Jordan Priddy came up big for LCC, helping the Thunderbirds to a 26-2 record and the state semi-final game. (Press Pros File Photos)
Lima Central Catholic guard Jordan Priddy needed a loving atmosphere in which to flourish, and he found it in Lima. He’ll play for a state title in basketball this weekend at UD Arena.
Lima Central Catholic basketball star Jordan Priddy planned to grow up in Cincinnati Moeller’s basketball family. Then the worst tragedy he could fathom ripped all sense of his actual family apart.
His mother, Michelle Duncan, was shot and killed on June 3, 2023. Her husband, Jeremy Duncan, was charged with murder, indicted and awaits trial.
Priddy, a high school sophomore, and his younger brother Jacob had to find a new family and a place to live away from the tragic scene of their mother’s death and their father’s arrest.
Veteran columnist Jeff Gilbert writes Ohio State basketball and OHSAA sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.
Such upheaval in such young lives could be without hope. But hope for a successful future exists because of brotherly love, a head coach who’s almost like family, and a team majoring in togetherness.
But first and foremost, none of the positive changes in Priddy’s life since that fateful day would be possible without the love of a brother.
The Priddy brothers’ older half-brother, Jayden Priddy-Powell, who helped lead Botkins to the Division IV basketball state title in 2021, lost his mom as well, but he came to the rescue. He was attending and playing basketball at Concordia University far away in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but he left that behind.
Because true families make sacrifices, and that’s what Priddy-Powell did.
He moved back to Lima and transferred to the University of Northwest Ohio for school, basketball and to share a home with his brothers. Across the street lives Sean Powell, Priddy-Powell’s dad. Powell coached Priddy-Powell and Botkins to its state title and is the first-year coach who has led LCC to this year’s Division IV state semifinals. And on the same street are Priddy’s grandparents, Mark and Jeanne Priddy.
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“Jayden’s stepping into adulthood, taking every situation the best way he can, putting his brothers before him,” Powell said. “At the age of 21, 22, it’s always tough to be selfless. But he’s taken it in stride. Myself and my wife, we’re proud of him.”
Priddy-Powell excelled with the UNOH Racers this season. He averaged 10.6 points, mostly coming off the bench, after averaging 8.8 as a sophomore at Concordia. It’s the second big move of his life. As a seventh grader he moved from Cincinnati to Lima to live with his dad.
Powell, the coach, is part of the support system Priddy needs.
Then coach at Botkins, Powell led the the Trojans to the Div. IV title in 2021. He seeks to repeat this weekend with LCC.
“He’s handling this around us as well as he can,” Powell said. “He has his moments where he breaks down, but I think that the move here really helped him because now he’s in an environment where he can grow. Obviously, there was something down there going on for my son to move back.”
Powell and Priddy talk a lot in the car going to and from practice, and Powell enjoys the interaction.
“He opens up to me,” Powell said. “One minute it might feel like a son-dad situation, and then one minute it’s an uncle situation. We get to talk about whatever needs to be talked about – girls, basketball, school, his future, whatever it is. I think I’m just an outlet for him.”
They share a relationship with Priddy-Powell, and, more visibly, they share a love for basketball. And that love has helped create a renewed state-level culture at LCC. The Thunderbirds are 26-2, ranked No. 5 in the state and play No. 10 Berlin Hiland (22-6) at 10:45 a.m. Friday at UD Arena.
When Powell left Botkins, he did so to return to his hometown of Lima. He played at Shawnee, coached at Perry before Botkins, then at Bath. After two years at Bath, the LCC job became available when Frank Kill stepped down. Powell grew up watching the legendary Bob Seggerson (32 seasons, 519 wins) coach the Thunderbirds.
“LCC has always been the pinnacle of Lima basketball,” Powell said. “Coach Seggerson was an idol of mine growing up. Every basketball player in the area respected Coach Seggerson and this program. It’s just been a dream of mine to be able to coach at LCC.”
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Powell was hired by LCC in June two weeks before Priddy moved to Lima. Priddy quickly acclimated to his new team.
Priddy, who is 6-foot-2, averaged 16.2 points for LCC and was named first team all-Northwest District. His presence and the return of starting point guard and senior Demarr Foster raised the talent level on a team that was already returning five starters. Sophomore Willie Foster made third-team all-Northwest and senior Carson Parker earned honorable mention.
Powell’s challenge was bringing players together from different backgrounds and upbringings. As a result, he made it his summer goal to allow his players to get to know and trust each other. He didn’t install his game plan during the summer. On the first day of preseason practice, his team didn’t know any offensive plays or his defensive philosophy.
“It’s paying off because the brotherhood, the trust level on the team and the togetherness is definitely to the level where we can get to state,” Powell said. “Those kids being there for each other is beautiful.”
Jayden Priddy-Powell as he appeared for Botkins, in 2020-’21 season.
The defense the Thunderbirds play is the same style of defense Powell learned in the Shelby County League. A solid, half-court style that keeps teams away from the basket.
“Scott Elchert, he basically schooled me,” Powell said of the Jackson Center coach who retired after the 2022-23 season. “I took my licks trying to go up against him. I had to tweak some things and understand what they were trying to do and try to counter that. And the best thing I figured out was just to mimic what they’re doing and try to be better at it.”
Powell gives Elchert a lot of credit for the success of his own teams.
“I’ve given my thanks to him multiple times, so he definitely understands how I feel about him,” Powell said.
Powell keeps the Elchert family as close as possible. Elchert’s youngest son, Christopher, coached in Powell’s AAU program for a few years and is the JV coach at Wapakoneta where Trey Elchert is the head coach.
LCC defeated Wapakoneta at home this year, and Powell’s first question for Trey Elchert was if his dad was at the game.
“To see his presence, honestly, means a lot to me,” Powell said.
If LCC defeats Berlin Hiland, they will likely play two-time defending champion Richmond Heights in the final unless the Spartans are upset by Russia. Powell’s Botkins team defeated Richmond Heights in the semifinals in 2021.
“That’d be awesome just to be able to get back to the state final game, regardless of opponent,” Powell said.
Win or lose, Powell and the Thunderbirds have accomplished something more important.
They’ve given Jordan Priddy a feeling of family when he needed it more than he ever could have foreseen.
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