First Posted: 1/7/2015
Here is a look at some of the top upcoming sports events involving area high teams.
Girls basketball
Findlay (5-5, 1-4 Three Rivers Athletic Conference) at Lima Senior (6-4, 2-3 TRAC)
When: 7:30 tonight
Findlay is coming off a 52-37 loss to state-power Toledo Central Catholic this past Monday night. Allison Taylor led Findlay with 19 points, including three 3-pointers. The Trojans have lost back-to-back games for the first time all season.
Lima Senior is coming off a 75-60 loss to Oregon Clay this past Monday. Lima Senior junior Rion Thompson went over the 1,000-point plateau in the Clay game, scoring 20 points, including two 3-pointers.
Odds and ends: This is a huge TRAC game for both teams.
The Brass Tacks: Whenever Lima Senior and Findlay meet, it’s usually a competitive match-up.
Defiance (7-3, 2-0 Western Buckeye League) at Bath (8-1, 2-0 WBL)
When: 7:30 tonight
Defiance is coming off a 49-31 victory over Liberty Center on Dec. 27. Emily Poling led the Bulldogs with 19 points, including two 3-pointers. Gabi Lamb scored 11 points, including three buckets from behind the arc.
Bath won the McDonald’s Holiday Tournament (Dec. 29, 30) for the 15th time out of the 18 years the tournament has existed. In the championship game, the Wildkittens defeated Minster 50-49 in a thriller that went down to the wire. Alyssa Manley led Bath with 19 points, including four 3-pointers. Madison Dackin scored 17 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
Bath led by as many as 11 points against Minster. However, Minster battled back and pushed the Wildkittens to the very end. Bath struggled somewhat from the free throw line, connecting on 8-of-16 of its shots.
Odds and ends: Bath is vying for its fifth consecutive WBL championship. Out of the 38 years in the WBL, Bath has won (or shared) 17 titles. Defiance has one WBL title to its credit.
The Brass Tacks: This match-up is huge as there are four teams in the WBL that have not lost yet in league play.
Boys basketball
Lima Senior (4-2, 2-1 Three Rivers Athletic Conference) at Toledo Whitmer (3-4, 2-2 TRAC)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
After losing its first two games of the season, Lima Senior has reeled off four straight wins.
Lima Senior is coming off a 60-43 victory at Findlay this past Tuesday. Rico Stafford led the Spartans with 18 points. Xavier Simpson scored 16 points, had six rebounds and dished out five assists. Elijah Pughsley added 10 points. Lima Senior did not turn the ball over during the second and third quarters.
The Spartans defeated Elida 69-59 this past weekend. Stafford led Lima Senior with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Jaylin Thomas scored 15, while Simpson added 14 points, five rebounds and eight assists.
Toledo Whitmer had no trouble in disposing of Fremont Ross on the road this past Tuesday, 66-33. Sam Hickey led Whitmer with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Montrece Collins poured in 17 points and had nine boards. As a team, Whitmer made nine shots behind the arc against Fremont Ross.
Odds and ends: The Spartans need a win if they want to stay in the hunt in the TRAC.
The Brass Tacks: Any game on the road in the TRAC is going to be tough this season.
Lima Central Catholic (7-0) at Delphos St. John’s (7-1)
When: 1 p.m. junior varsity start with varsity starting at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Delphos St. John’s notched its seventh win of the season this past Tuesday when it upended Paulding 63-40. The Blue Jays were balanced with three players scoring in double figures. Andy Grothouse led the way with 21 points, including three 3-pointers. Alex Odenweller scored 18 points, including four shots behind the arc. Evan Hays added 10 for the Blue Jays.
LCC is fresh off a 65-49 victory over Van Wert. Nick Taflinger led the Thunderbirds with a career-high 20 points, including four 3-pointers. Dantez Walton scored 12 points, including three 3-pointers. However, in its win over Van Wert, LCC had two players suffer injuries. Jake Williams dislocated his right shoulder and will probably miss one to two weeks. Tre Cobbs suffered a bruised tailbone/hip, but might see action.
Odds and ends: LCC has won the last five meetings with St. John’s. The Blue Jays hold a slight 45-41 edge over the T-Birds in the all-time series between the two programs.
The Brass Tacks: With only one loss between the two programs this season, this should be one of the better match-ups of the series.
Spartan Wrestling Invitational
When: first-round action begins at 10 a.m. Saturday
Where: Lima Senior
The 26th Annual Spartan Wrestling Invitational will feature 18 teams. The teams participating include: Ada, Bellefontaine, Cory-Rawson, Delphos Jefferson, Delphos John’s, Eastwood, Lima Central Catholic, Lima Senior, Lincolnview, Mt. Gilead, Paulding, Rossford, Springfield Shawnee, Spencerville, St. Marys, Tippecanoe, Troy and Wauseon.
Tippecanoe won the team title last season. St. Marys had the best local finish at the 2014 invite, coming in third in the final team standings.
