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Photos: Fairmont vs Centerville
Author: Rob Ellis
Photos: Northeastern vs Yellow Springs
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Photos: Northeastern vs Yellow Springs
Week 5 Power Rankings Breakdown
Dayton, Ohio — Centerville and Fairmont both looked dominant this week as the Elks had two massive blowout wins while Fairmont knocked off Alter in a battle. Shawnee and Botkins went down to the wire as the Trojans show they have what it takes to be an elite team again this year.
This article will break down the Preseason Power Rankings that were released yesterday across our social media platforms. These rankings will be released on a weekly basis throughout the season.
D1
1)
Centerville | 4-0 (3-0, GWOC) | 
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 66-25 at
(FRI), W, 74-56 vs
(SUN)
GAMES THIS WEEK: vs
(TUE)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Rich Rolf: 19 points, 6 rebounds (TUE)
Centerville senior Rich Rolf
2)Fairmont | 4-0 (2-0, GWOC) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 55-45 vs
(TUE), W, 60-39 vs
(FRI)
GAMES THIS WEEK: at(TUE), vs
(THU)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Anthony Johnson: 31 points, 13 rebounds (TUE)
Fairmont senior Anthony Johnson
3)
Wayne | 5-1 (4-0, GWOC) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: L, 53-48 vs
(TUE), W, 51-50 at
(FRI)
GAMES THIS WEEK: vs
(TUE), at
(THU)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Lawrent Rice: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals (FRI)
4)
Franklin | 6-1 (4-0, SWBL) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 55-51 vs
(FRI)
GAMES THIS WEEK: vs
(TUE)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Pierce Baulerle: 20 points, 9 rebounds (FRI)
5)Northmont | 5-3 (1-3, GWOC) | 
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: L, 66-25 at(FRI), W, 68-66 vs
(SAT)
GAMES THIS WEEK: vs
(TUE)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Kennez Bozeman: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks (SAT)
OTHERS: Beavercreek, Sidney, Troy
D2
1)Alter | 5-1 (2-0, GCL Co-Ed) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: L, 55-45 at(TUE), W, 61-44 at
(SUN)
GAMES THIS WEEK: N/A
TOP PERFORMANCES: Anthony Ruffolo: 21 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals (SUN)
Alter junior Anthony Ruffolo
2)
Trotwood-Madison | 5-1 |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 87-75 at
(TUE)
GAMES THIS WEEK: at
(TUE), at
(THU)
TOP PERFORMANCES: N/A
3)
Dunbar | 6-3 (4-0, DCL) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 65-61 vs
(TUE), W, 61-39 at
(FRI), W, 66-17 at
(SAT),
W, 53-49 at
(SUN)
GAMES THIS WEEK: N/A
TOP PERFORMANCES: Antaune Allen: 25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals (SAT)
4)
Oakwood | 5-1 (4-0, SWBL) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 55-46 at
(FRI)
GAMES THIS WEEK: vs
(TUE)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Keon Wright: 20 points, 5 rebounds (FRI)
5)Chaminade Julienne | 3-2 (1-1, GCL Co-Ed) | 
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: L, 61-44 at(SUN)
GAMES THIS WEEK: at
(WED)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Evan Dickey: 13 points (SUN)
Chaminade Julienne junior Evan Dickey
OTHERS: Jonathan Alder, Tippecanoe, Bellbrook, Northridge
D3
1)
Versailles | 4-0 (1-0, MAC) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 75-46 at
(TUE), W, 59-23 at
(FRI), W, 57-46 vs
(SAT)
GAMES THIS WEEK: at
(TUE), vs
(THU)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Jaydon Litten: 30 points (TUE)
Versailles senior Jaydon Litten
2)
Springfield Shawnee | 5-1 (3-0, CBC) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 55-51 at
(FRI), L, 61-57 at
(SUN)
GAMES THIS WEEK: vs
(TUE)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Zion Crowe: 24 points, 9 rebounds (FRI)
Springfield Shawnee junior Zion Crowe
3)Meadowdale | 5-2 (3-1, DCL) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: L, 65-61 at(TUE), W, 53-40 at
(SAT)
GAMES THIS WEEK: at(TUE)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Lee Benson: 16 points, 9 rebounds (TUE)
4)
Preble Shawnee | 4-1 (1-1, WOAC) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 78-50 at
(THU), W, 61-40 vs
(FRI)
GAMES THIS WEEK: at
(TUE)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Mason Shrout: 32 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists (FRI)
Preble Shawnee sophomore Mason Shrout
5)
North Union | 5-1 (3-0, CBC) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 70-53 at
(TUE), W, 70-30 vs
(FRI)
GAMES THIS WEEK: at
(TUE)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Zach Vernon: 20 points, 4 rebounds (FRI)
OTHERS: Dayton Christian, Greeneview, Arcanum
D4
1) 
Tri-Village | 5-1 (3-0, WOAC) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 78-32 vs
(FRI)
GAMES THIS WEEK: at
(TUE), vs
(THU)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Layne Sarver: 16 points, 6 steals (FRI)
2) Botkins | 7-0 (4-0, SCAL) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 48-30 vs(TUE), W, 53-25 at
(FRI), W, 61-57 at(SUN)
GAMES THIS WEEK: vs
(THU)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Jacob Pleiman: 27 (FRI)
Botkins senior Jacob Pleiman
3)
Catholic Central | 6-0 (5-0, OHC) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 33-25 at
(TUE), W, 68-49 vs
(FRI)
GAMES THIS WEEK: at
(TUE)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Tyler Galluch: 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists (FRI)
Catholic Central junior Tyler Galluch
4)
Troy Christian | 6-0 (4-0, TRC) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 68-57 at
(TUE), W, 53-38 at
(FRI)
GAMES THIS WEEK: at
(TUE)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Chase Dohme: 16 points, 5 steals, 4 rebounds, 3 assists (TUE)
5)
Jackson Center | 5-2 (3-2, SCAL) |
RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK: W, 64-18 vs(TUE), W, 48-47 at
(FRI), W, 63-58 at
(SAT)
GAMES THIS WEEK: vs
(THU)
TOP PERFORMANCES: Jace Mullenhour: 23 points (SAT)
OTHERS: Russia, Fort Loramie, New Bremen, Fort Recovery, Yellow Springs
Centerville blows past Flyght Prep at the Elk Elite Showcase
Centerville, Ohio — The fourth and final game of the Elk Elite Showcase at Centerville High School was a pairing between the defending state champion Centerville Elks and Flyght Academy Prep. Tom House and Rich Rolf each dropped a smooth 19 points as the Elks rolled to a 74-56 victory.
Centerville was originally scheduled to play Vision Academy from New York but they dropped out of the showcase at the last minute. This opening gave Flyght Prep Academy the opportunity to play. Flyght Prep is coached by former UD Flyer Joey Gruden and is comprised of mostly former high school hoopers from the Miami Valley.
Trotwood-Madison alumni Anthony McComb, Butler alumni Tyler Montague, and Wayne alumni Tallice Landers are just a few of the Flyght Prep players.
Flyght Prep guard Anthony McComb
Centerville came into Sunday night’s contest after three straight blowout wins to start the season over Miamisburg, Beavercreek, and Northmont. The closest game the Elks have seen so far this year was their 66-25 win on Friday at Northmont.
The duo of Gabe Cupps and Tom House has been dominant so far. Senior Rich Rolf has also slowly been working his way back into the lineup as well. He’s been dealing with an injury this season that kept him sidelined for the first game and on limited minutes for the last two.
Centerville junior Gabe Cupps
The Elks came out firing from three. Quinn Hafner hit a pair of threes before Florida State commit Tom House sent the soldout house into a frenzy with his three-pointer. That shot gave the Elks a 16-6 lead and then a pair of threes from Rich Rolf gave Centerville a 26-14 lead heading into the second quarter.
Tom House showed off his NBA range with a pair of deep threes which extended the Elks’ lead to 21. The momentum would go to Flyght at the half though, as Will Hill drilled a deep three at the buzzer to cut into the deficit and make it just a 40-32 game going into halftime.
Centerville senior Tom House
Quinn Hafner had a big third quarter as he scored at will but Flyght was able to keep it close with the three point shooting of Will Hill and Tallice Landers. A corner three from Tom House extended Centerville’s lead back to double digits as they led 59-47 at the conclusion of the third quarter.
Centerville senior Quinn Hafner
Rich Rolf’s step back three felt like an early dagger as it extended Centerville’s lead to 17. Flyght would continute to fight back but late baskets from Gabe Cupps and Ryan Keifer but it just a bit too little too late as Flyght Prep fell to Centerville 74-56.
Florida State commit Tom House and Rich Rolf each had 19 points to lead Centerville. Gabe Cupps had 12 points in front of his future head coach in Mike Woodson who was sitting courtside. Quinn Hafner also contributed 12 points for the Elks as they improve to 5-0 on the year.
Centerville senior Rich Rolf
They will face undefeated Fairmont on Tuesday at home and then the Elks will travel to Wayne for a rivalry matchup the following Thursday to round out 2021 for them.
Results
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flyght Academy Prep | 14 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 56 |
| Centerville | 26 | 14 | 19 | 15 | 74 |
Flyght Academy Prep
| Position | PTS |
|---|---|
| 0 |
Centerville
| # | Player | Position | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Gabe Cupps | Guard | 12 |
| 1 | Quinn Hafner | Guard | 12 |
| 3 | Cam Smith | Guard | 0 |
| 4 | Emmanuel Deng | Guard | 2 |
| 10 | Ryan Keifer | Forward | 8 |
| 12 | Tom House | Guard | 19 |
| 13 | Ethan Greenberg | Forward | 2 |
| 21 | Kyle Kenney | Guard | 0 |
| 24 | Rich Rolf | Forward | 19 |
| Total | 74 |
Alter blows past their rivals as Ruffolo and Conner each go for 21
Kettering, Ohio — After suffering a tough first loss earlier in the week, Alter bounced back nicely with a blowout 61-44 victory over their conference rivals Chaminade Julienne. Anthony Ruffolo and Jacob Conner each exploded for 21 points as the Knights roll to 5-1 on the year.
The Alter Knights were on top of the world following their 3-0 start with huge wins over Homestead who featured Purdue commit Fletcher Loyer. Moeller who had a Penn State commit in Evan Mahaffey and then Oakwood who should be a top contender in DII this year led by Will Maxwell.
Alter senior Jacob Conner
But a tough loss in the Battle of Kettering to Fairmont brought Alter back to the ground as they suffered their first loss of the season. Before that matchup on Tuesday night, the last time the Knights lost was to their rivals in Chaminade Julienne.
That loss occurred in the very same gym on Shroyer Road that their matchup today would take place. Alter looked to secure a revenge win, but the Eagles of Chaminade Julienne stood in their way.
Marshall commit Jacob Conner has become of the more talked about players in the Dayton area, but after a breakout postseason to finish off his freshman campaign and a solid summer, CJ’s Jonathan Powell has also emerged as a D1 prospect. His play garnered the attention of the University of Dayton coaching staff as he picked up an offer from them in November.
Chaminade Julienne sophomore Jonathan Powell
Anthony Ruffolo got Alter started on the scoring side with a corner trey. Then Jacob Conner showed off his versatility as he split through the CJ defenders for the layup and then blocked Kylan Tucker twice on the very next possession. A finger roll at the buzzer put Alter out in front 16-5 at the end of the first.
Jacob Conner took over in the second quarter as he led the Knights to a 30-18 halftime lead. The Marshall commit was scoring from everywhere as he pulled up from three in a defenders face and drove to the basket with ease. Jonathan Powell and Evan Dickey kept the Eagles relatively close as they each hit three pointers but CJ still face a 12 point halftime deficit.
Alter senior Jacob Conner
Conner extended the second half lead to 20 points on a two handed dunk after Ruffolo and A.J. Leen both hit wide-open corner threes. Anthony Ruffolo capped off the third quarter with a loud and-one. Justin Morah’s three before the buzzer cut the Eagles’ deficit to just under 20 points as Alter led 52-34 heading into the fourth.
CJ showed signs of a comeback late but a backdoor cut and score from Ruffolo and then a three from Ruffolo off of a Jacob Conner screen put the dagger in the Eagles. Alter ended up running away late and winning 61-44 to improve to 4-1 on the season.
Alter junior Anthony Ruffolo
Jacob Conner and Anthony Ruffolo each had 21 points on the night to lead Alter. A.J. Leen had 9 points as well and Gavin Geisel had 6 points. Ryan Chew only finished with 4 points but made his presence known as he finished with 5 assists and set his teammates up all night long.
Evan Dickey had a strong first half and ended with 13 points while Justin Morah contributed the most in the second half and had 12 points in the loss.
Alter will have the next week off before heading down to South Carolina for a three game stretch with some pretty tough competition. CJ will face Newark at Mount Vernon Nazarene before heading down south to San Antonio for a three game stretch as well to cap before heading home to start the new year.
Results
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaminade Julienne | 5 | 13 | 16 | 10 | 44 |
| Alter | 16 | 14 | 22 | 9 | 61 |
Chaminade Julienne
| # | Player | Position | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Evan Dickey | Forward | 13 |
| 2 | Chad White | Guard | 0 |
| 3 | Justin Morah | Guard | 12 |
| 4 | Josiah Bowman | Forward | 2 |
| 5 | Kylan Tucker | Guard | 4 |
| 10 | Luke Chandler | Guard | 5 |
| 11 | Mitch Weckesser | Guard | 0 |
| 13 | Jimmy Schlangen | Forward | 0 |
| 20 | Makai Grant | Guard | 0 |
| 22 | Norman Jones | Forward | 0 |
| 23 | Kenyon Owens | Guard | 0 |
| 24 | Hunter Wiggins | Forward | 2 |
| 33 | Jonathan Powell | Forward | 6 |
| Total | 44 |
Alter
| # | Player | Position | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Ryan Chew | Guard | 4 |
| 3 | Anthony Ruffolo | Guard | 21 |
| 4 | Rudy Hamilton | Guard | 0 |
| 10 | Brody Bernecker | Guard | 0 |
| 12 | Gavin Geisel | Guard | 6 |
| 13 | Braeden Bakos | Guard | 0 |
| 15 | A.J. Rocco | Forward | 0 |
| 21 | A.J. Leen | Guard | 9 |
| 23 | Danny Gross | Guard | 0 |
| 24 | Jacob Conner | Guard | 21 |
| 32 | Ethan Willits | Guard | 0 |
| 32 | Gavin Leen | Guard | 0 |
| Total | 61 |
Botkins outlasts Shawnee at the Elk Elite Showcase
Centerville, Ohio — Botkins held on to survive against Springfield Shawnee at the Elk Elite Showcase hosted by Centerville High School. Both Patrick Fultz and Zion Crowe scored 20 points but the Braves fell to the Pleiman brothers and Botkins in an electric early season matchup.
After a historic state title run last season, the expectations for Botkins are still very high despite losing head coach Sean Powell and guard Jayden Priddy-Powell. The Trojans have lived up to those expectations so far as they haven’t had a contest within single digits heading into Sunday. They boast a perfect 6-0 (4-0, SCAL) record thus far.
As for Shawnee, the Braves are fresh off of a season where they won their first district title in 44 years. The junior duo of Zion Crowe and R.J. Griffin has led Springfield Shawnee to an undefeated 5-0 (3-0, CBC) record to start the season.
Shawnee junior Zion Crowe
Botkins started off the game red hot from three as Jameson Meyer and Jaydon Wendel each knocked down a pair of triples. Zion Crowe scored Shawnee’s first 7 points but the Braves still trailed 21-14 at the conclusion of the opening quarter.
Patrick Fultz brought Shawnee back into the game with a quick three and a nice drive to the hoop. And despite solid first halves from Zion Crowe and R.J. Griffin, Shawnee still trailed 36-28 at halftime. Botkins big man Jacob Pleiman led the way with 16 points in the first half as Pleiman dominated in the interior.
Botkins senior Jacob Pleiman
R.J. Griffin and Mason Griffith exploded to open the second half and then Zion Crowe was able to give Shawnee their first lead of the half with his corner three. Jaydon Wendel’s three gave Botkins a six point lead but Patrick Fultz kept Shawnee in the game. The senior drove to the hoop for a score and then hit a step back three.
Shawnee senior Patrick Fultz
A steal from Zane Mercer led to transition basket from Crowe to give the Braves back the lead. Jacob Pleiman’s layup at the buzzer went in and out as Botkins and Shawnee were tied at 47-47 heading into the fourth quarter.
Jameson Meyer and Patrick Fultz exchanged corner threes before R.J. Griffin gave Shawnee a 4 point lead off of a nice move to the basket. Then Wendel hit another three for Botkins. The Trojans were able to get a stop and Jacob Pleiman made a beautiful pass to Dylan Topp down low to give Botkins a 55-54 lead.
Botkins senior Jameson Meyer
Carter Pleiman extended the lead to 57-54 with a layup but then R.J. Griffin made his biggest shot of the night with a huge game tying three at the top of the key. After almost turning the ball over, Jacob Pleiman passed it to his brother Carter before he dumped it off to Dylan Topp down low. Topp was able to secure positioning inside and give Botkins back the lead.
With 30 seconds left, Zion Crowe drove to the hoop and then kicked it out to Zane Mercer. Mercer’s corner three attempt barely missed. Botkins was able to secure the rebound and Shawnee was forced to foul which sent Jameson Meyer to the free throw line.
The senior calmly knocked down a huge pair of free throws to extend the lead to 61-57 with just 7 seconds remaining. Crowe’s three at the buzzer missed to the right as Botkins held on to stay unbeaten and they handed Shawnee their first loss of the season.
It’s hard to find a better early season matchup than this as the Elk Elite Showcase lived up to the hype. Jacob Pleiman led Botkins in scoring with 18 points as he controlled the paint in the first half. Some elite shooting from Jameson Meyer who ended with 14 points and Jaydon Wendel who finished with 12 points was the difference in this contest.
Botkins senior Jacob Pleiman
Shawnee came up just short but both Patrick Fultz and Zion Crowe finished with at least 20 points as Fultz had the game high 21 points off of 5 threes and Crowe ended the night with 20 points.
Shawnee will fall to 5-1 on the year as they’ll look to bounce back next week against conference foe Benjamin Logan. The Braves will then travel to Newark for a pair of games to end off the year. Botkins will face Fairlawn and Marion Local to close out 2021.
Results
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield Shawnee | 14 | 14 | 19 | 10 | 57 |
| Botkins | 21 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 61 |
Springfield Shawnee
| # | Player | Position | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Patrick Fultz | Guard | 21 |
| 4 | Mason Griffith | Forward | 7 |
| 5 | Zion Crowe | Guard | 20 |
| 10 | R.J. Griffin | Guard | 9 |
| 12 | Zane Mercer | Guard | 0 |
| 23 | Cody Siemon | Guard | 0 |
| 24 | Cooper Bair | Guard | 0 |
| 32 | Darian Dixon | Forward | 0 |
| Total | 57 |
Botkins
| # | Player | Position | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Carter Pleiman | Forward | 7 |
| 1 | Jameson Meyer | Guard | 14 |
| 4 | Jaydon Wendel | Guard | 12 |
| 14 | Dylan Topp | Forward | 6 |
| 24 | Jordan Herzog | Forward | 2 |
| 34 | Elijah Stewart | Forward | 2 |
| 35 | Jacob Pleiman | Forward | 18 |
| Total | 61 |
Photos: Flyght Prep vs Centerville
ATTENTION: If you would like to download these photos, click View Full Size at the bottom of your screen and proceed to download from there to ensure the best quality.
Photos: Flyght Prep vs Centerville
