The rematch of 2022's big-school title game predictably came down to the wire again. While the last two Mr. Basketball winners, Devin Royal of Pickerington Central and Gabe Cupps of Centerville, put on a show, it was Markell Johnson's 10-foot, left-handed hook shot in the lane with 1.3 seconds that gave the Tigers a 57-53 win. Pickerington's Gavin Headings (above) tips in the final two points of the Pick Central win.
Olentangy Orange defenders Mikey McCollum (14) and Jordan Edwards (2) stand their ground and draw a charge against Pickerington Central's Devin Royal late in the fourth quarter of the Division I regional final, but it was Royal who led the charge for the Tigers in their advance to the state tournament.
Pickerington Central's Trinity Jackson shoots over Olmsted Falls' Danielle Cameron, but the Tigers' size inside couldn't hold up against the five-guard lineup that erased their fourth-quarter lead and completed a comeback in the Division I state semifinals. (PressPros Feature Photo by John Hulkenberg).