D.L.Burnworth

  Tonight at Logan High School, two of the best small school basketball teams met for a trip to the semifinals. Waterford and Hiland. The crowd was large and vocal at times. The referees were inconsistent at times, making it hard to watch. The opening quarter would see three ties and two lead changes, but from there, it was all Waterford and Kendall Sury. Sury was as solid as any player I have watched all season. She finished with 26 points. I believe she missed five shots all night. Most of her scoring was done inside, where she looked unstoppable. Waterford led 10-6 after one. The second quarter would see Waterford outscore Hiland 14-8. The best way to describe the play of Hiland in the quarter and the rest of the game was that all but two of their players seemed afraid to shoot the rock. Joplin Yoder (13 points and six boards) and Trish Troyer (15 points and 5 boards) would account for 28 of the 34 points that Hiland would score. Waterford would outscore Hiland 14-8 in the third...

  Kha’Z Simon Licking Heights High School Small Forward, Power Forward, Center 2026 6’8, 190 Awards won or earned: Honorable mention in LCL, District champion What makes being a student-athlete at Licking Heights so special? The improvement I have seen in my game since freshman year: I’m a lot more athletic and developed and have a chance in college basketball. What is the toughest aspect of being a student-athlete at Licking Heights? The competition in my sport is that everyone on my team is good enough to play minutes, so it makes me work even harder, getting better every day. How long have you played basketball, and who or what got you started? I started playing basketball my freshman year. I used to play soccer, and the basketball coach at my old school asked me to play. What is your favorite and least favorite drill to do at practice? I don’t have a favorite drill. I dislike any drill; everything is needed for me to get better. What has been the biggest moment for you during t...

  Last night at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University, the #1 seeded Patriot Prep Academy Eagles (17-6) battled the #9 seed Newark Catholic Green Wave (7-17). According to the game preview, the Eagles had eight seniors on their roster, while Newark Catholic had just two. The Eagles also had a nice size advantage, and they were the much quicker of the two teams. The crowd on the Green Wave side was loud and vocal, including the student section off to the side under the basket on the top level. The Prep crowd was smallish and loud and, during the opening half, very upset with the refs. Two fans standing directly behind me went as far as to say the referees were cheating. When things started going well for the Eagles, their fans seldom complained. For the game, in the first half, Newark Catholic was able to control all aspects. They used a slow-me-down type of offense with crisp, clean passes that allowed easy and open shots, and they boxed out well to help take away the Eagles height advant...