Cam Elwer’s ability to score is unquestioned…and so much more than a three-point shooter. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
With a third of the 2025-’26 schedule in the book, daily readers and people in the stands are asking the question…who are the best boys teams you’ve seen so far? And we dare to share.
An acquaintance and daily reader approached me at Versailles Saturday night and asked the familiar question we hear…or at least I hear…about area boys basketball, now one-third into the 2025-’26 season.
“I know you’ve seen the MAC, the Shelby County League, and Tri-Village,” he began. “So, who do you think is the best out of all the teams you’ve seen so far?”
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That question comes every year and with every season, no matter the sport. And truthfully, it makes for a good column; as well as weeks of disagreement over the criteria we use in writing about the best teams.
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But, as always, we do dare to share because the truth almost always vindicates…unless someone hits a heave at the horn from 50 feet to beat one of our five best. And it doesn’t matter if the team that made the winning shot is below .500…you’re going to hear about it. And hear about it ’til June.
So here’s exactly our list, and why. Luckily, so far no buzzer-beaters.
First of all, every team on this list does one or more things that sets them apart from the other twenty teams we’ve seen thus far. They all play defense, and they’re committed to playing defense. Rims shrink on some nights, even for the best-shooting teams. But defense, as they say, always travels.
Rebounding never fails to win the close game, unless you don’t do it.
And of course…shooting. Teams that value shooting always seem to be the luckiest, and especially when the game is determined at the foul line.
Known as a scorer, Tri-Village guard Trey Sagester is just as comfortable with finding an open man with a better shot.
So to start…the Tri-Village Patriots stand out after ten games as the best team we (or I) have personally seen through the first third of the season. Overall, they’re athletic, and their commitment to doing all the above requisites is second to none. They shoot the ball well, beginning with the coach’s son, Trey Sagester. And they’re capable of spreading it around. They’re committed to hard, aggressive defense, and if you don’t play it you don’t get many chances to play.
And the one thing that no one else can match, so far, is that 6’5″, 275-pound post player named Dominic Black, about whom everyone at Tri-Village insists…”everything goes through Dom.” At that size he’s the most nimble big man we’ve seen. He can score, he defends, rebounds, and he sets a pick like a Division I tackle in college football…which he will be soon! When you’re that big and you’re that athletic it doesn’t matter about what division you play, and the Patriots proved that last week when they annihilated Division I Kettering Fairmont, 55-19.
And, they’re willing to play anyone…Fairmont, Belmont, Jonathan Alder, Indian Hill, Butler, and Troy. Josh Sagester wants to be tested and he’s not afraid of being beaten in the regular season. It’s the post-season he’s concerned about, and through the first ten games no one has called his bluff.
Elwers everywhere…Double-team Cam Elwer and you suffer the consequences of his younger brother, and shooter, Andrew.
Until someone can actually find a way to shrink the rim on the night someone beats them…my second pick would be Delphos St. John. Because through their first ten games I don’t think anyone can make the case that the Blue Jays aren’t the best overall shooting team in area high school basketball.
I rank them so highly because to me shooting is the essence of the game. Despite how rough and physical you want to make it, basketball is a finesse game and people pay to watch players make shots, not tackles in the paint. And no one shoots it better in Ohio high school basketball than senior guard, and Furman University-bound Cam Elwer, who at last look was averaging 30 points a game and 50% shooting from the floor.
How good is Elwer? If you go online and read the recruiting profile for Furman’s incoming class next year, head coach Bob Richey rates Elwer as not a good shooter…not a premier shooter…but an elite shooter…and that includes the entire country, by my interpretation.
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“We thought we did a pretty good job on Cam, but they’re the best shooting team we’ve seen,” said St. Clairsville coach Ryan Clifford, following a 75-58 loss to Delphos in the Columbus Holiday Showcase. “No one shares the ball like they do, and every one of their players is capable of making the three-point shot. They’re not the biggest team, but they’re really hard to play because of how they share the ball. You just can’t double Cam. If you do he gives it up to someone else who makes a three. They defend, they rebound, and they play the game right.”
Three-point shooting aside, they feast on turnovers and points in transition, and the Blue Jays typically out-rebound teams that are bigger than them, to Clifford’s point. We’ve seen them three times, and it doesn’t seem to matter who they play. Regardless of the opponent, it’s not likely that they’re all going to have a bad shooting night.
My third pick would be the Marion Local Flyers, and the reason why is pretty much academic. They return a strong nucleus from last year’s Division VI runner-up team, so they have the most experienced lineup in the basketball-strong MAC Conference. They have a couple of dependable perimeter shooters in Grant Kremer and Luke Everman. And, they have a senior slasher in Brayden Mescher that can get to the rim and score.
An athletic slasher on offense who’s a constant at both ends of the court, Marion’s Brayden Mescher personifies the Flyers’ toughness.
But what Marion really has is the toughest physical defense you’re apt to see in Division VI basketball. And there’s nothing dirty, or unfair about it…it’s just physical. They’re going to create turnovers with that defense, and feast off the layups.
They’re athletic, well-coached by Kurt Goettemoeller, and they always compete, even on a poor shooting night. Because remember…the rim might shrink, but defense always travels.
“You know, we’ve haven’t shot the ball well, yet,” Goettemoeller reminded after last Friday’s win over Anna. But by the time they did shoot it well in the second half the defense already had the game in hand. Lest you forget, they are the reigning runners-up in Division VI. And they won a title in Division IV back in 2018, beating a team that no one believed they could in double overtime…playing the same way they’re playing now.
Versailles Drake Ahrens (#5, above) shares the responsibility on both ends of the floor.
My fourth pick would be Versailles, simply because, like Marion…they’re going to play defense. They score a lot off points in transition, and they shoot it well enough to make you respect their motion offense. They haven’t played the schedule that Tri-Village and Delphos have played so far, but they’ve not been surprised by anyone, either. Their lone loss came against Northmont on the road.
And notably, they’ve won their last four games without their starting lineup intact, missing Blake Monnin and Kade Schwartz with foot and ankle injuries. So when they do get back together, you want to have tickets for those games with Delphos St. John (January 30) and Marion Local (February 20). It oughta’ be a good show.
My final team would be Troy Christian, and largely because the Eagles always have three things going for them. They play aggressive defense, they usually have a marquee scorer (Riston Taylor, 21.3 pts), and they’re expertly coached by Ray Zawadzki.
My question would be the strength of their schedule so far, because while they’re undefeated, it is fair to ask…undefeated against who?
Respected for being one of the best in the area, TC coach Ray Zawadzki has the Eagles off to an undefeated start.
And that will be determined this coming week when they play both Northridge and Lehman Catholic in conference. Lehman is unbeaten, and Northridge has lost once. The Eagles most significant win thus far would be a one-point decision over Division I Beavercreek.
And to their credit, you might include Northridge and Lehman to this list after ten games, because we don’t know enough…not yet. We haven’t seen them play. But this much we do know.
Neither has played Tri-Village, Delphos St. John, Versailles, and Marion Local. And it’s a hard argument to make…until you do.
Last, this much I believe. We’re only a month removed from football. And all of those multi-sport athletes are just now settling into basketball mode. So all of the above is relative. It’s not how good you are now, but how good you are in March. So the best basketball is due to start any day now.
Unless, that is, they add another division.
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