Scouting Report: Shelby Whippets facing regional tournament nemesis in Lima Shawnee
BOWLING GREEN — Sixty-seven years.
That is how long it has been since the Shelby Whippets have played in a regional championship game. You have to dig deep into the archives to find out the last time the Whippets played for a chance to make it to a state semifinal. It was back when legendary Larry Siegfried suited up for the Whippets posting the most impressive individual season ever by a Shelby boys basketball player. He scored 880 points that season, still a program record for most points in a single season, and averaged 36.6 per game, also a program record.
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And now, the Whippets have a shot to get in the conversation for the greatest team in Shelby boys basketball history. The 2023-24 Whippets have already bested Siegfried's for the most wins in a season with 23 and now need to equal or surpass how far the 56-57 team went in the tournament.
They have their shot on Thursday night at Bowling Green State University to achieve legendary status. Let's breakdown the matchup as well as the other semifinal game with this edition of Scouting Report.
The Matchups
Toledo Central Catholic (12-14) vs Rocky River Lutheran West (23-2), 6 p.m. at Bowling Green State University
Toledo Central Catholic entered the postseason 8-14 and has gone on a Cinderella run of sorts. Though TCC plays an absolutely brutal schedule, it prepared them for the postseason where it cruised to a district championship with a 44-41 win over the No. 2 seed Toledo Scott. TCC also beat No. 1 seed Wauseon 60-59 in the district semifinals so the Irish have wins over both top seeds in their district. Now, they face the No. 1 ranked team in all of Division II as their rough regular-season schedule could pay off even more.
Lutheran West is the defending state champions and had to be considered the favorites to win it again after blistering through the regular season at 20-2 with losses to Cleveland St. Ignatius and Akron Archbishop Hoban by a combined 18 points. The Longhorns had no trouble cruising to a district championship as their closest game was a 21-point victory over Jefferson Area in the district semifinals. They beat Warren Howland 74-37 in the title game so the Longhorns are playing some dominating basketball right now, just in time for the regional tournament.
Shelby (23-2) vs Lima Shawnee (19-6), 8 p.m. at Bowling Green State University
The Whippets played in possibly the toughest district in the state in all of Division II and survived for their fourth title in program history. There were five teams ranked in the Top 25 in the Martin RPI rankings in Shelby's district and the Whippets had to beat two of them to claim the crown. First, it was a thrilling come-from-behind win over Mansfield Senior in the semifinals before cruising to a win over AP Division II No. 3 Lexington in the title game. The No. 2 ranked team in all of Division II, the Whippets face a familiar foe in Lima Shawnee. In 1998-99, Shelby lost to Shawnee in the regional semifinals 59-50 and in 2020-21, it was Shawnee that ended Shelby's season 76-67 in the regional semifinal game. The Whippets hope the third time is a charm.
Shawnee finished the regular season 16-6 before winning a wild district tournament where it was the No. 3 seed. It beat St. Marys Memorial 53-45 in the district championship game to punch its ticket to Bowling Green. Shawnee had just one common opponent with Shelby in the regular season, Ottawa-Glandorf, as both teams took losses but Shawnee lost 55-41 and Shelby lost 67-63. Shawnee may be the underdog in this matchup, but the Western Buckeye League has prepared it for a run at a regional championship game berth.
Key Players to Watch
Issaiah Ramsey, Shelby
Ramsey has picked it up on the offensive end this year averaging more than 10 points per game, but where his impact has been felt during the Whippets' tournament run in on the defensive side. He has been asked to guard the top offensive players no matter what position. In the title game, he was asked to guard Lexington's point guard and in the semifinals, it was Mansfield Senior's forward and he excelled in both assignments. He has the footwork to stay with anyone and the size to make life miserable for anyone who has the ball. His 3-point shooting is also a difference maker as he is shooting it with a lot more confidence than he has been in a long time.
Beckett Bertke, Lima Shawnee
Just a sophomore, but Bertke is legit. He is averaging 22.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game for Shawnee. At 6-foot-4, he is a matchup nightmare as he can play nearly every position on the court and play it well. If he needs to handle the ball, he will, but he is best when he crashes the offensive glass and gets putbacks on misses. He shoots 49% from the field, 77% from the free throw line and was 35-for-103 from three at one point this season. He is Shawnee's best player and has to be a main focus of Shelby's defensive game plan.
Isaiah Mack-Russell, Toledo Central Catholic
You will want to remember this name for a very long time. Just a freshman, Mack-Russell is sensational. He averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, one assist and 1.1 steals per game for the Irish. He shoots 56% from the field including 35% from three and 74% from the free throw line. It is no wonder why TCC is on a magical run as Mack-Russel has grown up a lot over the course of the season and is evolving into one of the best players in this regional tournament.
Jayson Levis, Rocky River Lutheran West
Levis is on a different level since the postseason started. He dropped 26 points in the sectional final and 20 in the district semifinal before adding 19 in the championship game including 13 in the first quarter alone as he set the tone for the Longhorns to end the first with a 27-7 lead. He is without a doubt the tone-setter for the defending state champs. He also had 35 points in a win over Mentor earlier this season so the kid can really fill it up. A 6-0 combo guard, Levis is dangerous from all over the court and will be a tough defensive matchup for the Irish.
jfurr@gannett.com
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Scouting Report: Shelby looking for first regional win in 67 years
