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The City League Report: Week 2

By Zach Fleer, 12/20/17, 9:30AM EST

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A weekly look at the Columbus City League

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The City League stood front and center in Central Ohio on Tuesday as primetime matchups in both the South and North divisions headlined the action. Let's take a look at Week 2 of The City League Report, only on 270 Hoops.

South Division

#2 (D2) Eastmoor 67, #3 (D2) South 65

Check out our report from Eastmoor's big win here.

#2 (D3) Africentric 87, West 37

No. 2 (D3) Africentric remained unbeaten with a 50-point win over West. Four Nubians scored in double figures led by senior forward Jah Bennett with 18 points and sophomore guard Cali Davis with 17 points. West was led by junior forward Chris Veney who scored 12 points. 

Walnut Ridge 78, Briggs 52

Walnut Ridge sophomore Von Cameron Davis tied a program record with a career-high 43 points as Walnut Ridge cruised to a 78-52 win on the road at Briggs. Davis scored 18 field goals himself, seven more than Briggs had as a team. Davis' performance ties a program scoring record set by Walnut Ridge great Jawanza Moore in 1995. 

Independence 87, Marion-Franklin 39

A season of struggles continued for Marion-Franklin as Independence came into town and left with a 48-point victory. Led by junior forward Benjamin James, the Sixers punished the Red Devils with a balanced offensive attack. Junior guard Tronny Keaton led Marion-Franklin with 19 points in the loss. 

North Division

#1 (D2) Beechcroft 82, #5 (D2) Linden-McKinley 70

Check out our report from Beechcroft's big win on the road here.

East 77, Centennial 63

East remained hot and improved to 6-1 with a 77-63 win at home over Centennial. Four Tigers scored in double figures, led by senior guard Justin Curtis, who had a game-high 23 points. Senior guards Lelan Johnson and Chase Gainer each added 15 points for East while Centennial was led by senior guard Gary Elder, junior forward Myles Martinez and freshman wing Jaylen Gilbert, who each scored 13 points.

#7 (D1) Northland 70, Whetstone 47

Despite being tied at 14 after the first quarter, Northland went on a 56-23 run in the next three quarters in a blowout win at Whetstone. Senior guard Jejuan Weatherspoon led the Vikings with 20 points, as Northland improves to 4-0. Whetstone was led by senior guard Sean Jones, who added a team-high 16 points. 

Mifflin 88, International 24

Mifflin cruised on the road in a 64-point win at International. With the win, Mifflin improves to 4-3 while International's record of 61-straight City League losses continues. 

Friday's Matchups

#1 (D2) Beechcroft (6-0) at #7 (D1) Northland (4-0)

Woah buddy! The hype is already starting here as the battle for supremacy in the City League North will be on the line as Northland hosts Beechcroft on Friday. Two teams that do not like one another, this is expected to be an all-out war. Beechcroft is completely senior laden while Northland has a mix of seniors and juniors leading the way. The Vikings last lost to Beechcroft at home in 2006, which was also the last time an existing North division opponent defeated Northland. The Cougars will be looking to see if history will repeat itself on Friday as Beechcroft is on a mission to take over the City League.

#2 (D2) Eastmoor (4-1) at #2 (D3) Africentric (5-0)

The battle for sole possession of the City League South takes place on Friday at Africentric. Eastmoor comes in riding high after taking down South in a thriller on Tuesday. Africentric has flown a little more under the radar in a 5-0 start, but the Nubians are not to be doubted here. A battle between two teams led by seniors, this game could very well go down to the wire.

East (6-1) at #5 (D2) Linden-McKinley (4-2)

East comes in rolling at 6-1, while Linden-McKinley is licking its wounds after back-to-back double digit losses to Northland and Beechcroft. In a matchup between two programs on the rise, East is hoping to send a message in the City League North. The Tigers are tied atop the North division with Northland and Beechcroft through three games. Another win for East will be huge for the Tigers' momentum going into difficult matchups against the aforementioned bullies of the division. For Linden, the Panthers cannot afford to lose a third-straight league game.

Independence (4-3) at Walnut Ridge (2-4)

A classic east side battle takes place as Independence comes to Walnut Ridge on Friday. The Sixers have enjoyed a strong start to the year, while Walnut Ridge is fighting back after an unexpected 0-4 stretch to begin the season. Games between these two teams are always close, no matter the personnel, as we expect this game to be tighter than what some may think.

#3 (D2) South (4-1) at West (0-5)

South looks to get back to its winning ways against a West team that is winless in league play thus far.

Mifflin (3-3) at Whetstone (0-7)

Mifflin is looking to go 2-0 in league play on the week with a road matchup against winless Whetstone. 

Briggs (4-2) at Marion-Franklin (0-5)

Both coming off blowout losses, Briggs and Marion-Franklin do battle on the south side on Friday. Briggs is looking to improve to 5-2 with a win over a Marion-Franklin team that is coming off a 48-point loss to Independence. 

Centennial (3-3) at International (1-5)

Centennial will look to get back to its winning ways against an International team that won its first game since the 2015-16 season last Saturday over Northside Christian. 

Top Scorers

1. Von Cameron Davis (6'5 F, Walnut Ridge, 2020) - 25 PPG

Davis' scoring average took a major spike after Tuesday's record setting 43-point performance vs. Briggs. A dominant post threat whose motor never stops running, Davis has done nothing but produce at a first team All-City level since the beginning of his freshman year. Look for Davis to continue to post huge numbers as Walnut Ridge is looking to avenge an 0-4 start to the year.

2. Jelani Simmons (6'6 G, Beechcroft, 2018) - 23.2 PPG

The catalyst to a dominant Beechcroft offense, Simmons is averaging a healthy 23.2 points per game through six games. A threat to score on all three levels, Simmons is the straw the stirs the drink for the Cougars. Another big performance for Northland can help Simmons stake his claim as the No. 1 player in the entire City League. 

3. Tre Baumgardner (6'1 PG, Africentric, 2018) - 19.8 PPG

Leading an Africentric squad that is off to a strong 5-0 start, Baumgardner has been producing big numbers as of late as he is averaging just under 20 points per game through five games. The Minnesota State signee is as good as they come at the point guard position in the City League and will need another big performance on Friday vs. Eastmoor.

4. Therron Jennings (6'4 G, Beechcroft, 2018) - 19.7 PPG

Jennings is enjoying a breakout senior season as the 6-foot-4 guard is dominating in his third year of varsity action. A much improved shooter and all-around player, Jennings' versatility on both ends and improved shooting touch is critical for the success of this Beechcroft team.

5. Jejuan Weatherspoon (6'3 G, Northland, 2018) - 19.5 PPG

Weatherspoon is having the best season of his career thus far as he has taken over this Northland team. The leader of the Vikings, whether he knows it or not, Weatherspoon sets the tone for Northland and his teammates follow his lead. Through four games, Weatherspoon is putting up big numbers and has shown a tendency to show up in the biggest games. Weatherspoon will need another big-time showing for Northland to take down north side rival Beechcroft on Friday.

Next Five

Taevion Kinsey (6'5 G, Eastmoor, 2018) - 18.6 PPG

Jah Bennett (6'8 F, Africentric, 2018) - 18.6 PPG

Tre Watkins (6'0 G, South, 2019) - 17 PPG

Xavier Jennings (6'4 F, Briggs, 2018) - 16.2 PPG

Justin Curtis (6'4 G, East, 2018) - 16 PPG

Standings

South Division

Place Team Record League Record
1 Africentric 5-0 3-0
1 Eastmoor 4-1 3-0
3 South 4-1 2-1
3 Walnut Ridge 2-4 2-1
5 Briggs 4-2 1-2
5 Independence 4-3 1-2
7 West 0-5 0-3
7 Marion-Franklin 0-5 0-3

North Division

Place Team Record League Record
1 Beechcroft 6-0 3-0
1 Northland 4-0 3-0
1 East 6-1 3-0
4 Linden 4-2 1-2
4 Mifflin 4-3 1-2
4 Centennial 3-3 1-2
7 International 1-5 0-3
7 Whetstone 0-7 0-3

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