DUBLIN, Ohio -- There may not be another junior in Central Ohio who has made a higher rise than Dublin Coffman's Derek Van Vlerah this season.

Going for 15 points and 12 rebounds on Friday, Van Vlerah dominated from start to finish as No. 6 Dublin Coffman (18-6) took down No. 25 Dublin Jerome (13-10) 58-40 in the Division I sectional finals for the second-straight year.

Holding Jerome without a field goal in the first quarter, Coffman set the tone on the defensive end. Swatting four shots and making it difficult for Jerome to do much of anything, Coffman led 9-2 after a quarter of play. 

Jerome showed some life in the second quarter, going to senior center Andrew Golda to outscore Coffman in the period 11-8. Trailing 19-13 through a half of play, Jerome liked its chances in the second half after a mostly abysmal offensive performance in the first 16 minutes.

Fighting hard for the first five minutes, Jerome found itself down 29-23 with 3:20 to go in the third quarter. With the ball and poised to make a run, that would not be the case for the Celtics the remainder of the way.

Closing on a 29-17 run, Coffman clamped down defensively and cruised to a 58-40 victory in front of a packed home crowd.

Van Vlerah was the MVP for the Rocks, putting in a terrific two-way performance. Owning the glass, causing havoc on the defensive perimeter with four blocks and getting to the rim with ease, Van Vlerah put together a strong double-double, as he was the impossible matchup that Jerome just did not have an answer for. 

Scoring 14 points after halftime, senior forward Nick Carlson had one of his best games of the season, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds. Carlson, who has seemed to be in a funk for most of the year, looked to break out of it in the second half. 

Sophomore guard Dominiq Penn, who was the focal point of Jerome's defensive game plan, added 11 points. Knocking down a few tough shots, Penn's ability to suck in a defense opened up opportunities for his teammates.

Junior guards Luke Bartemes and Will Hunter, whom scored eight and six points respectively, had solid outings for the Rocks. 

With the win, Coffman moves on to the district semifinals to take on No. 5 Newark on Wednesday. In a rematch of the 2014 district finals, in which Coffman won its last district title, the Rocks will look for much of the same against a tough Wildcats team. 

The emergence of Van Vlerah as Coffman's second-best offensive player and top defender has been key for the Rocks, as you can expect him to get the assignment of Newark stud senior JT Shumate.

For the Celtics, Golda had one of his best games in his career, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Scoring tough buckets through contact on the interior and knocking down a few mid-range jumpers, Golda was a tough cover for Coffman, as his 6-foot-8 frame is hard to stop for a team without a true post presence.

Senior guard Lucas House added nine points, seven rebounds and four assists, while junior forward Trey Ballengee scored all eight of his points after halftime. 

Jerome ends its season in the sectional finals against district rival Coffman for the second-straight year as the Celtics wrap up a season in which it had extreme highs and lows. With a vast majority of its rotation back, Jerome will have a chance to be even better next season.