mikey Brown led all scorers with a career-high 22 points. Freshman forward Vincent Edwards scored 13 points and McKnight added 12 points for the Middies.

Seniors Michael Boyd (16 points) and Cameron Lee (17 points) led the Thunderhawks.

With the loss, Lakota East officially finishes the regular season with a 19-1 overall record and a 13-1 record in the GMC. Middletown finishes the season with a 16-4 overall record and a 11-3 record in the GMC.

The Southwest Ohio sectional tournament begins next weekend. Lakota East opens as the region’s No. 2 seed next Saturday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. against No. 31 seed Talawanda (5-13 overall, 3-9 in Fort Ancient Valley Conference) at Lakota West High School.

Middletown enters the tournament as the No. 7 seed. The Middies will open against No. 27 seed Woodward (5-11 overall, 3-9 in the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference) on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 3:30 p.m. at Mason.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: basketball, boys' basketball, Cameron Lee, Geovonie McKnight, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Michael Boyd, Middletown, Mikey Brown, Vincent Edwards

Lakota East (19-0 overall, 13-0 in the Greater Miami Conference) will attempt to do something that hasn’t been done in the GMC for 30 years, according to the Pulse Journal, and finish the regular season with a 20-0 record when it visits Middletown (15-4 overall, 10-3 in GMC) tonight, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m.

The Thunderhawks head coach Wally Vickers and his team has been enjoying the memorable ride this season, but is not thinking about the record or wrapping the regular season.

“We are just enjoying what is going on. It has been great, being with these guys, taking it one day at a time and we are not thinking at all about wrapping anything up,” Vickers said. “That is the furthest thing on my mind, we plan on playing for awhile.”

Win or lose tonight, Lakota East will open the postseason as the region’s No. 2 seed next Saturday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. against No. 31 seed Talawanda (5-13 overall, 3-9 in Fort Ancient Valley Conference) at Lakota West High School.

Meanwhile, Middletown is fresh off a 20-point win over previously unbeaten Moeller on Tuesday, Feb. 15, night and is seeking revenge after a 67-39 thrashing it took from Lakota East in early January.

Vickers admitted that, depending on the makeup of the team, suffering a loss before the postseason can benefit a team. He, however, is not concerned with his group.

“If you haven’t lost then there could be a little bit of a trap there, but I am not concerned about that with this team,” Vickers said. “We are going to have a heck of a battle on our hands Friday night at Middletown, but if we get it done and we are 20-0 and rolling in the tournament this group has the mentality to handle that situation.”

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: basketball, boys' basketball, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Middletown, Wally Vickers, Walter Vickers

Lakota East and Moeller did not move in the statewide rankings when the latest Associated Press state basketball poll was released Tuesday, Feb. 15. The Thunderhawks remained at No. 4 for the second straight week and Moeller was, again, ranked No. 1.

Last night, after the poll had already been released, Moeller lost at Middletown by the score of 65-45. The loss is Moeller’s first of the 2010-2011 season and gives the team an 18-1 overall record and a 9-0 mark within the Greater Catholic League heading into its season finale at LaSalle Friday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Lakota East (19-0 overall, 13-0 in the Greater Miami Conference) will try to become the first GMC team in 30 years, according to the Pulse Journal, to finish the season 20-0 when it visits Middletown (15-4 overall, 10-3 in GMC) in its season finale Friday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. Earlier in the season, Lakota East defeated the Middies by the score of 67-39.

On Sunday, Lakota East was given the No. 2 seed in the sectional playoffs, while Moeller was awarded with the No. 1 seed.

Moeller is also ranked in the ESPN RISE rankings. In the latest poll, released Feb. 13, Moeller was ranked No. 25 in the nation. The Crusaders’ GCL rival, La Salle, was ranked No. 27. Moeller and La Salle were also ranked in ESPN RISE’s Midwest Top 20 regional rankings, Moeller is No. 2 and LaSalle is No. 4. Lakota East is not included in either set of rankings.

MaxPreps.com ranks Lakota East as the top team in the state ahead of Moeller (No. 2) and LaSalle (No. 3). Nationally, the website ranks Lakota East No. 39, Moeller No. 55 and LaSalle No. 60.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: AP Ohio poll, basketball, boys' basketball, ESPN RISE, La Salle, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, MaxPreps, Middletown, Moeller, rankings

Lakota West lost to Middletown at home last night, Feb. 11, after upsetting the Middies on the road earlier this season. This time around, Middletown jumped out to a 26-13 halftime lead and cruised to a 61-45 victory.

Middletown (14-4 overall, 10-3 in Greater Miami Conference) junior Geovonie McKnight (18 points) and freshman Vincent Edwards (19 points) combined to score 37 points in the win. In the loss to Lakota West, McKnight and Edwards only combined to score 18.

Last night, sophomore Monty Boykins did not play for Lakota West. In the earlier season upset of Middletown, he scored 23 points.

Sophomore guard Ali Barnes led Lakota West with 15 points. Senior forward Phillip Cook added 10 points and six rebounds.

With the loss, Lakota West falls to 8-11 overall and 5-8 in the GMC. The Firebirds have now lost seven of their last nine games.

Lakota West will wrap up its regular season on the road at Fairfield (9-9 overall, 5-8 in GMC) Friday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m.

Pictures provided by Mark Ferland/Ferland Fotos. Actual game photos from the Middletown game played Feb. 11. For more photos of other Lakota West athletic events visit ferlandfotos.smugmug.com.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, boys' basketball, Geovanne McKnight, Geovonie McKnight, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Middletown, Monty Boykins, Phil Cook, Phillip Cook, Vincent Edwards

Lakota East won its fourth straight game when it defeated Middletown in convincing fashion, by the score of 84-18, last night, Feb. 2. The win improves the Thunderhawks’ overall record to 14-3 and 9-3 within the Greater Miami Conference.

The 9-3 conference record keeps Lakota East even with Sycamore (14-4 overall, 9-3 in GMC) and Colerain (12-5 overall, 9-3 overall) in a tight race for second place in the GMC standings. The Thunderhawks’ remaining conference games include a home game against Colerain this Saturday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. and a road game at Princeton (18-0 overall, 12-0 in the GMC) Feb. 12 at 2 p.m.

In the win against Middletown, last night, the Thunderhawks jumped out to 22-1 lead after the first quarter. By halftime, Lakota East was already in front 46-5.

Junior Molly Blomer led Lakota East with 18 points and eight rebounds in the win. Juniors Whitney Wyckoff (13 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks), Aleth Pashi (12 points, two steals) and Bernice Satterwhite (12 points, six rebounds, two steals) also scored in double figures for Lakota East.

Senior Megan Costa also added 10 points off the bench for the Thunderhawks. The 10 points ties a career high for Lakota East’s lone senior.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Aleth Pashi, basketball, Bernice Satterwhite, girls' basketball, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Megan Costa, Middletown, Molly Blomer, Whitney Wyckoff

Lakota East didn’t cool off from its hot start, as the Thunderhawks dominated Middletown 67-39 in a matchup between two of the Greater Miami Conference’s top-ranked teams.

Lakota East entered the game ranked No. 2 in the Cincinnati Enquirer’s coaches’ poll, while Middletown was ranked No. 4.

Lakota East guard Michael Boyd led Lakota East with 17 points and seven rebounds; both were season highs for the senior.

>>>PHOTOS OF MIDDLETOWN AT LAKOTA EAST<<<

Boyd’s senior teammate Brian Evans added a career-high 13 points in the win.

Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Mark Schmetzer was covering the game:

Lakota East’s previous best start was 4-0 in the 2004-2005 season. That team lost its fifth game before reeling off a school-record 14 consecutive wins. Coach Wally Vickers isn’t surprised that this team blew past that start.

“We thought we could be good at the beginning of the season,” Vickers said. “Am I surprised that we’re 9-0? Absolutely not.”

Said Boyd: “It’s a team thing. We came together real quick. We’re a family.”

The Thunderhawks, ranked second in the Enquirer’s Division I coaches poll, also snapped a five-game losing streak in the series against No. 4 Middletown, dating back to a 64-61 win in the 2006-2007 season.

For more from Schmetzer visit his game story titled, “Thunderhawks enjoy blowout.”

The win improved the Thunderhawks record to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the GMC, giving them sole possession of first place in the conference standings. Middletown, which lost its third straight, falls to 7-3 overall and 3-2 in GMC.

Lakota East will play at Woodward tonight at 7:30 p.m., while Middletown’s next game will be Jan. 14 vs. Hamilton at 7:30 p.m.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: basketball, boys' basketball, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Michael Boyd, Middletown, Wally Vickers, Walter Vickers

The Lakota West boys’ basketball program enters tonight’s game with Fairfield fresh off a 62-59 upset win against the Middletown Middies. The Firebirds were able to win the game on Tuesday despite not having one of their top scorers and top rebounders, Phillip Cook, who was out due to an ankle injury.

Cook, who is averaging 12.6 points and eight rebounds per game this season, is expected to miss at least another week with an ankle fracture.

Not only will Cook’s offense be missed, but also his defense because the high-flying senior is responsible for “taking on the other team’s best interior defender,” according to Lakota West head coach Sean VanWinkle.

“You try to run a program where no one player is bigger than the team,” VanWinkle said. “I asked our guys to step up and assume larger roles and they responded with a very solid team effort against Middletown.”

Middletown (7-2 overall, 3-1 in the GMC), entered the game ranked No. 4 in the Cincinnati Enquirer’s local Division I boys’ basketball coaches poll, while Lakota West didn’t receive a single vote in the poll, which included 19 local teams.

Leading the Firebirds in the upset win was the play of sophomore guard Monty Boykins, who scored 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds against Middletown.

Both totals were career highs for Boykins, who is averaging 18.5 points in the Firebirds’ last four games. In those last four games, Lakota West is 3-1 overall and 2-0 against GMC opponents.

“Monty Boykins has went from being a solid shooter to a well-rounded player,” VanWinkle said. “He is a very good passer in traffic, a rebounder on both ends of the court and probably the most impressive thing is he is becoming a leader for this team and he is a sophomore.”

Lakota West will likely lean on Boykins again when it faces Fairfield (6-2 overall, 3-1 in Greater Miami Conference) tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Lakota West High School. The Firebirds enter the game with a 5-4 overall record and a 2-2 mark within the GMC.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: basketball, boys' basketball, Fairfield, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Middletown, Monty Boykins, Phil Cook, Phillip Cook, Sean VanWinkle

With the aid of some strong senior leadership, the Lakota East boys’ basketball team enters tonight’s game with Middletown with a perfect 7-0 overall record and 3-0 mark in the Greater Miami Conference. Tonight’s opponent, Middletown (7-2 overall, 3-1 in the GMC), entered this week ranked No. 4 in the Cincinnati Enquirer’s local Division I boys’ basketball coaches poll.

Lakota East, which is ranked second in that poll, entered the season as one of the area’s potential sleeper teams due to a roster that features five seniors (Michael Boyd, Jalen Goodwin, Cameron Lee, R.J. Leppert and Jeff Cargill) who are currently among the Thunderhawks’ top six in scoring.

“Our seniors have been tremendous both on and off the court,” Lakota East head coach Wally Vickers said. “Their leadership is critical and will be even more important as we move forward.”

In the Thunderhawks opener this season, the group of seniors led by Michael Boyd roared back from a late 11-point deficit to defeat the three-time defending GMC champions Princeton by the score of 54-48.

Since then, Boyd, who leads Lakota East in points (11.9), assists (3.3) and steals (2.6) per game this season, and the rest of the Lakota East seniors have beat up on their competition winning each game by an average of 24 points.

Meanwhile, Middletown also began the season with a perfect 7-0 overall record and 3-0 record in the GMC. The Middies, however, have lost their last two games. The last loss came this week when Lakota West upset them by the score of 62-59 on Tuesday.

“They have some very talented quick players. They have very good guard play and they are difficult to defend because of quickness. We must take away their transition offense and dribble penetration in order to be successful,” Vickers said. “Coming off a loss on Tuesday I am sure they will be highly motivated.”

Cincinnati.com will be covering tonight’s game, visit its High School Sports page for the game story

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: basketball, boys' basketball, Cameron Lee, Jalen Goodwin, Jeff Cargill, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Michael Boyd, Middletown, R.J. Leppert, Wally Vickers, Walter Vickers