COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After a week of movement in the City League, the picture became more clear on who will be representing the north and south divisions in the City League championship game. The first and second place teams in each division went at it on the court to see which team claimed sole possession and the inside track to the big game. 

Also around the City League, there is an experienced team in the south division heating up and a familiar face in the north division can have a say-so in who represents that division this upcoming week. 

That and more can be found below in the Columbus City League roundup. 

This Past Week: In the battle for first place in the north, Northland used the efforts of junior forward Nehemiah McMorris to propel them to a 77-53 win over Linden-McKinley. The game had to be moved from Linden-McKinely to Northland due to a water leak in the school. That win sets up the Vikings very favorably for a return trip to the City League title game, as they sit 5-0 in the league, a game they won last season. Linden-McKinley falls to second place, still with hopes of going if they can defeat Northland when the Vikings visit the Panthers. Since the Columbus City League determines tiebreakers by a rule of whoever made the championship game last, they cannot go back if they do not outright win the division.

Linden-McKinley also dropped their non-conference road game against Portsmouth Clay on Saturday as well while Northland lost by four as they hosted Grand River Academy. Elsewhere around the City League north, Beechcroft is now tied with Linden with 4-1 north division records after their dominant victories at International and home against Whetstone. 

Mifflin climbed their way to .500 in the division, now standing at 3-3, after back-to-back wins over East and Centennial. The Punchers have now won three straight after a six game skid. East bounced back on Friday, after dropping back-to-back games, with a win over an International team that won their first division game on Tuesday. Centennial has hit a rough patch, they have now lost seven straight games and four straight in the north. Whetstone did not pick up a win this week, being stuck at 1-5 in the north. 

The Week Ahead: Northland has a tough road game against 4-1 Beechcroft and the Cougars could throw a monkey wrench into the Vikings back-to-back plans with a win on Tuesday. Senior guards Ro’Sean Burns and Dom Wise lead a talented group and head coach Humprey Simmons is a big game coach. Beechcroft then takes their show on the road for a Thursday matchup with Linden-McKinely in what promises to be an electric game. 

A couple of cross-divisional matchups happen on Wednesday as well when Centennial and International both host south division counterparts Independence and Marion Franklin respectively. 

This Past Week: The south division clash for first place had to be postponed a day because of a power outage at South High School. So, on Wednesday, the South High School Bulldogs defended home court and defeated Walnut Ridge 52-46 to take first place and as long as the Bulldogs continue to win, they will represent the south in the City League championship game. Defense won the game for the South, slowing down a potentially dangerous Walnut Ridge offense. The Scots bounced back on Friday with a win over West before losing to Dayton Dunbar at the Flyin’ to the Hoop event on Saturday. South continued their winning ways on Friday, keeping Indepence winless in the City League south. 

Last season’s City League silver medalist, the Africentric Nubians started the week with a 5-point loss to Marion Franklin before ripping off back-to-back wins over Briggs and Westerville South on Friday and Saturday. The Nubians along with West and Marion Franklin are all 3-3 in the division. A one-point win over Marion Franklin ended the Eastmoor Academy Warriors two game drought after consecutive losses to Pickerington North and Briggs. 

The Week Ahead: Surging Africentric travels to Eastmoor and Walnut Ridge this week, looking to keep rolling against the Warriors and the Scots. Nubian senior guard Cortez Freeman has been on a scoring spree over the last four games, averaging just over 29 points per game in those contests. South also travels to Eastmoor on Friday in a game that the Bulldogs controlled start to finish in the first meeting. 

On Saturday, both Africentric and Walnut Ridge compete in the Jared Sullinger Classic. Coach Bates’ bunch takes on Pickerington Central and the Scots play an unbeaten Olentangy Orange team.