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By Vince Pellegrini, Jr.
Basketball tradition runs deep in the northeastern
part of Ohio where high school football is king. Not to say that the
hoop game isn’t as important but it takes a backseat to the outdoor game
in the area. However, there are some schools who have richer tradition
with the round ball than with the oblong one.
For instance, in Kinsman, Badger basketball is
king. Badger High School does not have a football team because of the
number of kids enrolled in the school but they do have a basketball
squad. Last year, the Braves advanced all the way to the regional
semifinals. In most of the Youngstown City Schools the fans and students
take basketball much more serious than football. At Youngstown Rayen and
Woodrow Wilson, hoops is number one. In the northern part of Trumbull
County, the Bristol Panthers advanced to the states for the second time
since 1994. The Panthers are looked at as the top dawgs in their small
town.
Many of the players from the area are looked at as
too small but that is not always true. Girard point guard Philip Huyler
was a part of the 1993 Division 2 championship team and the next fall
would end up on Florida Atlantic’s roster. Rayen’s forward Keith Jones
played four years for the Colonials of Robert Morris in the ‘90s.
Struthers alum Rick McFadden who is playing hoops for Akron this fall
made his mark as a Wildcat on the football field and on the court. Most
recently, Boardman’s Terence Dials graduated in 2001 and attended Ohio
State on a basketball scholarship. He had a monster freshman year as a
Buckeye. Those are a few of the many alumni of northeast Ohio schools
who have gone onto play college ball.
This winter I will bring you the latest happenings
in the northeast Ohio prep basketball scene. I will discuss seniors and
juniors who have what it takes on the floor to move onto the next level.
Also, I will document the conferences which make up this section of Ohio
and the traditions that these schools have throughout the winter months.
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