Lucas Heitkamp is fouled by a Blackhawk defender. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Julie McMaken Wright)
Saturday’s Division VII district final will be between league and county rivals who know each other so well that the scouting reports will write themselves.
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Piqua, OH – Botkins and Jackson Center accomplished, without incident, what was expected of them in Thursday night’s Division VII boys district semifinals.
They won easily.
Botkins opened the night’s foregone conclusions with a 64-20 romp over Tri-County North. Jackson Center had to work harder, but the result was the same in a 66-37 handling of their business against Mississinawa Valley.
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And they got to scout each other one more time.
However, it’s debatable if Shelby County Athletic League teams who meet in the tournament really learn anything new about each other in blowouts.
“There’s kind of always a running joke that, come tournament time, when you play a county team for the third time you expect some of those games to be 25 and 24 points because both teams know each other so well,” Jackson Center coach Aaron Klopfenstein said. “They know all your strengths, all your weaknesses, and they know every play you’re going to run.”
Preston Serr makes a pass to one of his teammates.
JC (15-9) and Botkins (17-6) split their two meetings this season with each team winning at home. Round 3 is at noon Saturday back here in Garbry Gymnasium for the district title.
The only obvious difference between the teams Thursday night was how both teams started – Botkins fast, Jackson Center a step slower than Klopfenstein wanted.
The Tigers had no early energy issues in their first-round win over Springfield Catholic Central. But the young Blackhawks (11-12) – three freshmen and two sophomores in the starting lineup – played fast and loose and challenged the Tigers for a quarter and a half. The Tigers led 13-6 after the first quarter, but the lead was trimmed to 17-13 on a straight-line drive by backup sophomore guard Jaxin Beanblossom midway through the second quarter.
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Klopfenstein wasn’t happy about his team allowing a layup. He resisted a timeout and let his team go down the floor and get to the foul line for two free throws by Carter Klopfenstein. But the coach didn’t want to watch another defensive possession without standing in the middle of a team huddle and letting them know how he felt about their defensive effort.
JC’s Carter Klopfenstein shoots for two over Blackhawk’s Ben Hamilton.
“I have a lot of respect for their players, and that’ll be a pretty good team in a couple years,” Klopfenstein said. “So taking nothing away from them, I did feel like we came out a little flat defensively, and we didn’t have that same spark and energy that we had this past Saturday. They should be a confident team based on their skill, and we gave them some confidence early on. And when you get that momentum, it’s sometimes hard to get that thing back in your own favor.”
On the Tigers’ next two possessions, 6-foot-7 center Reed Platfoot dribbled the length of the floor for a layup and Klopfenstein canned a 15-footer.
And Mississinawa coach Jeff Vaughn called timeout.
Vaughn, however, didn’t get the same results Klopfenstein did. Platfoot scored twice and the Tigers went to halftime up 27-15. By the middle of the third quarter the lead was 38-23 and reached 50-27 entering the fourth. Preston Serr made three 3-pointers, Lucas Heitkamp made two and both scored 15 points.
“We got a couple stops that got us going, and then we got two or three threes, so that really jump started us for the night,” Platfoot said.
Platfoot didn’t touch the ball in the paint early, but those opportunities eventually came as the 3-pointers fell and pulled the defense away from the basket. Platfoot scored 13 points and Klopfenstein found openings near the basket to score 12.
Reed Platfoot shoots 2 of his 13 points over two Blackhawk defenders.
“That is a point of emphasis for us to get the ball to him,” Coach Klopfenstein said of Platfoot. “So if we can’t get the ball to him, then we better be getting open shots elsewhere. Anytime we can get him the ball inside, good things typically happen for us, whether it be him scoring and he’s also a great passer.”
Botkins has had the opposite tournament starts of the Tigers. The Trojans started slow against Yellow Springs last Saturday. But Tri-County North (6-17) got no such break. The Trojans’ defense ignited a 25-4 first quarter.
“We got off to a really rough start our last game,” Botkins coach Phil Groves said. “I thought we got off to a much better start tonight. Kids played with more energy, more determination – really proud of our effort.”
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When 6-4 big man Colton Pleiman guarded the ball coming up the floor, stole the dribble and went for a layup, the Trojans were energized to see the big man make a play usually reserved for the small, quick guards.
Colton Pleiman rebounds then puts up two for the Trojans.
“Picking them up full court really brought the energy,” senior guard Collin Doseck said. “Colton getting the steal and going full court got us going.”
Pleiman’s steal and layup was one of six such plays by the Trojans in the first quarter. Five of them resulted in layups by Pleiman, Eli Pitts, Owen Zimpfer and twice by Noah Topp. And Will Monnin’s steal led to two free throws by Pitts.
Eight Trojans scored led by Pitts with 15, Topp 13 and Doseck nine.
A minute into the second half the lead reached 35 points and the running clock commenced.
“It’s been a great season so far and just can’t take any game for granted because in tournament you never know when it’s gonna be your last game,” Doseck said. “You hope to win every game, but it doesn’t work out like that for everybody.”
Noah Topp gets fouled by a TCN defender.
The end of a season will be true for either Jackson Center or Botkins on Saturday. Still, both teams are excited to put their season on the line against a league rival.
“I’m excited to play them again,” Platfoot said. “I always love playing Botkins. It’s a good, competitive game, the crowd really gets into it, so it’s a really fun game to play in.”
And the scouting reports are already written.
“We’ll have to definitely guard the perimeter, we’ll have to control the ball,” Klopfenstein said. “Botkins plays with a lot of energy, and they’re well coached. I’m sure they’ll have a good game plan for us, so we’ll have to be ready to rock and roll.”
Groves knows exactly what it will take for his team to win.
“Jackson Center is a great team, they have multiple players that can score at all levels, have a great post presence inside with Reed Platfoot, great guard play as well with Heitkamp and Serr,” he said. “So we have to play our best game of the year to win. We need to defend and rebound the first shot.”
And unlike Thursday night’s semifinals, nothing will come easy.
Eli Pitts waits for the perfect time to shoot around this defender.