DELAWARE, Ohio -- Never in Buckeye Valley's history have the Barons won a district title in boys basketball.

The Barons might just have a shot to cut down a pair of nets if they keep playing at the level they've started the season at, winning its first five games and none have been bigger than Tuesday's showdown against Grandview Heights.

In a heavyweight fight in the newly configured Ohio division of the Mid State League, Buckeye Valley (5-0) relied on the hot shooting of sophomore Dylan Thompson to secure a knockout against the visiting Bobcats (5-1), as Thompson's six threes powered a statement 65-45 victory for the Barons.

Thompson got going early, as his three triples and 11 first quarter points helped Buckeye Valley establish an early lead. The sophomore hit three triples in the first quarter alone, his final one coming right before the buzzer to give Buckeye Valley a 17-12 lead after the opening frame.

The 6-foot-1 sophomore guard was just getting started however, as he scored seven more points in the second quarter on two additional triples. Thompson and fellow sophomore Jevin Beard caught fire in the period, combining for 26 points in the first half to help Buckeye Valley establish a 32-21 lead at the break.

Buckeye Valley avoided a letdown in the third quarter, as a 25-point period behind hot shooting from virtually the entire team helped the Barons extend its lead to 19 points heading into the final frame.

Up 57-38 after three, Buckeye Valley played keep away in the final quarter, hitting its free throws and keeping Grandview Heights at a distance to come away with a 65-45 victory to establish its place atop the MSL in the early going of the season.

While Thompson was the story with six threes and a game-high 24 points, Buckeye Valley got great production from most of its roster. Beard added 14 points, while sophomore Owen Osborne and senior Dylan Herbert each handled a chunk of ball handling duties to keep the Barons in rhythm.

In the front court, senior Max Stokey and junior Jacob Radcliffe did a terrific job against Grandview Heights super senior Luke Lachey, playing solid interior defense to hold the Iowa football signee to 16 points.

Grandview Heights senior guard Brian Collier had an up and down night, finishing with 16 points but was never able to get into a groove. Senior Lance Trares added nine points while the rest of the roster combined for just four points.

Off to a roaring 5-0 start with quality wins over Grandview Heights, London, Wellington and Linden-McKinley, Buckeye Valley looks like a legitimate threat in Division II, even with Troy Scowden sidelined after a scary fall against Kipp Academy that landed Scowden in ICU at Nationwide Children's Hospital for several days.

With Scowden back on the bench and with the team, Buckeye Valley looks like a group that is playing together for its sidelined teammate, as the Barons played a terrific game against a defending regional finalist in Grandview Heights that was just coming off a blowout win over Worthington Christian. 

Buckeye Valley will look to keep winning on Saturday when the Barons head to Bexley in league play.

For Grandview Heights, the Bobcats will look to bounce back when they hit the road and visit Whitehall on Thursday. 

Dylan Thompson (6'1 WG / Buckeye Valley / 2022): Tuesday was the breakout night for Thompson, as his elite shooting and scoring ability powered one of Buckeye Valley's biggest wins in recent years. Coming alive in the first half with five triples alone, Thompson showed off his deadly catch and shoot ability. Coming off screens and making Grandview Heights pay, Thompson was the best player on the floor on Tuesday going for a game-high 24 points. The 6-foot-1 guard did it off the bounce as well, as he gets great elevation on his pull up jumper that he knocked down with great consistency and fluidity. On the defensive end, Thompson did a stellar job on Collier, making him work hard and staying in front of the talented senior. Thompson is one of the elite wing guards in the 2022 class and offers solid length for his frame. He is a better athlete than we thought and a really tough cover off the bounce thanks to the elevation he gets on his jumper. Thompson can create his own shot, but is just as deadly off movement, as he gave Grandview Heights all they could handle off the ball. If Thompson can continue to provide Buckeye Valley with the impact that he had on Tuesday, this Barons team will be an extremely tough out in Division II. 

Luke Lachey (6'6 PF / Grandview Heights / 2020): If he wasn't a future NFL tight end, Lachey would no doubt be a Division I basketball player. Signed to NFL tight end factory Iowa, Lachey is going to have a great career in the Big Ten West, however, we are enjoying our last season covering him on the hardwood as he had another strong showing in the loss for Grandview Heights. The 6-foot-6 forward is a freak show of an athlete with an elite frame and Power 5 strength. In the early going of Tuesday's game, Buckeye Valley was no match for Lachey, as he got anything he wanted off the bounce, proving to be too quick for his matchup. While Buckeye Valley did a great job of packing in its defense and forcing Lachey to beat them from the outside, we were still impressed with the toughness that the senior showed on the interior, pulling down rebounds and protecting the rim. There aren't many bigs in the area that can match up with Lachey, as he's too strong and tough for skinnier posts and too quick for heavier set defenders.  In all of Division IV, there isn't much of a matchup for Lachey which will make Grandview Heights a heavy favorite to win a district title. 

Jevin Beard (6'0 PG / Buckeye Valley / 2022): Tough. Winner. Scrappy. Those are three adjectives to describe the sophomore Beard, who made his rise in the open division of the 270 Hoops Fall League by making winning plays and playing with all out intensity. That was the case once again on Tuesday, as Beard provided a huge spark for the Barons. The 6-foot guard is a physical ball handler with impressive athletic tools who makes plays for himself and others. When it wasn't Thompson hitting threes, it was Beard, as his back-to-back triples in the second quarter fueled a huge run that helped Buckeye Valley break the game open. On the defensive end, Beard defends the crap out of the ball, communicates like an upperclassmen and will step in and take a charge when he needs to. We love guys who do the little things and play within the team and Beard is one of those guys. When you have someone as tough and reliable as him, it puts you in a great position to win since you know what you're going to get out of Thompson and Herbert night in and night out on the offensive end. 

Brian Collier (6'0 PG / Grandview Heights / 2020): The senior Collier has been one of the most impressive scoring guards in the area over the last three years. Carrying a major load of the Bobcat offense, Collier tied with Lachey for the team lead with 16 points. The 6-foot senior is a tough scoring guard who can create his own shot as good as any player in the MSL. Collier began his career as a long range bomber, and while he still will make you pay from deep, he's really developed into a threat off the bounce that can beat defenders on the drive and finish against length at the rim. Collier is able to play both on and off the ball, however, with Grandview lacking another quality ball handler, his usage rate is higher than what it might be at the next level. Small colleges need to be all over Collier as he's a tough cover and one of the best senior guards in all of Central Ohio. 

Dylan Herbert (6'0 G / Buckeye Valley / 2020): While it was a rough shooting night for Herbert, we were impressed that he did not let that affect the rest of his game. Finishing with eight points, eight rebounds and five assists (hat tip to Michael Rich of the Delaware Gazette), Herbert made an impact on both ends of the floor, helping the Barons defend Collier at a high level. When he was scoring, Herbert did it in a variety of way, knocking down pull up jumpers and showing impressive burst on a few tough drives to the basket. While Herbert was thrust into a primary scoring role as an underclassmen, he doesn't have to carry as big of a load as a senior, which makes all-around performances like Tuesday's of high importance since his offensive abilities are a major plus when you have Thompson and Beard scoring like they did against Grandview. 

Max Stokey (6'7 C / Buckeye Valley / 2020): In a Buckeye Valley program with a litany of big bodies, Stokey is getting a chance to see extended minutes with Scowden sidelined. The 6-foot-7 post, while picking up two quick fouls to begin the game, found a way to remain on the floor without getting into severe foul trouble which really gave Buckeye Valley a boost. The senior has broad shoulders and a lanky frame, which helps him be a rim deterrent inside and quality finisher at the basket. Stokey has the ability to stretch the floor and knock down the 18 footer consistently, which has helped him turn into one of the higher priority small college recruits in the senior class. Still pretty young for his class, Stokey is only improving and would be a good look for a college program in search of size and versatility in 2020. 

Jacob Radcliffe (6'6 PF / Buckeye Valley / 2021): A player that came onto our radar during the open division of the 270 Hoops Fall League, Radcliffe has continued to improve his game as he gave Buckeye Valley strong minutes off the bench on Tuesday. The 6-foot-6 junior is a solid athlete, can rebound, defend the post and protect the rim, as he matched up pretty well with Lachey, showing the ability to move laterally with him and challenge him at the basket. On the offensive, Radcliffe plays within the Buckeye Valley offense and takes advantage of the limited opportunities that he does get. We are big fans of players who do their job and contribute to winning and Radcliffe is one of those guys.