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District Semifinal Preview: Division I

By Zach Fleer, 03/02/20, 4:30PM EST

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A breakdown of what's to come in Division I this week

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It’s district title week in Central Ohio. Across all four divisions, 36 teams remain in Central Ohio. By the end of the week, that number will dwindle to just 10. 

Let’s take a look at what’s on tap in the area in Division I, as part of a four-part series that will span the week.

No. 7 Thomas Worthington (19-5) vs. No. 9 Olentangy Liberty (18-6) - Weds., March 4 at Westerville North

Two young teams with plenty of talent in the junior class. Thomas Worthington is looking to make its second-straight district final while Liberty is hoping to get back to the district finals after replacing all five starters from last year’s regional champion squad. Both teams had confusing losses to end the regular season with Thomas losing to Worthington Kilbourne and Liberty losing to Olentangy, the same Braves squad that nearly upset the Cardinals on Friday. The matchup between Jalen Sullinger and Henry Hinkle will be as good as any one-on-one matchup this week.

No. 5 Pickerington North (20-4) vs. No. 16 Chillicothe (18-4) - Weds., March 4 at Amanda-Clearcreek

Experience is the name of the game in this matchup with both teams being led by upperclassmen. Pickerington North fell just one game short of a share of an OCC-Ohio title and won 20+ games for the third-straight season. Chillicothe is led by a quartet of talented seniors and have a front court presence in senior Brandon Noel that’ll make things interesting in Wednesday’s semifinal game. On the wing, the battle between Pickerington North’s Hunter Shedenhelm and Chillicothe’s Jayvon Maughmer will be worth the price of admission. A win for Chillicothe would mark the first time since 2015 (Tri-Valley) that a non-Central District school made it to the district finals. 

No. 6 Walnut Ridge (20-4) vs. No. 17 Reynoldsburg (14-10) - Weds., March 4 at Pickerington North (6 p.m.)

This pod has big-time east side flavor with all four programs being located either on, near, or in the vicinity of Hamilton and Livingston roads. The battle of Livingston will tip off in the opener of Wednesday’s double header at Pickerington North when Reynoldsburg takes on Walnut Ridge. The Scots are coming off its best season in the last five years, winners of 20 games and its first City League title since 1971. With district title and beyond aspirations, the Scots will need to get past a Reynoldsburg team that seems to have new life after going on the road and knocking off a tough New Albany squad.

No. 1 Gahanna (23-1) vs. No. 22 Whitehall (15-8) - Weds., March 4 at Pickerington North (8 p.m.)

In the nightcap at Pickerington North, Whitehall will get another crack at top-seeded Gahanna after falling short 55-44 on Dec. 31. The Rams are confident in their ability to pull off the upset, as its talented core of juniors went on the road and handled Canal Winchester in impressive fashion. Whitehall has enough size, versatility and athleticism to make things interesting, however, Gahanna is an outright OCC-Ohio champion and playing with great confidence and belief right now. 

No. 4 Pickerington Central (18-6) vs. No. 18 Delaware Hayes (14-9) - Weds., March 4 at Worthington Christian

Delaware Hayes provided the upset of the tournament so far when they took down St. Charles in dominating fashion, holding the Cardinals to 30 points and snapping a 12-game win streak. The Pacers are 14-4 with Nate Griggs in the lineup and are in the district semifinals after an 0-5 start. Opposing them is a Pickerington Central team that sputtered at the end of the regular season but seems to have renewed confidence after taking care of Mount Vernon and Licking Heights in the sectional round. 

No. 3 South (23-1) vs. No. 13 Westerville Central (16-7) - Weds., March 4 at Pickerington Central

South is looking to win its first Division I district title in decades after the Bulldogs spent the last few years dominating Division II. In order to do that, they’ll need to take down a tough Westerville Central squad led by coach Kevin Martin, the former Johnstown head coach that formed a special rivalry with the Bulldogs five years ago. Martin is hoping Wednesday’s matchup goes more like the 2016 D2 district finals that the Johnnies won over South, as opposed to the year before where Spears got his first major win as South head coach in the district finals. Westerville Central’s toughness will be tested against a South team that is as physical as any on the perimeter. 

No. 2 Hilliard Bradley (23-2) vs. No. 11 Westerville South (16-8) - Weds., March 4 at Olentangy Berlin

Hilliard Bradley is looking to get back to the district finals after being upset by Thomas Worthington last year. The Jags will have to take down a gritty Westerville South team in order to do that. Westerville South is actually the last program to defeat the Jags in OCC league play all the way back in 2016. The Wildcats are hoping Wednesday’s matchup goes much like the last time these two teams met up, however, South won’t have the luxury of the Wesson brothers this time around. Regardless, this game features two teams that defend the crap out of the ball, as this could be a slobber knocker kept in the 40s or 50s. 

No. 8 Newark (22-3) vs. No. 10 Dublin Coffman (18-6) - Weds., March 4 at Watkins Memorial

This is a rematch of the 2018 district semifinals that Coffman won in close fashion over Newark. The Wildcats are looking for revenge as the OCC-Capital champs do battle against the champion out of the OCC-Central. Newark prides itself on its tough defense, which makes this game an interesting one as Coffman thrives in its dribble-drive system that is predicated on penetration and spot-up three-point shooting. Coffman senior guard Keaton Turner is in the midst of a breakout year, leading the OCC in scoring and setting a program record for points scored in a season. For the Rocks to take down a tough Newark squad on Wednesday, they might need Turner to have another legacy defining game. 

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