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Central Ohio High School Fall High League Week 1

By Mark Francis, 09/15/22, 5:00PM EDT

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Some of the area’s top high school hoopers took to court for the annual Central Ohio Fall League, presented by Nova Village

COLUMBUS, Ohio - - On Sunday, some of the area’s top high school hoopers took to court for the annual Central Ohio Fall League, presented by Nova Village. 

Here are the top performers:

Landon Vanderwalker ( 2025 / Northside Christian / F ): One of the best overall prospects in the building Sunday afternoon, this kid has every tool to be a Division 1 player. He was big and athletic, throwing down some powerful dunks in the process of his games, including one where he tried to completely tear down the backboard. Vanderwalker showed his toughness as he continued to finish at the rim while he was getting hammered as he drove the ball. For such a dynamite one-on-one player, the sophomore was remarkable moving without the ball as he was a hard cutter with good hands. Northside Christian has loads of talent and will continue to be a tough matchup for any team that comes their way.

Tai Perkins ( 2025 / Westerville North / PG): Perkins is just a flat out baller that competes on both ends of the court and makes winning plays for his team. He had a smooth handle while being poised as well, using it to get into the paint where he showcased a really good layup package and did not turn the ball over in critical moments of games. He hit a clutch triple and followed that up with a layup to keep his team in the game and showcasing how much he really wanted to win games. Defensively, Perkins used his good upper body strength to make offensive players finish over the top of him because it was so hard to get past him as a ball handler. Perkins will be a fun player to watch progress over the next couple of seasons and a sleeper player that schools should keep their eyes on.

Davion Bridges ( 2023 / Northland / PG): As one of the more experienced players at the event, playing plenty of crucial minutes for the Vikings the past few years, Bridges showed his experience and playmaking ability in the early game. He was poised and played at his own pace while getting his team in set, making sure to take care of the ball. While he may not have led his team in scoring, the fact that he was a constant threat from deep and at the rim was vital to his team. Bridges defended at a high level, showing savvy as a senior guard and forcing other guards to shoot the ball over him. Bridges has won a lot of games at Northland and is one of the better guards in the City League, one that schools should keep an eye out for. 

 

Aiden Schmidt ( 2023 / Dublin Coffman / F): A relentless driver of the basketball, Schmidt stayed in attack mode and found different ways to get to the rim when he was on the court. When he had the ball in his hand, the senior was able to put his head down and slice through the defense with a quick handle. Without the ball, he was patient when cutting to the rim, but he cut violently and looked to make a play when he got the ball. The senior played like one, being smart on offense and making hustle plays that some younger players would not make. As an undersized forward, he rebounded the ball very well and pushed the ball in transition or got the ball to a guard quickly to get his team going.

Nate Schoemy ( 2024 / Upper Arlington / HF): The junior was a powerful athlete that moved light on his feet and could defend the perimeter as well as any young man in the building. An underrated aspect of any off-ball player is how well of a screen setter they are, and Schoemy was one of the best ones in the building. He was strong on screens and made it really hard for defenders to get back to the ball handler, he was also an effective roll man off the screen. When he had the ball in his hand, Schoemy was able to get to the rim in minimal dribbles and showed that he could finish at the rim. The Golden Bears are always a tough team to play against, that will not change this season with the amount of talent they possess this year.

King Kendrick ( 2026 / Northland / PG): Possibly the most exciting young player to step into the City League in some years, Kendrick played with speed and stayed in attack mode as he went against teams with much more size and experience than his team. The lefty finished with his right hand on mid range shots a couple of times, showing improvement in that area. Kendrick is one of the most competitive kids that we’ve encountered, his face lights up playing against the best players. He had some absolute dimes on the afternoon while still being asked to carry a load of the scoring for his team. This special talent is a big time piece for the Vikings success in the next four years, something this writer can’t wait to be a part of.

Kolin Watson ( 2024 / Newark / SG): Watson had a really good day on Sunday, he was an impressive looking athlete with long arms and could get off the ground with ease. He rebounded the ball at a high clip for a guard and was instrumental in getting his team’s transition offense started. Whether he got the ball off the rim and flung it up court effortlessly or he took it up himself and made a play, Watson showed his versatility. He got in the paint when the ball was in his hands and finished at the rim very well. He’s a player to keep an eye on this upcoming season as he looks to have a role on an always solid Newark team.

Jahki Calloway ( 2026 / Bishop Hartley / PG): Another amazing passer in the freshman class that can go get his own bucket at any time. Calloway impressed with the array of passes he tossed around, all while not turning the ball over. Skip passes from the other side of the court, bounce passes that threaded between defenders' feet, or ones that led to run outs in transition, the freshman showed that his vision is advanced and he is fearless in making hard passes. Also, on Sunday, Calloway’s deep jumper was working as he buried his share of three’s during his time. He got to the rim, especially in his first game, using his quick first step. His subtle confidence on the court makes him so much fun to watch on the court

Preston Steele ( 2023 / Africentric / F): A major key to the Nubian run to the City League title and State Final Four last season, Steele showed that his motor clearly has not stopped since then. He undoubtedly had the highest motor in the building on Sunday, and it ran hot for back-to-back games. Steele was all over the place on defense, blocking shots, getting his hands and the ball and making sure nobody could drive by him on the perimeter. He controlled the glass on both ends of the court, getting the rebound and taking the ball to the basket himself and grabbing offensive rebounds and finishing at the rim. He showed improvement and confidence when the ball was in his hands, breaking down defenders a few times and blowing by them. Steele was a load to handle on both ends Sunday, he’s a young man that more schools should be calling about

 

Jude Wise ( 2024 / Watkins Memorial / PG): This young man played with a great motor during his games, getting to numerous loose basketballs and constantly pushing up into ball handlers on defense. Wise is strong and athletic which allowed him to get to the rim and finish in traffic very well, even snagging some offensive rebounds in the paint and putting them back in for scores amongst players taller than him. Off the ball, Wise showed good spacing and proved to be a threat to knock down open shots on the perimeter. The energy and competitiveness he brought was tremendous and helped his team during the event and is a trait that separated himself from others.

Thomas Campana ( 2024 / Big Walnut / PF): One of the bigger young men at the event, and his size proved to overwhelm some defenders in the post. He was fundamentally sound down low and played at his own pace when the defender was on his back. For someone his size, he showed some shiftiness on some of his post moves along with soft touch at the rim as he continuously hit 5-8-foot shots in the paint. Campana was also fundamental in his box outs, finding a body and getting a body in a spot where he knew the ball was coming off the rim. The junior is possibly primed for a breakout season coming up this year. 


 

Tre Holiman ( 2023 / Grandview Heights / PG): Another experienced varsity level guard, Holliman played like one on Sunday. His poise was on par with the other senior guards, and he made sure to never play outside of himself on either side of the ball. He didn’t take unnecessary risks or bad shots on offense, showing the ability to score on every level. Not only did he hit some impressive looking jumpers from deep, he got right outside the paint and was able to hit shits. Holliman was also one of the better and most willing passers in the building, hitting players in stride as they went to the basket or getting the ball to shooters in the right place. Experience pays off and he showed why on Sunday with a really fun performance to watch. 

 

Elias Lewis ( 2023 / Olentangy Orange / SG): He gets better and better every time we see him. Lewis flew all over the place on Sunday, looking more athletic and more explosive coming off of a solid junior season. On offense, Lewis was fluid with the ball in his hand and got to the rim time and time again where he finished through contact a couple of times. His jump shot was pure on the day, draining a couple triples as well. His length disrupted ball handlers and ruined passing lanes as well. Olentangy Orange has three great senior guards that have chemistry and experience heading into this season, they are going to be a dangerous team all year long.

Owen Laury ( 2026 / Bishop Hartley / PG): One of the youngest players there, Owen was great at taking tough coaching from his coach and was able to translate that into the game. When he got aggressive, he got the ball to the basket almost at will and plenty of defenders got driven by. His confidence continued to grow as the game went on, it was evident in his play as the ball handling got smoother and the moves he made got more better. For his height, Laury has really long arms and quick hands that he uses to frustrate ball handlers along with a frame that still has room to grow. The way he feeds off tough coaching bodes well for his game as Owen gets ready for his first year of high school basketball. 

 

James Hummell ( 2023 / Olentangy Liberty / G ) : Hummell was  impressive in our viewing of him , he was constantly in attack mode . He started off  by knocking down a pair of threes , when defenders tried running him off the line he was able to put it on the ground and finish at the rim with relative ease. He had high energy that his teammates fed off of and they ended up pulling out a win . A Liberty team that loss a great scoring talent in Cooper Davis , Hummell looks ready to step up and help in that area could be a breakout senior to look out for .

 

Devin Martin ( 2024 / Westerville Central / G ) : He ran the show as a floor general showing great poise and  setting teammates up constantly for good looks . Martin excels in a facilitating role , but also stood out in a scoring role too Sunday. He showed the ability to create for himself on multiple occasions as he got to  his spots for pull up  jumpers . He was active on the defensive in the passing lanes and competed at a high level even while trailing most of the game. Looking forward to a big junior season after gaining much experience last year.

 

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