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Westerville Central 65, Gahanna 64 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Greg Glasser, 02/06/21, 12:45AM EST

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Warhawks get revenge with a one-point victory of their own over Gahanna

GAHANNA, Ohio -- With the District tournament seed selection taking place on Saturday, teams in Central Ohio had Friday night to make their final impression.

For Westerville Central, not only did they make a statement for a top seed, they evened their series with Gahanna in an emotional 65-64 victory.

Gahanna took control in the first quarter and built an early double-digit lead as the entire starting five clicked on all offensive cylinders.   Seniors Jarius Jones, Maceo Williams and junior Javan Simmons all connected on three-pointers, while junior Sean Jones was the lead distributor with multiple early assists. 

The Warhawks started to gain some offensive momentum, led by their senior guards Quincy Clark and Tasos Cook, as Westerville closed out the quarter down 22-14.

The momentum carried into the next period, as Clark and Cook had seven points each while the Warhawks defense completely disrupted any Gahanna rhythm.  The Lions were held to just nine points in the second quarter and took a two-point deficit into halftime. 

But like the start of the first half, Gahanna began the second on fire offensively.   The Lions took control halfway through the third to extend their lead up to 11 points, after back-to-back Sean Jones highlight-worthy assists that started with an alley-oop to Simmons and ended with a beautiful kick out pass to Eljae Deas in the corner for a three.

The Warhawks still were not phased, especially senior MJ Davis who dropped eight third-quarter points and helped lead Westerville on a 13-3 run in the final three minutes of the quarter.  The run ended on a Davis final-second heave just past mid court to give the Warhawks a one-point lead into the final period.

In the fourth and with just under a minute to play, Westerville held a five-point lead until Sean Jones, who had not made any shots from deep all game, showcased confidence with a made pull-up three to cut Westerville’s lead to two.

On Westerville’s next possession, Cook went one-of-two from the line to give the Warhawks a 3-point lead. Gahanna had an opportunity to tie when Jones again attempted another pull-up three, but hit rim.

Cook connected again on one-of-two free throws to safely put Westerville ahead by four points in the final seconds. Jones then made a too-little-too-late three to cut the final score to 65-64.

The Warhawks offensive surge was incomplete without the efforts of Cook, who led his team with 23 points and five assists.  Davis added 13 points, while Clark scored 11 and had three assists. 

With senior forward Miles Poindexter out of the lineup, the Warhawks received fantastic production from junior Brad Leonard who had eight points.   The six-foot-five wing forward was excellent around the rim and also did a good job challenging Simmons on defense in the second half. 

Gahanna received a blow when their second-leading scorer, Jarius Jones, left early in the first quarter after what appeared to be a knee injury.   He did not appear back in the game. 

While Sean Jones led all Gahanna scorers with 20 points, he struggled a bit shooting from the field and instead made his strongest impact with his six assists.  

Simmons and Williams were a force in the post as the two bigs combined for 30 points. Williams grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and Simmons had seven. 

While Gahanna still has control of the lead in the OCC-Ohio, Westerville Central made a strong statement Friday night to the tournament committee as they make their seed decisions Saturday.

The Warhawks now have signature wins over top teams including Thomas Worthington and Gahanna. With only two losses by a combined two points, the Warhawks may have made a serious case for the #1 seed. 

Tasos Cook  (6'2 WG / Westerville Central  / 2021): It’ll be hard to find many players in Central Ohio more consistent and up for the moment than Tasos Cook.  Averaging nearly 20 points per game, Cook once again was a problem for defenses. The unsigned senior put up an impressive game-high 23 points on a talented Gahanna defense.  Cook is one of the best guards in the area when it comes to getting to the rim.  With above average athleticism, Cook does a fantastic job of controlling his body in the air and finishing at the rim.  Like all great scorers, Cook got himself to the line and continues to be a reliable threat from deep, connecting on two three-pointers.  Cook is the best unsigned senior in the area and if you’re a mid-major Division I or II program still looking for an athletic, strong, competitive wing guard, quit wasting your time and offer Tasos Cook.

Javan Simmons  (6'7 PF / Gahanna  / 2022): Fresh off his second Division I offer, Simmons put together a dominating performance on Friday night.   The six-foot-seven big offers a strong blend of size, athleticism and aggressiveness that catches your attention on nearly every possession.  Simmons has next-level quickness with his post moves.  Tonight, he hit on his lone three-point attempt and was a force defensively with two blocks and seven rebounds. As Gahanna was attempting to even the score in the fourth, Simmons became the go-to offensive threat and converted on back-to-back possessions.  If you’re a coach that believes in strong body language, Simmons displays focus and intensity from the minute he steps onto the floor during warm-ups.   Simmons is one of the area’s fastest rising 2022 prospects and on Friday night he showed exactly why.

Sean Jones  (5'11 PG / Gahanna  / 2022): While Jones did not have his best night shooting, the star point guard still found a way to lead his team with 20 points and was fantastic distributing with his game-high six assists.   On Friday, Jones took care of the ball and did an excellent job of attracting the defense with his elite ball-handling skills, which often leads to finding an open teammate.  Even though he didn’t have much success from long-range, we were impressed with Jones' confidence to hit a late three-pointer to keep Gahanna within one possession.  It also says something that he was seen taking extra shots twenty minutes after the game, alongside teammate Maceo Williams.  As the area’s most coveted prospect, fair or not, Jones will get extra scrutiny in any defeat. Yet, we think games like Friday can help Jones become a better player in the long run.

Maceo Williams  (6'6 PF / Gahanna  / 2021): On a team filled with talent, Williams not only displays skill of his own, but is one of the more sound and fundamental players you’ll find at the high school level.  Williams is a solid six-foot-six, who uses his long wingspan to his advantage, as he put up 14 points and 12 rebounds.   Williams has a nice touch around the rim and is perhaps one of the best in the area at grabbing a rebound to then lead the break with an outlet pass.   The senior is not outwardly vocal, but he leads by effort and with minimal mistakes.  We’ve seen tremendous improvement nearly every year from Williams and we expect he’ll carry that development into a fantastic career at Ashland.

Quincy Clark  (6'3 PG / Westerville Central  / 2021): Clark not only has a skilled offensive game, but he has an enthusiasm and demeanor that helps your team do things like comeback from double-digit deficits. While he didn’t have his best night shooting, Clark still put in 11 points which included a nice corner three-pointer and a step-back long jumper.   Clark also does a great job of playing off fellow guard Cook, as the two often compliment each other with assists to one another.  The unsigned senior who holds offers from Northwood, Concord and Rio Grande is a talented, hard working leader that’s crucial for the Warhawks tournament success.

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GAHANNA, Ohio -- With the District tournament seed selection taking place on Saturday, teams in Central Ohio had Friday night to make their final impression.

For Westerville Central, not only did they make a statement for a top seed, they evened their series with Gahanna in an emotional 65-64 victory.

Gahanna took control in the first quarter and built an early double-digit lead as the entire starting five clicked on all offensive cylinders.   Seniors Jarius Jones, Maceo Williams and junior Javan Simmons all connected on three-pointers, while junior Sean Jones was the lead distributor with multiple early assists. 

The Warhawks started to gain some offensive momentum, led by their senior guards Quincy Clark and Tasos Cook, as Westerville closed out the quarter down 22-14.

The momentum carried into the next period, as Clark and Cook had seven points each while the Warhawks defense completely disrupted any Gahanna rhythm.  The Lions were held to just nine points in the second quarter and took a two-point deficit into halftime. 

But like the start of the first half, Gahanna began the second on fire offensively.   The Lions took control halfway through the third to extend their lead up to 11 points, after back-to-back Sean Jones highlight-worthy assists that started with an alley-oop to Simmons and ended with a beautiful kick out pass to Eljae Deas in the corner for a three.

The Warhawks still were not phased, especially senior MJ Davis who dropped eight third-quarter points and helped lead Westerville on a 13-3 run in the final three minutes of the quarter.  The run ended on a Davis final-second heave just past mid court to give the Warhawks a one-point lead into the final period.

In the fourth and with just under a minute to play, Westerville held a five-point lead until Sean Jones, who had not made any shots from deep all game, showcased confidence with a made pull-up three to cut Westerville’s lead to two.

On Westerville’s next possession, Cook went one-of-two from the line to give the Warhawks a 3-point lead. Gahanna had an opportunity to tie when Jones again attempted another pull-up three, but hit rim.

Cook connected again on one-of-two free throws to safely put Westerville ahead by four points in the final seconds. Jones then made a too-little-too-late three to cut the final score to 65-64.

The Warhawks offensive surge was incomplete without the efforts of Cook, who led his team with 23 points and five assists.  Davis added 13 points, while Clark scored 11 and had three assists. 

With senior forward Miles Poindexter out of the lineup, the Warhawks received fantastic production from junior Brad Leonard who had eight points.   The six-foot-five wing forward was excellent around the rim and also did a good job challenging Simmons on defense in the second half. 

Gahanna received a blow when their second-leading scorer, Jarius Jones, left early in the first quarter after what appeared to be a knee injury.   He did not appear back in the game. 

While Sean Jones led all Gahanna scorers with 20 points, he struggled a bit shooting from the field and instead made his strongest impact with his six assists.  

Simmons and Williams were a force in the post as the two bigs combined for 30 points. Williams grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and Simmons had seven. 

While Gahanna still has control of the lead in the OCC-Ohio, Westerville Central made a strong statement Friday night to the tournament committee as they make their seed decisions Saturday.

The Warhawks now have signature wins over top teams including Thomas Worthington and Gahanna. With only two losses by a combined two points, the Warhawks may have made a serious case for the #1 seed. 

Tasos Cook  (6'2 WG / Westerville Central  / 2021): It’ll be hard to find many players in Central Ohio more consistent and up for the moment than Tasos Cook.  Averaging nearly 20 points per game, Cook once again was a problem for defenses. The unsigned senior put up an impressive game-high 23 points on a talented Gahanna defense.  Cook is one of the best guards in the area when it comes to getting to the rim.  With above average athleticism, Cook does a fantastic job of controlling his body in the air and finishing at the rim.  Like all great scorers, Cook got himself to the line and continues to be a reliable threat from deep, connecting on two three-pointers.  Cook is the best unsigned senior in the area and if you’re a mid-major Division I or II program still looking for an athletic, strong, competitive wing guard, quit wasting your time and offer Tasos Cook.

Javan Simmons  (6'7 PF / Gahanna  / 2022): Fresh off his second Division I offer, Simmons put together a dominating performance on Friday night.   The six-foot-seven big offers a strong blend of size, athleticism and aggressiveness that catches your attention on nearly every possession.  Simmons has next-level quickness with his post moves.  Tonight, he hit on his lone three-point attempt and was a force defensively with two blocks and seven rebounds. As Gahanna was attempting to even the score in the fourth, Simmons became the go-to offensive threat and converted on back-to-back possessions.  If you’re a coach that believes in strong body language, Simmons displays focus and intensity from the minute he steps onto the floor during warm-ups.   Simmons is one of the area’s fastest rising 2022 prospects and on Friday night he showed exactly why.

Sean Jones  (5'11 PG / Gahanna  / 2022): While Jones did not have his best night shooting, the star point guard still found a way to lead his team with 20 points and was fantastic distributing with his game-high six assists.   On Friday, Jones took care of the ball and did an excellent job of attracting the defense with his elite ball-handling skills, which often leads to finding an open teammate.  Even though he didn’t have much success from long-range, we were impressed with Jones' confidence to hit a late three-pointer to keep Gahanna within one possession.  It also says something that he was seen taking extra shots twenty minutes after the game, alongside teammate Maceo Williams.  As the area’s most coveted prospect, fair or not, Jones will get extra scrutiny in any defeat. Yet, we think games like Friday can help Jones become a better player in the long run.

Maceo Williams  (6'6 PF / Gahanna  / 2021): On a team filled with talent, Williams not only displays skill of his own, but is one of the more sound and fundamental players you’ll find at the high school level.  Williams is a solid six-foot-six, who uses his long wingspan to his advantage, as he put up 14 points and 12 rebounds.   Williams has a nice touch around the rim and is perhaps one of the best in the area at grabbing a rebound to then lead the break with an outlet pass.   The senior is not outwardly vocal, but he leads by effort and with minimal mistakes.  We’ve seen tremendous improvement nearly every year from Williams and we expect he’ll carry that development into a fantastic career at Ashland.

Quincy Clark  (6'3 PG / Westerville Central  / 2021): Clark not only has a skilled offensive game, but he has an enthusiasm and demeanor that helps your team do things like comeback from double-digit deficits. While he didn’t have his best night shooting, Clark still put in 11 points which included a nice corner three-pointer and a step-back long jumper.   Clark also does a great job of playing off fellow guard Cook, as the two often compliment each other with assists to one another.  The unsigned senior who holds offers from Northwood, Concord and Rio Grande is a talented, hard working leader that’s crucial for the Warhawks tournament success.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- 

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