COLUMBUS, Ohio -- All the smoke has cleared and the dust has settled, after weeks of chatter from around the City League, we have a rightful champion. The Columbus City League title game, at the historic East High School, was packed as usual and the atmosphere was tremendous. Also, we look ahead to the Ohio High School basketball tournament, as all of these teams look to be first City League team to compete in a state Final Four since the South High School Bulldogs in 2019. 

Check out the season review and what’s on tap for the tournament for the most spirited league in Central Ohio.

This Past Week: The best place to hold the City League championship game is East High School, and once again the basketball community gathered together off Broad Street to watch the North Division representative Northland Vikings and the South Division winners the South Bulldogs compete for the richest prize in the City League. South, coming off their first perfect 14-0 City League South record ever and first undefeated division run since 1944, battled the defending champs Northland Vikings over the weekend for City League supremacy. 

After a hard fought game from head coach Ramon Spears and the South Bulldogs, the Northland Vikings ran away with a victory and their second straight Columbus City League championship. This gives Northland head coach Tihon Johnson his second championship in as many tries despite not actively coaching due to religious reasons. Junior big man Nehemiah McMorris finished the game with 17 total points to lead the Vikings, while sophomore superstar King Kendrick had 16 points and four assists for the back-to-back champions. South High School senior first-team All-City League South performers Maurice McCall and LaJames Washington combined for 30 points to pace the Bulldogs. 

The Weeks Ahead: The South Bulldogs get a chance to rinse that losing taste out of their mouths when they battle another team with the Vikings mascot, Columbus Academy. These Vikings play a different brand of basketball but is a really good test for the Bulldogs before tournament play begins. 

With the state tournament on the horizon, it’s one and done time for every team, and things begin to kick off on February 27th with the sectional semi-finals. 

In Division I, Briggs, Whetstone and Mifflin all travel to top-8 seeds in their sectional games, with Whetstone getting top overall seed and one-loss Olentangy Orange. Walnut Ridge goes to No. 10 Gahanna-Lincoln in what will be an interesting game as the two have a past in tournament play, with the Scots winning their last tournament game over the Lions in the 2020 district finals. The aforementioned Bulldogs get the winner of DeSales and Hilliard Davidson in the sectional finals on the first of March 1st. West will get the winner of Westerville North and Central Crossing in a sectional final matchup. 

In Division II, Eastmoor Academy hits the road to Granville, the Warriors rode a wave of momentum to the district finals last season, where they lost to state final four representative Bishop Ready. East visits Bishop Hartley with the winner facing Marion Franklin in the sectional finals. Centennial gets to play either Highland or No. 3 Bishop Ready in the sectional finals on March 2nd.  

Finally, in Division III, Africentric will play the winner of North Union and Mount Gilead on March 1st in the sectional finals. North Union is the No. 2 seed and famously upset the Nubians in the district semifinals in 2020, going on a 20-0 run in the fourth quarter to shock Africentric.

The question is still who will be the next City League team to make a deep tournament and become the first team since South in 2019 to reach a state Final Four? The answer, as usual, will be found on this website so stay locked into 270 Hoops for all tournament updates, scores and happenings not just in the City League, but Central Ohio as a whole.