Keegan Knupp slams one down with authority during a 72-53 defeat of Olentangy Liberty. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Logan Gapen)
Top-seeded in the upcoming Central District tournament, Olentangy Orange – regional runner-up in 2023 and 2024 – is determined to get over the hump and seems to have the athleticism,, experience and cohesiveness to do so.
Lewis Center, OH – It’s no wonder that Division I coaches at the Central District boys basketball seeding meeting avoided a potential meeting with Olentangy Orange like the plague.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association’s decision to expand from four to seven divisions pared the district’s big-school division from 47 teams to 22 teams and now six teams instead of four advances to regional play.
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All that stands in the way in top-seeded Orange’s quest for a third straight district title are matchups against 21st-seeded Central Crossing (7-15) and 17th-seeded Lancaster (11-11).
“We’ve been hearing from people all about what an easy path we have through the district and we’ve addressed with the kids how important it is to respect all of our opponents and never take anybody lightly,” Pioneers coach Anthony Calo said. “With the leadership we get from this group of seven seniors, I have no doubt at all that we’ll be at the top of our game.”
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And as senior forward Devin Brown so aptly put it, “Obviously, we’ve got a lot to play. Winning the league and district is nice but our goals are higher than that. We’ve got a bit of a chip on our shoulder to get over the hump that stopped us the last two years.”
Judging by Orange’s 72-53 dismantling of intra-district rival Olentangy Liberty Friday for its second straight unblemished Ohio Capital Conference Central Division championship, the talented, experienced, big-game-tested Pioneers are a force to be reckoned with in March.
Four players scored in double figures for Orange (20-2, 10-0), which made it look easy against Liberty (18-4, 8-2) – which takes a No. 3 seed into the tournament.
“We’re really excited to close out the regular season like this with a big statement win over a very tough team,” senior guard Ellis Appiah said. “The bigger the game, the more comfortable and focused we are, to tell you the truth. We thrive in this kind of environment, and we’re accustomed to it over the past three seasons.”
Liberty’s Christian Moulton goes up and to the glass during a game against Olentangy Orange.
In anticipation of another deep tournament run, Calo scheduled teams such as defending state champion Cleveland St. Ignatius and runner-up Centerville, Westerville North (top-ranked in Division II), Hartley (No. 1 district seed in Division III) and Pickerington Central, beating them all. The only defeats came to Indianapolis Cathedral (17-4) and Phoenix-area power Cia-Bella Vista (19-5) by a combined nine points.
According to the latest MaxPreps Division I state rankings, Orange is second just behind St. Ignatius – which they beat 63-54 in overtime in mid-January. Liberty was fourth.
“We can’t de-emphasize the importance of winning 21 straight games in what many believe is the toughest six-team division in Ohio,” Calo said. “I’m super, super proud of that.”
Orange’s quickness and athleticism posed problems for a Liberty squad that went 6-feet-9, 6-5, 6-5 and 6-3. The lineup, often consisting of four guards, created high percentage shots with crisp passing and deft one-on-one moves.
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Davidson signee Devin Brown led the Pioneers with 18 points and five assists. A mismatch on the wing at 6-6, Brown can dominate at all levels. Junior point guard Levi Davis, who committed to Ohio University as a quarterback, added 14 points and his usual steely presence. Appiah, a springy Denison signee, and Eastern Michigan baseball signee Keegan Knupp added 12 points each. The rotation also includes two-time All-Ohio defensive back Treyton Schroeder and 6-6 Ohio Dominican wide receiver signee Terryn Thomas.
Devin Brown gets around a Liberty defender.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who can create their own shots and, of course, we’re tp guard when we’re sharing the ball like we do,” Calo said.
Northwestern signee Tyler Kropp scored 16 points while Nick Butterfield and Christian Moulton added 14 each for Liberty, which was unable to pull closer than five at 44-39 with 2:17 left in the third quarter. Orange answered with a 15-4 run to regain control before the overflow crowd.
“I thought we played really strong against their big guys,” Brown said. “We didn’t shy away from the rim.”
Orange had defeated Liberty 67-63 in the first meeting on Jan. 17, but Calo said his team played tougher inside and eliminated turnovers in the rematch.
Having also played a rugged nonleague schedule featuring the likes of two-time defending state champion Lutheran East, 2024 regional champ Delaware, Toledo St. Francis and Cincinnati Elder, Liberty also has high expectations for a deep tournament. But should they win a district title, the Patriots would stay in Columbus for a regional including three other central Ohio teams. Orange, on the other hand, opted for the Wittenberg University regional bracket, which likely will include southwest Ohio powers Cincinnati Moeller, Huber Heights Wayne and Kettering Fairmont.
The Pioneers dropped regional title games to eventual champion Pickerington Central in 2023 and Delaware last March. The current seniors are 70-8 over the past three seasons, but obviously want their legacy to include more.
“As far as we’re concerned, we haven’t won anything yet,” Appiah said. “Our goal is to win the state championship and we won’t be satisfied with anything less.”
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