First Posted: 1/28/2015
Here is a look at some of the top high school sporting events involving area teams for the rest of the week.
Girls basketball
VAN WERT (4-12, 0-5 WESTERN BUCKEYE LEAGUE) AT BATH (14-1, 5-0 WBL)
When: 7:30 tonight
Van Wert is coming off a 44-27 loss to undefeated Crestview this past Monday in nonleague action. Erin Morrow led the Cougars with 12 points. Morrow was the lone Van Wert player to score in double figures. The Cougars shot a dismal 29 percent from the field. From behind the 3-point line, Van Wert was 0-of-8.
Bath rolled past Delphos St. John’s in nonleague action Tuesday, 53-18. Madison Dackin led the Wildkittens with 11 points, while Haylee Brenek added 10 points off the bench.
Odds and ends: Bath, which is ranked ninth in Division II, is looking to extend its 38-game regular-season WBL winning streak when it entertains Van Wert. The Wildkittens cannot afford a letdown against Van Wert as they are in quest of their fifth consecutive WBL title. For the Cougars, their season has been heading in a different direction. A win for Van Wert would be huge for its program.
The Brass Tacks: Bath looks to be hitting its stride at the right time. The Cougars will need to find an answer for Bath’s balanced scoring attack.
Boys basketball
LIMA SENIOR (10-2, 6-1 THREE RIVERS ATHLETIC CONFERENCE) AT TOLEDO ST. JOHNS (11-3, 7-0 TRAC)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Lima Senior is fresh off a 68-53 victory over Lima Central Catholic on Tuesday. With the win over the T-Birds, the Spartans have won 10 straight games since starting the season 0-2. Against LCC, Xavier Simpson led the Spartans with 19 points. Jaylin Thomas (15), Elijah Pughsley (12) and Rico Stafford (10) also scored in double figures for Lima Senior.
Lima Senior would like nothing better than to knock off Toledo St. John’s. The Spartans lost in overtime to St. John’s 82-79, back on Dec. 12. Against St. John’s, Pughsley led Lima Senior with 21 points, including four 3-pointers. Simpson poured in 20 points. St. John’s made the Spartans pay at the free throw line, hitting 21-of-30 on the night.
St. John’s is coming off a 68-21 thrashing of Fremont Ross last Friday in TRAC action. Kaleb Vaughn led St. John’s with 20 points, including four 3-pointers.
Odds and ends: This is undoubtedly the biggest game of the season for Lima Senior. A win for the Spartans would put them in a tie for the lead in the TRAC.
The Brass Tacks: Despite the hectic schedule, the Spartans are starting to build momentum in the last couple of weeks.
ELIDA (5-7, 2-2 WESTERN BUCKEYE LEAGUE) AT SHAWNEE (5-10, 2-2 WBL)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
A strong second half propelled Elida to a 56-45 win over Van Wert in WBL action this past Friday. Austin Allemeier led the Bulldogs with 14 points. Baylen Stinson scored 13 points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.
Shawnee lost to Crestview 72-56 Tuesday night in nonleague action. JaQuan Tucker led the Indians with 17 points. Teammate Jaden O’Neal added 11.
Odds and ends: This is a matchup of two teams who are both in similar positions. Both programs are battling to get to the .500 mark.
The Brass Tacks: This has always been a very good cross-town matchup.
Wrestling
LIMA CENTRAL CATHOLIC THUNDERBIRD INVITATIONAL
When: First-round action begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Quarterfinals will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Where: Edward C. Herr Gymnasium
There are 40 teams competing at the 12th annual LCC Thunderbird Invite. The field consists of: Allen East, Archbold, Ayersville, Blanchester, Bluffton, Calvert, Carey, Coldwater, Columbus Grove, Cory-
Rawson, Covington, Delphos St. John’s, Dixie (New Lebanon), Eastwood, Greeneview (Jamestown), Hicksville, Hillsdale (Jeromesville), Lakota (Kansas), Liberty-Benton (Findlay), Lima Central Catholic, Lincolnview, Madeira (Cincinnati), McComb, Mechanicsburg, Miami East, New London, Newark Catholic, Northridge (Dayton), Patrick Henry, Spencerville, St. Joe Central Catholic (Fremont), St. Paul (Norwalk), Summit Country Day (Cincinnati), Swanton, Tri-County North, Triad, Van Buren, Wayne Trace, Woodmore and West Liberty-Salem.
Odds and ends: Archbold won the Thunderbird Invite last season. Coldwater was the top area team, finishing sixth in the 40-team field. Delphos St. John’s finished 10th.
Some of the area wrestlers to keep an eye on are: Wes Buettner (195) and Alex Haunhorst (170) of Delphos St. John’s; LCC’s Jack Huffman (195) and Hunter Lucas (113); Allen East’s Schuyler Caprella (126) and Lincolnview’s Alex Rodriguez (120).
