Boys Best of the Week: Marion area basketball players put up big numbers
CALEDONIA — The scoring frenzy with individual boys basketball players continues.
River Valley's Carson Myers posted 37 points, knocking down two 3-pointers, 12 shots inside the arc and 7 of 9 from the foul line as the Vikings beat Galion 84-60. The mark ties him for seventh place in the school's single-game records, joining the father-son tandem of Dick and Danyon Hempy who also posted 37 points in games for RV, according to CrawfordCountyBasketball.com.
Myers scored 15 points in the first quarter and had 25 at halftime. Carson Smith backed him with 14 points, while Brock Mosher added 12 and Chase Ebert 11.
Myers earned MVP honors in a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend showcase at Ohio Dominican after scoring 21 points in a 61-43 win over Jonathan Alder. Smith had 15 and Mosher 13.
Matthew Bland of Mount Gilead dropped 35 points and his team needed all of them in a 65-63 win over Northmor. Bland hit six 3-pointers and was 9 of 9 from the foul line. Teammate Carter Kennon put in 15 and Aaron Gannon eight. For the Golden Knights, Grant Bentley tried to keep pace with Bland, scoring 26, while Hunter Fulk had 18 and Drew Hammond nine.
Bland also had a 27-point night in a 61-59 win over Danville. Gannon chipped in with 14 and Kennon with nine.
In a 47-43 loss to Buckeye Valley, Pleasant's Trey Booker made 12 of 13 free throws and ended with 29 points.
Here are some other highlights from around the area for boys winter sports teams and athletes:
∎ Highland saw five players reach double figures led by 24 points from Gavin Toombs, 13 from Brock Church and Aron West, 11 from Brock Prior and 10 from Ranger Steck as the Scots won 79-66 over Mansfield Christian. In a 59-47 loss to Clear Fork, Toombs recorded 12, Dane Nauman 11 and Church 11.
∎ Bentley scored 19, Jax Wenger 13 and Fulk 11 in a 56-35 Northmor win over Centerburg.
∎ North Union rolled to a 75-48 win over Tecumseh as Max Parish had 18 points and Nolan Draper and Richie Bolander added 16 apiece. Miles Hall put in 18 points and Tyler Krebehenne 10 in a 56-45 loss to Indian Lake. Parish had 11 and Draper 10 in a 47-41 loss to Johnstown.
∎ In a 46-42 loss to Lima Temple Christian, Ridgedale's Nathan Thiel had 10 points and Brayden Townsend and Gage Gleespen eight each. No Rocket scored more than six points in a 55-30 loss to Cory-Rawson.
∎ Elgin edged Hardin Northern 48-47. Isacc Dillon paced the Comets with 21 points, 12 rebounds and three steals, while Stephen Castillo had 14 points, Carson Rife seven assists and Harrison Sager eight rebounds.
∎ Marion Harding's Jayden Combs threw a 300 game as a freshman and added another perfect one to his collection last week as the senior bowler shot a 300-237 537 two-game series in a 2,466-2,297 win over Kenton at Cooper's Bowl. Backing him were Chord Mull at 209-194 403, Jacob Beaschler at 187-201 388, Cameron Rayner with a 222 game, Jordan Hensley with a 177 game, Austin Valentine with a 163 game and Gaven Stoll with a 143 game. The Presidents shot a 188-243 431 for two Baker games.
The Prexies then hosted Shelby at home and won 2,359-1,868. Combs went 191-258 449, Rayner 190-225 415, Valentine 180-226 406 and Hensley 185-214 399. They shot a 399 in two Baker games, too.
In a home-and-home with Highland, Harding won 2,158-1,741 at Colonial City Lanes. Hensley led the squad with a 190-254 444, while Stoll had 212-193 405, Combs a 223 game and Mull a 168 game. Trevor Stewart had a 211 game and 381 series for Highland. At Cooper's Bowl, Harding shot a 2,565 to blow out Highland's 1,820. Combs shot 249-225 474, Gavin Houseworth 201-255 456, Hensley 235-193 426, Rayner 194-217 411 and Valentine 180-211 391. They added a 405 for two Baker games. For the Scots, Rusty Martin threw a 209 game and Stewart a 207 game.
Harding capped the busy week with a second-place finish at the Sweet 16 Shootout hosted by the defending Division I state champions from Centerville. The Presidents were seeded third after qualifying, then blanked Sidney, Greenon and Stebbins 3-0 in Baker series to make the finals. Like it did in the state finals, Centerville prevailed 3-1 in the championship match. Combs was ninth with a 382, Hensley 14th with a 370, Valentine 18th with a 349 and Rayner 20th with a 347.
∎ Highland was fourth at the Cougar Classic, competing on a collegiate oil pattern. Stewart was seventh and Ben Harris 12th at the event.
∎ Northwestern beat North Union 3,057-1,930. Trey Harvey and Braden Rhodes both shot 309 for the Wildcats.
∎ River Valley topped Galion 1,923-1,715 at BlueFusion as Andrew Karrick shot a 209 game and Andruw Peak a 356 series for the Vikings. At Morrow Lanes against Gilead Christian, RV won 2,042-1,494 as Karrick went 223-215 438 to lead his team.
∎ Elgin captured the 17-team Triad Invitational, beating teams like Upper Arlington, Marysville, Jonathan Alder and West Jefferson. Kaiden Luikart at 150 and Quinten Harrison at 157 both won championships for the Comets, while Colton Long was a runner-up at 138, and John Willis at 113, Nels VanGundy at 175 and Luke Waldo at 215 were third. Also placing for Elgin were Karson Thomas at 120 and Aiden Cervantes at 106 for fourth, Caden Wilcox at 126, Gavin Rhodes at 132, Jarrod Johnston at 165, Tyler Pasma at 190 and Russell Sherman at 285 for fifth.
So far this season in tournaments, the Comets have placed sixth at Mount Vernon, fourth at Highland, third at Central Crossing and first at its own meet.
∎ Marion Harding finished second behind New Philadelphia at the 17-team Freddie Invite in Fredericktown. Four Presidents were crowned champions: Samson St. Germaine at 113, Davis Backus at 126 (also earning MVP honors), Nathan Cunningham at 132 and Ridge Barkley at 138. Raymond Scott-Harbolt was third at 215, Aaron McDaniel and Kile Sentieri fourth at 120 and 150 respectively, and Benjamin Pickens sixth at 144.
Coaches and statisticians are encouraged to send their results to the Marion Star's Rob McCurdy at rmccurdy@gannett.com, 419-610-0998, Twitter @McMotorsport and Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star.
VOTE: Marion Star Boys Best of the Week Performer Poll
Marion Harding bowler Jayden Combs recorded the second perfect game of his high school career and finished with a two-game 538 series in a win over Kenton.
Pleasant basketball's Trey Booker scored 29 points and made 12 of 13 free throws in a loss to Buckeye Valley.
River Valley basketball's Carson Myers scored 25 points in the first half and finished with 37 in a win over Galion.
Mount Gilead basketball's Matthew Bland scored 35 points with six 3-pointers and 9-for-9 shooting at the foul line in a win over Northmor.
Elgin swimmer Jacob Faust won the 100-yard individual medley and 50 backstroke in a sprint meet at the Marion Family YMCA.
Voting continues through early Sunday morning at MarionStar.com and its app.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Boys Best of the Week: Area basketball players put up big numbers
