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By Ron Calhoun
Three teams from Northeast Ohio are finalists for the Ohio High School Association Boys Basketball Statewide Tournament. The 2023 Division II Championship will feature Lutheran West from Rocky River, the Division III Championship game will feature Lutheran East from Cleveland Heights, and the Division IV Championship game will feature Richmond Heights High School, located in Richmond Heights.
Lutheran West (24-3)
Propelled by an 18-2 run, the Longhorns established a 29-10 halftime lead en route to beating Van Wert 53-37 in the regional final to punch the program’s first state tournament ticket since 1998. Lutheran West beat Sandusky 71-55 in the regional semifinal. The Longhorns district title was their first since 2007. Junior Jayson Levis, who surpassed 1,000 career points in the regional semis, dropped 18 against Van Wert, which matches his season average. Levis, who also averages five rebounds, four assists, and three steals, is the only Longhorn to average double-figures. Junior Derek Fairley had 15 points against Van Wert. He averages 9.7 points and 8.5 assists, which ranks second in Northeast Ohio (behind Richmond Heights’ De’Erick Barbe). Senior Clay Noble, junior Junior Kambomba and sophomore Matt Meyer (9.74 points, 6.3 rebounds) round out the starting five. Key reserves include seniors Lewis Smith and Shamari Richard, junior Dylan Bartchak, and sophomore Josh Meyer. Lutheran West had impressive wins this season over D-I stalwarts Cleveland St. Ignatius and Mentor. 
Lutheran East (20-5)
Lutheran East is going to be charged rent for as often as it shows up at the state tournament. The Falcons will make their sixth appearance in as many years. What’s scarier? This team features eight underclassmen in its top 10. Coach Sam Liggins’ team always lines up against the best during the regular season and this year was no different. The giants on the schedule included Africentric, Glenville, CVCA, Emmanuel Christian, Cleveland Heights, Richmond Heights, Lakewood St. Edward, Combine Academy (NC), Dublin Jerome, St. Ignatius, Shaker Heights, Brush, Lutheran West, and Akron SVSM. The Falcons, without question, can stake a claim for the most challenging schedule in the state. Lutheran East was able to win 20 games against that gauntlet, which is why it’s not surprising the Falcons entered Dayton winning their tournament games by an average of just over 36 points per game and none closer than a 24-point victory over South Range. Following the district final against South Range, there was thought the regional games would be closer but the Falcons didn’t agree. “The Lue” dismantled Mentor Lake Catholic 61-36 behind seven bonus goals from junior Ronald Taylor (21 points). Junior Anthony Bruce added 15 points and highly-touted freshman TJ Crumble chipped in 10. The Falcons, a program eyeing their fourth state championship, had little trouble with a 23-win Cuyahoga Heights team in the regional final. The Cleveland Heights-based school jumped out to a 39-11 halftime lead and cruised to an 84-50 victory sending the Falcons to their eighth state semifinal. Crumble paced the winners with 18 points, while senior Cody Head and talented junior big man Jesse McCulloch each added 16. McCulloch is a Big 10 priority recruit but also has offers from the Atlantic 10, Big East, Big 12, and SEC. 
Richmond Heights (27-0)
The Spartans arrived in Dayton as one of the most talked about teams in the state. The Cuyahoga County school, currently owning a 47-game winning streak, is one of only two unbeaten teams in the field of 16 and will make its fourth straight appearance on the big stage. The defending Division IV state champions lost several key pieces from a year ago returning just two regular performers. Though, those two pieces were significant in sophomores DeErick Barber and Dorian Jones. Barber, who is a throwback lead guard, holds a handful of Division 1 offers, and the talented Jones already holds offers from Arizona State, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Houston, Michigan State, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and Xavier among others. Classmate Demarris Winters Jr., a lethal shooter from behind the arc, has stepped into a more significant role for the Spartans. Additionally, Coach Quentin Rogers inherited two quality move-ins in juniors Hosea Steele (Cleveland Heights) and Jeremy Wilson (Solon). Richmond Heights can argue for being the best team in any division with regular-season victories over Harvest Prep, Beachwood, Hilliard Bradley, Brush, Lutheran East, Fairfield, and Lakewood St. Edward. In a highly anticipated tournament encounter, the Spartans used a 38-12 advantage in the 3rd quarter to blow the doors off Cornerstone Christian en route to a 93-52 triumph. Wilson paced the Spartans with 26 points, Winters followed with 22, and Jones and Steele added 20 and 15 respectively. The following tilt was slightly more entertaining, but in the end, Richmond Heights blew past Dalton by an 81-48 count. The Spartans faced foul trouble in the 1st half, but Wilson was able to shoulder some of the load. The junior scored 11 of his 21 points in the opening half and also collected 11 rebounds in the contest. Wilson’s classmate, Steele, also enjoyed a big night totaling 17 points and 12 boards. Winters chipped in 17 as well. After seeing their lead dwindle in the 2nd period, the Spartans started the final 16 minutes on a 10-0 run pushing the lead back to 21 and the rest is history. To say Richmond Heights has been dominant in its five tournament games would be an understatement as the favorite is defeating its opponents by an average of 43 points per game. 
Statistics taken from OHSAA data.
