REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio -- New division, but familiar foes. 

That was the case Friday night when Pickerington Central traveled north to play long-time rival Reynoldsburg.  Like most recent outcomes of this duel, the Tigers came out on top, this time with a 57-47 win.   

After the Raiders started the quarter with a six-point deficit, Reynoldsburg ended the first on a 12-2 run and took an early four-point advantage after one quarter.    

The Raiders lead disappeared early in the second as the Tigers scored a quick nine points in the quarter’s first two minutes and took a lead that they never let go. 

Pickerington’s junior point guard Josh Harlan set the tone, both offensively and defensively, as he scored 10 overall points, but also turned momentum with his three drawn charges in the first half.  

Harlan’s control of the offense allowed for a balanced all-around scoring effort from the entire Tigers starting rotation.  

Senior do-it-all forward Garner Wallace led all scorers with 18 points.  Most of Wallace’s scoring came via open looks underneath the hoop, a credit to his off-ball IQ and crafty ability to finish around the rim.  He ended his night with an emphatic breakaway dunk that eliminated any chance of a Reynoldsburg comeback. 

Sophomore Sonny Styles saved a majority of his impact in the second half, scoring all of his seven points during the last two periods, while also adding five rebounds, three assists and two blocks.  

Pickerington also received a combined 20 points from senior Zakai Alexander and sophomore Devin Royal, who both had excellent all-around games that will be highlighted in the Prospect Scouting Report. 

Although Reynoldsburg never regained the lead after winning the first quarter, the Raiders made enough plays and fourth-quarter shots that prevented the Tigers from getting comfortable.  

Senior Josiah Mobley made two of his three three-pointers in the final period, while junior Julian Heckman scored all of his seven points in the second half that helped cut Pickerington’s lead down to six points.  

However, the Tigers were too deadly and efficient in transition, as they quickly responded to any Reynoldsburg basket with a score of their own and secured the 10-point victory.

The win for Pickerington Central puts them in the driver’s seat of the OCC-Buckeye as they remain undefeated in the division.  Their next opponent takes them out of conference as an intriguing matchup against Des Watson and DeSales awaits the Tigers on Monday.

Despite the loss, Reynoldsburg remains only one game behind the Tigers in the division and will have a chance for a rematch with Central in the last game of the regular season.  In the meantime, they will look to bounce back Saturday as they host Grove City.

Josh Harlan (5'11 PG / Pickerington Central  / 2022): While Pickerington Central has a variety of athletes and exceptional talent, the Tigers are a noticeably better team when Harlan is on the court. The junior point guard does a strong job of not only controlling the Tigers offense, but also by pushing tempo and utilizing his teammates athleticism advantage.  That’s not to say Harlan is not a gifted athlete himself.  He’s quick and has the speed and shiftiness like a punt returner, but does so without committing turnovers or unforced errors. Even as a point guard and facilitator, Harlan can be a primary scorer, as he is really good at quickly pulling up for a jump shot or three-pointer, which he made two of tonight. Harlan gets it done on the defensive end too, as tonight he forced Reynoldsburg into three drawn charge calls and also forced another steal. The 2022 Central Ohio point guard class is very deep, but Harlan deserves to be mentioned with the best of them.

Devin Royal (6'5 WF / Pickerington Central  / 2023): One of the top prospects in the area in the 2023 class, Royal continued his breakthrough sophomore season with a solid all-around impact tonight.  Royal started the game with an impressive tip-slam and continued to showcase a nice touch around the rim. The sophomore, who currently holds an offer from Ohio University, led all players in rebounding with eight boards. Royal has long arms and uses them to his advantage. Each time we cover Royal, his game continues to mature and he seems to look more and more comfortable becoming a focal point in the Tigers offense.

Zakai Alexander (6'3 WG / Pickerington Central / 2021): On a mostly younger team, Alexander (along with Garner Wallace), is a senior that leads by example on both ends of the floor. Alexander pitched in 11 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. The senior was crucial in the third quarter as he scored nine points to help the Tigers take control for good. While he may not steal a lot of the highlight reels, Alexander is an important component to this Tigers team and will be counted on if the Tigers look to get back to the district championship.

Zaveon Croff (6'1 WF / Reynoldsburg / 2021): The senior wing was the hustler of the night.  Croff was simply everywhere, just look at the stat line.  Eight points, seven rebounds, four blocks, an assist and a steal.  Listed at just six-foot-one, Croff plays much bigger than what’s listed on the roster.  His most impressive play of the night came on back-to-back blocks at the rim that began with a stiff rejection of Sonny Styles. While he’s not a flashy player, he does the dirty work that’s badly needed for a rather undersized Raiders team.

Josiah Mobley (6'0 PG / Reynoldsburg / 2021): Without Mobley’s scoring, the Raiders would have been in serious trouble tonight. The senior guard did a nice job of creating his own offense and also displayed a nice shooting stroke, making three three-pointers.  Like many guards going against Pickerington Central, Mobley had a bit of a challenge getting to and finishing at the rim, but did his best to still find scoring opportunities.  On a team that doesn’t have a ton of consistent scoring threats, Mobley will continue to be a focal point of the Raiders offense, most notably his long-range shooting ability.