The game is being forced to catch up…to expanded divisions and additional games before their time. (Press Pros Feature Photo by Logan Gapen)
The scores have been non-competitive, and no one seems concerned. One observer simply put it, “This is the state tournament. It should be better than this.” And ‘this’ is OHSAA tournament basketball!
What we observed over this past week, and weekend, of tournament basketball was a lot of head-shaking. No other way to describe girls first-round games that finished 87-14…73-3…and 68-2.
No other way to characterize high seeds playing low seeds where the low seeds shot 28%.
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No other way to characterize 400 people showing up for a first-round game between and 18-4 team and a 4-18 team.
Publisher Sonny Fulks writes OHSAA and Ohio State sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
“This is for the state tournament,” one observer said about a weekend boys game in Division VII. “It oughta’ be better than this.”
And no other way to characterize the comment of an individual who frankly put it this way, following his team’s blowout loss: “We knew we weren’t going to win. But our kids had fun and they showed others what it’s like to act with good sportsmanship. We didn’t come for a trophy.”
This is what we’ve seen – heard – through two weeks of seven division basketball in the 2026 OHSAA state tournaments – largely unsolicited, and largely acceptable at the height of competitive basketball at the high school level. It oughta’ be better than this?
What we questioned three years ago at the inception of seven divisions – wondered if it might not come to this – has apparently landed like a 737 with no wheels. One large jarring, alarming thump.
It was supposed to be a competitive solution…to give more kids a chance. But what no one saw coming was the infusion of kids who are playing out of socialization, without commitment to the game and pursuit of the requisite skills. A chance to say they were in the state tournament, for sure. Just don’t ask about the score.
People are figuring it out. They’re asking about it…talking about it…and questioning what went wrong. And how do we fix it now?
Great sports, great food, and a great place to meet with friends. Come to McSobers after the game.
Which is not likely. The OHSAA had a plan in mind when they expanded the game without regard to expanding the base of athletes, and they’re not about to turn back the clock. Critics are pointing to, and making it vocal, that more divisions simply mean more games, more ticket sales, and more revenue. And that someday, maybe, the game will catch up.
But for right now the game is taking a beating, as evidenced by 68-2, 73-3, and 87-14. This offends the bluebloods, those who have grown older with a higher standard for the game, and not the handshake line.
“We still had a good year,” said Tri-Village coach Brad Gray. “But we play for conference championships and district titles.”
“Exactly what are we shaking hands over?” asked one during last week’s Division VII sectionals at Piqua. “That team won six games this year.”
Harsh?
If you take it that way. If you belong to the camp that believes that hugs and handshakes are the new standard to teach.
But for those who still believe in teaching kids how to compete and win…it’s a different reality. And one Tri-Village girls coach Brad Gray had to accept following his team’s loss to Fayetteville-Perry in Saturday’s Division VI district finals.
“Credit to Fayetteville,” said Gray, forced to watch his team come up short for a third straight year. “A lot of our struggles were about what they did, and we didn’t. Rebounding has been our Achilles’ heel all year. When we don’t play well it’s usually because we don’t rebound.”
Fayetteville coach Tory Rummel had a different view.
“We’ve been fighting and looking for this for the last four years. So to see it come to fruition is so magical for these girls,” said Rummel.
No words about how great the handshake line was. Just acknowledgment that hard work, patience, and execution had taught a different lesson – a life lesson.
“We still had a good year,” said Gray. “But we want to win conference championships and district titles.”
So even twenty wins (20-5) wasn’t up to the standard at Tri-Village, where they don’t hang banners in the gym for district runners-up.
And the games do get better this week. Or one would think, despite a #9 seed having emerged as a girls Division VII district champion from central Ohio. Morral Ridgedale, which lost 13 games this year, will play Russia at Butler High School on Wednesday in the regional semi-final.
And Anna and Versailles, from the cradle of competition, play in Division V. The Rockets (16-8) beat 20-5 Mariemont in Saturday’s district final, while Versailles (17-8) won over 22-2 Madeira, the #1 seed and the state’s #10 ranked team.
It will feel like tournament basketball – old school. The ‘Bluebloods’ will love it.
Area Bowling Shines…
And hearty congratulations to the St. Henry Redskins for capturing their first OHSAA state title in bowling over the weekend; and to Coldwater’s Brittany Burden and Rachel Moeller for achieving individual honors against 88 counties of the state’s best.
Of all the competitions you can think of, when you walk into the state finals in bowling it feels like an overwhelming experience for the fact of so many people, so little room, and the confusion of it all, frankly. But the stories by writer Jarrod Ulrey and the photos by photographer Brian Bayless captured the spirit of the thing in perfect proportion.
In addition, our thanks to the support by Bowlingstore.com, LLC, Pla-Mor Lanes, Speedway Lanes, and Community Lanes for their support of a fantastic competitive outlet for state competition that did not get nearly the headlines or recognition in print that it deserved. If you’ve ever bowled, and done it under pressure, you can imagine the accomplishment of those area kids who did it in Columbus over the weekend.
Community Lanes sponsors your favorite area sports on Press Pros. We’re so much more than a bowling center. Visit us soon.