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Pickerington Central 54, Newark 42 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Emma Ervin and Zach Fleer, 01/22/22, 12:30PM EST

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Sonny Styles powered Pickerington Central to a huge road win on Friday

NEWARK, Ohio -- Revenge is a dish best served cold. What Sonny Styles and Pickerington Central dished up to Newark on Friday was colder than the frigid temps just outside of the Jim Allen Gymnasium.

The future Ohio State football star dealt with a rowdy crowd trying to get under his skin, which ultimately led to Styles playing one of the best games of his career. The 6-foot-5 junior put the finishing touches on a 54-42 OCC-Buckeye commanding victory with a powerful slam on the last possession of the contest, leading Pickerington Central (12-1, 5-1) over Newark (12-3, 4-2) and avenging the Tigers' only loss on the year. 

Junior Devin Royal opened things up with a catch and shoot three followed by a free throw and two free throws for senior Josh Harlan. The Tigers quickly jumped out to a 6-0 lead before senior Grant Somers caught fire for the Wildcats. After the Cats were held scoreless for the first two and a half minutes of the game, he sank back to back midrange jumpers to cut the lead. 

Harlan and junior Gavin Headings responded with five straight points. Amid this short lived run, Royal picked up his second foul, sending him to the bench for the remainder of the quarter. A three by Junior Grant Burkholder near the end of the quarter to cut the Tiger lead to three by a score of 13-10. 

Pickerington Central started the second quarter on a 7-3 run thanks to five straight points from Headings and a bucket by junior Rasheem Biles. Sophomores Steele Meister and Ethan Stare scored a combined five points to cut the lead to two, the closest Newark would get the rest of the night. After trading baskets at the end of the quarter, a layup under the basket by Harlan pushed the lead to 28-21 after two quarters. 

Somers kicked off the third quarter with a baseline jumper but Central responded with three free throws. Royal sank back to back baskets to push the lead to ten but Meister heated up. He drained a free throw followed by a three off of a baseline inbound pass. Senior Sonny Styles layup and two free throws from junior Derek Grimes forced the lead back to ten but Meister answered with two free throws of his own before the end of the period. With one quarter to play, Central led 39-31. 

The Wildcats tried their best to complete a comeback but could only get as close as six points. In an attempt to slow the game down, Newark opted to begin fouling Styles. The senior connected on one of two attempts and the fouling ceased. A couple of possessions later, Styles threw down a dunk off of a dump off pass and the momentum was completely in favor of the Tigers. Four straight points, including a mid range jumper, from junior Markell Johnson put the game out of reach for good. Styles capped off the game with a massive two handed slam. 

The balanced attack of Harlan, Headings, Royal and Styles paced the Tigers with 11, 11, 10 and 10 each, respectively. Meister led the Wildcats with 16. Somers and Burkholder added 11 each. 

Let’s take a look at Friday’s top performers.

Sonny Styles (6'5 SF / Pickerington Central / 2023): Styles is the best type of athlete. Humble, mild-mannered, not a "look at me" type of player. But when you tick him off, he will deliver every single time and let his game do the talking. That was the case on the hardwood on Friday, as Styles thoroughly dominated the game on both ends of the floor. The junior is a world class level athlete that does things on the court that you just don't see from most high school athletes. Styles was a force on the defensive end, coming up with a handful of blocks, steals and tie ups. He was a relentless finisher at the rim, putting down two big time dunks in the fourth quarter to put the game away. If Styles wanted to play Division I basketball, he could. However, his future is on the gridiron where he will be a welcomed addition to the Ohio State defense next fall. 

Steele Meister (6'4 SF / Newark / 2024): This is a dude that we just absolutely love. Meister is a fearless underclassman that held his own against Styles and Royal. The 6-foot-4 junior is an intriguing wing who has a strong, physical build and good feet that allow him to attack with some wiggle off the bounce. Meister does an outstanding job of driving and finishing against length, while having a consistent jumper that he can hit from beyond the three point line. The sophomore is a high level competitor with a great motor and a genuine toughness that is embodied by this Newark program. Look for this young man to be a player that fans of Newark basketball love for years to come, as he will be one of the better wing prospects in the 2024 class. 

Devin Royal (6'6 dual forward / Pickerington Central / 2023): Pickerington Central has the most athletic wing duo with Styles and Royal. Nobody else in the area has two athletes like these guys who impact the game at such a high level. Royal was very efficient on Friday, picking his spots and making the plays that Pickerington Central needed to win. We love how unselfish Royal is, as he does not force offense, is not someone who hunts shots and is not a player that values his numbers over winning. The junior will do whatever his team needs him to do, and on Friday, that was finishing on the interior which he did at a high level. Royal opened the game by knocking down a catch and shoot three and finished it with his strong finishing around the rim. The junior has ESPN Top 100 type ability and will have a great chance to lead Pickerington Central back to the state final four for the first time since 2018 this year. 

Ethan Stare (6'1 hybrid guard / Newark / 2024): Newark has a bright future with the underclassmen in the program. Stare is a player who is going to really shine over his junior and senior seasons. The sophomore has a great deal of natural ability, as he showcased a bit of that off the bench on Friday. Stare can make shots off the bounce and off movement, while having the ability to attack off the dribble and make plays for himself and others. Coming from a tremendous basketball family, Stare has it in his bloodline and will be someone that Newark greatly replies on when he is an upperclassman. We look forward to watching the duo of Stare and Meister in the sophomore class for Newark. 

Josh Harlan (6'0 PG / Pickerington Central / 2022): Senior leadership is critical for any title-level team and Harlan provides that for Pickerington Central. He has the most experience of any guard on the roster and has been a tremendous role player for the Tigers this season. Harlan is a high level athlete with his speed, quickness and ability to defend. He does whatever his team asks of him and doesn't demand a ton of shots. We love that he stepped up his scoring in a needed way on Friday, but never let up with his intensity on the defensive end of the floor. Harlan had a great football season as a running back this past fall, however, if he decides to play basketball in college, he is a player that could contribute at local programs. 

Grant Burkholder (5'10 PG / Newark / 2023): Burkholder is a flat out competitor. You will never have to worry about the junior not being ready to play, as he brings it each night out on the floor. On Friday, it was his three point shooting and quickness off the dribble that really aided Newark. Burkholder can hit shots all day long off movement, as he does a great job setting his feet and firing quickly. Burkholder is one of the fastest guards in the area and has a very good first step. He is a high IQ guard who knows how to make winning plays, a perfect recipe for a Newark point guard. The junior will have big time scoring games ahead of him in his future, as he continues to get better for the Wildcats each time out. 

Gavin Headings (6'8 stretch big / Pickerington Central / 2023): Elite teams have that one complimentary player that just puts them over the top. Headings is that player for Pickerington Central. As if dealing with Styles and Royal wasn't enough, teams have to account for the 6-foot-8 stretch big man that gives the Tigers a ton of production. Headings has a high release jumper that is extremely difficult to defend, especially when he is hitting turn arounds, which he did on Friday. Headings attacks the offensive glass and is a strong finisher, while having the ability to stretch the floor out to the three-point line. In the biggest games down the stretch, Headings has shown up in each of them and that will be needed going forward as this Tigers team will have more challenging battles as they look to accomplish lofty goals. 

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