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Capital City Coaches for a Cure Classic: Top Performers

By Jake Spegal, 12/20/21, 1:00PM EST

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Taking a look at some of the top performers from Sunday's action at Capital

BEXLEY, Ohio -- After a year off due to COVID, the Capital City Coaches for a Cure Classic made a return on Sunday as our staff took in five games of action at Capital University.

With some close games and blowouts in between, the day started off with St. Charles taking down Springfield and ended with Hilliard Bradley grabbing an impressive 15-point win over Walsh Jesuit to end the night.

The results of the games were as follows:

  • St. Charles 67, Springfield 52
  • Olentangy Liberty 56, Westerville Central 49
  • Pickerington North 59, Hilliard Davidson 56
  • ​​​​​​​Gahanna 81, Dohn Prep 46
  • ​​​​​​​Hilliard Bradley 48, Walsh Jesuit 33

Let's take a look at some of the top performers from the action below.

Chase Walker (6'8 C / St. Charles / 2023): Walker turned in another dominant performance in St. Charles' win over Springfield, leading all scorers with 26 points in the contest. Springfield simply had no matchup for the size and ability of Walker as he seemed to either score or get fouled every time that he touched the ball in the post, converting on three and-ones and grabbing a handful of rebounds as well. At 6-foot-8, Walker exhibits great patience in the post as he handles double teams well and is also a very good passer for a big man. Walker has a decent handle as well as we saw him face up a defender and bully him to the block for a score on Sunday too. While some people may look at Walker and think he is productive simply because of his size, the patience, IQ and touch inside are what make the junior such a matchup nightmare. Adding his first Division I offer from Stony Brook last week, Walker is enjoying a great junior season as the go-to guy for St. Charles.

Arness Lawson (6'1 WG / Pickerington North / 2025): Winning MVP of Pickerington North's matchup against Hilliard Davidson, the freshman Lawson turned in arguably the best two-way performance we saw all day on Sunday. While we have seen Lawson's skill on the offensive end, it is safe to say that he is one of Central Ohio's elite perimeter defenders as a freshman as well. Frustrating Hilliard Davidson's ball handlers all day, the 6-foot-1 guard used his length and quickness to come up with a handful of steals that often led to easy points for Pickerington North. While Lawson has great skill on the defensive end, our staff was really intrigued by how much you can tell that he wants to play defense. In today's culture where everyone wants to be the leading scorer and make the big offensive plays, it was refreshing to see a freshman competing so hard on the defensive end. Offensively, Lawson had a few really impressive driving scores around Hilliard Davidson's length and also hit a smooth mid-range jumper off the bounce. One of Central Ohio's best freshmen, Lawson is a name to keep an eye on for years to come.

Ryan Paris (6'3 WG / Hilliard Davidson / 2022): After sitting out of Hilliard Davidson's win over Dublin Coffman on Friday due to sickness, Paris returned on Sunday and led the Wildcats with 19 points in a close loss to Pickerington North. The senior guard, who usually starts, came off the bench to start the game but quickly came in and made an immediate impact. Paris hit two three's off the catch and one off the dribble, showed soft touch on a nice floater and also converted on a second chance bucket. The 6-foot-3 guard has a really smooth stroke and plays at a good pace as he makes good decisions that allow him to create easy looks and operate efficiently. With good size and shotmaking ability on the wing, the senior will be a nice addition for IU South Bend.

Cade Norris (6’3 G / Hilliard Bradley / 2024): Norris has been on a tear all season for Hilliard Bradley, and his dominant play continued on Sunday night as he scored 24 points in the win. The junior scored in any way he wanted, as he bullied multiple defenders to the basket, and knocked down a couple of three pointers as well. He was also extremely poised as he navigated through Walsh Jesuit’s full-court press, and attacked open holes in the defense for some easy layups and a handful of assists. Hilliard Bradley hasn’t gotten off to the strong start they're accustomed to, but with players like Norris leading the way, the Jaguars will continue to be a tough team to beat on a nightly basis.

Jeff Amapps (6'3 F / Pickerington North / 2023): Using his strength to create second chances and easy looks inside, Amapps was huge for Pickerington North down the stretch on Sunday as he finished the contest with 13 points. We really enjoy watching the junior play as whether it is in a fall league setting or in a high school game, he always seems to have the highest motor on the floor. Amapps knows his role within Pickerington North's offense and does a great job of staying within it. With a strong frame at 6-foot-3, the junior grabbed a ton of rebounds on Sunday which led to multiple easy second chance scores for Pickerington North. We love to see guys outwork their opponent and create opportunities for their team simply by playing hard and that is exactly what Amapps did in the Panthers big win on Sunday as he also was impressive on the defensive interior.

Jayden Nervis (6'5 WG / Hilliard Davidson / 2022): Nervis was solid for Hilliard Davidson on Sunday as he finished with 16 points and scored in a variety of ways. The senior really seems to have improved his shot-choice as he was efficient on Sunday and did not get sped up or force things very often. Nervis hit a couple of tough mid-range jumpers off the dribble, scored in the post, converted on an and-one and laid in a lob pass in transition. With his length at the guard spot, Nervis can create a lot of open shots and did a good job of being patient and converting on those looks yesterday. We really like the skillset that the senior offers as he has been a major key in helping Hilliard Davidson experience such a great start to the season.

Nick Boysko (6'3 WF / Olentangy Liberty / 2022): Boysko turned in a solid second half for Olentangy Liberty on Sunday to tally a season-high 17 points in their win. Nailing a pair of triples and converting inside on multiple occasions, the senior forward did a great job of operating within Olentangy Liberty's offense and taking what the defense gave him. Boysko is not someone who will create looks on his own but does a good job of operating off of his teammates and converting on the open looks that they create for him. The senior also did a good job of controlling the glass on Sunday as he was impressive on both ends for Olentangy Liberty.

Dior Conners (6'2 G / Pickerington North / 2022): To keep it simple, we are really glad to see Conners finally enjoying a season fully healthy. After entering high school with a lot of talent, the senior guard has dealt with a lot of injuries throughout his career and is finally starting to thrive at full strength this season. Conners has an intriguing offensive skillset as the 6-foot-2 guard has a shifty handle and does a really good job of finishing inside. He converted on two and-ones for Pickerington North in their win and also got inside for some other tough scores and impressive dimes, showing off his ability to finish around length with both hands. When all of Pickerington North's guards are hitting shots and speeding the game up, they can be a really tough team to beat.

Jeb Bischoff (6’0 G / Hilliard Bradley / 2024): Like Norris, Bischoff is a sophomore guard who will have a lot on his plate this season, but it doesn’t look like that will be a problem. After a slow first half, Bischoff helped expand Hilliard Bradley’s lead to double-digits as he drilled multiple jumpers and had a couple of nice finishes in traffic as well. Bischoff is always looking for ways to get open with or without the ball, and we saw a lot of great off-ball movement to get him the shots he was looking for. He also assisted on a few of Norris’ baskets, further emphasizing how important the two sophomores will be for Hilliard Bradley this season.

Jerry Saunders (6'1 WG / Pickerington North / 2022): While he did not have a huge scoring game on Sunday, Saunders hit some crucial shots for Pickerington North in their win. The senior guard got inside for a tough finish, hit a couple of mid-range jumpers off the dribble and also had a huge steal and layup that ended up sealing the win for the Panthers. We know that Saunders can fill it up on offense and were really glad to see him also making a difference on the defensive end for Pickerington North yesterday. The senior is a pure-bred scorer and has seen his recruitment heat up this season as he continues to turn in solid performances.

Josh Whiteside (6'7 F / Gahanna / 2022): Whiteside turned in an impressive showing in Gahanna's win over Dohn Prep as he showed off his athleticism with four monstrous dunks inside, one of which was by way of a lob pass. Whiteside has got himself into great shape over the offseason and is enjoying a really solid season for Gahanna thus far. When you have a player like the senior as your third of fourth option, you know that you have a very scary rotation. Whiteside crashes the glass, blocks shots and does a great job of running the floor as a big and converting in transition.

Dallas Tucker (5'10 PG / Westerville Central / 2024): Getting moved into the starting lineup for Westerville Central on Sunday, Tucker started the game a little slow but turned things around and led all Warhawk scorers with 12 points in the loss. The sophomore guard has a strong frame and used it to get inside for multiple scores as he converted on an and-one and bodied a smaller defender for an easy finish while attacking the lane with his right hand. Tucker also nailed a triple and had a couple of impressive passes in the contest. Only a sophomore, we are excited to see how Tucker continues to adjust to the varsity level as we know he offers a really talented skillset on the offensive end of the floor.

Zach Auletta (5'10 G / St. Charles / 2023): Auletta's play proved key for St. Charles down the stretch on Sunday as he handled the ball well against the pressure of Springfield and converted on some important field goals late in the game to help the Cardinals seal the deal. Auletta is someone who you can tell hates losing more than he loves winning as he brought intensity throughout Sunday's contest and applied it on both ends of the floor. The junior nailed a corner three, got inside for a few tough scores and also had a couple of nice passes leading to easy scores. On a team like St. Charles where a player like Walker will often receive so much defensive attention, you have to receive contributions from guys like Auletta to win and that was exactly the case for St. Charles yesterday.

Nick Patton (6'1 WG / Westerville Central / 2024): We were impressed with the showing that Patton turned in on Sunday as he put his shotmaking ability on display for Westerville Central. The sophomore wing knocked three triples and hit a tough mid-range jumper in the Warhawks loss as well. We like Patton's potential as he has good size and showed off his ability to consistently knock down shots on Sunday. The sophomore has a really pretty stroke and we are excited to see how he continues to improve this season as Westerville Central has a cast of talented young guards that could make some noise in the future.

Sean Jones (5'11 PG / Gahanna / 2022): Jones was his normal self on Sunday, leading Gahanna with 20 points, a handful of dimes and also a number of steals on the defensive end. There isn't much left for us to say about Jones besides the fact that he is special, however you can read more about him here.

Cooper Davis (6'4 WG / Olentangy Liberty / 2022): After going for 22 points in Olentangy Liberty's win over Hilliard Bradley on Friday night, Davis turned in another solid performance on Sunday as he scored 17 points to lead the Patriots to another solid win, this one coming over Westerville Central. Davis was his usual self in the contest, knocking down shots from all three levels off the catch and off the bounce. For more on Davis, read here.

Cam Johnson (6'2 WG / Gahanna / 2022): After a solid performance against Westerville Central on Friday night, we were once again impressed with the contributions of Johnson in Gahanna's win over Dohn Prep on Sunday. Johnson got inside for a few tough finishes, nailed a catch-and-shoot three and did a good job of pressuring opposing ball handlers all game. Johnson really knows his role within Gahanna's team mold and does a great job of executing it to help his  team win. For more on the senior wing, you can read here.

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