COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Desmond Watson ripped the heart out of St. Charles (5-4, 2-1) on Friday.

That's really all you need to say after watching the DeSales (8-2, 4-0) junior on the road. Watson, a 6-foot-5 guard playing with a chip the size of Montana, scored 25 of his game-high 36 points in the first half of a major 75-64 victory.

Watson got going early and often, scoring seven of DeSales' first nine points. The junior did not slow down from there, going for 14 points in the opening quarter alone to help DeSales get out to a 21-16 lead.

With a little over six minutes remaining in the second quarter, Watson ripped the roof off the gym on a massive transition slam to spark a run for DeSales that broke the game open.

Scoring 25 points in the first half, Watson dominated in every facet of the game, hitting four threes and converting two three-point plays. The 6-foot-5 junior set the tone for the Stallions, scoring nine points in the last 3:17 of the first half alone, helping DeSales take a 41-29 lead into the halftime break.

While St. Charles fought hard in the third quarter, the Cardinals could not get the stops they needed as Watson scored another nine points in the period to extend the DeSales lead to 15 points heading into the final frame.

St. Charles got as close as seven points in the final few minutes, however, DeSales could not be stopped, as senior guard Kobe Righter put the finishing touches on the win, scoring 10 of his 17 points after halftime to lead the Stallions to a win that now puts them alone atop the Central Catholic League.

Watson thoroughly dominated Friday's game, playing all 32 minutes and finishing with an efficient 36 points, six rebounds and five assists. The junior has an elite motor and plays with a confidence and toughness that has clearly rubbed off on his teammates. 

Righter had a strong game, finishing with 17 points and seven assists. The 5-foot-10 junior had a few tough finishes at the rim, knocked down a three and helped DeSales establish some great ball movement. 

Sophomore wing Atticus Schuler had another impressive outing, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds. The 6-foot-5 forward accepted a stiff challenge against St. Charles sophomore Jared Frey and held his own, grabbing down four offensive rebounds and playing excellent defense.

Senior forward Chris Fleischer rounded out the scoring with eight points in a gritty showing against the massive front court of St. Charles.

For the Cardinals, Frey led the way with 20 points. The 6-foot-4 sophomore showed his limitless range, knocking down four threes and getting to the rim when he wanted. Senior center Vic Searls had a great outing, finishing with 16 points and five rebounds. Sophomore guard Doogie James had a terrific game, adding nine points, four rebounds and five assists to round out the starting lineup.

Freshman center Chase Walker came off the bench and was terrific, adding 12 points and five rebounds, knocking down all six of his attempts at the line.

For DeSales, the Stallions will look to cement its place atop Division II when it hosts Jonathan Alder on Saturday.

Following the loss, St. Charles will look to bounce back with a difficult matchup against Worthington Christian at Capital at 5 p.m. on Saturday. 

Desmond Watson (6'5 WG / DeSales / 2021): No player in Central Ohio has raised their stock higher than Watson, who had yet another dominant showing in what has been a spectacular junior season with 36 points, six rebounds and five assists. The 6-foot-5 wing absolutely dominated both sides of the floor, scoring it on all three levels, as he hit four threes, converted two three-point plays and had an assortment of tough finishes in his 25-point first half. In the second half, Watson was money from the line, hit a huge three-point field goal to extend the DeSales lead to 13 points with just over a minute to go in the third quarter. Finishing with 36 points on five threes, Watson was so efficient, as he didn't force any shots, he constantly made the correct basketball play, showing great vision as he passed out of double teams and found open teammates. On defense, Watson defends with great intensity, as he didn't allow any easy buckets and made it difficult for any ball handler who went against him. Very similar to Bishop Hartley star Morgan Safford from last season, Watson is a tough kid who can smell blood in the water, and when he does, he attacks and that was the case once again on Friday in a CCL lead-clinching win for DeSales. It's a crime that Watson doesn't have a Division I offer yet. 

Chase Walker (6'6 C / St. Charles / 2023): Getting my first look at Walker on Friday, I was blown away with the toughness and physicality of the freshman. At a massive 6-foot-6, Walker is the biggest freshman big man that I've seen since Kaleb Wesson at Westerville South during the 2013-14 season. Walker is pretty advanced already as a rebounder and low post finisher, cleaning up the boards and finishing through contact all night long. The freshman shows soft touch both on the interior and at the free throw line where he knocked down all six of his attempts. Walker scored 12 of St. Charles' 13 points off the bench, giving St. Charles great minutes and impact when he was on the floor. We were really impressed with Walker's ability to pass out of the post, as he showcased excellent vision and patience, keeping the ball high and finding open teammates. Walker had an elite pass to the weak side corner on a double team, finding the open man and delivering a pass that even many upperclassman can't make.  With most young big men, it takes time for them to develop patience on the block and especially when double teams are thrown their way, however with Walker, he is already comfortable in that area and makes the correct basketball play more often than not. If he can shed some weight and improve his conditioning, Walker will have a chance to become one of the best true bigs in the state. 

Kobe Righter (5'10 G / DeSales / 2020): A player that has received big time minutes for his entire career, Righter had one of his best games ever on Friday. The 5-foot-10 senior is a talented below the rim finisher that found his way to the rim several times on Friday. We loved the way Righter controlled the tempo for DeSales, getting the Stallions into their offense and helping set Watson up for points. Righter scored 10 of his 17 points after half, while adding a game-high seven assists. When DeSales can get 30+ from Watson and games like they got from Righter on Friday, the Stallions are tough to stop and will be a huge threat in Division II. 

Jared Frey (6'4 WG / St. Charles / 2022): Frey has "in the gym" range. A player that can shoot it from NBA range, Frey was terrific on Friday, hitting four threes and finishing with 20 points. The 6-foot-4 sophomore did a great job of not settling for just long range shots, as he showed an ability to attack off the bounce and finish difficult attempts through length and contact. While he's a very talented scorer, Frey is equally as good of a passer, as he has quality vision and doesn't force the issue. We liked the way Frey defended on the perimeter, as he checked Watson for most of the second half, not giving up anything easy and moving laterally well with the 6-foot-5 junior. With an offer from Ohio already, Frey is a target for Division I programs as he brings great length, versatility and outside shooting ability on the perimeter. 

Atticus Schuler (6'5 WF / DeSales / 2022): A player that really popped up on our radar in the 270 Hoops Fall League, Schuler has continued to impress us this season with his toughness and playmaking ability. The 6-foot-5 sophomore was as important as any player on the floor in DeSales' win, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds. Schuler was money from the mid-range, knocking down two impressive pull up jumpers, going baseline and finishing a difficult score and hitting a catch and shoot triple from the right wing. The sophomore was constantly in the right place at the right time, pulling down four offensive rebounds, coming up with a handful of 50/50 balls and providing great perimeter defense on Frey, as Schuler can really move at 6-foot-5. DeSales desperately needs another scorer outside of Watson and Righter to step up and Schuler appears to be that guy, as he can rebounds, finish at the rim and knock down jumpers off movement. Given his length, guard skills and lateral ability, Schuler is an underrated sophomore to keep an eye on, as he provides valuable versatility in a day and age of positionless basketball. 

Doogie James (5'9 PG / St. Charles / 2022): James is a tough, tough customer. The 5-foot-9 point guard and floor general had a great showing against DeSales, going for nine points, four rebounds and five assists. The sophomore sets the table for the Cardinals, showcasing strong passing and vision, has a very good handle and can get by defenders despite not having great size. Offensively, James was able to get to the rim and finish through contact, while also knocking down a catch and shoot mid-range jumper. While his outside shot is still the part of his game that is weakest right now, James does everything else at a high level, as the young lead guard simply knows how to play and makes others around him better. 

Josh Whiteside (6'6 PF / St. Charles / 2022): Whiteside is still finding his footing at his new school after coming in from Gahanna over the summer. The 6-foot-6 forward received the start and played a great majority of Friday's game, going for six points and two rebounds. With St. Charles having so much size, Whiteside is almost always plays the four when he's on the floor, which limited his touches and opportunity. However, he still took advantage when his number was called, converting three impressive scores on the post, showing off his excellent lift and explosiveness for his size. With two offers from Ohio and Miami (OH), Whiteside is one of the area's best young bigs and will really help this St. Charles program in the future when Searls graduates and moves on to Ashland. 

Vic Searls (6'8 C / St. Charles / 2020): Searls has one of the best stories for local prospects. Heading into his junior year, Searls was overweight and not sure if he was going to pursue basketball after high school. After playing in the 270 Hoops Fall League and having some success, Searls' entire career changed, as he got into great shape, shed a ton of weight and became one of the elite senior big men in the area who is now signed to Division II power Ashland. In a tough loss to DeSales on Friday, Searls was a bright spot for the Cardinals, finishing with 16 points and five rebounds. The senior can seal defenders on the block with his massive lower body, which more often than not leads to high percentage attempts on the interior. Searls, along with Walker, did an excellent job on the glass, carving out space and grabbing everything in their area. Searls is one of few true back to the basket players in the area, as he is a throwback big who you can throw it to down low and he'll get you a bucket.