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A total of 18 student athletes were recognized Wednesday during a special spring signing event at Lakota West High School. In photo – (back L to R) Michael Carter, Daulton Frasier, Zach Moo Young, Liam Maloney, Monty Boykins, Ali Barnes, Erik Hunkemoeller and Luke Scott. (Middle L to R): John Raker, Ryan Addington, Joe McClanahan and Nicholas Lang. (Front L to R): Will Wilson, Morgan Riley, Rikkie Shumard, Morgan Montgomery and Ryan Martin. Photo taken by Barb Trimble of TrimPhotoAndVideo.com. For more photos from the event, visit http://proofs.trimphotoandvideo.com/g/052313west

A total of 17 student athletes were recognized Thursday during a special spring signing event at Lakota West High School. Overall, athletes from 10 different sports at Lakota West selected to attend 14 colleges and universities from the around the country.

Among those recognized, five will be competing for Division I programs, the highest level of collegiate sports. That includes Monty Boykins, who will play basketball at Lafayette College; Daulton Frasier, who will play football at Miami University; Nicholas Lang, who will play tennis at Northern Kentucky University; Morgan Montgomery, who will be a cheerleader at University of Louisville; and Morgan Riley, who will be a cheerleader at Bowling Green State University.

• Ryan Addinton – baseball – Carson Newman University
• Ali Barnes – basketball – Concord University
• Monty Boykins – basketball – Lafayette College
• Michael Carter – football – Heidelberg University
• Daulton Frasier – football – Miami University
• Erik Hunkemoeller – baseball – Capital University
• Nicholas Lang – tennis – Northern Kentucky University
• Liam Maloney – football – Morehead State University
• Ryan Martin – football – Capital University
• Joe McClanahan – soccer – University of Findlay
• Morgan Montgomery – cheerleading – University of Louisville
• Zach Moo Young – basketball – Oberlin College
• John Raker – swimming – Ohio Northern University
• Morgan Riley – cheerleading – Bowling Green State University
• Luke Scott – football and lacrosse – Capital University
• Rikkie Shumad – swimming – Urbana University
• Will Wilson – track and field – Ohio Northern University

Boykins, who committed to Lafayette in late February, was leading his team in scoring this season until he tore his ACL at the end of the Fairfield game Dec. 28, which was the Firebirds’ seventh game of the 2012-2013 regular season. Including that game, Boykins had been averaging 17.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

The 6-foot-4 guard also had offers Duquesne, Miami (Ohio), Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Kennesaw State, James Madison, Bowling Green, Kent State, Eastern Kentucky and Robert Morris.

This spring’s group joins the 17 others, who participated in a signing event in early February. Those student athletes included Ben Pendery (football – Dayton), Marshall Stretch (golf – Ohio Dominican), Kyle Meadows (football – Kentucky), Margaret Hare (soccer – Xavier), Audrey Jennings (lacrosse – Queens University of Charlotte), Andres Martinez (golf – Heidelberg), Elle Nguyen (soccer – Northern Kentucky), Ryan Ostendorf (baseball – Wooster), Bryan McNamara (swimming – Miami of Ohio), Nicole Soutar (tennis – Northern Kentucky), Jeffrey Wray (golf – Cincinnati State), Nick Bengal (football – Gannon), Tori Turner (tennis – Wright State), Drew Garbenis (football – Robert Morris), Annie Bierman (volleyball – Furman), Mike Kelly (football – Navy) and Mandy Stanislovaitis (volleyball – Adelphi).

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports, Spring sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Lafayette, Monty Boykins Lafayette basketball, Monty Boykins Lakota West, ohio basketball recruiting, Ohio football recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting

Lakota West senior guard Monty Boykins committed to play college basketball at Lafayette during his official visit this weekend, according to Lakota West head basketball coach Sean Van Winkle.

Monty Boykins against Middletown Dec. 8, 2012. Boykins led Lakota West in scoring until he tore his ACL in a game in late December this season. Photo taken by Tony Tribble.

The 6-foot-4 guard also had offers Duquesne, Miami (Ohio), Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Kennesaw State, James Madison, Bowling Green, Kent State, Eastern Kentucky and Robert Morris.

• Cincinnati Enquirer’s recruiting blog with Mike Dyer
• Lakota East Signing Day
• VIDEO: GMC Signing Day
• Lakota West Signing Day
• Monty Boykins video highlights

Since going down with the season-ending injury, his teammates have played inspired basketball – going 11-4 in the final 15 games of the regular season.

On Tuesday, West (15-7, 9-5 in the Greater Miami Conference) will play Sycamore (13-10, 9-5 in GMC) in the district quarterfinals at Hamilton High School at 6 p.m. WestChesterBuzz.com will provide a game story.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Eastern Kentucky basketball, Monty Boykins Lakota West, ohio basketball recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting

Lakota West senior guard Monty Boykins tore his ACL at the end of the Fairfield game Dec. 28 and will have surgery Friday, according to Mike Dyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Senior Monty Boykins is leading Lakota West in scoring this season with 17.7 points per game. However, on Dec. 28, Boykins tore his ACL. Photo taken by Jeff Swinger Dec. 18, 2012.

The senior guard/small forward has been offered scholarships from Duquesne, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Kennesaw State, James Madison, Bowling Green, Kent State, Eastern Kentucky and Robert Morris. Previously, Boykins had an offer from Miami before the school hired a new head coach in April.

Boykins attended the team’s practice Sunday and Lakota West head coach Sean Van Winkle explained to his team the injury is just a bump in the road for Boykins.

“We (met) as a team after practice and I explained to everyone that what Monty is going through is one of the hardest things any athlete would have to deal with,” Van Winkle told The Enquirer. “He is still a captain for our team and will still be very involved in our improvement over the next few months.”

This Friday, Lakota West (4-3 overall, 3-2 in Greater Miami Conference) will host Oak Hills (3-6 overall, 1-3 in GMC) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before hosting Elder (3-5 overall, 1-2 in Greater Catholic League) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Lakota East remains unbeaten: Through last Thursday, Lakota East remained in first place in the GMC with a 10-0 overall record and a 4-0 mark in GMC play. The Thunderhawks will continue its conference schedule with a home game Friday against Fairfield (7-1 overall, 4-1 in GMC) at 7:30 p.m. before hosting rival Lakota West on Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Girls’ basketball – Lakota West still on roll – The young Firebirds are continuing to play well, and improved to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in the GMC over this past weekend. On Saturday, Lakota West will play at Hamilton (2-10 overall, 1-5 in GMC) at 2 p.m. Next week, Lakota West will play at Lakota East (3-8 overall, 3-3 in GMC) on Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Lakota West’s top scorers thus far are Lauren Cannatelli (sophomore, 14.5 points per game) and Nia Staples (freshman, 11.7 points per game). Meanwhile, Lakota East most recently lost against Ursuline by the score of 54-36. This week, Lakota East will host McNicholas on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. before playing at Sycamore on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Wrestling - Lakota West competed in the GMVWA Dayton Holiday Tournament last weekend, finishing fifth in the large school division and ninth overall out of 52 teams. Kevin Leonhardt (fourth place, 138), Andy Cress (fourth place, 145), Eli McBurrows (fourth place, 220) and Josh Gerding (eighth place, 160) all placed for the Firebirds. “While I will say that I was pretty pleased to finish in the top 10 in this tough tournament, I will also say in the next breath that at Lakota West I want us to have higher standards moving forward to not be happy just to finish in the top 10,” Lakota West head coach Brennan Ryan said. “We were the highest finishing Cincinnati team, which was nice as well. For where we are, we had a pretty decent tournament. I can say we are getting a little bit better each week.”

WESTCHESTERBUZZ will start to pick up its basketball coverage in 2013, providing game stories and photos for games on Jan. 3-4 and Jan. 8-9.

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Tags: Tags: Lakota East basketball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Lakota West

Both the Lakota West and Lakota East boys’ basketball programs won on Friday night. West defeated Princeton by the score of 68-56, while East defeated Mason 69-58.

Lakota West led by as much as 22 points early in the second half, but watched as Princeton was able to narrow the gap, bringing it all the way down to five points with 1:14 remaining.

West was able to hit 9-of-10 free throws in the remaining time to put away Princeton for good, despite a double-double from senior forward Darius Hilson who had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Senior guards Monty Boykins, who led all scorers with 25 points, and Ali Barnes, who added 15 points, led the Firebirds.

Lakota West (4-2, 3-1 in GMC) - Barnes 5 2 15, Bowling 2 3 7, Peterkin 2 0 4, Young 2 6 10, Boykins 9 6 25, Grove 3 0 7. Totals: 23 17 68.

Princeton (3-2, 2-2 in GMC) - Jordan 5 5 15, Tivis 0 1 1, Abrams 1 0 2, Bricking 3 4 10, Hilson 8 1 17, Bosel 1 0 2, Walters 3 3 9. Totals: 21 14 56.

Halftime: Lakota West 37-21. 3-pointers: LW 5 (Barnes 3, Boykins, Grove)

Meanwhile, the Lowry brothers combined for 29 points to help lead Lakota East to its ninth consecutive win to start the season. Stedman scored 18 while younger brother Dylan added 11 to help pace the offense.

East led by just one point at halftime but started the second half with a quick 5-0 spurt to pull away.

Conner McVey and Drew Matula combined to score 30 points for Mason to keep the Comets within striking distance.

Mason (2-5, 0-4 in GMC) – McVey 6 0 15, Rice 4 0 9, Matula 5 2 15, Beebe 1 0 3, Arminio 3 2 9, Brinckman 3 1 7. Totals: 22 5 58.

Lakota East (9-0, 4-0 in GMC) – Emrick 1 2 4, Harpring 2 0 4, Lowry 5 7 18, Norris 0 2 2, D. Lowry 4 0 11, Panzeca 1 2 4, Baxter 4 0 8, Wright 8 2 18. Totals: 25 15 69.

Halftime: East 28-27. 3-pointers: M 9 (McVey 3, Matula 3, Rice, Beebe, Arminio); L 4 (D. Lowry 3, S. Lowry)

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Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Lakota West, Stedman Lowry, Stedman Lowry Lakota East

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).

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

Lakota East held off school district rival Lakota West, 77-73, Saturday night in a game that went down to the final seconds.

Myo Baxter puts up a shot against Lakota West in what turned out to be a 77-73 win for Lakota East Saturday, Dec. 15. Photo taken by Barb Trimble of TrimPhotoAndVideo.com. For more photos from this game, visit http://proofs.trimphotoandvideo.com/g/121512east_west

The Thunderhawks, No. 3 in the latest Cincinnati Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll, led Lakota West, No. 2 in the same poll, by 10 points with 2:48 left in the fourth quarter. The Firebirds, however, closed the gap to one and trailed 74-73 with a minute remaining, according to WestFirebirds.com.

Lakota missed opportunities to take the lead, missing field goals with 45 seconds and then again with 23 seconds to go. Then, with nine seconds left on the clock, the Firebirds missed a three-point attempt that would have tied the game.

According to the Pulse Journal, the two teams played in front of “a standing-room-only crowd.” The paper’s Eric Hickey reported senior Stedman Lowry led East with 24 points. Furthermore, according to the Pulse, Myo Baxter added 18 points and eight rebounds in the win.

WestFirebirds.com reported Lakota West seniors Ali Barnes and Monty Boykins led the Firebirds with 22 and 21 points, respectively.

The win improves Lakota East to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the Greater Miami Conference, Lakota West falls to 3-1 and 2-0 in the GMC. Due this season’s scheduling rules, the game did not count as a GMC league game.

Lakota East will be back in action this Tuesday when its visits Oak Hills (0-4, 0-2 in GMC) at 7:30 p.m. Next up for the Firebirds is a home game against Sycamore (2-2, 1-1 in GMC), also on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

(Box score not provided)

GIRLS BASKETBALL - The Firebirds (6-1, 4-1 Greater Miami Conference) stayed in a tie for second place in the GMC with a 55-29 road win against the Indians (3-3, 2-2). Sophomore guard Lauren Cannatelli led all scorers with 12 points, and freshman guard Nia Staples added 11. Junior guard Bria Spaulding led Fairfield with 10 points.

Lakota West (6-1, 4-1) - Wells 2 0 4, Niehaus 2 0 4, Staples 2 5 11, Adams 0 4 4, Cannatelli 5 0 12, Whitaker 1 0 2, Carter 3 2 8, Tomasic 1 2 5, Aull 0 3 3, Kibell 1 0 2, Wasan 1 0 2. Totals: 17 16 55.

Fairfield (3-3, 2-2) – Butler 1 1 4, Slaughter 1 1 3, Spaulding 5 0 10, Mueller 1 1 3, B. Williams 2 0 4, Bentley 0 2 2, James 1 0 2, Branch 0 1 1. Totals: 11 6 29.

Halftime: Lakota West 34-11. 3-Pointers: L 5 (Staples 2, Cannatelli 2, Tomasic); F 1 (Butler).

GIRLS BASKETBALL - After losing its first five games of the season, Lakota East won its second straight when it defeated Middletown by the score of 56-47 Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Kandace Satterwhite led East with 16 points and seven rebounds, both career highs. Sophomore Cydney Franklin added 11 points for the Thunderhawks. Middletown senior Vada Edwards led the Middies with a season high 27 points. Edwards, who is averaging 19.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game this season, also had 12 rebounds in the loss. Lakota East will be back in action Monday night at 7:30 p.m. when it visits Winton Woods.

Middletown (3-4, 0-4) - Rodriguez 2 1 5, Edwards 12 3 27, Shealey 1 0 3, Roberts 4 0 8, Reynolds 2 0 4. Totals 21 4 47.

Lakota East (2-5, 2-2) - Satterwhite 8 0 16, Rodgers 3 3 9, Wills 1 0 2, Franklin 4 2 11, White 2 0 4, Catron 3 0 8, Thomas 1 0 2, Goodwin 2 0 4. Totals 24 5 56.

Halftime: Lakota East 26-23. 3-Pointers: M 1 (Shealey); LE 3 (Franklin, Catron 2).

Comet Classic Diving meet At Sycamore
Individual results: 1. McConnell (Lakota East) 432.15; 2. Sewell (Mason) 428.85; 3. House (Lakota West) 392.40; 4. DiMasso (Sycamore) 378.45; 5. Brophy (Summit Country Day) 368.40; 6. Carr (Mason) 361.85; 7. Wegryn (Indian Hill) 353.5; 8. Arnold (Indian Hill) 335.45; 9. Hayes (Mercy) 323.90; 10. Korengele (Indian Hill) 323.25; A. Mitchell (McNicholas) 318.05; 12. Carolin (Seton) 310.50; 13. M. Mitchell (McNicholas) 310.30; Tepe (Colerain) 308.05; 15. Rupp (Oakwood) 304.15.

RESTLING Coaches Classic At Harrison Note: semifinals and finals are Sunday
Team scores (thru quarterfinals): 1. Fairfield 131, 2. Moeller 129.5, 3. Loveland 101, 4. Mason 93.5, 5. Ross 81, 6. Simon Kenton (Ky.) 80.5, 7. Mount Vernon 73, 8. Lakota East 70, 9. Elder 65.5, 10. Kettering Fiarmont 63, 11. St. Xavier 60.5, 12. Harrison 59, 13. Beavercreek 57, 14. Glen Este 53.5, 15. Sycamore 52.5, 16. Ryle 52, 17. Middletown 48.5, 18. Lakota West 45.5, 19. Walton-Verona (Ky.) 42.5, 20. Edgewood 42, 21. Colerain 41, 22. Princeton 39.5, 23. La Salle 36.5, 24. Lebanon 36.5, 25. New Richmond 36, 26. Amelia 33, 27. Bethel-Tate 32, 28. Oak Hills 30, 29. Deer Park 26, 30. Hamilton 25, 30. Reading 25, 32. Turpin 24, 33. Milford 23, 34. Kings 22.5, 35. Withrow 21, 36. Talawanda 19, 36. Northwest 19, 38. Madeira 17, 39. Western Hills 17, 40. Anderson 16.5, 41. Goshen 9.5.

Quarterfinals
106–Kearney (Mason) dec. Branson (Glen Este) 8-2; Roth (Lakota East) dec. Frankel (Sycamore) 8-1; Gatica (Fairfield) dec. Kruspe (Moeller) 4-2; Vuyk (Loveland) major dec. Bemerer (Reading) 13-2. 113–Riley (Mount Ver.) pin Sper (Fairfield) 3:43; Tucker (Loveland) dec. Logsdon (Lebanon) 9-5; Ziegler (Moeller) dec. Bean (Edgewood) 11-4; Milano (La Salle) major dec. Delvalle (Kettering) 10-0. 120–Daly (Lakota East) dec. Ward (Moeller) 6-5; Davis (Fairfield) dec. Owens (Simon Kenton) 10-6; May (Lebanon) dec. Peters (Bethel) 13-6; Adams (Ryle) major dec. Clouse (Beavercreek) 14-6. 126–Parrett (Kettering) dec. Allen (Colerain) 3-1; Borton (Moeller) dec. Ibarra (Madeira) 10-5; Parrott (Simon Kenton) dec. Donigian (Beavercreek) 6-2; Barden (Fairfield) dec. Selmon (Princeton) 3-2. 132–Denlinger (Kettering) major dec. Brown (Lakota East) 9-0; Hinkle (Mount Ver.) dec. Smith (Elder) 7-2; North (Ryle) pin Rose (Middletown) 3:43; Mendel (Moeller) dec. Meddings (Fairfield) 8-1. 138–Brown (Walton-Verona) dec. Stephens (St. Xavier) 6-1; Morgan (Elder) major dec. Davis (Glen Este) 10-2; Bryant (Fairfield) major dec. Keller (Beavercreek) 14-4; Leonhardt (Lakota West) pin Andrews (Deer Park) 1:58. 145–Sams (Fairfield) pin Burke (Oak Hills) 1:58; Camps (Edgewood) dec. Cummins (Turpin) 11-5; Collins (Mason) pin Morton (Moeller) 3:25; Jones (Ross) dec. Huber (Sycamore) 8-2. 152–Cooper (Simon Kenton) major dec. Williamson (Madeira) 12-1; Kowal (Princeton) dec. Staten (Mount Vern.) 4-0; Siemon (Deer Park) dec. Jones (Walton-Verona) 10-8; Davis (Middletown) dec. Wilson (Moeller) 7-4. 160–Heyob (St. Xavier) major dec. Conners (Elder) 10-0; Meyer (Moeller) dec. Caniglia (Loveland) 8-5; Lauffer (Fairfield) dec. Smith (Colerain) 2-1; Globke (Middletown) major dec. Rivera (Harrison) 13-2. 170–Sizemore (Moeller) pin Thomas (Fairfield) 3:11; Jones (Walton-Verona) major dec. Day (Reading) 15-1; Corba (Beavercreek) pin Meiman (Ryle) 1:09; Weber (Loveland) dec. Reid (New Rich.) 7-6. 182–Chamblee (Simon Kenton) pin Kennedy (Glen Este) 5:20; Rosser (Moeller) dec. White (New Rich.) 11-7; Danis (Mason) pin Jones (St. Xavier) 1:00; Lay (Loveland) pin Plunkett (Fairfield) 1:49. 195–Scales (Colerain) dec. Rowan (Glen Este) 2-1; Ludwig (Fairfield) pin O’Toole (St. Xavier) 3:45; Bridwell (Ross) dec. Thornberry (Moeller) 2-1; Lybarger (Mount Ver.) major dec. Allgor (Mason) 15-7. 220–Frueauf (Moeller) pin Brennock (Loveland) 2:22; Morris (Mason) dec. Jordan (Colerain) 6-3; Mueller (Simon Kenton) pin Batchelor (West Hi) 5:57; Heimkreiter (Ross) dec. Kuhllmann (St. Xavier) 5-1. 285–Burton (Lakota East) dec. Quick (Mason) 5-2; Gutapfel (Harrison) def. Alten (Loveland) injury default; Peacock (Ross) dec. Forsee (New Rich.) 7-2; Daniels (Northwest) pin Tulloch (Kettering) 2:35.

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Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, Ali Barnes Lakota West, Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota East diving, Lakota East Sports, Lakota East wrestling, Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West diving, Lakota West sports, Lakota West wrestling, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Lakota West, Myo Baxter, Myo Baxter Lakota East, Rob Harpring, Stedman Lowry, Stedman Lowry Lakota East

The Enquirer

Senior scores first seven points of OT

Monty Boykins didn’t score his first points until there was 45.6 seconds left in the first half of Friday’s Greater Miami Conference game between Lakota West and Middletown.

The Lakota West senior guard finished with 27 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter and overtime, as the Firebirds rallied from a 10-point deficit over the final four minutes, 32 seconds of regulation to beat Middletown 76-72.

Lakota West is ranked No. 2 in the Enquirer’s Division I preseason coaches’ poll and improves to 2-0 on the season, while No. 4 Middletown falls to 0-2 after losing to highly-regarded Beavercreek by five points in its opener.

It was the GMC opener for both teams.

“We never let up. The whole time we kept pushing on, and people kept coming in and giving good play,” Boykins said. “It was my first game. My teammates helped me get into the game.”

Boykins, who also had 10 rebounds, missed Lakota West’s season-opening win against Talawanda due to the death of his grandfather.

Junior center Tyler Bowling scored 17 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for Lakota West.

Junior forward Vincent Edwards had 24 points, nine rebounds, five blocked shots and four steals for Middletown, while senior Jalin Marshall had 19 points, eight rebounds and four steals for the Middies.

The Middies led 61-51 after a basket by Marshall with 4:32 remaining, but Lakota West outscored them 14-4 the rest of regulation to force overtime.

The Firebirds nearly won it in regulation, but Edwards got just enough of a piece of Boykins’ shot on a drive to the basket in the closing seconds to force the ball to roll off the rim.

Boykins scored the first seven points of overtime to give Lakota West a cushion.

Middletown would get as close as two points in the final minute but could never tie it back up.

“We felt we needed to attack the basket a lot more, and we made some adjustments on who was guarding who,” said Lakota West coach Sean Van Winkle. “This was a typical Friday night GMC game.”

Lakota West got the first points of the game on a basket by guard Zach Hicks, but that would be the only lead of the half for the Firebirds.

After breaking a 6-6 tie with a Chance Sorrell free throw, the Middies didn’t trail again until a fast-break basket by Boykins with 1:08 remaining in regulation put Lakota West up 65-63.

Denarius Dean, who scored 12 points off the bench for Middletown, tied the game with a driving layup with 0:53 left.

“We’ve got to be smarter down the stretch and get some more time together,” said Middletown coach Josh Andrews. “I’ve not done a good job of helping our guys manage clock and finish situations. We’re going to get there. They want to get there.”

Middletown (0-2, 0-1 in GMC) – Johnson 3 0 6, Edwards 10 3 24, Sorrell 2 3 7, Marshall 9 0 19, Bailey 0 1 1, Dean 6 0 12, Jackson 1 0 3. Totals 31 7 72

Lakota West (2-0, 1-0 in GMC) – Hicks 1 3 5, Barnes 3 2 9, Bowling 8 1 17, Boykins 8 11 27, Grove 4 2 10, Capossela 1 0 2, Peterkin 2 0 4, Higginbotham 1 0 2. Totals 28 19 76

Halftime: Middletown, 34-29. 3-pointers: M – 3 (Marshall, Edwards, Jackson), LW – 1 (Barnes).

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Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West basketball, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Lakota West

Lakota West senior guard Ali Barnes recently netted offers to play college basketball at Findlay and Saginaw Valley State, according to Lakota West head coach Sean Van Winkle.

Lakota West guard Ali Barnes has received interest from EKU and has offers from Findlay, Saginaw Valley State and Fairmont state. Photo during a game in 2012 by Jeff Swinger.

Last season, Barnes averaged 14 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 2.1 assists as a junior. He also made 52.8 percent of his field goals, 46.4 percent of his three-point shots and 62.3 of his foul shots.

• Cincinnati Enquirer’s recruiting blog
• Ali Barnes video highlights
• Tyler Williams video highlights
• Monty Boykins video highlights

Meanwhile, Barnes’ teammate Monty Boykins has been offered scholarships from Duquesne, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Kennesaw State, James Madison, Bowling Green, Kent State, Eastern Kentucky and Robert Morris. Previously, Boykins had an offer from Miami before the school hired a new head coach in April.

Boykins was a Division I honorable mention all-state this past season. He averaged 16.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals. He was first-team all-GMC. As a sophomore, during the 2010-2011 season, Boykins averaged 12.5 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Another Lakota West basketball player that has the attention of college basketball scouts is junior point guard Tyler Williams, who already has offers from Miami and Kennesaw State.

Williams finished his second season on varsity and first as a full-time starter by averaging 10.8 points and 2.2 assists per game. He made 43.2 percent of his field-goal attempts, 36.9 percent of his three-point shots and 80 percent of his free throws. He was selected to the all-GMC second team.

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Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, Ali Barnes Lakota West, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Lakota West, ohio basketball recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting, Tyler Williams, Tyler Williams Lakota West

Lakota West seniors Ali Barnes and Monty Boykins have recently received offers to play college basketball. Lakota West head coach Sean Van Winkle announced this week that Barnes received an offer from Fairmont State and Boykins had added an offer from Eastern Kentucky.

Lakota West’s Monty Boykins. Photo taken by Mark Ferland of ferlandfotos.smugmug.com.

Fairmont State, a Division II program in Fairmont, W. Va., is the first school to offer Barnes.

• Cincinnati Enquirer’s recruiting blog with Mike Dyer
• Ali Barnes video highlights
• Monty Boykins video highlights

However, just last week, Mike Dyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Eastern Kentucky was showing interest in the senior guard.

Last season, Barnes averaged 14 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 2.1 assists as a junior last winter. He also made 52.8 percent of his field goals, 46.4 percent of his three-point shots and 62.3 of his foul shots.

Meanwhile, Boykins added Eastern Kentucky to his list of Division I schools that have offered him a scholarship. That list includes Duquesne, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Kennesaw State, James Madison, Bowling Green, Kent State and Robert Morris. Previously, Boykins had an offer from Miami before the school hired a new head coach in April.

Boykins was a Division I honorable mention all-state this past season. He averaged 16.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals. He was first-team all-GMC. As a sophomore, during the 2010-2011 season, Boykins averaged 12.5 points and 3.9 rebounds.

Another Lakota West basketball player that has the attention of college basketball scouts is junior point guard Tyler Williams, who already has offers from Miami and Kennesaw State.

Williams finished his second season on varsity and first as a full-time starter by averaging 10.8 points and 2.2 assists per game. He made 43.2 percent of his field-goal attempts, 36.9 percent of his three-point shots and 80 percent of his free throws. He was selected to the all-GMC second team.

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Tags: Tags: Ali Barnes, Ali Barnes Eastern Kentucky University basketball, Ali Barnes Lakota West, Eastern Kentucky University basketball, Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Eastern Kentucky basketball, Monty Boykins Lakota West, ohio basketball recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting

Lakota West senior Monty Boykins recently added an offer to play college basketball at Bucknell, according to Lakota West head coach Sean Van Winkle.

Lakota West's Monty Boykins. Photo taken by Mark Ferland of ferlandfotos.smugmug.com.

• Cincinnati Enquirer’s recruiting blog with Mike Dyer
• Monty Boykins video highlights

Boykins was a Division I honorable mention all-state this past season. He averaged 16.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals. He was first-team all-GMC.

As a sophomore, during the 2010-2011 season, Boykins averaged 12.5 points and 3.9 rebounds.

His teammate, point guard Tyler Williams, also has offers from Miami University and Kennesaw State. Williams, who will be a junior this winter, finished his second season on varsity and first as a full-time starter by averaging 10.8 points and 2.2 assists per game. He made 43.2 percent of his field-goal attempts, 36.9 percent of his three-point shots and 80 percent of his free throws. He was selected to the all-GMC second team.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Lakota West sports, Monty Boykins, Monty Boykins Lakota West, ohio basketball recruiting, Ohio High School sports recruiting, Ohio preps recruiting, Ohio sports recruiting