Long Weekend Preview

The busiest weekend of the season so far, by far and away, will come over the MLK holiday weekend as CPHR will try and balance the local schedule with the signature event of January- Trent Arena's (Kettering Fairmont HS) Flyin' to the Hoop. Check back every evening for coverage of these events along with the annual Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic results..... 

Friday

·         Summit @ North College Hill: The first of two divisional meetings between two teams that are not expected to lose to anyone else in the division, Summit comes in undefeated while NCH is undefeated in the league. This game will likely come down to if the senior backcourt of NCH in Louis Walker and Jamal Ivery can handle the scoring talents of Summit guards Kevin Johnson and Antonio Woods. With the MVC title on the line, the rivalry stakes high, and the city watching this will be a great opportunity to watch two of Ohio’s better small schools go at it.

o   Prediction: Summit wins a close one.

·         West High @ Aiken: Two teams that are battling for the third spot in the CMAC, behind Withrow and Taft, will meet at Hughes on Friday for the first of two meetings. Willie Moore is a tough cover for West High as they have no one that can match his size and mobility. The little guards of West High could give Aiken fits but the Falcons are the more talented team in what will shape up as a huge weekend for them; with Moeller visiting on Saturday.

o   Prediction: Mustangs hang around but Aiken gets the win.

·         Fairfield @ Middletown: The hottest team in the GMC travels to the toughest venue in the GMC in a matchup that will go a long way towards deciding who finishes the year with a new banner. Fairfield has the firepower, and defensive prowess, to stay in this game. But, are the Indians good enough “closers” to win this one in crunch time? We’ll find out.

o   Prediction: The Indians fall a little short as the Middies win a nail-biter.

·         Lakota West @ Princeton

·         Oak Hills @ Colerain

·         Lakota East @ Mason

·         Sycamore @ Hamilton

·         Hughes @ Withrow

·         Taft @ Shroder

·         LaSalle @ Dayton Carroll

·         Purcell Marian @ Moeller

·         Roger Bacon @ St. Xavier

·         Northwest @ Mt. Healthy

·         Winton Woods @ Harrison

·         Little Miami @ Walnut Hills

·         Kings @ Milford

·         Loveland @ Turpin

·         Norwood @ Ross

·         Landmark Christian @ Woodward

·         Madeira @ Wyoming

·         Finneytown @ Deer Park

·         Indian Hill @ Reading

Saturday

·         Moeller @ Aiken: No one in the city league, outside of Taft possibly, plays a tougher schedule. In this game, being played at Hughes, the Falcons will need to speed up the tempo to have a chance at knocking off the men of Moe. Look for the Crusaders to come out and try and establish the pace with their motion offense and then force Aiken to shoot from the perimeter when they’re defending.

o   Prediction: Aiken has a good starting five but the depth of Moeller will be the difference in this one. Moeller wins by about ten.

·         Colerain vs Covington Catholic (KY): Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic at Dixie Heights at 6:00.

·         Dixie Heights (KY) vs Lakota West: Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic at Dixie Heights at 7:45.

·         Connor (KY) vs Finneytown: Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic at Oak Hills at 3:30

·         Oak Hills vs Ryle: Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic at Oak Hills at 5:30

·         LaSalle @ Christian County (KY): Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic at Oak Hills at 7:30.

·         Lockland @ Fairfield

·         Anderson @ Northwest

·         Elder @ Kettering Alter

·         Hamilton @ St. Xavier

Sunday

·         Taft vs Akron St Vincent St Mary’s: The Senators return to the prestigious Flyin’ to the Hoop event at Kettering Farimont’s Trent Arena at 3 PM. Last year the only loss Taft took was at Flyin’ to the Hoop; this year they face the top Division II team in Northeast Ohio in SVSM out of Akron, like Taft the Irish are defending state champions. SVSM has another great team this year, but does have some question marks in the backcourt where Orlando Berry should have an advantage.

o   Prediction: Taft wins a close game.

·         Middletown vs Huntington Prep (WV): The Middies also will be playing at Flyin’ to the Hoop, in an 8:15 PM start, where they will take on a team that dismantled Taft last month. Huntington Prep has ten Division I college prospects, led by Columbus native and West Virginia commit PF Elijah Macon.

o   Prediction: H-Prep has too much talent, Middletown loses this one. 

Monday

·         Withrow @ Taft: The matchup that everyone in the city has been waiting to see. The two most talented teams in Cincinnati will clash in the first of two meetings on MLK day. Devin Williams will battle it out down low with Adolphus Washington, and Tyonte Robertson will take on Orlando Berry, in two of the premiere matchups. Withrow has more depth and team size then Taft; but the Senators have the advantage of being proven winners in these types of games. Coming off a Sunday game in Dayton the Senators also might be struggling with fatigue. With the CMAC title probably coming down to who wins this season series, who will step up in this one?

o   Prediction: Tough call but until Withrow gets over the hump and beats Taft CPHR can’t pick them to win. We’ll take Taft in another classic matchup.

·         Franklin vs Medina Senior: Scheduled to tip at 3:30 at Trent Arena in Kettering, OH. Franklin has a chance to put themselves on the map as an elite Division II team by winning on the big stage. Medina was supposed to be led by Michigan State signee PF Kenny Kaminski, but Kaminski went down late in football season with an injury and is yet to return. How will freshman guard Luke Kennard handle the pressure of the nation’s premiere MLK weekend exposure event?

o   Prediction: Franklin remains undefeated.