Scouting Report: Shelby, Willard to meet in state-ranked rivalry game for the ages
WILLARD — Welcome to one of the best rivalries in high school basketball.
Shelby vs Willard has been a statement that needs no explanation. It is a rivalry that has seen some epic battles over the years with the area's biggest names in high school hoops. Legendary coaches like Bob Haas, Greg Nossaman, Chuck Williams and Troy Schwemley and players like Jimmy Langhurst, Nick Dials, Larry Siegfried and Josh Ingle have all left their imprints in this storied showdown.
HE'S NO. 1: What rivalry?: Shelby coach takes Willard stud with No. 1 pick in NJ Classic Draft
Students from the away school will walk to the opposing school in a show of school spirit. There are stories of students from the other schools ambushing the walkers with snowballs and paintballs. The legend has it that a basketball has to be dribbled the entire way. Some will say the opposing school will get dropped off halfway in between and finish the walk from there. It just depends on who you talk to.
It is a bitter rivalry with Willard holding an 88-74 advantage in all-time meetings.
But Friday night is a little different. Shelby comes in ranked No. 2 in the Division II AP Poll and Willard is No. 9 in the state. It means nothing in the grand scheme. No conference championship on the line, no district tournament seeding implications, no nothing. Except it means everything to these two communities, schools, teams and all of the players involved. Let's take a deeper look at Friday night's matchup.
The Matchup
Shelby (19-2) at Willard (18-3)
The Whippets are the outright Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference champions for their sixth straight league championship and come in ranked No. 2 in Division II and the No. 1 overall seed in the district tournament. They are currently on a 13-game winning streak since losing to Lexington back on Dec. 30 and have been obliterating teams along the way. But their best win was a close one against Division I state-ranked Findlay, 59-53, that really ignited something in this team. The Whippets are shooting 38.4% from three so expect this one to see some incredible shots fall from both teams.
The Flashes just clinched their fifth Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division championship in the last six years when they beat Vermilion last week. Willard is 125-35 overall during their latest run and 51-14 in the Bay Division. The most impressive win of the season came on Feb. 16 with a 77-39 win over Margaretta after losing to the Polar Bears 58-48 earlier in the season. The Flashes were 16-for-23 from 3-point land in the win on the road which helped them earn a share of the league championship. Willard is shooting 37% from three as a team as it may be one of the best shooting teams ever in the storied program.
Key Players
Alex Bruskotter, Shelby
Bruskotter is averaging 23.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.7 steals and one block per game so it is no wonder why he was voted the Division II District 6 Player of the Year. The Wright State commit is 1-1 against Willard in his career and a win over the rival would give him the confidence necessary to make a run at a district championship.
Max Dawson, Willard
Dawson is averaging 25.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals as he earned the second-most votes for the Division II District 6 Player of the Year. Headed to Ashland University next year, Dawson is one of the best players in all of Ohio and could prove that yet again on Friday night in a huge rivalry matchup that he grew up engulfed in.
Casey Lantz, Shelby
Lantz is averaging 12.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, two assists and 1.3 steals which earned him first team All-District 6 honors. Lantz has been playing exceptionally over the last four games averaging 19.5 points and will be the x-factor for Friday night and beyond. When he plays well, the Whippets are tough to beat.
Cam Robinson, Willard
Robinson is averaging 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The energy and toughness this kid brings to the floor is unmatched and if he can set the tone early on Friday night, the Flashes have a good chance to walk out of The Haas with a ton of momentum heading into tournament time.
Issaiah Ramsey, Shelby
Ramsey is averaging 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 blocks and one steal per game. He is Shelby's best defender and has the size, strength and quickness to guard all five positions. He will likely be put on Dawson to make life difficult for the Flashes.
Isaac Robinson, Willard
Robinson is averaging 8.6 points, eight rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals and is shooting 40% from three. A role player who has shown so much improvement since last season, Robinson could be the x-factor for the Flashes as they need him to knock down open shots and crash the boards to limit possessions.
Brayden DeVito, Shelby
DeVito is averaging 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 39.5% from three. Just a sophomore, DeVito is well beyond his years and plays at a high level. If he comes out knocking down shots and plays aggressively, Shelby will be in a good spot at the end of the game.
Jackson Beamer, Willard
Beamer is averaging 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 40% from three. Dawson and Cam Robinson take up a lot of attention on the court and that allows Beamer to come out and make a major impact to help Willard's offense become balanced.
jfurr@gannett.com
740-244-9934
X: @JakeFurr11
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Scouting Report: Shelby Whippets to visit Willard Flashes in boys basketball
