Scouting Report: Usual suspects vs history makers headline Division IV district matchups

WILLARD — It is the usual suspects against two teams looking to make some program history.

The Division IV district boys basketball tournament features two teams that have never won a district championship against two teams that have won their fair share over the last decade. Let's take a look at what should be a fun district tournament in Willard with this edition of the Scouting Report.

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The Matchups

No. 1 Colonel Crawford vs. No. 5 Mansfield Christian (20-4), 6 p.m. at Willard

Eagles at a glance: Colonel Crawford is the defending district champion having won three titles in the last four years, and was a district runner-up three consecutive seasons before that. This is a program that sees Willard as a second home, and this might be the most impressive run to districts for coach David Sheldon. Returning just 7.5 points per game from last year's squad, the Eagles have shifted their focus to defense and it has led them to 17 wins. And most importantly, a chance at adding another year to the district championship banner in the gym. There's no coach with more experience than Sheldon who has been at Colonel Crawford longer than the three other coaches in the district combined. The Eagles are led by co-Northern 10 Player of the Year Trevor Vogt and sophomore big man Payne DeGray. And the supporting cast is more than capable of scoring in bunches which is why this team is so difficult to prepare for.

Flames at a glance: This is the first district tournament game for Mansfield Christian since the 2010-11 season as it was their last sectional title. The Flames did it by dominating a pair of Firelands Conference teams beating New London 90-38 in the sectional semifinals before knocking off No. 4 seed St. Paul on Friday night, 69-50. The Flames are looking for their first district championship game appearance since 1993-94 when they lost to Buckeye Central in the title game. They have never won a district title since joining the OHSAA in 1976-77. Mansfield Christian is led by a trio of outstanding players in senior Amarr Davis and freshmen D'Andre Martin and Davion Mack. The Flames have the third-highest point per game differential in all of Division IV winning their games by an average of 23.4 points. Their 20 wins are tied for the second-most in program history with the 1990-91 team and the Flames have their sights set on the 1973-74 team which won 21 games.

No. 2 Seneca East vs. No. 3 Lucas (19-5), 7:30 p.m. at Willard

Tigers at a glance: Seneca East has been one of the surprises of the season winning 19 games coming into the district tournament. It's not only the most wins the program has had in 40 years, it's the second-most all-time in program history only bested by a 22-2 mark in 1984-85. What makes the Tigers so good this season is their size, and ability to cause turnovers. They boast seven players standing 6-foot-1 or taller including a pair of bigs in Lucas Hicks (6-4) and Keeno Ruffing (6-5). This is a team that is quick, athletic, long, and capable of matching anyone on the court shot-for-shot. And they wound up sharing the N10 title with Colonel Crawford, Carey and Mohawk after an impressive 31-point win at Wynford on the final night of regular season play.

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Cubs at a glance: The Lucas Cubs have been a staple in the Division IV Willard District for nearly the last decade. Friday's 49-40 sectional championship win over Monroeville was the Cubs' seventh straight sectional title. They are 18-5 in postseason games over the last seven years with two district championships in back-to-back seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21. The Cubs own the 15th-best points per game differential winning their games by and average of 16 points. They are led by three-time Mid-Buckeye Conference Player of the Year and Division IV District 6 Player of the Year Logan Toms along with first team All-District 6er Aidan Culler. Those two account for more than 34 points per game. The Cubs have the last six MBC championships and have only lost two league games during that stretch.

Key Players to Watch

Trevor Vogt, Colonel Crawford

Arguably the most athletic individual that will take the court on Tuesday, Vogt has seen his game grow dramatically from junior to senior year. Last season he was the third or fourth option on offense and primarily shot from beyond the arc. But now, he took over point guard duties along with shouldering the scoring load with a team-best 15.4 per game. An All-Ohioan in football and track, his ability to get down the court in a hurry or use his agility to burst into the paint is why he's such a difficult player to guard. Having been a role player as part of back-to-back district titles, Vogt will look to leave his own mark on the program guiding the Eagles to unprecedented territory — three consecutive regional appearances.

Amarr Davis, Mansfield Christian

Davis is hands down the best basketball player to ever play at Mansfield Christian. On Friday night, he became the program's all-time leading scorer when he scored 23 points against St. Paul to break Jerry Cline's 50-year-old record of 1,641 points. Davis now has 1,646 in four years. But what makes him so dangerous is his passing ability. He is averaging nearly six assists a game so when he gets in the paint, he can score over the top, make a quick move to the basket or make the perfect pass to an open teammate. He has played a ton of basketball in his four-year career, but this will be his first district tournament game as he hopes to lead the Flames to their first district championship in program history.

Luke Mason, Seneca East

It's hard to choose just one player that sticks out most on the Tigers roster considering three average double figures and two more are knocking on the door at 8.1 and 8.9 points per game. But in a tournament game, you have to go with the floor general and that's Mason. His 10.2 points are second on the team, 4.8 assists and 3.8 steals lead the league. You'd never know he was a sophomore, either, with how composed he is on the court. If Mason is able to dictate pace of play then Seneca East could be battling for its first district championship ever.

Logan Toms, Lucas

Speaking of historical players, Toms cemented his legacy as the best Lucas boys basketball player to ever put on a Cub uniform. He is the program's all-time leading scorer, a three-time MBC Player of the Year and soon-to-be three-time All-Ohioan. He was voted the Division IV District 6 Player of the Year by fellow coaches and for good reason. He averages 17.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists as he affects the game in multiple ways. When the Cubs need him to score, he can do it in bunches as he does have a 40-point night under his belt, but when they need him to create, he can flip the switch to a floor general. The most underrated part of his game is his defense. He routinely holds the opposing team's best player in check.

Follow Mansfield News Journal's Jake Furr on X at @JakeFurr11 and Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum's Zack Holden at @zachary_holden for all of the latest tournament basketball updates.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Colonel Crawford, Mansfield Christian, Seneca East and Lucas square off