Scouting Report: No. 1 vs No. 2 highlights Division III district semifinal matchups

NORWALK — High school basketball fans won't have to wait long to see a massive game.

On Wednesday night, the No. 1 seed squares off against the No. 2 seed of the Division III Norwalk District in the first game of the district semifinal double-header. Let's check out what should be one heck of an evening with this edition of Scouting Report.

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The matchups

No. 1 Crestview (22-1) vs No. 2 Margaretta (21-3), 6 p.m. at Norwalk

Cougars at a glance: Crestview has been on a record-setting mission over the last two years. This year, the Cougars broke last season's regular-season wins record going 21-1 while winning their second straight Firelands Conference championship. After winning the sectional championship over Bucyrus, the Cougars set the mark for the most wins in a season with 22. But all of that was expected from the Cougars as they now turn their focus on something even more special. Crestview has not played for a district championship since the 1964-65 season, the only time it won a district title in program history. It has been 59 years since the Cougars even reached a district championship game, so this year's team wants to be the one to end that drought. In 1965, Crestview had to beat Margaretta in the district semifinals to get to the championship game where they beat Old Fort.

Polar Bears at a glance: Margaretta shared the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay title with Willard this season as its three losses have come against some high-quality opponents, Bellevue, Perkins and Willard. In 2021-22 Margaretta won the Division IV district championship for their first title since 1932 ending a 90-year drought. Now, they are looking for their second in three years. The Polar Bears had the second choice of bracket spots and decided to jump on Crestview's side to set up a district semifinal meeting between the top two seeded teams making this a very interesting matchup in the early game. The Polar Bears shot 32% from three (87-for-272) but was extremely efficient inside the arch making 56% of their shots (480-of-850) from two-point range.

No. 3 Genoa (17-6) vs No. 5 Millbury Lake (17-7), 7:30 p.m. at Norwalk

Comets at a glance: Genoa is searching for its first district championship since 1995-96 and is fresh off of a solid win over Oak Harbor in the sectional finals. The Comets lost to Oak Harbor during the regular season so it is easy to see the improvement over the course of the season. From 2016-2019, Genoa went on quite a run going 64-10 in three seasons but only went 5-3 in the postseason never reaching the district title game. The 17 wins are the most since winning 24 in 2018-19.

Flyers at a glance: Lake might be the best feel-good story of the entire high school basketball season. Sitting at 17-7, Lake knocked off No. 4 Wynford to win its first sectional championship since 2011-12. The Flyers have overcome some amazing struggles since then. After winning 20 games in 2014-15, Lake has gone 41-145 with two 20-plus loss seasons including last year's 2-21 campaign. Making it to a district championship game after a 2-21 season would be a turnaround likely never seen before in high school hoops.

Key players to watch

Justice Thompson, Crestview

The junior is having a special year. He is averaging 23 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals per game for the 22-win Cougars. He earned first team All-Northwest District in Division III, first team All-District 6, Firelands Conference Player of the Year and first team All-FC this season, a year after being named third team All-Ohio as a sophomore. It is simple to see, the success he enjoyed last year only lit a hotter fire within and he is playing exceptional basketball this season. His ability to shoot while also getting into the lane and finishing multiple ways makes him one of the most talented players in the entire district tournament.

Julian Washington, Margaretta

After averaging 20.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game this year, Washington was named the Division III District 6 Player of the Year and for good reason. A first team All-Sandusky Bay Conference River Division player, the 6-foot-4 sophomore had a breakout year that puts Margaretta in district title contention for the next two years along with this season. A special talent that could lead the Polar Bears to their second district title in three years.

Walter Plantz, Genoa

A 6-foot-7 sophomore, Plantz is a problem for opposing defenses. He averages 16.8 points, 104 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game so he has a special mixture of size and court vision. He earned All-Ohio honors last year as a freshman and is well on his way to getting them again this year as he was one of just two players who were nominated for All-Northwest District honors who averaged a double-double. He alone could be the difference maker for the Comets in their quest for a district championship.

Preston Snyder, Lake

The Flyers are a balanced team. Against Wynford, three players scored 15 points or more led by Snyder with 16. He scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to close out a 72-69 victory in the sectional finals so there aren't too many moments that will overwhelm the sophomore. He even made a buzzer-beater in the second game of the season to beat Otsego, 73-72. He has a clutch gene, and if the game gets close with a ton of pressure, expect Snyder to step up and carry his team to victory.

jfurr@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Crestview Cougars face Margaretta Polar Bears in Division III district