While the defense took center stage for Orange, the offense had some electric moments like this dunk by Grant Miller that helped stretch the Orange lead to 18 in the second half. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Brian Bayless)
The defending Division I state champion Pioneers, winners of nine of their last 11, are rounding into form with the Division I district tournament around the corner.
Dublin, OH – During the Olentangy Orange boys basketball team’s run to its first Division I state championship last winter, a large group of juniors soaked in the atmosphere while receiving limited court time.
The Pioneers endured a 1-4 start this season as an eight-member senior class tried to find its footing and five new players moved into key roles for the first time, but the lessons they learned last season have begun to pay dividends.
With six games remaining in the regular season, Orange finds itself in the thick of another league championship race and winners of nine of its last 11 games.
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The latest evidence that the Pioneers will be a team to watch again over the coming weeks took place Friday when they won 60-48 at Dublin Coffman in Ohio Capital Conference Central Division action.
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“Last season was just about being a part of something bigger than yourself,” senior wing player Reed Wilson said. “(This year’s returning players) didn’t play much, but we contributed from the bench and were doing the little things, and that’s helping us this year to stay together. It’s definitely different, but after not getting much playing time last year, it’s our opportunity now and we don’t want to have any regrets.”
Orange, which improved to 10-6 overall and 5-2 in the league – just a game back of Hilliard Bradley – had a 21-game league winning streak end when it lost its opener 62-57 on Dec. 15 at home against Coffman.
Since that time, the Pioneers have stressed defensive toughness —and it has shown of late, particularly in the first half of the rematch against the Shamrocks.
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“We’ve really improved in sharing the ball and being more physical,” said junior wing/forward Grant Miller, who is the team’s tallest player at 6-foot-8. “When we started the year, we were kind of dead and weren’t very physical. Every day in practice, we’ve talked about physicality and being in the right mental state. I think we’re at a good place from where we were at the start of the season. We had a really rough start and have really picked it up and have been getting it going.”
Reed Wilson challenges the shot of Charlie Guth.
Coffman reached a regional semifinal last season and has big aspirations again despite the loss, which dropped its record to 12-4 overall and 4-3 in the league.
During the opening quarter, Orange raced to a 20-10 lead as Wilson had 10 points including a 3-pointer, junior wing player Brian Ceol got a dunk and hit a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions off the bench, and senior guard Xavier Aguila made a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
Aguila and senior guard Treyton Schroeder, a first-team all-state defensive back for last fall’s state championship football team, are the only key contributors back from last winter.
“We do have a lot of seniors, but we don’t have a lot of experienced seniors,” coach Anthony Calo said. “We have kids we believe in and kids we think can do it, but the reality is that they’re playing varsity basketball for the first time and there’s an adjustment period. We’re getting better. I’m proud of our effort. I thought we were physical tonight and we’ve definitely improved.”
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Brian Ceol hits a short jumper over Coffman’s Gabe Schmidt.
Coffman junior Thomas Cochran, who stands 6-8 and has a list of offers that includes Lipscomb and Marshall, hit a 3-pointer and totaled nine first-half points, but his team trailed 30-21 at the half.
“They’re a physical team and they caused us some problems on the perimeter,” said Coffman coach Adam Banks, who is in his third season as head coach after previously serving as a boys assistant for 10 seasons and as the Shamrocks’ girls head coach for four seasons. “We got into a little hole and didn’t have enough time to dig ourselves out.”
Ceol hit another 3-pointer and senior guard MC Walker added four points off the bench in the third quarter as Orange stretched the lead to 45-29.
Then early in the fourth quarter, Wilson assisted on consecutive dunks by Miller as the Pioneers took their biggest lead at 49-31, but Cochran almost single-handedly got Coffman back in the game.
The Shamrocks put together a 12-0 run that included a 3-pointer from junior Zane Krumpak and nine points from Cochran to cut it to 49-43.
Treyton Schroder and Reed Wilson battle with Thomas Cochran in an attempt to dislodge the ball.
Cochran then hit a 3-pointer with 1:52 remaining to get Coffman back to within 51-48, but Orange closed the game on a 9-0 run.
“(Cochran) is a really good player, and he caught a really good rhythm at the end of the game, but most of the things we wanted to accomplish defensively we were able to,” Calo said. “We had a couple breakdowns that hurt us and that they exploited, but we made them earn everything and did a good job of making them play through our chest.”
While Cochran led Coffman with 27 points, Orange got 13 points from Wilson, 12 from Miller and 10 from Ceol.
Coffman head coach Adam Banks has a few words with a referee after a questionable call.
“We played harder as a team, and that helps us cover our mistakes,” Wilson said. “We’re physical all the time in practice so that when they’re physical with us in games, we’re ready. We’re not crumbling, we’re being strong with the ball, making the right reads and making the right passes.”
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“(Cochran is) playing really well, scoring 27 tonight, and I thought he handled the ball well and is becoming an all-around perimeter player who can shoot it and has a lot of skills,” Banks said. “The goal obviously is to be playing our best basketball at the right time, and we’re nearing the right time so we’ve got to get going.”
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