MOUNT VICTORY, Ohio -- Covering our first-ever game in Hardin County on Monday, we had the chance to catch a team we are very familiar with in North Union, who was taking on northwest district foe Ridgemont.

The visiting Wildcats are coming off a 24-1 season where they were undefeated until a district final loss to Johnstown in Division III. Taking on a tough Ridgemont team in its season opener, North Union shook off some early rust to cruise to a 64-54 victory.

While Ridgemont had an early lead and closed to as close as 20-18 midway through the second quarter, North Union executed a 12-0 run to end the first half, taking advantage of costly Gophers turnovers to convert in transition to take a 32-18 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, North Union maintained a 10-12 point advantage most of the way, with Ridgemont clawing no closer than seven points. Any time the Gophers looked primed to make a run to close the gap in the fourth quarter, North Union senior Preston Crabtree responded.

The senior marksman knocked down timely three after timely three in the period to quell the Ridgemont surge, leading all scorers with 17 points in a quality win.

Outside of Crabtree, North Union got quality performances from sophomore wing Owen Davis, junior center Zach Vernon and junior guard Aaron Krebehenne.

The Wildcats don't have as much firepower as they did last year when seniors Connor Terrill and Harley Day provided a big chunk of scoring, however, the duo of Crabtree and Vernon will be tough to stop in the Central Buckeye Conference. If Crabtree's outside shot is falling, it stretches the floor and allows Vernon to make use of his big 6-foot-7 frame down low.

For Ridgemont, the Gophers were led by junior tandem Landon Newland and Mason Stuck. Newland and Stuck have helped revive the program and will be key pieces for a team that should be able to compete in the Northwest Central Conference that includes programs like Lima Perry, who made a state final four appearance in 2017.

Preston Crabtree (6'2 WG / North Union / 2021): Crabtree was the reason why a handful of college coaches filled the gym on Monday. The 6-foot-2 guard is North Union's top returning scorer and heated up in a major way in the fourth quarter to power the Wildcats to a win. While his three-point shot is what most know him for, Crabtree is a crafty ball handler who can weave his way to the rim where he's a strong finisher. With North Union losing talented guard Connor Terrill to graduation, the bullseye on Crabtree's back is bigger from opposing defenses, as they'll look to shut him down to hopefully stifle the rest of the North Union attack. However, when Crabtree is on, the rest of the team seems to follow and that was the case on Monday. The 6-foot-2 guard is a tremendous competitor, leading North Union to the regional finals in football at the quarterback position, months after turning in a big junior basketball season where he helped take the Wildcats to new heights and 24-straight wins. You won't find many better overall young men in Central Ohio than Crabtree. 

Landon Newland (6'3 WG / Ridgemont / 2022): Newland is one of the most productive small town scorers in Ohio in the 2022 class. The 6-foot-3 wing guard was Ridgemont's go-to option on Monday, as he produced in a multitude of ways on the offensive end. Newland is a multi-level scorer with a strong in-between game, as he was productive in the mid-range, always seemed to be in the right place at the right time around the basket and was even able to stretch the floor with his three-point shot. With quality size at 6-foot-3, Newland is a player just outside of Central Ohio to keep an eye on in the 2022 class.

Zach Vernon (6'7 C / North Union / 2022): There aren't many physical bigs like Vernon left in the high school game, as he has no issue throwing his body around and establishing great position on the block. When Vernon seals his defender, he's a highly effective scorer with his jump hook over either shoulder, while also having a great drop step move that he converts at a high level. The 6-foot-7 forward broke out as a sophomore and will be an even bigger offensive threat for the Wildcats as a junior. While Ridgemont did the best they could to limit Vernon's paint touches, he still found ways to produce and be productive. Look for Vernon to have a big season in the CBC and in a loaded Division III in Central Ohio. 

Mason Stuck (6'5 C / Ridgemont / 2022):  Stuck is a player that we are quite familiar with, as he played in the Open Division of the 270 Hoops Fall League in 2019 and then participated in our Country Roads Challenge of the 270 Hoops Proving Grounds this past fall. The solid 6-foot-5 forward is a low post threat who has a soft touch around the basket. While Stuck has tried to stretch the floor with his three-point shot, it's something that is still not a strength of his game, as he was most effective when he was probing around the rim for dump offs and entry looks. Stuck has been a big piece to a turnaround for the Ridgemont program, as he provides quality size and low post scoring ability. 

Owen Davis (6'2 WF / North Union / 2023): Davis was the most athletic player in the gym on Monday, punishing Ridgemont defenders at the rim with hustle plays and hard drives to the basket. After cutting his teeth as a freshman coming off the bench for a league champion, Davis has transitioned to the starting lineup and will be relied upon in a bigger way this year. We like the aggressiveness that Davis plays with, as he is not afraid to go up through contact and showed to have some finishing skill near the basket. We still would like to see more perimeter skill from Davis, however, his role on this team is to be the junkyard dog that makes athletic hustle plays and he did that to perfection on Monday.