COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The final week of division play came with a whirlwind of emotions attached to it. With the South Division being won outright by the winner running the table, the North Division was poised to be decided by the long-standing City League tiebreaker rule of the most recent representative not going. Unfortunately, it may be decided by the state basketball rules of scheduling games. 

Along with the drama surrounding the City League North winner, All-City selections were made, a City League champion was crowned on the girls side and another player captured his 1,000th point over a loaded week in the most spirited league in Central Ohio. 

Take a look at everything that happened over the past week for the Columbus City League below. 

City League North 

This Past Week: The leaders of the North, the Linden-McKinley Panthers grinded out a win over Beechcroft to start the week before taking care of business against Whetstone on Friday. Northland, the second place team (due to the tiebreaker rule) also had a tough fought win over the Cougars on Friday night, making both the Vikings and the Panthers 13-1 in the division to end the regular season. 

Since Northland went last season, that would usually call for Linden to enter the City League title game this Saturday as the North Division champions. But, due to the Panthers scheduling 22 games this season, they cannot represent the North in the championship game. OHSAA rules state that no team can more than 22 games before the tournament begins, meaning that the Northland Vikings, as of the writing of this article, will go to the City League championship game on the 17th. It could be a tough pill to swallow for the Linden players and coaches, as they feel they have earned it on the hardwood but the rule is pretty hard and fast, with little wiggle room for hardships. 

Whetstone forward Noah Knostman also reached the 1,000-point mark in Monday’s game against Franklin Heights. The junior has been a bright spot for the Braves over the past three seasons. 

Beechcroft finished their season third in the North Division with a 8-6 record in the division. Mifflin ended their season fourth, sitting at .500, finishing 7-7. Centennial’s 6-8 division record was good for fifth while East and Whetstone both had identical 4-10 records in the City League North while International went 1-13 and finished in last place. 

Elsewhere, the All-City League teams were announced, and the North was represented by King Kendrick (Northland), Phil Towns (Linden-McKinley), Noah Knostman (Whetstone), Rosean Burns (Beechcroft). We were unable to find the other two members of first team.

The Week Ahead: With Northland looking like the team that will play in the City League championship game, they will have the chance to go back-to-back for the first time since 2015-2016 when they defeated Walnut Ridge both times. The Vikings are loaded with a trio of sophomore guards and a front line that can cause havoc for other teams when they play with aggression. Brookhaven holds the record with 17 trips to the City League championship game since 1985, and they haven’t been in existence in over a half decade. 

City League South 

This Past Week: The Bulldogs from South High School claimed an outright City League South crown by going 14-0 and sweeping the entire division for the first time since 1944. Head coach Ramon Spears did an excellent job, taking this team and keeping them focused throughout the entire season and taking care of business the entire season. They beat Independence and West to close out their division schedule this past week to finish the job. 

Walnut Ridge ended their City League schedule at 12-2, with their only two losses given to them by South, finishing second. The Scots will now get ready for their tournament matchup with Gahanna Lincoln, where with a win they will be able to face off with Northland in what many thought would be the City League title game. Africentric, a sleeper team in Division III, ended third in the South Division with a 9-5 record. The Nubians have been to the last two state final fours and have the experience to be a dangerous out for any team once the tournament rolls around. 

Eastmoor Academy, despite some really rough stretches of basketball, ended fourth in the South Division with a 6-8 record but won four of their last five games in the City League. West tied the Warriors with a 6-8 division record, showing glimpses of a team that will be in the hunt to represent this division next season. Marion Franklin started as the surprise of the entire City League, but came down to Earth to end the season and finished going 5-9 in the division. Briggs went 4-10 while the Independence 76ers did not win a single game this season. 

Also, Walnut Ridge senior LJ Foster scored his 1,000-point in Ridge’s road win over Akron Buchtel. Foster is an excellent student in the classroom as well who should have every local D2 program knocking down his door. Marion Franklin’s star running back also went over 1,000-points, doing so in a road loss to Mifflin. Glass will be at Miami (OH) punishing defensive backs and safeties in the backfield over the next couple of seasons. 

First team All-City South selections were made as well; the selections were Maurice McCall (South), LaJames Washington (South), Cortez Freeman (Africentric), James Nowell (Eastmoor Academy), Dom Aekins (Walnut Ridge), and Jahmere Johnson (West). Johnson’s selection makes him the first West Cowboy to make the first team in a decade.  

The Week Ahead: South will head to the historical East High School on Saturday morning to face off with the Northland Vikings. The Bulldogs are entering the game as the least talked about championship game participant in a long time due to the drama going on in the City League North. Coach Spears will have his team prepared for whoever. This is shaping up to be a rematch of the last two times South made the title game. In both 2017 and 2019 the Bulldogs and Vikings faced off and both times the Bulldogs left the gym with a City League championship to add to the trophy case.